Trump spins walk-away Syria policy

Trump tries to turn his widely criticized Syria policy into a win President Trump is attempting to re-brand his abrupt policy shift in northern Syria, saying on Wednesday, “Let someone else fight over this long bloodstained sand.” Despite Trump’s new posture, many remain critical. The 39 bodies found yesterday in Britain in a truck trailer were all Chinese nationals. The tragic deaths have put a spotlight on the methods migrants are using to reach Britain. And, we’re closer to eradicating polio around the world. (We’re still beta-testing this newsletter. Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.) [US President Donald Trump delivers a statement on the conflict in Syria.]( Trump tries to turn his widely criticized Syria policy into a win President Donald Trump said on Wednesday [a ceasefire in northern Syria is now permanent]( and lifted sanctions on Turkey. In a White House speech, Trump described the truce as a "major breakthrough.” But, the speech failed to blunt attacks from US lawmakers over Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw troops out of northeastern Syria to clear the way for the Turkish incursion on Kurish forces and US allies. Trump insisted that his approach had defused a historically dangerous situation even as [he washed his hands of it](. Also: [Fact-checking Trump’s spin about the “great outcome” in Syria]( And: [Trump has achieved a “sloppy” success in Syria — for now]( Republicans delay inquiry testimony Republicans held up planned testimony in the impeachment inquiry by storming the secure room in which Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was due to speak to House lawmakers. Congressional Republicans held their ground for five hours in Wednesday’s siege after Trump called on his allies to “take the gloves off.” (The Washington Post’s Philip Bump [explains why the sit-in stunt was “weird:”]( One in four House Republicans are able to attend — and have been — the hearings.) Why aid to Ukraine is so important In damning testimony, Bill Taylor, acting top US diplomat in Ukraine, said on Tuesday that delays in US security aid could prove fatal in the hot war with Russia. “More Ukrainians would undoubtedly die without the US assistance.” Wilson Center fellow Nina Jankowicz agreed. [Jankowicz told The World]( that the US-Ukraine relationship has been key in transforming Ukraine over the past 30 years, but that the scandal in Washington is threatening that relationship and Ukrainian lives. “Ukraine could really use a helping American hand and instead, they’re being dragged into our own political battles right now.” UK: The 39 found dead in truck were Chinese nationals The 39 people found dead in the [back of a refrigerated truck in Britain were Chinese](. Police found the bodies early on Wednesday in a truck container on an industrial estate at Grays, about 20 miles east of London. For years, migrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in the back of trucks. Detectives are continuing to question the truck driver, Mo Robinson, 25, on suspicion of murdering the eight women and 31 men. Polio closer to eradication The World Health Organization welcomed an "historic step" toward [a polio-free world on Thursday]( as an expert panel certified that the second of three types of the crippling virus has been eradicated globally. The announcement by the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication means that only wild polio virus type 1 is still circulating, after type 2 was declared eradicated in 2015, and type 3 this week. Also: [Massive vaccine campaign underway in the Philippines after polio's return]( Franco remains moved Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's remains [were exhumed on Thursday]( from the state mausoleum in the Valley of the Fallen, where they have lain since his death more than four decades ago. They were to be taken for reburial alongside the remains of his wife in a private vault in the Mingorrubio cemetery north of Madrid. Socialists in Spain have long sought to turn the Valley of the Fallen complex into a memorial to victims of the civil war, in which about 500,000 people were killed. Meet a plaintiff suing Trump over DACA[Norma Ramirez, an undocumented immigrant and beneficiary of the DACA program, is suing the Trump administration for rescinding DACA.]( Growing up in Las Vegas, Norma Ramírez set her sights on attending an Ivy League college. But as she was planning her future, her father told her to forget college. Ramírez didn’t have legal status in the US, he reminded her. She had arrived from Mexico at age 5 without a visa. Today Ramírez is on a path she never thought possible, thanks largely to an Obama-era immigration program known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). At 29, she is a mental health therapist and PhD candidate in clinical psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. And Ramírez is also one of 11 plaintiffs [suing the Trump administration for ending DACA](. The US Supreme Court will hear the case on Nov. 12. Morning meme: [Watch Paul Rudd troll Conan … again](. Here’s a [highlight reel]( of previous versions of this prank. One more: [Rats were taught how to drive little cars]( In case you missed it on The World:[US President Donald Trump leaves the White House.]( - [World Series]( - [A DACA recipient behind the Supreme Court case]( - [DNA to be collected from migrants]( - [The case of Paul Whelan and Russia]( - [What’s happening with Ukraine’s relationship with the US?]( - [Zoroastrians looking for love]( - [Can sportsmanship overcome global politics?]( - [Google’s quantum leap]( - [A tragedy east of London]( - [The Syrian map and Russia’s role in it]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is brought to you by [PRI's The World](.