5 things to know for December 17: Impeachment, Boeing, Pakistan, tornadoes, Russia
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees now has 540 touchdown passes — the most in NFL history. Who dat!
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
We get it: The impeachment process is exhausting, and it feels obvious how things will ultimately end. Following a House Rules Committee hearing today, the full House is expected to impeach Trump tomorrow, making him the third US president ever to be impeached. The Senate would then hold a trial next year to consider whether to remove him from office. Though Senate Democrats don’t have the numbers to send Trump packing, an impeachment trial would put his legacy and reputation at stake. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, is pushing for a trial to include new testimony from White House officials and new documents. Many Republicans, though, would like to get it all over with quickly. GOP leaders need 51 votes for things to go their way, but they don’t have that yet — which means it’s still unclear how a trial would play out.
2. Boeing
Boeing will temporarily stop making the 737 Max, its most popular plane, starting next month as it deals with setbacks related to the troubled aircraft. The 737 Max has been grounded since March, after two crashes that killed 346 people. But Boeing continued making the model in hopes it would soon be certified to fly again — a process that has proved extremely difficult. Orders for the 737 Max have dropped significantly, and Boeing has not been able to deliver stockpiled planes, which has been a huge cash drain. The news comes after a House committee hearing last week revealed that both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration ignored clear signs that the 737 Max planes were dangerous, even after one of them crashed last fall.
3. Pakistan
Pakistan’s former President and military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, has been sentenced to death for high treason after a legal case that went on for six years. A special court convicted the 76-year-old, who seized power in a military coup in 1999 and ruled Pakistan as President until 2008, of violating the constitution by unlawfully declaring emergency rule while he was in power. It’s the first time in the country’s history that an army chief has been tried and found guilty of treason. Musharraf, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai for more than three years, can appeal the verdict. He claims he’s innocent.
4. Winter weather
People in parts of the Deep South will be waking up this morning to damage left behind by a series of deadly tornadoes. More than two dozen tornadoes and high winds tore through parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama last night, killing at least three people and injuring others. The twisters are part of a larger storm system that is piling snow and ice across the Midwest and the eastern US through this morning. Parts of the Northeast — including in New York and around Boston — may see up to 6 inches of snow by tomorrow, the National Weather Service said.
5. Russia
A Russian spy ship is making its way toward the US East Coast, operating in what officials call an “unsafe manner.” The Viktor Leonov has been sailing off the coast of South Carolina and Florida in the last few days and is using running lights in low visibility conditions and ignoring hails from commercial vessels that are trying to help avoid potential accidents, according to one official. The Coast Guard is alerting mariners in the area, and a defense official said the Navy’s USS Mahan was operating nearby. The Russian vessel has patrolled in international waters along the eastern US coast every year since 2015. Its presence there comes as a US Navy destroyer visited Constanta, Romania, yesterday in an effort to bolster US presence in the Black Sea.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Obama says things would be better if women were in charge
Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ hit No. 1 for the first time
Frankly, it’s a shame that it took this long.
Babe Ruth baseball bat sells for $1 million
The Bambino used it to hit his 500th home run while playing for the New York Yankees in 1929.
The world’s oldest living couple celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary
A love story that has truly stood the test of time.
A 3,600-year disposable cup is set to go on display at the British Museum
Apparently, even our ancestors hated doing dishes.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“At the present rate of change, it will take nearly a century to achieve parity, a timeline we simply cannot accept in today’s globalized world …”
The World Economic Forum‘s annual Global Gender Gap Report, which predicts that most of us won’t live to see gender equality achieved worldwide
TODAY’S NUMBER
$425 million
That’s how much Congress is allocating for election security upgrades ahead of the 2020 races, according to two sources familiar with the deal. Election security experts say it’s just a Band-Aid.
HAPPENING LATER
13-year-old suspect to appear in court
A teen arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors is due to make a court appearance today.
AND FINALLY
Get lost in this book lover’s paradise
This library with bookshelves that seem to stretch on forever feels like the perfect escape from this miserable weather. (Click to view.)
