An impeachment impasse and Bloomberg's big tech play

Your guide to how Washington shapes business and the economy

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE MON, DEC 23, 2019 CNBC POLITICS EDITOR'S NOTE Hello,   Mike Calia here again. Thank you to reporter Jacob Pramuk for filling on CNBC Politics newsletter duties last week.   This week, Washington is on recess and the 2020 campaign has slowed down in the period between debates. Meanwhile, President Trump is still facing an impeachment trial.   On that latter note, though, the House and Senate remain in a standoff. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, is refusing to choose impeachment managers until the Senate lays out how the trial will proceed. Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, is saying his hands are tied until Pelosi sends over the articles of impeachment.   The 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have entered a lull in the otherwise breakneck-paced campaign, but their organizations remain hard at work. This is underscored in a new report about Mike Bloomberg's campaign and its tech operations, from Brian Schwartz and Tucker Higgins. One source describes what it's like at the Bloomberg campaign: "Everyone was told you are not going to be taking any vacation between now and the end of this. Anything you need to do in your personal life, do it before you go over there."   Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out CNBC's "Decade of Disruption" series. For the rest of the year, we'll be publishing stories about what happened over the past decade and what it all means for the future. Find our coverage here.   Thoughts? Email me at CNBCPolitics@nbcuni.com.   Have friends or colleagues who might like this newsletter? They can sign up here. For more on the intersection of business and politics, sign up for the weekly Capital Exchange newsletter here. Mike Calia @Michael_Calia KEY STORIES  Mike Bloomberg is using a secretive tech firm he founded months ago as he seeks White House Mike Bloomberg quietly created a technology company called Hawkfish that is helping his 2020 campaign for president. The firm boasts former executives from Facebook and Foursquare. McConnell says Republicans haven't ruled out calling witnesses in Trump's impeachment trial McConnell also defended his past assertion that he is "not impartial" and is coordinating directly with Trump's counsel ahead of the trial. Millionaires support a wealth tax — as long as they aren't getting taxed: CNBC survey Attitudes toward the wealth tax are also strongly dependent on political party rather than wealth levels, according to the CNBC Millionaire Survey. Boeing fires CEO Dennis Muilenburg, as the company struggles with 737 Max crisis Muilenberg is out now, while Boeing Chairman David Calhoun will step in as CEO in January. Here's what the Pentagon is poised to get from the $738 billion defense bill The National Defense Authorization Act grants a base budget of $658.4 billion and an additional $71.5 billion for overseas contingency operations funding, a.k.a. the war budget. Trump gains support among millionaires, CNBC survey finds Asked which candidate they support for president in 2020, 36% of millionaires named Trump, up from 32% in May, according to the Q4 CNBC Millionaire Survey. Christianity Today receives boost in new subscriptions after calling for Trump's removal, editor says Christianity Today Editor in Chief Mark Galli, who authored the op-ed, said the magazine has lost subscribers, but he said there has also been an outpouring of support. Defense stocks could soar again in 2020 after massive spending jump Geopolitical tensions in places such as the Middle East and North Korea increase uncertainty for the broader market and make defense stocks look more attractive in the new year.       Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2019 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS