5 things to know for November 26: Impeachment, storms, 2020 Dems, mergers, Germany

Have you flown the superlative skies? An airline rating site has named the world’s most excellent airlines for 2020, and needless to say, they’re pretty swanky.

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 investigation

It may be a slow holiday work week for some, but two major court decisions made for a busy day on Capitol Hill. A federal judge said former White House counsel Don McGahn must testify before the House of Representatives. McGahn and others have said they don’t need to comply with congressional calls to testify because they have blanket immunity as White House officials. “Presidents are not kings,” wrote federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying high-ranking officials are not immune and must testify when compelled by the legislative process. Not only is this a win for Democrats, who have been trying to get McGahn to talk for months, it also has big implications for other resistant officials, like chief of staff Mick Mulvaney or even President Trump himself, who could be forced to testify if more judges agree with yesterday’s ruling. However, Dems should temper their optimism: Also yesterday, the Supreme Court blocked the House’s subpoena of Trump’s financial records. Still, House Democrats are chugging along with impeachment articles, which may expand past the Ukraine scandal.

2. Winter weather 

Yes, the travel situation is always bad around Thanksgiving. But folks, listen to us when we say it’s really bad this year. A historic storm headed toward Oregon and California today could carry winds equal to a Category 1 hurricane. That means Cali could be hit with flash floods and snow. Parts of the Rockies could see 2 to 3 feet of snow, and the Midwest about 8 to 12 inches, in the next few days. Then tomorrow, ferocious winds and rain will whip the Northeast, making for very un-festive airport conditions. The wind is so bad, the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade balloons could be grounded. While all of this is going on, a record 31.6 million people are expected to travel by air, and AAA predicts the second-highest number of road travelers in more than a decade.

3. 2020 Dems 

Michael Bloomberg is officially running for president. The former New York mayor kicked off his campaign and said Trump is less likely to get reelected with him in the race. That’s a pretty clear knock on the other Democratic candidates, whom Bloomberg sees as unable to defeat Trump. The media billionaire has already bought $37 million worth of campaign ads over the next two weeks, which has led Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic candidates to accuse him of trying to “buy the nomination.” Bloomberg said he knows “what it takes to beat Trump because I already have,” referring to personal investments in Democratic gun and climate efforts. If Bloomberg were to win, the 2020 election would pit two established New York City rich guys who’ve both been accused of using wealth and name recognition for political gain.

4. China, Uber, Tiffany

Three major moves have dominated the business world, so let’s round them up:

• China extended an olive branch on the trade front by rolling out new guidelines about intellectual property. There aren’t too many details yet, but the measures could address longtime concerns from Washington and pave the way for a possible trade truce.

• London stripped Uber of its license to operate in the city. The shocking decision is a huge blow to the company, given that London is one of its biggest markets. London’s transportation agency concluded Uber is “not fit and proper” to operate due to lapses in passenger safety measures after it found 14,000 recent trips involved unauthorized drivers. Uber will appeal.

• French luxury group LVMH finalized a deal to buy New York jeweler Tiffany & Co., putting the value of the company at $16.2 billion. It’s one of the biggest deals ever in the luxury sector, and the news sent Tiffany’s stock soaring.

5. Castle heist 

No, it’s not a movie: Some bold thieves made off with a huge haul of priceless treasures and artifacts from a famed castle vault in Dresden, Germany, tipping off a huge manhunt and sparking wide-eyed international interest. More than 100 items were stolen in a raid on the Green Vault in the Royal Palace, including jeweled agate figures, goblets made out of gilded ostrich eggs, a sword inlaid with almost 800 diamonds and several brooches, crests, epaulettes and other fancy baubles. As fascinating as the heist is, Germans are devastated. The Green Vault is considered a national treasure, and its collection dates back hundreds of years. A local politician called the heist an “attack on the cultural identity of all Saxons and the state of Saxony.” So far, there’s not a lot of information about the thieves or their whereabouts.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Eye injuries from paintball and BB guns are going up 

Listen to your moms, people! No fun is worth poking an eye out.

Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin won a reindeer and named it Ingemar 

This is definitely the start of a made-for-TV Christmas movie.

‘Can you take your turkey on a plane?’ And other burning holiday travel questions

Short answer: Yes, but check the gravy. 

Here’s how you can watch ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ this year 

Settle in and have yourself a heaping plate of nostalgia.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“You can’t stamp ultra-hard 30X steel, because it breaks the stamping press.”

Elon Musk, explaining why Tesla’s new Cybertruck everyone’s talking about is so angular and weird-looking (or as Musk said, “planar”).

TODAY’S NUMBER

$4 billion

That’s how much EBay is getting for ticket reseller StubHub in a huge deal with European ticket reseller Viagogo. You have to admit, there’s some irony in a bunch of resale companies, well, reselling companies.

AND FINALLY

It takes more than Disney magic

Have you ever been to one of those Disney On Ice shows? The sheer athleticism — and balance — of the performers is mind-blowing. And some have to do it all in a Mickey suit! (Click here to view.)