Bush Funeral; Stock Market Tumble; Michael Flynn’s Deal

Plus, celebrating our favorite Christmas songs. [NPR] by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up Here’s what we’re following today. Former President George H.W. Bush is being remembered at a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. The list of funeral attendees is a map of Bush’s [long and accomplished life]( on the public stage, from a congressman from Houston to the commander in chief who presided over the end of the Cold War. Stock markets are closed today for a day of mourning to honor Bush. [Wall Street may need a breather]( after stocks tumbled on Tuesday amid worries over slowing U.S. growth, mounting skepticism over the U.S.-China tariff truce and a drop in oil prices. Former CBS head Les Moonves misled investigators, according to a CBS report. According to a draft of a report prepared for the company's board, Moonves may have [destroyed evidence and misled investigators]( to preserve his reputation and save a lucrative severance deal. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn has provided “substantial assistance” in the Russia inquiry. Prosecutors said Flynn's cooperation following his guilty plea has been so valuable that a judge should be lenient at sentencing, but [the full details still aren't public]( in a heavily redacted document. After a briefing from CIA Director Gina Haspel, some senators promptly declared Tuesday they were convinced that Saudi Arabia's crown prince was behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., flatly called the prince guilty: ["If he was in front of a jury, he would be convicted in 30 minutes."]( President Trump has defended Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and disdained U.S. intelligence linking him to the killing. The University of Maryland has hired former Alabama offensive coordinator Michael Locksley. The new head coach is replacing [DJ Durkin]( who was fired after a player died under his watch. Now, Locksley must revive a program mired in controversy, though he has a spotty coaching past of his own. Protesters across Israel on Tuesday criticized what they say is the government's failure to address violence against women. Activists carried signs bearing the names of women killed this year, lit candles and blocked city streets while [calling on the Israeli government to do more to protect women](. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Good The two Koreas have taken another remarkable step toward linking up — by train. [The interior of the DMZ train, a three-car tourist train. It is decorated with words such as ]( Anthony Kuhn/NPR Last week, a South Korean train crossed the border into North Korea for the first time in a decade. After being separated for more than half a century, the two Koreas are reconnecting their railways with [the three-car DMZ train]( which is decorated with words such as "love," "peace" and "harmony" in several languages. --------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper Explaining the Trump emoluments lawsuit. The Constitution prohibits federal officeholders from accepting gifts or payments from foreign states, rulers or their representatives. This is the heart of the Emoluments Clause, and a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington, D.C. claims that President Trump is profiting from foreign and state governments' spending at the Trump International Hotel in downtown D.C. Subpoenas have been ordered, and [investigators have begun collecting evidence that could shed light on the finances]( of the secretive Trump Organization. A judge says that evidence-gathering must end in August 2019, which coincides with the Iowa State Fair, one of the first big events of the 2020 presidential campaign, when Trump will likely step up his re-election campaign appearances. Donald Kettl of the University of Texas notes: "If it turns out that now there are suggestions and maybe evidence presented there are people who at least took advantage of the Trump Hotel in Washington to try to curry favor, it's going to continue to stir a pot that the president would surely wish were left unstirred." --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen Pop Culture Happy Hour: Celebrating our favorite Christmas songs. [Carly Rae Jepsen demonstrates her Christmas prowess at Rockefeller Center.]( NBC/Getty You can't have an abundance of Christmas songs without also having an abundance of opinions about Christmas songs — songs we love, songs we hate, songs we love when they're sung by one person but hate when they're sung by another. Members of our special panel tackle their favorite songs for the season. [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Hello Deli: Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and Susie (Alex Borstein) nosh and schmooze in Season 2 of Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.]( Amazon Prime Video - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has begun [its glorious second season]( on Amazon. - [Dog food recall]( The FDA says some recalled pet food brands have too much vitamin D, which can poison dogs. - This happened and was glorious: [The Wu-Tang Clan dropped by NPR]( for a Tiny Desk concert. - The holiday decorations in the Illinois Capitol rotunda just got a little weird. Along with a Christmas nativity scene and a Hanukkah menorah, there’s also [a display from the Satanic Temple’s Chicago chapter](. - Take a spin through [NPR’s 100 Best Songs of 2018]( list. - [Seattle is getting its own NHL team]( in the 2021-22 season. --------------------------------------------------------------- ✏️ What do you think of today's email? 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