THE BIG STORY

OK, so the UK is leaving the EU, what happens now?

It’s been a long time coming, and it arrives this evening. Tonight at 11 p.m. UK time, which is midnight in Brussels, the UK will no longer be a part of the European Union.

Though the Brexit hour is upon us, no one is going to turn into a pumpkin tonight. Brits might not notice any changes for a while. That’s because Britain is in a transition period while it works out a free trade deal with the EU.

For context, in 2018, 45% of all UK exports went to the EU — so it’s an important deal if the UK wants to keep doing business with its biggest trading partner.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson insists the transition period will end in December 2020 — which is ambitious, as trade deals typically take years.

The EU is not sure talks can be wrapped up by the end of the year because they encompass trade, foreign policy and security, as well as fishing rights, aviation, medicines, energy and education. Here’s everything you need to know.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Democrats are unlikely to get witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial after two key Republicans split on the issue

Two Republican senators who were considering voting to call witnesses in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial have split on the issue, threatening Democratic hopes to get former national security adviser John Bolton to testify before the Senate.

Sen. Susan Collins said she will vote in favor of additional witnesses, but her announcement was undercut by Sen. Lamar Alexander, who said he will vote against it.

Alexander's decision means it will be tough for Democrats to get the 51 votes they need to bring in witnesses. Dems need four Republicans to join them for the vote to succeed.

Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney have both said they would also be open to additional witnesses. But even if both senators agree, it's unclear where the other Republican vote would come from.

Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

Impeachment Today

We're in the endgame now. Today, the Senate votes on whether to allow witnesses to be called in the impeachment trial — or if we have the president’s acquittal in the next day or so. Listen and subscribe.

SNAPSHOTS

The World Health Organization has declared coronavirus a global health emergency. The director-general of the WHO said declaration is not intended as a vote of no-confidence in China's response to the outbreak, including its travel ban on 50 million people in the epicenter of the outbreak. Instead, it is an international call to assist smaller countries with less robust public health systems.

Apocalyptic swarms of locusts are causing havoc in East Africa. Unusual climate conditions are partly to blame. The worst outbreak of locusts in Kenya in 70 years is being driven by the same trends fueling devastating bushfires in Australia, climate scientists told us.

Facebook says it will remove posts about coronavirus conspiracy theories and fake cures. The social media giant says it will work with global and local health organizations to combat misinformation about the coronavirus emergency.

US life expectancy has finally stopped declining. Life expectancy increased by about a month, to 78.7 years. It’s the first increase since 2014, and it’s largely due to a 4% decline in drug overdose deaths — the first such drop in 28 years.

MUSK'S MIGHT

Elon Musk can’t lose

No one thought Elon Musk was going to win this one.

In July 2018, the Tesla CEO tweeted that a British cave explorer was a “pedo guy,” faced a wave of criticism, kind of apologized, received a legal threat, doubled down on the accusation, sent a reporter (our Ryan Mac) an email suggesting the Brit was a “child rapist,” hired a phony private investigator to prove it, got sued, and, after more than a year of legal wrangling, ended up in court.

Legal experts thought the case was a clear example of defamation. Musk’s own advisers told him to settle. But of course, Musk was going to fight.

The resulting legal battle is far more revealing of Musk than any of the technological feats that land him headlines. Read Mac’s epic piece on Musk.

SPEND YOUR WEEKEND WITH US

Some longreads to decompress with this weekend

The Class War Came To Hollywood In 2019. From Parasite to Hustlers, a lot of last year’s most notable movies offered sharp critiques of capitalism and the widening class divide — while others celebrated the status quo. Geoff Nelson writes about a noticeable uptick in the quality and quantity of class conversations in 2019’s movies.

Justin Bieber’s New Documentary Series Doesn’t Have Much To Say. Yes, the Biebs is back — with a forthcoming album and a 10-part YouTube documentary series. Pier Dominguez writes that in contrast to, say, his introspective Instagram, this docuseries and Bieber’s new music don’t reveal nearly as much about his current mindset as fans — let alone the wider public — might like.

American Dirt Tries To Pretend That Immigration Isn’t Political. Before its release, American Dirt was hailed as the book everyone should read if they want to understand the plight of immigrants looking for safety in the United States. Then it came out, and was widely criticized by Latino authors, journalists, and immigration advocates. Julissa Arce writes about a book that “goes to great lengths to make her characters small, helpless, and predictable.”

Wishing you the presence to celebrate your successes as they happen,

Elamin