10 things you need to know today: December 9, 2019

1.

House Judiciary Committee hears from lawyers, investigators on impeachment

The House impeachment inquiry continues Monday with a Judiciary Committee hearing in which Democratic lawyers will present the case for impeaching President Trump. The committee also will hear from Democratic and Republican Intelligence Committee staff about the panel's investigation into allegations that Trump withheld military aid and a White House meeting from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to pressure his government into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. White House lawyers said on Friday that they would not participate in the process, which they have called illegitimate. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that the committee probably will vote on articles of impeachment by the end of the week. [The New York Times, NBC News]

2.

FBI presumes Pensacola base shooting was 'act of terrorism'

FBI officials said Sunday that they were looking at the fatal shooting of three people at a Pensacola, Florida, naval base as a presumed "act of terrorism," even though the suspect had no known ties to international terrorists and investigators had not yet reached a conclusion on the attacker's motive. The suspect, who was killed by a sheriff's deputy during the attack, has been identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force. Alshamrani, 21, was participating in a training program at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Shortly before the shooting, he reportedly tweeted criticism of the U.S. for its support of Israel, and said the U.S. was anti-Muslim, The Associated Press reported, citing a U.S. official. [NBC News, The Associated Press]

3.

Trump says Kim Jong Un risks damaging their 'special relationship'

President Trump said Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un risks losing his "special relationship" with Trump if he continues expressing hostility toward the U.S. "Kim Jong Un is too smart and has far too much to lose, everything actually, if he acts in a hostile way. He signed a strong Denuclearization Agreement with me in Singapore," Trump tweeted, referring to progress the two leaders made at their first summit in 2018. "He does not want to void his special relationship with the President of the United States or interfere with the U.S. Presidential Election in November." Trump's comments came after North Korea's KCNA state media reported that Pyongyang had conducted a "very important" test at the Sohae satellite launch site. [Reuters, CNN]

4.

Hong Kong protesters mark 6-month milestone with huge march

Hong Kong demonstrators on Sunday held their biggest protest since pro-democracy candidates dominated last month's district council elections. The march came ahead of the protest movement's six-month milestone on Monday. Organizers said 800,000 people participated, but police estimated the crowd at 183,000. Protesters chanted "five demands, not one less" as they crowded into the streets of the Chinese-ruled, semi-autonomous former British colony. "The government hasn't actually responded, so a lot of people think they just cannot give up on the protest," said Ma Ngok, a government and public administration professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Police said Monday that the march was "generally peaceful" but some protesters set fires outside a court building and threw Molotov cocktails at government buildings. [CNBC, Reuters]

5.

Warren says America ready for an all-female presidential ticket

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Sunday that Americans are ready for an all-female presidential ticket. "Sure, why not?" she said. "I think (voters) would support a lot of different combinations." Warren said that if she gets the nomination she'd consider tapping Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as her running mate. Harris dropped out of the race last week after struggling to raise enough money to compete. Warren also said she would be open to asking former Vice President Joe Biden to sign on for another run in the No. 2 spot. Biden, too, said after Harris dropped out that he'd consider asking her to run as the party's vice presidential candidate. [The Associated Press]

6.

Volcano erupts in New Zealand, killing 5

A volcano erupted suddenly off New Zealand's North Island on Monday, killing at least five people and injuring up to 20 others. Authorities feared more casualties on White Island, where the eruption occurred. Twenty-three people were rescued from the island, some possibly tourists from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, police said. About 50 people were near the volcano, and several were near the crater's rim minutes before it spewed a plume of white ash thousands of feet into the air. "This is so hard to believe," said Michael Schade of San Francisco, one of the tourists who got off the island just before the eruption. "Our whole tour group were literally standing at the edge of the main crater not 30 minutes before." [Reuters]

7.

Democrats, White House reach deal to trade Space Force for parental leave

Democratic lawmakers and the White House have reached a tentative deal exchanging creation of the Space Force — a top priority for President Trump − for new parental-leave benefits for federal workers, The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing two people familiar with the negotiations. The agreement still has to be approved by negotiators and Congress, where it might not win the approval of enough Republicans to pass in the Senate. If it passes, it will mark a victory for federal employees after three years of Trump administration efforts to trim their benefits. Some Democratic aides estimated the cost of the added benefits to be $3 billion over the next five or 10 years, the Post reported. [The Washington Post]

8.

Caroll Spinney, puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, dies at 85

Caroll Spinney, the actor and puppeteer who made Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch come alive on Sesame Street, died Sunday. He was 85. The Sesame Workshop said Spinney, who died at his home in Connecticut, lived with dystonia for many years. Spinney began working on Sesame Street in its earliest days in 1969, before retiring in 2018. As Big Bird, Spinney traveled around the world, conducted symphony orchestras, danced with the Rockettes, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress. "Caroll and Big Bird are very similar in their genuine niceness and sweetness and lovingness," said Sesame Workshop co-founder Joan Ganz Conney said said in a video tribute last year. [NPR]

9.

Frozen 2 dominates box office for 3rd week

Frozen 2 held onto the top spot at the domestic box for the third straight weekend with $34.7 million in ticket sales, according to Sunday studio estimates. The Disney animated sequel brought its global total to $919.7 million, putting it on track to become the sixth Disney movie to hit the $1 billion mark in 2019, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker expected to push the studio's record to seven quickly after its release this month. Despite Frozen 2's success, the box office overall was down 5.6 percent compared to the same point last year, according to Comscore data. Playmobil: The Movie flopped in its debut, grossing just $668,000. The popular whodunit Knives Out remained in the No. 2 spot for the second straight weekend at $14.2 million. [The Associated Press]

10.

LSU takes top seed in College Football Playoffs

LSU received the top seed in the 2019 College Football Playoffs after going on an impressive 13-0 run to secure the SEC title with wins over Alabama and Georgia. LSU will take on No. 4 Oklahoma, who won the Big 12, in one semifinal, while No. 2 Ohio State will play the third-ranked defending national champion Clemson Tigers, who are playing in their fifth straight playoff, in the other. Both semis will take place on Dec. 28, with the winners advancing to the national championship in New Orleans on Jan. 13. LSU, Ohio State, and Clemson are all undefeated, while Oklahoma only has one loss. [ESPN]