As impeachment moves to House Judiciary for the next phase, here’s what you can expect

WASHINGTON – For weeks, the House Intelligence Committee has investigated President Donald Trump’s conduct with Ukraine.

The panel held hearings, called witnesses and the American public heard the lengthy story filled with accusations that Trump used his power as president to withhold both $400 million in military aid and a key White House meeting from Ukraine unless it moved forward with a pair of investigations that were helpful for Trump politically. 

Now, the impeachment inquiry hearings will head to the House Judiciary Committee — the panel tasked with both deciding whether Trump’s conduct is impeachable and drafting articles of impeachment. 

The hearings will mark the next phase in the impeachment effort in the House. Here’s what you can expect and how things will differ during this next chapter. 

Theatrics and partisan bickering 

The level of decorum that seemed to surprise members of both parties likely won’t be on display this week. While there were moments of partisan bickering throughout the process in the House Intelligence Committee, things are likely to come to a head on the House Judiciary Committee.

Trump says he will restore tariffs on Brazil, Argentina metal imports

U.S. President Donald Trump said in tweet on Monday that he will immediately restore tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports from Brazil and Argentina.

Trump also urged the Federal Reserve to prevent countries from taking advantage of a strong dollar by devaluing their currencies.

"Lower Rates & Loosen – Fed!": Trump said in a tweet.

Subway War With Franchises Heats Up

Subway’s management believes that among the best ways to revive flagging sales is to cut prices. This, in turn, will hurt the finances of its franchise owners. The tension between the corporation and these outlet owners has worsened again.

According to The New York Post, the Subway price cuts will occur early in 2020. They almost certainly will trigger lower margins for franchise owners, if not losses. An example of one price cut is the deep cleaving of the six-inch “Oven Roasted Chicken,” which will drop from $4.25 to a gut-churning price of $2.99.

Subway closed 1,108 stores in 2018, the last year for which solid data is available. Most experts believe it overexpanded. Others believe it came under more pressure from McDonald’s and other large fast-food chains. Either way, franchise owners in many locations face bleak futures. Subway could be among retailers closing the most stores this year.

The plan is part of the turnaround strategy of new CEO John Chidsey. He faces tension over lease requirements the company has imposed on franchise owners. The tension has heated up enough that there has been at least one lawsuit between the two sides. It is hard to imagine a worse situation than a battle between a company and those who sell its products. Subway has no stores. All of its sales come via franchises.

Chidsey is about to break one of the cardinal rules of business. It is very hard to cut costs deeply and make up the loss of margins via higher revenue.

Amazon takes action over Holocaust-themed Christmas decorations

Amazon has removed Holocaust-themed Christmas decorations from sale after the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum shared pictures of the items on social media.

Christmas tree ornaments and a bottle opener with pictures of the Nazi concentration camp where more than 1.1 million people were murdered were listed on its online marketplace.

The product description of the items listed them as “the ideal city souvenir” and suggested buyers could “give it to a friend on different occasions as a gift”.

Cyclone Idai: Thousands still struggling to cope

In March, cyclone Idai devastated parts of Zimbabwe, and many families are still struggling.

Thousands of people who survived a cyclone in Zimbabwe eight months ago are still living in tents.

Hundreds were killed and thousands displaced when Cyclone Idai struck parts of Southern Africa.

There are fears the rainy season will now make the lives of survivors even worse.

Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa has more from Chimanimani, in eastern Zimbabwe.

London Bridge attack victims to be honoured with vigil

A vigil is planned to pay tribute to those who died in the London Bridge attack and to honor the bystanders who fought the attacker.

The remembrance service Monday at Guildhall Yard is meant to honor former University of Cambridge students Saskia Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25, who were part of a program meant to rehabilitate prisoners.

Amazon removes 'Christmas ornaments' showing Auschwitz death camp

Brexit could help lead US-Poland to a new ‘special relationship’

U.S.-Poland business council president Eric Stewart says Poland is poised to be President Trump’s closest ally in a post-Brexit EU.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Amazon has removed “Christmas ornaments” and other merchandise bearing the images of the Auschwitz death camp that had been available on its online site.

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Amazon said that “all sellers must follow our selling guidelines” and that those who do not will be removed.

The move comes after the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum appealed Sunday to Amazon to remove the merchandise, which also included an Auschwitz bottle opener and a Birkenau “massacre” mouse pad.

It called the merchandise "disturbing and disrespectful.”

Many others on Twitter voiced outrage.

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On Monday, the state memorial said it was still calling on another online outlet, Wish Shopping, to pull the products.

Nazi Germany killed 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, at the death camp during its occupation of Poland during World War II.