The Art of the (Manafort) Deal

Tuesday, November 27

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort departs the federal court house after a status hearing in Washington, DC, earlier this year.

Long day? Short list. In the news today: A busy day in the Mueller investigation, a Mississippi special election and Mary Barra's reshaping of GM.

Greetings, Short List friends. This Tuesday finds us wondering what a road trip would be like in a hotel room on wheels — a potential reality by 2030. Maybe it'd become the family vehicle of choice. Until then, Mueller, Manafort and WikiLeaks.

A wild 24 hours for Robert Mueller

A dramatic 24 hours in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russian meddling investigation included name-calling from both sides and a secret WikiLeaks meeting. Enflaming the ongoing drama, Mueller's office accused President Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort of lying to the FBI, a violation of his plea deal in a financial fraud case. Trump tweeted Mueller had went "rogue," while across the pond the Guardian reported that Manafort secretly met WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London ahead of the the 2016 election. Manafort, who awaits sentencing, called the story "100 percent false." Meanwhile, back in the States, Senate Republicans seem open to a bill protecting Mueller's job.

What's driving Mary Barra?

The General Motors CEO faces intense criticism after Monday's announced plans to shutter plants and cut 15 percent of salaried jobs. It's all part of Barra's methodical reshaping of GM . But understanding her strategy requires a grasp of her past – she lived through the dark days of GM, including bankruptcy and a federal bailout in 2009. She saw what happens when a major, bloated corporation fails to take action and admit mistakes. No longer. Barra has distanced GM from its old ways in a bid to propel the company into the future. That means ditching money-losing operations, killing cars that weren't selling and investing in self-driving cars, electric vehicles and ride-sharing networks.

An American wanted to tell an isolated tribe about Jesus. He's now believed dead

He took extreme risks to proclaim "Jesus loves you" to a remote North Sentinel tribe. Now he's believed dead , and recovering his body will be complicated, to say the least. John Allen Chau, a 27-year-old American, traveled to the off-limits island on Nov. 17. Fishermen later said they saw his body being buried on the beach. Police trying to recover Chau's body recently turned back in fear they'd be attacked. The tribe is also believed responsible for the deaths of two fishermen in 2006, but an anthropologist who went decades ago said the people are largely 'peace-keeping' as long as boundaries are respected. Survival International, an advocacy group for indigenous people worldwide, since has warned police to "abandon efforts" to recover Chau's body , saying it's too dangerous.

In this October 2018 photo, American John Allen Chau, right, stands for a photograph with Founder of Ubuntu Football Academy Casey Prince in Cape Town, South Africa, days before he left for in a remote Indian island of North Sentinel Island, where he was killed.

Sarah Prince, AP

Midterm leftovers in Mississippi

Republicans and President Donald Trump hope to pad their Senate majority by electing incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith on Tuesday in Mississippi. Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Mike Espy in a run-off after both sides failed to claim a majority in the Nov. 6 election. Espy, the former U.S. secretary of agriculture, aims to be the state's first black Senator since Reconstruction. Meanwhile, Hyde-Smith has sparked controversy for saying she'd sit "front row" if invited to a public hanging. She apologized . And although her lead has shrunk, she's still favored to win. To stage an upset, Espy needs a big turnout from black voters.

What else?

•	Stephen Hillenburg, the visionary creator of "SpongeBob SquarePants" died Monday of ALS.
•	U.S. shoppers spent about $7.9 billion on Cyber Monday, up 19.7 percent over last year.
•	America's love for SUVs and pickups will be the focus of this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, which open to the public on Friday.
•	A pair of aides to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie won their bid to overturn a federal civil rights conviction for their role in "Bridgegate."

So long, Cyber Monday. Hello, Giving Tuesday

With several days of binge eating and shopping marked off the calendar, Tuesday is about giving back. For the sixth straight year, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving celebrated #GivingTuesday, an event where people are encouraged to focus on charitable causes. More than $300 million was raided online last year. How can I help? Find a local charity or nonprofit and consider donating money or your time as a volunteer.