THE BIG STORY

House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump

Seventy-seven days after the House launched its impeachment inquiry, House Democrats have unveiled their impeachment articles against President Trump, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The full House is expected to vote on the articles next week before its holiday break, likely setting up an impeachment trial in the Senate in January. If, as expected, the articles pass, Trump will be the third president in US history to be impeached.

So what’s in the articles?

👉 The first article focuses on Trump's dealings with Ukraine, arguing that he should be removed from office for holding up needed US military aid for the country in exchange for investigations into former vice president Joe Biden and his family.

👉 The second article includes charges related to the administration's stonewalling of Congress's investigation into the president's actions.

Impeachment Today: Baby, this is what you came for. In today’s episode of our daily impeachment podcast, we translate the impeachment articles into normal-people talk. This sets the foundation for the coming political theater. Listen and subscribe.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

A dramatic shootout left six people dead including two suspects and a police officer

Six people are dead after a shootout at a New Jersey convenience store brought a neighborhood to a standstill for hours as hundreds of gunshots rang through the streets.

Jersey City’s chief of police Michael Kelly officers were engaged by “high-powered rifle” gunfire as they responded to a report of gunshots at a grocery store. Around the same time, police received a call of an officer down at a nearby cemetery. That officer, Detective Joseph Seals, has since died.

Police believe the armed suspects shot Seals and entered the store. Following an hours-long standoff during which hundreds of bullets were fired, Kelly said officials entered the store and found five people dead.

“We believe two of them are bad guys, and we believe three of them are not,” Kelly told reporters. Police are still investigating.

Seth Wenig / AP

THE UK ELECTION

Tomorrow is the UK election, a high-stakes battle that will determine what happens to Brexit next. Because everyone knows elections are fun, we are teaming up with Sky News for a live election results show streamed live on our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages. The fun starts tomorrow at 9 p.m. GMT, 4 p.m. ET. Join us, won’t you?

SNAPSHOTS

US border officials are issuing fake court notices to keep out immigrants who won asylum. In recent weeks, at least four people have been sent back to Mexico after being granted asylum, an attorney told us.

Pete Buttigieg has finally released the names of his McKinsey clients. Buttigieg’s time at the consulting firm has been under intense scrutiny. He named his clients to the Atlantic, and they include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Canadian grocery chain Loblaws, and the US Postal Service.

Facebook fired a contractor who was paid thousands in bribes to reactivate banned ad accounts. The unnamed worker was paid to reactivate ad accounts connected to a marketing firm we previously revealed was running a sophisticated Facebook scam.

Twin 4-year-olds climbed out of a car wreck to get help after their dad died. The sisters survived a car crash in Washington state that killed their father, then unbuckled themselves from their booster seats, crawled out of a broken window, and climbed up a steep, muddy embankment to get help.

People keep spotting pigeons wearing tiny cowboy hats in Vegas. A viral video shows that someone has secured tiny cowboy hats to the heads of at least two pigeons. A local animal rescue is now trying to find the birds.

HIGH-STAKES RULING

New York lost a landmark climate fraud case against Exxon

A judge ruled that ExxonMobil did not make misleading statements in public disclosures about the company’s climate change risks, delivering a major win to the oil giant in a highly anticipated climate fraud case.

The New York attorney general launched an investigation into Exxon’s alleged climate lies in 2015, and sued the company in 2018 for violating the state’s anti-fraud laws. In October, this became the first climate fraud case to go to trial in the US.

But New York Supreme Court Judge Barry Ostrager found that New York “failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence” that the oil giant violated the law.

The ruling dealt a big blow to climate change activists hoping to use the courts to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.

REVISIONIST HISTORY

Love Actually star Rodrigo Santoro says he thinks his and Laura Linney’s character ultimately got together

One of the heartbreaking moments of Love Actually is when Sarah, played by Linney, realizes she can’t commit to Extremely Hot Karl, played by Santoro, because she needs to focus on taking care of her brother.

It’s a bittersweet turn of events but not the most satisfying wrap up to the storyline. But perhaps you can be comforted by the fact that Santoro, AKA Hot Karl, believes the pair got ultimately together. Justice is best served hot.

I hope you get to approach today with intention and presence,

Elamin