Here you will find the most important news of the day, the most popular stories of SPIEGEL + and tips for your end of workday.
The theme of the day: From Watergate to Trump - The Power of Whistleblowers
Donald Trump is coming under increasing pressure in the Ukraine crisis. This week, hearings for a potential impeachment trial against the President have begun. This Friday, the former US Ambassador to the Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, was interrogated as a leniency witness.
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Issue 47/2019
In the service of the truth
From Watergate to Trump - power and tragedy of whistleblowersDigital Edition | Printed issues | Apps | SUBSCRIPTION
The burden of proof against the president is becoming increasingly overwhelming. The Republicans put this in a predicament. As long as voters are behind Trump, they too will not turn away from him. They are constantly changing their defense strategy. The Democrats, however, barely lack a link in their chain of evidence. In the coming weeks, the House of Representatives could already vote on whether Trump must face impeachment.
At the center of the investigation is an informant of the CIA. The case underscores how important in times of political upheaval people have become inside authorities who point to illegal or unethical behavior. Whistleblowers risk a lot and often pay a high price.
So Edward Snowden - arguably the most well-known whistleblower of our time - will probably never enter his US homeland again. Others, such as Chelsea Manning or Reality Winner, were sentenced to long prison terms. The tragedy and power of the informants this week in the SPIEGEL cover story.
The number of the day: 153
To so many inches above normal sea level, the water rose in the late morning in Venice. As reported by local media, around 70 percent of the historic city is flooded. St. Mark's Square was closed in order not to endanger people's safety, as Mayor Luigi Brugnaro announced. He spoke of a disaster.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images
News: What you need to know today
- Guilty verdict after fatal accident in Stuttgart: The district court has sentenced a young man because of a Raser accident with two dead to five years of juvenile punishment. A murder intention did not consider the court as given.
- Violence in Hong Kong escalates: Anti-government protests have been taking place in the Chinese Special Administrative Region for months. Now another human died. The 70-year-old was hit by a paving stone.
- Surprising turn in the case of the Würgeattacke in the Cologne Carnival: The alleged attack should have been according to new information of the victim just a joke among friends.
- Uli Hoeneß stops: After 40 years, the makers of FC Bayern Munich at the annual general meeting in the evening, the power - at least officially. Read a portrait of my colleague Peter Ahrens here.
Hannes Magerstaedt Getty Images
- PayPal stops making payments to pornographic actors: Money transfers on Pornhub can no longer be handled via PayPal. The change affects more than 100,000 sex workers who pay for their offers on the porn platform.
Opinion: The most discussed comments, interviews, essays
Is my blood poison? - Anyone who has sex with men as a man may not make his blood available to save human lives. My colleague Enrico Ippolito writes here why he does not care.
Entertainment in ecological times: Because probably no more plastic bags can be found for color, the Green Party Party in Bielefeld would certainly no more color bags thrown, says Harald Schmidt in his video column - and finds that almost a pity.
THE MIRROR
Stories: The most read texts at SPIEGEL +
Like an eagle, the telephone bill of a researcher exploded: Jelena Schnaider subjected her year to the rhythm of the birds, following them to the south in winter. However, one of her young steppe eagle got lost this year to Iran - and thus caused considerable costs.
Jelena Schnaider
"If you realize that you have been cheated all your life": The Rabbi Akiva Weingarten turned his back on his ultra-orthodox life in Israel two years ago. He now lives in Berlin and supports other dropouts. Because he knows from his own experience, how difficult it is to cope in German city life.
My evening: the recommendations for your end of workday
Watch the national team on Saturday: With a win over Belarus, the DFB team in Mönchengladbach can already qualify for the European Championship. (20.45 clock, RTL, and live ticker at SPIEGEL ONLINE). Read here an interview with defender Jonathan Tah.
Do not feel like soccer? Then you can look forward to the third season of the series "The Crown". From Sunday there are the new episodes on Netflix. You can already view exclusive excerpts here - Oliver Kaever from the SPIEGEL cultural resort will also tell you what to look forward to.
The Willie / Netflix
I wish you a nice finishing time.
warmly
Anna-Sophie Schneider from the Daily Team
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