Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
It’s Thursday, Jan. 16, 2019. Let’s start here.
1. Delivery and trial
The House has formally delivered the impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate, setting up the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history.
On the Senate floor today, the seven impeachment managers selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will read aloud the articles that the president abused his power and obstructed Congress by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.
“It is a diverse group with varied experience representing districts from across the country, but one thing a lot of them have in common is a background in litigation,” ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce tells “Start Here” today. “That was intentional. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she wanted a team that felt comfortable in a courtroom.”
2. Putin’s power
The Russian government has resigned after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed constitutional changes that would increase the parliament’s power.
Moscow observers have interpreted the move as part of Putin’s efforts to prepare for his looming transition in 2024, when constitutional term limits will force him to leave the presidency, according to ABC News’ Patrick Reevell.
“What the point of these changes in the constitution is to weaken anyone who comes after him and goes in the presidency, so that actually the real power will be of Putin and not with whoever is president,” he tells the podcast.
3. ‘Completely unrecognizable’
Ash and smoke continue to spew from the main crater of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines days after volcanic tremors began.
ABC News’ Bob Woodruff joins the podcast from the scene, “We see these people sweeping this grey ash off the top of their cars and off their roofs, everything is absolutely covered.”
“Start Here,” ABC News’ flagship podcast, offers a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or the ABC News app. Follow @StartHereABC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for exclusive content and show updates.
Elsewhere:
‘Doggy door’: A convicted sex offender has been arrested after trying to break into a California woman’s home without any pants as he tried to sneak into the house through the doggy door.
‘I didn’t know what was happening’: A United Airlines flight from Newark to Los Angeles was forced to return to the airport minutes after takeoff due to a mechanical problem that apparently resulted in flames shooting from one of its engines.
‘OK boomer’: From the twittersphere to the Supreme Court. “OK boomer” made its way into America’s highest court on Wednesday as the justices were hearing a case on age discrimination.
‘Locked in the cages on multiple occasions’: Five children have been removed from their home after it was discovered that their mother and grandparents had allegedly kept them locked in cages for an undetermined amount of time.
From our friends at FiveThirtyEight:
‘The January Democratic debate in 6 charts’: We’re less than three weeks away from the Iowa caucuses, and the Democrats held their first presidential debate of 2020 on Tuesday night in Iowa. Just six candidates took the stage this time, the smallest grouping yet.
Doff your cap:
Amid the historic impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders paused the partisan battle to honor former New Orleans Saints player and disability rights advocate Steve Gleason.
Gleason, 41, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress gives to a civilian.
“I suppose I don’t see my story as a football story or even an ALS story, but rather a human story,” Gleason said during the ceremony. “The truth is that we all experience pain in our lives, but I believe that the problems we face are our opportunity to find our human purpose.”
“In many ways, I feel I’ve conquered ALS.” Gleason said. “Not only that, our foundations help others to be fellow conquerors — until we find treatments and a cure.”
