Start your Monday smart: Impeachment, Las Posadas, Rick Gates, Putin, Dems, winter

Here’s what you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

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TODAY

• They’re some our favorite constitutional protections. So, go ahead — speak your mind, march in protest, take target practice, demand a subpoena, even plead the Fifth to honor Bill of Rights Day.

• It’s the deadline for HealthCare.gov enrollment. This is the last day to get coverage for 2020 through the public health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. Visit the program’s site for details and to sign up.

• Kennedy Center Honors celebrates artists with impact. Earth, Wind & Fire, Sally Field, Linda Ronstadt, “Sesame Street” and Michael Tilson Thomas are due to be honored for the imprint they’ve left on the arts in America. Watch at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

MONDAY

• Las Posadas marks a sacred journey. The biblical trip of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem ahead of Jesus Christ’s birth is celebrated for nine days in Mexico and across Latin America. Often, a child dressed as an angel leads kids around to neighbors’ homes. They’re denied entry (“no room for them in the inn”) but get snacks.

TUESDAY

• Ex-Trump deputy campaign chairman set for sentencing. Rick Gates, a top witness in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, has asked for just probation after cooperating extensively with prosecutors following guilty pleas for conspiracy and lying to the FBI.

• ‘The Simpsons’ celebrates 30 years. It’s been three decades since Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer brought their irreverent humor to the screen. Settle in to binge on Disney+.

WEDNESDAY

• The full House expected to vote on impeachment articles. Representatives are expected to split along party lines when they vote on charging President Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Since Democrats control the chamber, the measures are expected to pass, though the number of defectors in either direction will be telling. The Senate trial is expected to start early next year.

THURSDAY

• 2020 Dems face off again. For the sixth time, rivals aiming to unseat President Trump will take the stage. Seven candidates qualified to debate in Los Angeles: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang. Watch on CNN. 

• Vladimir Putin holds his annual year-end news conference. The Russian President gives reporters barrier-free access for an event that’s almost as anticipated as the release of his calendars. The session usually lasts several hours. Keep an ear out for Putin’s take on the Trump impeachment process, Syria, Ukraine and the Middle East.

• Miss America is crowned. Fifty-one participants compete for scholarships and fame. The contest comes soon after all four top pageants — Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss America and Miss Universe — crowned black women as their winners at the same time. Watch at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

• The NCAA women’s volleyball title is on the line. The queens of the court battle for supremacy, with semifinals ahead of the championship Saturday in Pittsburgh. Watch on ESPN and ESPN2.

FRIDAY

• New takes on American classics hit the big screen. “The Rise of the Skywalker” wraps up the “Star Wars” journey of a lifetime, our critic writes, while “Cats” delivers one of Broadway’s long-running shows to audiences everywhere.

• College bowl games kick off. It’s a (post)season unto itself, and the action begins with the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl. Here are all the games and how to watch.

SATURDAY

• It only gets brighter from here. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, when the sun appears at its most southerly spot. South of the equator, it’s the opposite.

• Eddie Murphy returns to ‘SNL.’ The alum of the comedy sketch show hosts, reportedly for the first time since 1984. Lizzo is the musical guest. Tune in at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.