10 things you need to know today: December 22, 2019

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1. White House official sent note about Ukraine aid freeze within 2 hours of Zelensky call
2. Eddie Murphy returns to SNL
3. Trump blasts Democrats, wind turbines at conservative youth rally
4. Devastating wildfires blaze across Australia's most populous state
5. India's Modi defends citizenship law
6. Police break up Uighur solidarity march in Hong Kong
7. Preliminary votes show Ghani holding on to Afghan presidency
8. Boeing's Starliner spacecraft lands smoothly after partially-successful test mission
9. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on pace for $190 million domestic opening weekend
10. Patriots, Texans clinch divisions, Rams eliminated from playoffs

published 22 December 2019

1. White House official sent note about Ukraine aid freeze within 2 hours of Zelensky call

Less than two hours after President Trump had his infamous July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a White House budget official sent an email to the Pentagon, noting military aid to Ukraine was to be placed on hold, The Center for Public Integrity reports. In the email, which Public Integrity obtained under court order, the official, Michael Duffey, seemed aware that the decision was a little odd. "Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute the direction," he wrote. Public Integrity also reports that, aside from being concerned about jeopardizing national security interests, officials worried they were being asked to undertake an action in defiance of a law ordering congressionally-approved funds to be spent within a defined period.

Eddie Murphy returned to Saturday Night Live for the first time in 35 years, hosting the show alongside musical guest, Lizzo. Murphy revived some of his classic characters and sketches like Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson's neighborhood. The actor and comedian, who was greeted by an audience chanting his name, was joined on stage for his opening monologue by two more SNL alums in Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock, as well as fellow comedian Dave Chapelle. The episode also saw a number of former cast members like Rachel Dratch, Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen, and Maya Rudolph appear during the cold open which spoofed Thursday's Democratic presidential debate.

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President Trump on Saturday gave one of his patented free-wheeling speeches at a Turning Point USA conservative youth conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, before he begins his winter vacation in the Sunshine State. Trump mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for withholding articles of impeachment from the Senate, accused former Vice President Joe Biden of corruption in Ukraine, and praised Republican members of Congress for sticking with him during the House impeachment vote, but he reportedly didn't spend too much time talking about his impeachment. Instead, he reportedly went on a tangent about his distaste for wind turbines and the bald eagle deaths they've caused, railed against the "raging left-wing mob," and boasted about the new defense bill he signed, as well as the newly-agreed North American trade deal.

As of Sunday, more than 105 wildfires were burning in New South Wales, Australia, the country's most populous state and home to its largest city, Sydney. Of those fires, 59 are considered out of control. Officials estimate 100 buildings across the state have burned down in the previous 24 hours, adding to the 724 homes that have been destroyed during the fire season, which began early this year due to a combination of extreme heat and severe drought, scientists say. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized for taking a family vacation to Hawaii as the blazes spread across New South Wales. He cut the trip short and returned to Australia on Saturday evening. His government has also been criticized for not doing enough to fight climate change.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday defended his Hindu nationalist government's recently passed citizenship law that has sparked protests across the country. The law, which allows religious refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, to claim Indian citizenship, but does not extend to Muslims, has been criticized for breaching India's secular constitution and for attempting to marginalize Muslims. Speaking at a political rally in New Delhi, Modi said he "must assure Muslim citizens of India that this law will not change anything for them" and that his government operates without religious bias. "People who are trying to spread lies and fear, look at my work," he said. To date, 23 people have reportedly been killed during the nationwide protests.

More than 1,000 people gathered near Hong Kong's harbor Sunday for a peaceful rally in support of China's ethnic Uighurs, a Muslim minority group from the northwestern region of Xinjiang which has been subject to persecution and internment from Beijing. The march, however, eventually resulted in the city's riot police using pepper-spray and batons to disperse the crowds as some protesters threw glass bottles and rocks at them. One officer reportedly pointed a service pistol at protesters, but did not fire, and police also reportedly raised a black warning flag, indicating they were ready to use tear gas to break up the demonstration.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani looks likely to win a second five-year term after the country's election officials said he won just over 50 percent in the preliminary vote count following a September vote. His main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, reportedly has only gathered 39.5 percent. Still, it could take months for the results — which have already been delayed thanks to protests and technical problems — to be finalized and Abdullah's camp has already said they won't accept the outcome until their concerns about 15 percent of the total votes are addressed. If no candidate picks up a majority, a runoff would have to be organized. Ghani and Abdullah went through a similar dispute following 2014 elections.

Boeing's new, unpiloted Starliner spacecraft successfully landed Sunday morning in the New Mexico desert after its NASA mission to dock with the International Space Station failed because the capsule's clock was improperly set, causing it to end up in the wrong orbit. There were positive results, as well, though — the spacecraft reportedly had a flawless launch, completed many other tests, and landed smoothly. All that reportedly raises the possibility of a piloted test flight at some point next year. Boeing is trying to compete with NASA's other commercial crew provider, SpaceX, which earlier this year completed a similar demonstration as it gears up to carry two NASA astronauts into space.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is reportedly on pace to reel in close to $400 million at the worldwide box office by the end of its opening weekend, including an estimated $190 million in the United States. The ninth and final installment of the main saga, hasn't received the most inspiring reviews from critics, but that hasn't stopped it from achieving box office success. The film cost roughly $400 million to make and market, so the early numbers should be appealing to Disney. Still, the closing chapter is likely to fall behind its predecessor, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which took in $220 million domestically during its opening weekend in 2017.

The NFL playoff picture became clearer on Saturday, after the Houston Texans locked up the AFC South title with a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots defeated their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, 24-17 to secure the top spot in the AFC East. In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams, 34-31, officially knocking last year's conference champion out of the playoffs and helping the Minnesota Vikings lock up a spot. There are now only two spots remaining. One could be decided Sunday if the Dallas Cowboys once again beat the Philadelphia Eagles to win the NFC East. The AFC is a little more complex, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, and Cleveland Browns all in the hunt for the conference's sixth and final seed.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.