It's where he's eulogized by former presidents or aka Obama and Bill Clinton I love is booming voice but we should hear him. In the quiet times at night in the morning when we need courage. Should we go over can we be sure. And get another iteration of what the trumpet ministration is up to in Syria Pentagon chief Mark esper says the u.s. Will leave u.s. Troops in armored vehicles in Syria to help prevent fighters of the Islamic state from gaining access to oil fields just last week President Trump was insisting on 1000 forces would leave the country home from Pacifica Radio paid to favored Katie have chaos Angeles this is the Evening News with Glenn reader and Mark Merkel broadcasting from the studios of k.p. If they didn't Berkeley California. Attorney General William Barr has shifted the Justice Department review of the origins of the Russia probe to a criminal investigation that's according to a media reports the designation as a formal criminal investigation would give prosecutors the ability to issue subpoenas potentially empanel a grand jury compel witnesses to give testimony and to bring federal criminal charges the Democratic leaders of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees which are leading the impeachment inquiry of President Trump said in a statement late yesterday that the reports raise profound new concerns that the Justice Department has lost its independence and become a vehicle for president trumps political revenge just. Cheri committee chair Jerrold Nadler and Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff said in their statement if the Department of Justice may be used as a tool of political retribution or to help the president with the political narrative for the next election the rule of law will suffer new and irreparable damage Kevin that police reports from Washington a review into whether the miller probe was lawful was 1st launched by the d.h.l. You back in May Now according to The New York Times and other publications that inquiry overseen by Attorney General William ball is now a criminal investigation a move that would allow the investigating team to issue subpoenas call witnesses and file criminal charges while it's not clear what potential crimes are being investigated Donald Trump maintains that the inquiry into Russian interference was a legitimate and has pushed for the origins of the investigation to be scrutinized the investigation will now report to the look at whether surveillance and intelligence gathering methods used when they go and appropriate. As previously described the Russian probe into Trump's campaign as spying given my colleagues at Washington Trump declared a new today that they now concluded special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 u.s. Presidential election was a hoax designed to discredit is the presidency and he said to expect the new criminal probe to reveal really bad things you know there's been a gun to the president next to the helicopter pad outside the White House today a judge has ordered the Justice Department to give House Democrats secret grand jury testimony from Special Counsel Robert Muller's Russia and this to geisha in chief u.s. District judge Beryl Howell made the directive in a brief order today Democrats had requested that the department provide the material which was redacted from Miller's report as part of their ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump or Justice Department lawyers argued it hearing earlier this month that House Democrats already had sufficient evidence from Miller's investigation including copies of summaries of f.b.i. Witness interviews. The 3 House committees leading the impeachment investigation are scheduled break here from current and former staff of the National Security Council next week closed door interviews are tentatively scheduled with Charles Kuperman the former deputy to former national security adviser John Bolton and Tim Morrison that actual security council's current Russia and Europe director government's interview scheduled for Monday Morrisons for Thursday if Morrison appears he will be the 1st White House aide to testify even as Trump has said is the ministration would not cooperate Morris and could be a key witness the top u.s. Diplomat to Ukraine Well yeah Taylor. Or told lawmakers and his deposition on Tuesday about phone calls he had with Morrison that described the Ukraine effort in a detailed opening statement Taylor said Morrison told him in an August phone call that the president doesn't want to provide any assistance at all he was speaking about the military aid that had already been authorized for Ukraine by Congress meanwhile the House impeachment Investigators issued subpoenas to 3 more Trump administration officials they're demanding the 3 testify in their probe of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukrainian leaders to seek damaging information about Democratic political opponents the chairs of the 3 investigating House committees issued subpoenas to 2 officials of the White House Office of Management and Budget acting director Russell Voc vote and Michael Duffy his associate director for national security programs they all says the pain is State Department counselor t. All rich Brecht Bowl investigators asked all 3 earlier this month to testify that none appeared investigators want to know why nearly $400000000.00 in military aid to Ukraine was delayed president Donald Trump's company is exploring the sale of its Washington Hotel which has been at the center of 3 years of ethics complaints and lawsuit accusing him of trying to profit off the presidency the Trump Organization said in a statement today that it will consider offers to buy it out of a 100 year lease of the building partly because quote people are objecting to was making so much money on the hotel in quote the Trump International Hotel has been a magnet for lobbyists and diplomats looking to curry favor with the Trump administration in Trump's latest financial disclosure of the opulent hotel built from the Old Post Office building just steps from the white. Bob's generated nearly $41000000.00 up less than a half 1000000 from last year. Pentagon chief Mark esper says the United States will leave more American troops and armored vehicles in eastern Syria to help prevent Islamic state militants from gaining access to oil fields controlled by u.s. Allied Syrian Kurds a u.s. Official says the deployment will likely include tanks and confirms that the u.s. Is going to send in an armored force to the oil region he refused to provide details or the number of troops his comments that are news conference at NATO headquarters and Brussels reflects yet another change in what's been a rapidly shifting u.s. Stance on American forces in Syria I will state again what the position is again we are withdrawing from northeastern Syria that was the direction of the president that deliberate withdrawal began with the removal of the lesson 50 troops or so from the immediate zone of attack we are now in what we call the face to withdraw Alternately we always intended as a present directed to maintain a presence at the end tense garrison as I've said over the past several days we are also considering how we might. Reposition forces in the area in order to ensure we secure the oil fields. Pentagon chief Mark as heard just last week President will trump was insisting that all 1000 forces would leave the country the Russian defense ministry saying today that Russia has sent hundreds of additional troops to Syria to help patrol the country's Turkey Syria border after a deal between Moscow and. The ministry said about $300.00 military police have arrived in Syria to patrol the north eastern areas along the border with Turkey and oversee the pullout of Syrian Kurdish fighters from their military cargo planes airlifted 20 armored vehicles for the mission after Turkey invaded northeastern Syria this month an offensive enabled by President Donald Trump's abrupt pullout of u.s. Troops Moscow and on cross struck a deal splitting control of north eastern Syria Turkey has now been allowed to keep control over a significant chunk of north eastern Syria a belt of land on its border in the North East that it invaded on October 9th along with a larger piece of the border in the north west that Turkey already holds captured in previous incursions. Education Secretary Betsy device was held in contempt of court today after a federal judge said she violated an earlier order to stop collecting loans from former students of a defunct for profit college changed u.s. Magistrate judge Sally Kim issued the ruling in San Francisco saying the violence in that apartment made only minimal efforts to comply with a 2018 court order judge can also find the Education Department $100000.00 require the agency to make monthly reports to prove its complying with the order the dispute stems from. A lawsuit filed by thousands of former Corinthian Colleges students who say they were defrauded by the change before it collapsed in 2013 says the students are owed full forgiveness of their federal student loans under a rule created by the Obama administration and it challenges the vases 2017 decision to provide only partial relief based on borrowers incomes and in May 2018 decision Judge Kim had ruled that the partial relief formula was unlawful she ordered that apartment to stop using the formula and they stopped collecting student loans from former Carinthia students but in a September court filing that apartment acknowledged that it incorrectly sent loan bills to more than $16000.00 former Corinthian students prompting more than $3000.00 of them to send in payments The department also garnished wages or tax refunds from 1900 borrowers and provided credit agencies with negative reports about 800 borrowers judge wrote that there was no question that apartment and device violated the May 2018 injunction she said the defendants had not provided evidence that they were unable to comply with their preliminary injunction and the evidence shows only minimal efforts to comply with the preliminary injunction devices Education Department did not respond to any requests for comment. You're listening to the evening is a b f a Berkeley k p f k Los Angeles K.F.C.'s Fresno online at k p f a dot org We're broadcasting from the studios of k p f a in Berkeley California. A wildfire in California wine country that may have been caused by a high voltage transmission line. Called into question Pacific Gas and Electric strategy of selectively cutting off power in windy weather to prevent blazes and could force it to resort to even bigger blackouts affecting millions as early as this weekend the Kincaid fire Geyserville is burned at least 49 buildings and 34 square miles and prompted evacuation orders for some 2000 people no serious injuries have been reported Governor Gavin Newsom and Cal Fire and Emergency Services the pistols toured the fire site today Tom Porter is the chief of county fire where about 212-1009 100 acres that as of this morning 5 percent contained we are working diligently on closing the doors that are still open on this fire there's still a lot of open line and we have bulldozers hand crews all working to put line in to bring those containment numbers up but with the wind coming back to us we're very concerned that we we not only get lining in but also have a line that we can hold so it's it's a fluid process right now the fire is not moving a lot today but it is just because we're in this kind of transition period and we're worried about the winds resurfacing with dangerously high winds in the forecast this weekend p.g. And e. Said it's planning another major shutdown that could hit 2000000 people throughout the region starting Saturday evening and lasting up to 2 days count fires Tom Porter we are looking at what the next week has in store for us we're going to have weather that's going to continue to give us challenges it's going to give us challenges no matter what the spark is so we have also our assets that we're working through the California National Guard and the governors. Direction to have remote sensing capabilities to tell us when and where fires are starting 247 also making sure that we can get to fires early and get resources there put them out before they get big we have been putting out more than 95 percent of the fires that are happening in California for the last several days at 10 acres or less we have been very active there are a few that have escaped this is the kind of situation and season when those fires can happen. Twice over the past 2 weeks p.g.d. Has cut power to large areas of northern and central California to reduce the risk of its equipment sparking fires nearly 2000000 people lost electricity earlier this month and then as many as a half 1000000 this week but p.g. And E.'s decision to shut down distribution lines but not long distance transmission lines may have backfired this time in a blazer up to Deer the Sonoma County wind country town of Geyserville p.g. And e. Said a live 230000 volt transmission line near the Geyserville had malfunctioned minutes before the fire erupted on Wednesday night and a broken jumper wire was found on a transmission tower Peachey needs c.e.o. Bill Johnson said it was too soon to say whether the faulty equipment sparked the fire he said the tower had been inspected 4 times in the past and 2 as 2 years and appeared to have been an excellent condition governor Newsom blasted p.g. And a the nation's largest utility for what he calls years of mismanagement and under investment that have left its grid less resolving it we should not have to be here years and years of green. Tears and years of mismanagement particularly with the largest investor on utility in the state of California p g any Taghreed has precipitated in a lack of intentionality and focus on hardening their grid under grounding their transmission lines they simply did not do their job it took us decades to get here but we will get out of this mess we will hold them to an account that they've never been held in the past we will do everything in our power to restructure p.g. Me so it is a completely different and to change when they get out of bankruptcy by June 30th of next year we will hold them accountable. For the business interruption and costs associated with these blackouts and we will do the same with the other 2 investor owned utilities in Southern California the possible link between the Kincaid Wine Country Fire and it p.g. And e. Transmission line contained grim parallels to the catastrophic fire last year that tore through the town of Paradise killing 85 people and destroying thousands of homes in the deadliest u.s. Fire in a century state officials concluded that fire was sparked by a p.g. And e. Transmission line Mark my words it is a new day of accountability a new day of transparency but I cannot look any of you in the eye and honestly say that we can snap our fingers and address a decade of mismanagement and while I have been here 9 months unfortunately I have not been here 9 years and I will do my best to make sure that we are never again in this position but I do want folks to know the kind of investments that are necessary will take a little bit of time but with all due respect not 10 years this is not the new normal this cannot continue p.j. Any C.E.O.'s said it will take about a decade before widespread outages are not necessary firefighters are responding to a new new wind driven wildfire in Southern California and evacuations are under way the fire erupted this morning near a community of Ramona about 30 miles northeast of downtown San Diego the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the blaze has grown to 60 acres and evacuation orders have been issued for half a dozen roads in the area the San Diego County Sheriff's Department says an evacuation center is been set up at a rodeo grounds. Wildfires also are burning near Los Angeles Chilean Wolf reports firefighters are receiving support from the skies says air tankers and helicopters help to contain the fires the thick fire which is in the most densely populated region north of Los Angeles is burning out of control and has forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes the blaze broke out Thursday near Santa Clarita and was just 5 percent contained by late evening gas and electric companies temporarily shut off power in the region to prevent the risk of any accidental fires. And that Gillian Wolf reporting Meanwhile meteorologists are predicting high winds in northern California beginning tomorrow night p Gini said that may prompt new more widespread outages starting tomorrow at 5 pm that could affect to 1000000 people the outage could affect people in portions of $33.00 counties in the Bay area that includes the counties of Alameda Carter cost in Napa salmon tayo Santa Clara Solano Sonoma also Fresno and the Sierra foothills. The lake Congressman Elijah Cummings was eulogized today as a leader with a fiery moral conviction of an Old Testament prophet at a funeral that brought former presidents in ordinary people alike to the Baltimore church where the Congress went to worship for 4 decades Cummings a black sharecroppers son and civil rights leader who rose to power in Washington over 2 decades ago with his son nor as voice and powerful oratory died of long standing health problems October 17th at age 68 while locked in political combat with President Donald Trump the Baltimore Democrat led multiple investigations of the president who recently laid down it Cummings his district as a disgusting rat and rodent infested mess where no human being would want to live trap did not attend today's service the turmoil in Capitol Hill seemed close that hand during the service though. In what sounded like a reference to the impeachment inquiry against Trump former President Bill Clinton told the crowd we all know that as that least until certain things happen his legacy is how ardently he honored his oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United. States Clinton said Cummings knew that without the Constitution the laws that were passed under it the rights that were guaranteed by it and the abuses it was designed to prevent Cummings could not have been Congress and in another comparison to trump Clinton cited Cummings is ability to be friend even those who were his political enemies like North Carolina Republican Congressman Mark Meadows a right wing Trump supporter who did attend the service. Everybody could see he was a real deal b. Was doing what he believed his heart was and it was seeking the recall no matter how hard he fought and how passionately how he argued he tried to treat everybody the way he wanted to be treated the way he thought to be free the Ok You know you can't run a free society if you have to hate everybody you disagree with the law and without mentioning tribes name former President Barack Obama praised Cummings's strength of character in comparison with the bravado and Braga does he owe displayed by the current occupant of the White House being a strong man includes being colleagues. In the event there's nothing weak. About kindness and compassion. Is not the weak about looking out for us the lose nothing of the old there's nothing. We can about being honorable you're not a sucker to have integrity the wounded 3 others I was back. Yesterday logic. Or are old. Or or forward. And obviously we lost the cage if a news we were striving to get back for you in the case yes the Santa Cruz. Ok perfect good news progress. Oversight and accountability to ensure that we are strongly respecting and protecting the rights of all asylum seekers the global delegation which included amnesty international directors from Mexico Canada Greece Kenya and the USA met with government officials as well as N.G.O.s and civilian a