Los Blancos’ boss has given the midfielder few opportunities this season, and left him on the bench again despite injuries to Bale and Asensio

Isco did not start Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey round of 16 game against Leganes due to the importance of the fixture, according to Santiago Solari.

Real claimed a 3-0 victory in the first leg of the tie thanks to goals from Sergio Ramos, Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior, the former netting his 100th career strike.

Solari had a growing number of injuries ahead of the cup game, including knocks to Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio. But Isco, who has been given limited game-time this term, was not selected to start and settled for a role as a 71st minute substitute. 

Despite his lack of opportunities, Isco previously insisted he does not want to leave Santiago Bernebeu in January.

When asked about his team selection after the game, the Madrid boss told reporters: “There’s 24 players and my duty is to pick the players. It’s not the most pleasant duty. 

“Why Isco didn’t play today as starter? Today we made a big game.”

Despite the importance Solari placed on the fixture, there were many empty seats at the Bernabeu.

Speaking about the poor attendance, Solari added: “There’s hundreds of millions of Real fans around the world. There’s Real fans in every country of the world. But not everybody can attend the games at the stadium. Real Madrid is the football global brand. There’s always people watching. We always feel the fans.”

There was a rare start in goal for Keylor Navas, and the keeper will be getting more first-team action in coming weeks after it was confirmed today that Thibaut Courtois has suiffered a hip injury.

The Costa Rica international has regularly featured for Real in the last three seasons, but has made just two La Liga appearances this term due to the arrival of Courtois from Chelsea. 

Solari said of Navas: “He is training very well, he is quite fine. Today he made a big game and it’s important for Real Madrid. And he will still be important in the future.”

The keeper will be in line to start when Los Blancos play Real Betis on Sunday, three days before they travel to Leganes for the second leg next week. 

The 18-year-old Wales international has rejected the Blues’ first contract offer and has attracted interest from several clubs around Europe

Manchester City are still hopeful that young midfielder Rabbi Matondo will sign a new contract with the club, despite his refusal of their opening offer and subsequent interest from a host of Bundesliga sides.

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig are said to be among a number of clubs hoping to take advantage of Matondo’s contract situation at the Etihad Stadium.

The 18-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of next season and he has knocked back City’s initial attempt to extend it.

It has been reported that Matondo, who recently won his first Wales cap, has already decided to leave for Germany, although City sources insist there is no reason to panic and they still believe an agreement is possible.

Matondo’s rumoured move to the Bundesliga comes at a time when German clubs are looking to hoover up under-used talent at top English clubs.

Following Jason Sancho’s move from City to Dortmund in 2017, Bayern are chasing Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi as part of a concerted effort to recruit young players ready to make an impact at senior level for a cut price.

City have also lost Spanish prospect Brahim Diaz to Real Madrid this month after the 18-year-old made it known that he would not extend his deal because he did not believe he would get enough first-team playing opportunities.

The Premier League champions agreed to sell Brahim to Madrid for an initial fee of £16.5 million ($21m), possibly rising to £22m ($28m) depending on bonuses, and the Blues would face a similar decision over Matondo if the midfielder continues to refuse to put pen to paper.

About 40 state attorneys general will participate in an antitrust investigation of Facebook led by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), The Washington Post reported on Monday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

In September, James had announced an investigation with seven other states and the District of Columbia into whether the social media giant has “endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, or increased the price of advertising.”

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The three people who spoke to the Post said the larger inquiry is still confidential, and that New York could enlist further states before the probe is formally announced.

James and other attorneys general met Monday with Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission officials to discuss Facebook.

Asked for comment, Facebook referred the Post to a previous statement from Will Castleberry, the company’s vice president for state and local policy, saying the company would “work constructively with state attorneys general and we welcome a conversation with policymakers about the competitive environment in which we operate.”

The report comes shortly after a recording was published in which Facebook CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergHillicon Valley: Iranian hacking operation targeted campaign, government accounts | House panel pushes Zuckerberg to testify on Libra | Trump officials step up attacks on Facebook encryption On The Money: Economy adds 136K jobs in September | Jobless rate at 50-year low | Treasury IG to probe handling of Trump tax returns request | House presses Zuckerberg to testify on digital currency House committee pressing Zuckerberg to testify on digital currency Libra MORE said that if Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenWhy Elizabeth Warren will fail to shine in her moment on the trail Sanders at home in Vermont after release from hospital Where are questions of economic and political inequality in the Democratic debates? MORE (D-Mass.) becomes president, he predicted a federal antitrust investigation into the social media company, saying that while he was confident Facebook would prevail in such a lawsuit, it would still “suck for us.”

“I don’t want to have a major lawsuit against our own government,” Zuckerberg said in the recording. “I mean, that’s not the position that you want to be in when you’re, you know, I mean … it’s like, we care about our country and want to work with our government and do good things. But look, at the end of the day, if someone’s going to try to threaten something that existential, you go to the mat and you fight.”

Democratic presidential candidate Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegOvernight Health Care — Presented by Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing — Buttigieg unveils aggressive plan to lower drug prices | Supreme Court abortion case poses major test for Trump picks | Trump takes heat from right over vaping crackdown Democratic candidates’ polling and fundraising numbers don’t quite match up Democratic strategist on Harris slump: ‘She’s coming across as a typical politician’ MORE on Monday unveiled a far-reaching plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs, the latest tough proposal from the party’s 2020 hopefuls.

Buttigieg would allow both Medicare and the new public option plan he would create to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, and those lower prices would be available to people with private insurance too. 

The South Bend, Ind., mayor would cap out-of-pocket drug costs in Medicare at $200 per month and force drug companies to pay rebates back if their prices rose faster than inflation. 

For the “worst offender” companies, he would exercise rarely used authority under current law to strip firms of their patents if they were not offering a drug at a reasonable price. 

Buttigieg, who is behind the top tier of candidates in the polls, tied his plan to his argument for installing a younger generation of leaders such as himself. 

“It’s time for a new era of leadership in Washington who will finally make drugs affordable and take on pharmaceutical companies,” he said. 

Lowering drug prices is a top priority for voters and an idea that President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump campaign slams Minneapolis mayor, Target Center for ‘attempting to extort’ them with rally security fees Susan Rice calls Trump decision to pull troops from Syria ‘batshit crazy’ Ex-Trump officials met with Zelensky campaign aides at Trump hotel earlier this year: report MORE has embraced as well, though he has yet to take major action. That has led Democratic candidates to come out with a variety of aggressive plans.  

Bold plans to crack down on pharmaceutical companies has been a theme in the Democratic primary, with tough plans both from the more moderate side and from leading progressives. 

Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Ex-Trump officials met with Zelensky campaign aides at Trump hotel earlier this year: report Overnight Health Care — Presented by Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing — Buttigieg unveils aggressive plan to lower drug prices | Supreme Court abortion case poses major test for Trump picks | Trump takes heat from right over vaping crackdown MORE, for example, also has a tough plan that would set up an independent review board to set a reasonable price for new drugs, among other steps. 

Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann Warren40 state attorneys general to take part in Facebook antitrust probe: report Overnight Health Care — Presented by Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing — Buttigieg unveils aggressive plan to lower drug prices | Supreme Court abortion case poses major test for Trump picks | Trump takes heat from right over vaping crackdown On The Money: Judge tosses Trump lawsuit over NY tax return subpoena | US, Japan sign trade deals | Trump faces narrowing window for trade deals | NBA sparks anger with apology to China MORE (D-Mass.) would allow the government to manufacture lower-cost generic drugs itself, while Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersLobbyists pan Sanders proposal to end corporate donations for party conventions Klobuchar pulls in nearly million in third quarter, campaign says Democratic candidates’ polling and fundraising numbers don’t quite match up MORE (I-Vt.) would tie drug prices to lower prices paid in other countries. 

The “Medicare for All” plan backed by Warren and Sanders would also give the government much more power in setting lower prices for drugs.       

Round four of the Asteron Life Super Rugby Competition has seen four of the five Australian teams take to the park with the Aquis Brumbies the only Australian team to claim victory.

The Brumbies are the leaders of the Australian conference in third position with the RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels sitting in seventh on six points.

The Waratahs, Western Force and St. George Queensland Reds sit in tenth, eleventh and twelfth respectively.

Highlanders 20 defeated the St. George Queensland Reds 13

The Queensland Reds took a bonus point from the loss against the Highlanders in Dunedin and Head Coach Richard Graham took positives from the match.

“I am disappointed because we didn’t get the result we came for. The effort of the group was very good but we will be asking ourselves questions like ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ because of the number of opportunities we created yet didn’t capitalise on,” he said.

“We began the game well, but then got sucked into a battle of field position that we lost. We kicked aimlessly at times which allowed them to spend over 60% of the game in our half. We went away from our strategy and got dragged into theirs. They were physical and I give them credit for the disciplined approach they had.

“Our defensive effort was solid given they had the majority of position and possession. The boys scrambled well and at times had three defenders carrying the ball carrier into touch near our try line. The boys will take a lot of confidence from that aspect of the game.

“It was smart to take the three points at the end of the game to secure a losing bonus point. At the end of the rounds every point counts and you need to accumulate them wherever you can.

“We’ll push hard over the next week to ensure we address some aspects of our game ahead of next weekend.”

The match saw the debut for the Reds of James O’Connor who played at flyhalf with Quade Cooper still injured.

Hurricanes 42 defeated the Western Force 13

The Hurricanes blew away the Western Force in Perth as the home team had a bad night at the office against the team from Wellington.

Western Force No. 8, Ben McCalman was a standout for the province in what was a disappointing performance.

Western Force Head Coach, Michael Foley was honest in his appraisal of his charges.

“When it comes to it, their body height was better than ours in a lot of those contact areas. Once you lose the collisions both in attack and defence it’s very hard to get into the game.

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Transportation Secretary Elaine ChaoElaine Lan ChaoEx-senior Trump administration official joins lobbying shop Industry spends big to sell safety of driverless cars Democrats hit Scalia over LGBTQ rights MORE met with officials from Kentucky, which her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSusan Rice calls Trump decision to pull troops from Syria ‘batshit crazy’ Overnight Defense: Republicans urge Trump to reverse course on Syria | Dems subpoena Pentagon in impeachment probe | North Korea talks falter Trump defends Syria move: ‘It’s time to come back home’ MORE (R), represents, much more than officials from any other state, according to a Politico report published Monday. 

The news outlet reports a review of Chao’s public calendar records found that 25 percent of the secretary’s meetings with local officials from any state between January 2017 to March 2018 were with Kentuckians. Some of the officials had applied for grants through her department, it added.

Officials from Indiana and Georgia followed with 6 percent of the meetings each, according to Politico. 

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Moreover, Politico reports that at least five of the 18 meetings with local Kentuckians were requested by McConnell’s staffers, based on emails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. 

A Transportation Department spokesperson pushed back on the report, telling The Hill in a statement the “basic math” is “inaccurate” and said the story is “based on a few outdated and incomplete calendars provided by dark money, partisan political groups.”

The spokesperson said calendars are only from the first 14 months, “so it’s an incomplete picture.”

According to Politico, some local officials have found it difficult to reach Chao to discuss even some of the largest projects in the country. 

“Ever since she came in, it’s been very hard to figure out how to get time with her,” Beth Osborne, executive director of Transportation for America, an organization that advises cities on transportation and urban planning, told the news outlet. “At the beginning of the administration we got a lot of questions about what it takes to meet with the secretary. People don’t ask anymore. It’s like they’ve given up.”

Osborne said she advises local leaders to invite Chao to their town to visit projects, but added that she “kept hearing from folks, ‘Oh, she doesn’t accept invitations to such things. She just doesn’t do that.’”

“And I heard that repeatedly: ‘We offered and we were told she just doesn’t do trips. That’s just not her thing,” Osborne continued. 

The agency spokesperson also disputed the reporting on Chao not traveling, adding that the secretary has “visited many sites.” 

Updated at 11:41 a.m.

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New video shows protected saguaro cacti at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona being destroyed by bulldozers preparing the site for construction of President TrumpDonald John TrumpWhite House says Turkey will soon launch Syria operation Trump associates pressured Ukraine over gas firm in order to benefit allies: report Trump praises Woodward, slams other journalists over ‘Face the Nation’ segment MORE’s border wall.

Kevin Dahl, the senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)in Arizona, shot footage of the iconic saguaro cacti — known for growing more than three arms — being moved by bulldozers.

Dahl told news site Earther that the construction crews were knocking down desert plants and collecting them into piles when he visited the park last week.

He described feeling “outrage” over witnessing the destruction. 

“We love these saguaros,” Dahl told the site. “The Tohomo O’odham [tribe], in their taxonomy of life saguaros are very close to humans. And you know, they have a majestic presence, they are the iconic symbol of this part of the world. You know you’re someplace different when you’re in a saguaro forest.”

The species in the park are protected by federal law, so crews are moving saguaros technically within a 60-foot strip of land called the Roosevelt Reservation that the government has access to for border protection, according to Earther. 

The Army Corps of Engineers released a video last month saying that the saguaros and other types of cacti were being relocated to another area considered part of their natural habitat.

“There may be misconceptions that were are on a construction site and just not caring for the environment and just proceeding with work as planned,” a project engineer said in the clip. “This isn’t true. We’re taking great care to take care of the protected species.”

The Hill has reached out to The National Park Service (NPS) and Customs and Border Protection for comment. 

The NPS warned in a 123-page internal memo from July that expanding a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border could damage 22 archeological sites, including artifacts from ancient Sonoran Desert peoples.

It noted previous research that found archaeological sites “likely will be wholly or partially destroyed by forthcoming border fence construction.”

Scientists have expressed concern that border wall crews will cause serious damage or dry up the spring if its water is tapped for mixing concrete or other construction purposes.

The NPCA also argued that the barrier wall will block wildlife like desert tortoises and mountain lions from accessing critical water sources and migration paths.

Construction has already begun on converting a 5-foot vehicle barrier to the 30-foot-high border wall. The barrier along the border with Mexico was a staple of Trump’s campaign, in which he vowed to complete 500 miles of wall before the 2020 presidential election.

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump campaign slams Minneapolis mayor, Target Center for ‘attempting to extort’ them with rally security fees Susan Rice calls Trump decision to pull troops from Syria ‘batshit crazy’ Ex-Trump officials met with Zelensky campaign aides at Trump hotel earlier this year: report MORE has ordered U.S. military forces to retreat from northeast Syria, paving the way for Turkey to proceed with a long-planned offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces that were instrumental in the fight against ISIS.

The administration downplayed the significance of the withdrawal, but it was immediately blasted by lawmakers across the political spectrum, including several Republicans who are typically aligned with Trump.

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Amid the pushback, U.S. officials insisted that Trump was not endorsing the Turkish operation. But critics argue Trump is abandoning a U.S. ally to be slaughtered by Turkey — all while fueling chaos in the region that could allow ISIS to thrive anew.

There’s also a question of what will happen to the thousands of ISIS detainees being held by the Kurds as they shift their resources to battling Turkey.

Here are five things to know about Trump’s decision.

Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise while giving Turkey what it wants

In seeking to fulfill a campaign promise to end so-called forever wars, Trump gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan something he’s long wanted.

Ankara views the Kurdish forces known as the YPG as an extension of a Turkish Kurdish insurgency and has long threatened to launch an assault against them.

It has not done so previously because of the presence of U.S. troops in the area. The YPG has led the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have worked closely with the U.S.

Trump spoke to Erdoğan on Sunday before making his decision.

It’s the second time Trump has acted to leave Syria after talking with Erdoğan; Trump’s December announcement on withdrawing from Syria came days after a phone call with Erdoğan in which Trump reportedly told Erdoğan that Syria was “all yours.”

A senior administration official insisted to reporters Monday that Trump was not giving Turkey a “green light” to invade Syria and that the move “does not constitute a withdrawal from Syria.” Of the roughly 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria, the official said just about 50 to 100 special operators will be moved to other bases in the country.

But in tweets defending his decision Monday, Trump said it is time to end “ridiculous endless wars.” And minutes before the senior administration official spoke with reporters, Trump told reporters in the Roosevelt Room at the White House that “it’s time to come back home.”

Trump’s decision could send a chilling message to Kurds and future partners

Kurdish officials accused the president of stabbing them in the back, and prominent figures in the United States warned a withdrawal would serve as a warning to potential future partners.

To placate NATO ally Turkey, the U.S. was already working on establishing a safe zone along the border, and the SDF had removed their defenses from near the border. 

But with no solid safe zone set and the United States now leaving the border area, SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel told Arabic TV station Al Hadath that Trump’s decision was a “stab in the back,” while another SDF spokesman, Mustafa Bali, tweeted that “people here are owed an explanation.” 

The SDF said more than 11,000 of its troops were killed in the battle against ISIS, but Trump appeared to downplay the Kurdish role.

“The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so,” he wrote.

Later in the day, after widespread backlash from Republicans and Democrats, Trump said he would “obliterate” Turkey’s economy should it do anything he considers to be “off limits.”

A follow-up tweet did not mention protection of the Kurds but rather the need for Turkey and others to “watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families.”

The Pentagon has long opposed a troop pull-out

Trump’s decision came despite opposition from Pentagon leaders who have long said it was important to keep U.S. forces in northern Syria to prevent an ISIS resurgence and back Kurdish allies in the face of Turkish aggression.

As recently as Saturday, U.S. European Command was touting the implementation of the safe zone to forestall a Turkish incursion.

The Pentagon released its own statement on Monday that insisted the United States is not endorsing the Turkish operation despite the pullout. 

“The Department of Defense made clear to Turkey — as did the president — that we do not endorse a Turkish operation in northern Syria. The U.S. Armed Forces will not support, or be involved in any such operation,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in the statement.

When Trump first announced his plan to pull troops from Syria nearly a year ago, the move prompted then-Defense Secretary James MattisJames Norman MattisFive things to know about Trump’s decision on Syria, Turkey and the Kurds Trump threatens to punish Turkey if it does anything ‘off limits’ Brent Budowsky: Deep Throat’s defending our democracy MORE to resign.

Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: Republicans urge Trump to reverse course on Syria | Dems subpoena Pentagon in impeachment probe | North Korea talks falter Five things to know about Trump’s decision on Syria, Turkey and the Kurds Pentagon insists US does not endorse Turkish operation in Syria MORE stressed in August that the United States would find a Turkish incursion into northern Syria “unacceptable” and would seek to prevent such an operation.

“We have a lot of mutual interests in northern Syria. We want to sustain the continued defeat — at least of the physical caliphate — of ISIS. That becomes a question if [the Turks] move in and the SDF is impacted,” Esper added. 

On Friday, following a phone call with his Turkish counterpart the day before, Esper told reporters he “made very clear to him and he agreed as well that we need to make the security mechanism work.”

Trump draws fire from GOP

Critics of Trump’s decision included several people who are typically his most staunch defenders, including his former U.N. Ambassador Nikki HaleyNimrata (Nikki) HaleyOvernight Defense: Republicans urge Trump to reverse course on Syria | Dems subpoena Pentagon in impeachment probe | North Korea talks falter Five things to know about Trump’s decision on Syria, Turkey and the Kurds Trump defends Syria move: ‘It’s time to come back home’ MORE, who tweeted that leaving the Kurds “to die is a big mistake.” She also included the hashtag “#TurkeyIsNotOurFriend.”

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamSusan Rice calls Trump decision to pull troops from Syria ‘batshit crazy’ Pat Robertson ‘absolutely appalled’ by Trump’s Syria announcement Overnight Defense: Republicans urge Trump to reverse course on Syria | Dems subpoena Pentagon in impeachment probe | North Korea talks falter MORE (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally who previously talked the president out of a full withdrawal, called the decision a “disaster in the making.” He argued a retreat from northeast Syria “ensures” an ISIS comeback, “forces” the Kurds to align with Syrian President Bashar Assad, “destroys” Turkey’s standing with Congress and “will be a stain on America’s honor for abandoning the Kurds.”

He also pledged to introduce a resolution calling for Trump to reverse his decision and legislation to slap sanctions on Turkey. Graham further vowed to call for Turkey’s removal from NATO if follows through on its Syria offensive.

Decision leaves fate of ISIS detainees unclear

The SDF are detaining more than 10,000 ISIS fighters in makeshift prisons in northeast Syria, including about 2,000 fighters from countries other than Syria and Iraq. The United States has been trying to convince countries to take their citizens back for prosecution with little success.

Despite Trump promising during his first presidential campaign to “load” the Guantanamo Bay detention facility with “bad dudes” from ISIS, he has more recently blasted the cost of detaining people at Guantanamo as “crazy.”

In justifying his decision to retreat from northeast Syria, Trump railed against European countries for not taking back foreign fighters, saying they “said ‘NO,’ thinking, as usual, that the U.S. is always the ‘sucker,’ on NATO, on Trade, on everything.”

“Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their ‘neighborhood,’” Trump tweeted.

The White House statement Sunday and the Pentagon’s statement Monday both said Turkey will now be responsible for detaining ISIS fighters.

But critics fear the SDF, which had little capacity to hold the detainees in the first place, will abandon or release them when they have to devote their resources to fighting Turkey and that Ankara won’t step in to hold them.

“Turkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60k detainees in al Hol camp, which State and [Department of Defense inspectors general] warn is the nucleus for a resurgent ISIS,” tweeted Brett McGurk, who resigned as Trump’s special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition in December. He was referring to an SDF-run refugee camp in northern Syria holding several thousand ISIS family members. “Believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security,” he added.

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A dozen House Democrats are calling on Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland to resign amid the developing Ukraine controversy.

Twelve representatives responded to an NBC News survey for Democratic House members by saying Sondland should resign, while others said they would wait until after he testifies on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to make a decision.

The Democratic representatives calling for his resignation are Reps. Tim Ryan (Ohio), Lloyd DoggettLloyd Alton DoggettA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Tax-return whistleblower in spotlight amid impeachment fight Is Congress too afraid to fight Big Pharma? MORE (Texas), Gerry ConnollyGerald (Gerry) Edward ConnollyA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal House questions Volker as impeachment probe ramps up Democrats probing whether groups booked Trump hotel rooms to earn president’s favor: report MORE (Va.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Denny HeckDennis (Denny) Lynn HeckExclusive: Guccifer 2.0 hacked memos expand on Pennsylvania House races Heck enjoys second political wind Incoming lawmaker feeling a bit overwhelmed MORE (Wash.), Filemon VelaFilemon Bartolome VelaHere are the Democrats who aren’t co-sponsoring an assault weapons ban DCCC faces mass staff shakeup: ‘It’s the Monday Night Massacre’ DCCC exec resigns amid furor over minority representation MORE (Texas), David PriceDavid Eugene PriceYes, President Trump, we do have a homelessness crisis and you’re making it harder for us to address Two years after Maria, Puerto Rico awaits disaster funds Democrats hit HUD for missing Puerto Rico disaster relief deadline MORE (N.C.), Bonnie Watson ColemanBonnie Watson ColemanDemocrats seize on viral Sharpie hashtags to mock Trump map edit Pelosi asks Democrats for ‘leverage’ on impeachment Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment MORE (N.J.), Anthony BrownAnthony Gregory BrownA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Assault weapons ban picks up steam in Congress Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment MORE (Md.), Dwight EvansDwight (Dewey) EvansHouse Democrats blur lines on support for impeachment Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment Harris hops past Biden in early race for Black Caucus support MORE (Pa.), Julia BrownleyJulia Andrews BrownleyKatherine Clark quietly eyes leadership ascent California Democrats unveil redistricting reform bill after Supreme Court partisan gerrymandering ruling WHIP LIST: The 227 House Democrats backing an impeachment inquiry MORE (Calif.) and Gwen MooreGwen Sophia MooreA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal The 13 House Democrats who back Kavanaugh’s impeachment On The Money: Senate panel scraps vote on key spending bill amid standoff | Democrats threaten to vote against defense bill over wall funding | Trump set to meet with aides about reducing capital gains taxes MORE (Wis.) 

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“These text messages are deeply troubling. Mr. Sondland has lost credibility and must resign,” Connolly said to NBC News. 

Others such as Reps. Jan SchakowskyJanice (Jan) Danoff SchakowskyA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal The 13 House Democrats who back Kavanaugh’s impeachment Is Congress too afraid to fight Big Pharma? MORE (Ill.), Yvette ClarkeYvette Diane ClarkeA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Parkland survivor Lauren Hogg implores Congress to do more on school shootings Inside the progressive hunt for vulnerable House Democrats MORE (N.Y.) and Diana DeGetteDiana Louise DeGetteA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal FDA under pressure to move fast on vaping Lawmakers criticize EPA draft rule for curbing rights to challenge pollution permits MORE (Colo.) said the ambassador should resign if the allegations are true, NBC News reported.

“If these allegations are true, anyone complicit in the president’s alleged attempts to pressure a foreign leader into interfering with our election should be removed from office immediately,” DeGette said to NBC News.

Sondland is set to appear for a scheduled House deposition Tuesday. 

The whistleblower report that launched an impeachment inquiry in the House mentioned that Sondland, who was appointed by the president, tried to help urge Ukraine to investigate the president’s political opponents.

The report details Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president asking him to “look into” former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Ex-Trump officials met with Zelensky campaign aides at Trump hotel earlier this year: report Overnight Health Care — Presented by Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing — Buttigieg unveils aggressive plan to lower drug prices | Supreme Court abortion case poses major test for Trump picks | Trump takes heat from right over vaping crackdown MORE and Biden’s son. 

Text messages between Sondland and top Ukrainian embassy official William Taylor made public last week show that top U.S. diplomats worked to carry out Trump’s desire for the Ukrainian government to investigate the Bidens.

Former All Black Zac Guildford will have his first outing for the Waratahs, when they meet the Brumbies in Wagga on Saturday night.

Guildford, starting at fullback, will be joined by NRL convert Reece Robinson in the side, with Robinson on the right wing.

The Wagga clash will give head coach Daryl Gibson the first glimpse of their potential in game.

Matt Carraro will be given first crack at Adam Ashley-Cooper’s vacant outside centre spot, with youngster David Horwitz at 12.

Wallabies lock Will Skelton will make his return from the pectoral injury that ended his Rugby World Cup campaign in the match.

Skelton is the only Wallabies representative in the match, with the rest being saved for later trials, as foreshadowed by Daryl Gibson through the preseason.

New recruit Bryce Hegarty will start on the bench with the Waratahs opting to play emerging NSW player Andrew Deegan at 10, with Bernard Foley yet to return from Japan.

Dave Dennis will captain the side in the absence of Michael Hooper.

Gibson said he was looking forward to the chance to road test some of his new combinations.

“This will be the first chance for the players selected to compete for spots this year so it will be good to see how they step up and handle a real-game situation,” he said.

“I’m interested to see how the combinations work too.

“The squad has trained really hard across pre-season so we’re looking forward to playing our first game in earnest.”

 

WARATAHS SQUAD TO FACE BRUMBIES

 

1.    Jeremy Tilse

2.    Hugh Roach

3.    Paddy Ryan

4.    Ned Hanigan

5.    Will Skelton

6.    David Dennis (C)

7.    Jack Dempsey

8.    Jed Holloway

9.    Jake Gordon

10.    Andrew Deegan

11.    Andrew Kellaway

12.    David Horwitz

13.    Matt Carraro

14.    Reece Robinson

15.    Zac Guildford

RESERVES

16.    Tolu Latu

17.    Benn Robinson

18.    Angus Ta’avao

19.    Matt Sandell

20.    Senio Toleafoa

21.    Matt Lucas

22.    Harry Jones

23.    Bryce Hegarty

24.    Brad Wilkin

25.    Cameron Orr

26.    Rowan Perry

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