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Tuesday, December 17

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VULNERABLE DEMS RALLY: IMPEACH Utah Democrat Ben McAdams made clear, in the heart of ruby-red Utah, that he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump. At least 31 of the most vulnerable House Democrats have now climbed off the fence and into the ranks of lawmakers who will vote for formal abuse and obstruction charges against Trump this week. [AP]

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HOUSE PANEL: TRUMP BETRAYED THE NATION  Bolstering its case for impeaching Trump, a House panel released a lengthy report detailing its rationale for the charges and accusing the president of betraying the nation for his own political gain. [AP]

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AT LEAST 3 DEAD AS TORNADOS SLAM SOUTHERN STATES Three people are confirmed dead and a dozen more injured as a powerful storm front packing suspected tornadoes smashed into buildings, downed trees and left a trail of destruction around the Deep South. [AP]

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SUPREME COURT SHUNS PROSECUTION OF HOMELESS The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Boise’s defense of its policy of sometimes prosecuting homeless people for sleeping in public after a lower court found ordinances in Idaho’s capital violated the U.S. Constitution’s bar on cruel and unusual punishment. [Reuters]

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FAMILY OF SLAIN STUDENT DENOUNCES POLICE UNION CLAIMS  The family of an 18-year-old Barnard College student stabbed to death in a Manhattan park last week is denouncing allegations from a New York police union official that she was looking to buy marijuana when she was killed. [HuffPost]

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GRETA THUNBERG RESPONDS TO GERMAN RAIL SNARK Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg apologized over the weekend for saying that world leaders should be put “against the wall” after some interpreted it as inciting violence. She also cleared up drama after she was called out by a German rail line. [HuffPost]

WHAT'S BREWING

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PHOTOS LEAKED FROM BUITTIGIEG'S NAPA FUNDRAISER Photos have emerged of Pete Buttigieg’s lavish Sunday fundraiser at a winery in California’s Napa Valley, fueling criticism of the Democratic presidential hopeful’s ties to big-money donors and the access he gives them behind closed doors. [HuffPost]

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AT RAUCOUS TOWN HALL, DEM BETS ON IMPEACHMENT -- AND ENDORSES CIVILITY Difficult political conversations are a way of life for Elissa Slotkin, the first-term House Democrat from Michigan who announced her support of impeachment on Monday. This year she spent Thanksgiving with her in-laws, who are lifelong Republicans and Trump supporters. They all get along and support her. [HuffPost]

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BLOOMBERG'S SURVEILLANCE OF MUSLIMS SETS DANGEROUS PRECEDENT The New York Police Department Muslim surveillance program, which ended in 2014, confirmed many Muslims’ worst fears and left permanent damage between the Muslim community and law enforcement. Then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg approved the program, saying it is what he “expected” police to do. [HuffPost]

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UN AIDS AGENCY FIRES WHISTLEBLOWER AFTER PROBE The United Nations’ AIDS agency has fired two staffers for financial and sexual misconduct, including a whistleblower whose allegations of being sexually assaulted sparked months of turmoil. [AP]

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SURVIVING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MILITARY Abused military wives are often told to stay quiet about what happens at home. We talked to a dozen who feel they no longer can. We also asked readers to send us their personal stories. While their experiences occurred over decades, in different locations and across all branches of the military, many of the stories have similar themes. [HuffPost]

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WHAT HAPPENED TO MUELLER'S BIGGEST CATCHES? Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to investigators about talking with the Russian ambassador, was the first high-level Trump staffer to face charges as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Here's what happened to him and the others nailed in Mueller's probe. [HuffPost]

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