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Impeachment rules, winter weather, Rick Gates in court: 5 things to know Tuesday

Editors
USA TODAY

House panel to weigh rules for impeachment floor debate

The House Rules Committee on Tuesday will debate the rules governing the floor debate about whether to impeach President Donald Trump, ahead of a likely vote by the full House on impeachment later in the week. The committee will weigh questions such as how long debate will last and how many amendments – if any – will be allowed. Because Democrats outnumber Republicans on the panel 9 to 4, proposals by Republicans are unlikely to succeed. The floor debate is expected to begin Wednesday. The Judiciary Committee has recommended two articles of impeachment against Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

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Wild weather is expected all over the US

Tuesday's weather will be wild from coast-to-coast: The storm that brought wintry weather across the country over the weekend will dump heavy snow and accumulating ice Tuesday across the eastern Great Lakes, northern Mid-Atlantic, and into portions of the Northeast and New England, the National Weather Service said. In the South, heavy rain and potentially severe thunderstorms are forecast, especially in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. Meanwhile, an Arctic blast of bitterly cold air will chill much of the north-central U.S., with high temperatures expected only in the single digits, along with below-zero wind chills. Finally, strong Santa Ana winds will blow Tuesday across Southern California, where wind gusts of up to 55 mph are possible, which could cause downed trees and power lines, along with an increased fire weather threat. 

Rick Gates, former Trump campaign official, to be sentenced 

Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates, one of the key government witnesses in the Russia investigation, will be sentenced on Tuesday. He is all but assured to escape imprisonment after prosecutors agreed with defense attorneys that he deserves a more lenient punishment of probation. Gates is one of the six former Trump associates and campaign aides who were indicted as part of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation on Russia's efforts to meddle with the 2016 presidential election. Gates has cooperated with prosecutors as they sought to convict other former Trump associates, including Paul Manafort and Roger Stone. 

Funeral for slain Jersey City officer to be held

The funeral for the Jersey City detective slain in a shooting spree by attackers who also targeted a kosher supermarket last week will be held Tuesday. Detective Joseph Seals was gunned down at a cemetery before the assault on the market, which left three other people dead. The two suspects died during the rampage. Seals, 40, joined the department in 2006 and was promoted to detective in 2017. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. ET at St. Aedan's Church in Jersey City. A wake for Seals was held Monday. 

'The Simpsons' turns 30

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of “The Simpsons," which premiered on Dec. 17, 1989. More than 670 episodes later, the record-setting animated classic continues, no finale in sight. The 30th anniversary of "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” is the latest milestone for a culture-shaping series spawned by animated shorts that began two years earlier on "The Tracey Ullman Show." Although "The Simpsons," recipient of 34 Emmys, is years past peak cultural dominance, new episodes perform well for Fox and the show's library serves as a major selling point for the Disney+ streaming service. It's renewed through its 32nd season in 2021, which would bring the tally to more than 700 episodes.

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