promoearn: T-minus one year

Monday, November 4

President Donald Trump arrives to address the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Sept. 24, 2019.

2020 elections are one year away. Trump sued for defamation. Hundreds of inmates freed. It's Monday's news.

It's been quite the Monday for President Donald Trump: He's being sued for defamation. He revived "covfefe." And he seemed delighted by Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki wearing a "MAGA" hat at the White House.

It's Ashley. Here's the latest news to know.

But first, presidential elections are coming in hot: We are officially one year away from the 2020 presidential election. Here's what to expect over the next few months. ☑️

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Impeachment inquiry: Yovanovitch says she was told to tweet support of Trump

The committees overseeing the impeachment inquiry of Trump released hundreds of pages of testimony Monday from the former ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, and a former State Department adviser, Michael McKinley. Their testimonies were the first in a series of transcripts that will be released from closed-door depositions that are part of the inquiry into whether Trump abused his office by soliciting foreign interference in U.S. elections. Yovanovitch said that before her ouster, Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, gave her some advice: Tweet her support of Trump.

•	From "bullying" to "go big or go home": 5 takeaways from Trump impeachment inquiry transcripts.

Former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch (C) arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Oct. 11, 2019. Ambassador Yovanovitch is scheduled to speak to investigators of three House committees conducting an impeachment inquiry centered on President Donald J. Trump.

SHAWN THEW, EPA-EFE

Hundreds of inmates freed in the largest mass release in US history

Four hundred and sixty-two inmates in Oklahoma were set to be released Monday after a law signed this year retroactively reduced the sentences for individuals who committed low-level crimes. Friday, Gov. Kevin Stitt's office processed the recommendations for final approval. It is the largest mass commutation – or reduction of a sentencing – in U.S. history since President Barack Obama released 330 federal prisoners on his last day of office.

What everyone's talking about

•	A special delivery: After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rallied to buy her a new car. 🚙💙
•	Kellen Winslow II pleaded guilty to rape and sexual battery. He could face 12 to 18 years in prison.
•	The Popeyes chicken sandwich is back, and people waited a loooong time to get their hands on one.
•	Miley Cyrus' ex Kaitlynn Carter penned a powerful essay about sexuality and her "journey of self-discovery."
•	This one is pretty gruesome: A metal bar fell off a big rig and sliced through a car on the freeway, spearing a passenger's leg.
•	Too much screen time changes children's brains, a study says.

Airbnb Halloween party shooting: Manhunt for killer continues

The manhunt for the killer or killers who opened fire on a Halloween party at a California Airbnb rolled into Monday after the death toll rose to five and the short-term rental industry faced a series of rule changes. Since the tragic shooting, Airbnb's CEO has vowed to crack down on "party houses" – though the definition of "party houses" remains uncertain. Now people are asking how.

Real quick

•	Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apologized to a man who sued her for blocking him on Twitter.
•	Suspected white nationalists were caught filming at a memorial for Emmett Till, a 14-year-old who was lynched in the 1950s.
•	The United States told the U.N. it has begun the process of pulling out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement.
•	Former Rep. Katie Hill told women to make sure a "sexual predator no longer occupies the White House."
•	A runner died while participating in a race at Walt Disney World.

E. Jean Carroll, who alleges Trump raped her, sues the president

Columnist E. Jean Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Trump, who she said raped her in a department store dressing room more than 20 years ago. Carroll, 75, first went public with the allegation against Trump in June, before the release of her book "What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal," which contains a description of the alleged assault. Trump denied the allegation and accused Carroll of inventing it to boost book sales. "It should be sold in the fiction section," Trump said. The lawsuit claims Trump's statements damaged Carroll's reputation and caused her professional harm.

•	Unrelated, a big Trump case is headed to the Supreme Court: Trump's fight to shield his tax returns and financial records from a prosecutor was rejected by a federal appeals court Monday, sending the case to a likely showdown at the Supreme Court.

E. Jean Carroll originally accused US President Donald Trump of sexual assaulting her in June 2019. Carroll claims the assault took place in the mid-1990s. Trump denies knowing Carroll.

Craig Ruttle, AP

Shia LaBeouf credits an arrest for changing his life

Shia LaBeouf voiced a profound show of gratitude during his speech at the Hollywood Film Awards on Sunday. Accepting a screenwriting award for his autobiographical film, "Honey Boy," LaBeouf thanked the Georgia police officer who arrested him for public drunkenness in 2017. "I want to thank the police officer who arrested me in Georgia," said LaBeouf, who carried on speaking over laughs from members in the audience who thought he was joking. "For changing my life." LaBeouf, who is now sober, used time during his court-ordered rehab after the arrest to write the script.