Your Wednesday Briefing – The New York Times

Trump donor is next up in impeachment inquiry

The House investigation hears testimony today from perhaps the most significant witness on the public schedule: Gordon Sondland, the Trump donor who is ambassador to the European Union. So far, he is the only witness cooperating with the inquiry who dealt directly with President Trump on Ukraine.

Mr. Sondland is likely to face tough questions about holes and inconsistencies in his closed-door testimony, which he has already amended once.

The proceedings start at 9 a.m. Eastern. The Times will stream them live, and our reporters will provide real-time context and analysis. Here’s what to expect.

Catch up: We break down the key moments of Tuesday’s hearing, in which two White House national security officials recalled their concerns about the president’s conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Quotable: “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” one of the officials, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, said of Mr. Trump’s request to the Ukrainian president. “It was probably an element of shock — that maybe, in certain regards, my worst fear of how our Ukraine policy could play out was playing out, and how this was likely to have significant implications for U.S. national security.”

Closer look: Colonel Vindman testified in his Army dress uniform. It was “the ultimate witness power move,” our reporter writes.

News analysis: Mr. Trump has publicly denounced people who work in the White House. Even for a president who rarely spares the rhetorical howitzer, this was new, our chief White House correspondent writes.

Breaking down the next Democratic debate

Ten presidential candidates will take the stage in Atlanta tonight for the contest, which starts at 9 p.m. Eastern on MSNBC.

Surviving the El Paso shooting

Luis Calvillo, who served in Iraq, was shot with an AK-47-style rifle outside a Texas Walmart in August. The gunfire that day left two dozen injured and 22 dead, including his father.

“We didn’t deserve this,” said Mr. Calvillo, who was shot twice in his left leg and three times in his back. “We’re good people. We’re not bad people. And this dude just came to ruin everything.”

Times journalists followed Mr. Calvillo through his recovery. Some secrets to his success? Being a father in a hospital gown, and a soccer coach from his sick bed.

In memoriam: Kim Gervais, a California woman who was shot and paralyzed two years ago in the Las Vegas shooting, has died. She was 57 and had been the subject of a Times article about her experiences.

If you have a few minutes, this is worth it

Thanksgiving in a conflict zone

Our reporter asked American troops what it was like to celebrate the holiday while at war in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Like combat itself, their experiences spanned scarcity and excess, spectacle and sorrow, isolation and crowds.

A common theme was the longing for home. In one case, Afghan soldiers near a U.S. Army base found a live turkey and prepared it for American colleagues. “It may not have been the tastiest bird I’ve ever eaten,” a recipient recalled, “but it was the one I was definitely most thankful for.”

Snapshot: Japanese aesthetics are founded on a “constant, continual recognition of the changing seasons,” the editor of T Magazine wrote in an essay about cherry blossoms.

Grammy Awards: Nominations are to be announced at 8:45 a.m. Eastern. Check nytimes.com for the full list.

Late-night comedy: Seth Meyers said the only person trying to sabotage Mr. Trump was himself. “I mean, the guy commits crimes then goes on TV and confesses to them. Honestly, there’s a chance he’s trying to get impeached so he can collect unemployment.”

What we’re reading: This from NJ.com. Randy Archibold, our sports editor, writes, “This column about a coach on trial for ordering a young baseball player to slide tells us so much about the stresses in youth sports, where routine play has turned into a high-stakes gambit.”

Now, a break from the news

Cook: Millionaire’s shortbread is a simple yet flashy treat.

Eat: The new chef of Gotham Bar and Grill in Manhattan “turns vegetables into compelling events,” our restaurant critic writes.

Listen: Leonard Cohen released “You Want It Darker” 19 days before his death in 2016. His son has finished more songs for a posthumous album that will be released on Friday.

In the mid-1950s, the start of the “silver age,” superheroes rebounded, bolstered by a new Flash (Barry Allen, a forensic scientist), a new Hawkman (Katar Hol, an alien police detective) and others.

A twist came in 1961’s Flash No. 123, by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino, which linked the two incarnations of Flash: Jay was real on his world (Earth Two), but fictional on Barry’s (Earth One).

This would lead to the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, when the silver age ended and Barry died, in a moving, heroic and definitive ending — which was tarnished by his return in 2008.

Ah, comics.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Mike

Thank you
Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. George Gustines, an editor who covers the comic book industry for The Times, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about Kamala Harris.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Something to bid while leaving (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• Hillary Chute and Ed Park have been named comics and graphic novels columnists for The New York Times Book Review.