10 things you need to know today: December 17, 2019

1. Moderate Democrats get behind impeachment as House prepares to vote

Moderate Democrats, including some considered vulnerable in conservative-leaning districts, on Monday began falling in line in the party's impeachment push against President Trump, after the House Judiciary Committee released an impeachment report accusing Trump of wire fraud, bribery, and other crimes. The report was compiled after the Democrat-led panel heard testimony and ultimately voted to advance two articles of impeachment against Trump to the full House. The articles of impeachment accuse Trump of trying to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, and obstructing Congress. The report said that Trump "betrayed the nation" by seeking foreign help to win re-election. The House will vote on the articles as soon as Wednesday.

The Washington Post The New York Times

2. Congress hammers out $1.37 trillion spending bill

Congressional negotiators on Monday unveiled a $1.37 trillion federal spending bill aiming to avert a partial government shutdown. Congress is expected to pass the compromise, with the House voting Tuesday and the Senate later in the week. The proposal includes $25 million for federal gun violence research, a 3.1 percent pay raise for civilian federal employees, and the repeal of several Affordable Care Act taxes, The Washington Post reports. President Trump's border wall will receive $1.375 billion in funding, but the administration will have the ability to take funds from other accounts. The legislation includes $7.6 billion in funding for the 2020 Census, $425 million in election security grants, and a $22 billion boost in Pentagon funding. It also increases the age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21.

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The Washington Post

3. Justices back ruling letting homeless sleep on sidewalks

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to a lower court ruling protecting the right of homeless people to sleep on sidewalks or in parks when they can't find space in a shelter. The court's refusal to review the case marked a major win for homeless people and their advocates, and a setback for city authorities in California and eight other Western states. West Coast cities, including Los Angeles, had urged the justices to consider the appeal in the case, City of Boise v. Martin. City officials argued that the appeals court ruling in the case undermined their ability to regulate homeless encampments on sidewalks. Lawyers for the homeless argued that arresting people for sleeping on sidewalks when no shelters were available amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

Los Angeles Times

4. Boeing to suspend production of grounded 737 MAX plane

Boeing has decided to temporarily halt production of its 737 MAX jet, which has been grounded since March after the second of two fatal crashes. The accidents, which occurred in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killed 346 people. Boeing has continued to build the planes since the grounding, and now has a backlog of 400 planes with no planned date for the aircraft to return to the skies. Airlines and government officials expect the planes to be cleared to fly in February or later. Boeing is aiming to suspend production in January, although it has no immediate plan to lay off any of workers. Boeing's 737 assembly plant in Washington employs 12,000 people, with thousands more jobs in its supply chain.

The Wall Street Journal

5. Fiorina says it's 'vital' to impeach Trump

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina told CNN in an interview that aired Monday that she considered it "vital" to impeach President Trump. Fiorina, a 2016 Republican primary candidate, said Trump's behavior as president was "not just unbecoming, I think it's destructive to our Republic." Fiorina said she thought Hillary Clinton was "corrupt," too. Fiorina said she voted for Trump in 2016 and did not rule out voting for him again in 2020, but she felt it was important to go ahead with the process because his "conduct is impeachable." She added that she wasn't sure Trump should be "removed this close to an election." She urged fellow Republicans to keep an open mind rather than simply rushing to Trump's defense, even if it costs them at the polls. "Hanging onto a job is not the most important thing," she said.

USA Today

6. Winter storms turn roads to ice in Midwest, leaving 11 dead

The death toll from a barrage of harsh winter weather rose to 10 on Monday. Four people died from weather-related crashes in Missouri, where the State Highway Patrol handled more than 1,000 calls for stranded motorists and crashes. Three died in Nebraska, two in Indiana, and one in Kansas. A second storm hit the Midwest and the East with more snow, leaving nearly 60 million people under winter weather advisories or warnings. St. Louis Public Schools canceled classes for 30,000 students, and airlines canceled more than 300 flights. "There is likely to be a narrow swath of 6- to 12-inch snowfall totals in the Northeast as well, but confidence remains low on exactly where that stripe will occur," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Rob Miller said.

CBS News USA Today

7. Judge lets Georgia cancel registrations of 300,000 'inactive' voters

A federal judge on Monday cleared the way for Georgia election officials to purge roughly 300,000 inactive voters from the state's rolls. An organization called Fair Fight Action had requested that U.S. District Judge Steve Jones block the removal of 120,000 people who remained residents but had not voted in years. The rest of the inactive voters being purged had moved away. Judge Jones said he would further consider the matter on Thursday, but in the meantime the state could move forward with canceling the registrations. By Tuesday the secretary of state's office aims to reduce the number of registered voters in the state from about 7.4 million to 7.1 million. Georgia's "use it or lose it" law lets election officials cancel the registrations of voters who have not participated in elections for several years.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

8. Protests spread against India's citizenship law

Protests against India's new citizenship law spread on Monday, with demonstrations taking place in at least 17 cities. Students said police hit them with batons and targeted them with tear gas at a university in Delhi after a march turned violent. Administrators said 200 students were injured. The protests started after the Dec. 11 approval of the law, which sets religion as a factor in qualifying for Indian nationality for the first time. The law creates a speedy path toward citizenship for immigrants belonging to six religions, excluding Islam, which is practiced by 200 million Indians. Four people reportedly were killed in clashes with police in northeastern India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed the law under his promised emphasis on Hindu primacy in India.

The Washington Post

9. Pakistan court issues death sentence against exiled Musharraf

A court in Pakistan on Tuesday sentenced the country's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death for treason. The three-member special court's decision was considered to be symbolic, as Musharraf lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai and is not expected to return to his home country. Still, the case marked the first time a former military ruler had been held accountable for his actions in power. Musharraf, 74, was accused of violating Pakistan's Constitution by imposing a state of emergency in 2007 to stifle his opponents. He took power in a bloodless 1999 coup, toppling Nawaq Sharif's government. Sharif initiated the case against Musharraf in 2013 after returning to power, and is using the case to assert civilian power over the military.

The New York Times Reuters

10. Drew Brees sets new NFL record for touchdown passes

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed the 540th touchdown pass of his career in a 34-7 Monday win against the Indianapolis Colts, beating the previous NFL record of 539 held by former Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. The record-breaking pass came in the third quarter with a 5-yard throw to Josh Hill. Brees then padded his new record with a 541st touchdown pass. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is close behind with 538 career TD passes and counting. Brees also set a new NFL record for single-game pass percentage, completing 29 of 30 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns Monday night, and beat his own personal record of 20 consecutive completed passes.

USA Today CNN