5 things to know for December 11: Impeachment, trade, India, Judaism, Jersey City
There’s a high chance New Zealand’s White Island volcano could erupt again today, making it even harder for authorities to conduct rescue operations after this week’s eruption.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. Impeachment
Articles of impeachment are officially on the table. House Democrats announced they’ll move to charge President Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, setting in motion the third presidential impeachment in American history. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democratic leaders decided to forego adding another article on obstruction of justice related to the Mueller investigation, probably to keep the impeachment focus tight and appease moderate members who are still on the fence about the whole situation. The charges will most likely go to a full House vote next week. While that vote is expected to split along party lines, some moderate Democrats are reportedly discussing eschewing the articles and censuring the President instead. Still, Trump’s camp is already preparing for a fight, with the White House saying the President will “address these false charges in the Senate.”
2. North American trade
Impeachment isn’t the only thing House Democrats have been working on. After months of negotiations, Democrats reached a deal with President Trump on a North American trade pact that would strengthen labor laws, create auto manufacturing jobs, open up agricultural trade and remove controversial protections for certain drugs. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, is a major legislative victory for Trump, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cast it as a victory for the American worker. Both sides say the new deal is a huge improvement over its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), though the impact may not be that big. A full vote is expected next week in the House; the Senate will vote on it only after an impeachment trial concludes, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
3. India
India could pass a controversial bill that would give Indian citizenship to immigrants from three neighboring countries — but not if they are Muslim. The bill would fast-track citizenship for religious minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who are fleeing from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Indian government, ruled by a Hindu nationalist party, says the bill is about protecting minorities from persecution. But opponents say it’s the latest example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party pushing a Hindu nationalist agenda on secular India at the expense of the country’s Muslim population. The bill passed the lower house of parliament and lands today in the upper house.
4. Judaism
President Trump will sign an executive order today to interpret Judaism as a nationality, and not just a religion, a White House official said. The order, first reported by The New York Times, will allow the administration to withhold federal funding from colleges and universities if they fail to combat perceived anti-Semitism. The move is targeted at anti-Israel sentiments and divestment movements on campuses, but critics say the policy could suppress free speech and opposition to Israel’s policies toward Palestinians. The order comes just days after Trump was accused of using anti-Semitic stereotypes in a speech to an Israeli-American organization.
5. New Jersey shooting
Jersey City is reeling after an hourslong standoff between armed suspects and law enforcement officers left four people dead, plus the two suspects. Three victims are believed to be civilians. The other is Detective Joseph Seals, a 15-year veteran of the city’s police department who was in charge of getting guns off the street. The shooting started around 12:30 p.m. at a cemetery, and gunfire could be heard for hours before authorities announced the suspects had been killed at a kosher supermarket. It’s still unclear what led to the incident and how exactly it unfolded, and the police chief said the investigation could last weeks — or even months.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
What you Googled this year
Your deepest curiosities, for all the world to see.
A group of islands could be the world’s newest nation
Residents of an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea voted overwhelmingly for independence.
A real estate company surprised employees with $10 million in bonuses
Brb, just filling out a new job application.
‘They’ is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year
Searches for the nonbinary pronoun have risen by 313% in the last year.
Pigeons in tiny cowboy hats are a mystery in Las Vegas
Such is life out West, it seems.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Today’s order affirms that the President is not a king and that our courts are willing to check him when he oversteps his bounds.”
Kristy Parker, counsel for Protect Democracy, after a judge blocked the Trump administration from using billions of dollars from the Pentagon to build the border wall
TODAY’S NUMBER
250
The number of journalists behind bars because of their work as of December 1, according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The nonprofit named China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as the biggest jailers of journalists.
TODAY’S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
RIP to a legend
Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson has died. She was 61 and had battled cancer for 17 years. It only seems fitting to revisit one of her classics. (Click here to view.)
