A decal of President Donald Trump sits as though he is riding in the back seat of a supporter's vehicle outside of the meeting before U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin speaks during a constituent town hall about her stance on articles of impeachment and address other issues on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019 in the Oakland Center at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)
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Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
1. AMID IMPEACHMENT, CONGRESSMAN SWITCHES PARTIES New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, one of the few Democrats opposing President Trump's ouster, tells aides he will become a Republican.
2. HOW THESE UPRISINGS ARE DIFFERENT FROM ARAB SPRING While the 2011 protests were directed at long-ruling autocrats, the current economically driven unrest is directed at corrupt political elites who have failed to provide basic services.
3. BOEING GETS FAA MESSAGE The grounded 737 Max jet won't be approved to fly anytime soon, prompting the aviation giant to suspend production on the fleet indefinitely starting in January.
4. YELLOW MEANS '~SHOP,' BLUE MEANS '~STOP' Protesters in Hong Kong are using their spending power to punish businesses they deem hostile to their cause, using color-coded apps to labels stores and help guide consumers.
5. SOUTHERN FRESHWATER MUSSEL DIE-OFF RAISES CONCERNS Infectious disease may be to blame and scientists are working quickly to find a culprit because if all the mussels die, the rivers will never be the same.
6. BRITISH LEADER MAKES NO DEAL BREXIT CLAIM Boris Johnson says Britain will strike a new trade deal with the European Union by the end of next year or leave without one.
7. '~IT WAS TOTAL CHAOS' Three people are dead and a dozen more injured as suspected tornadoes smash into buildings, down trees and leave a trail of destruction in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
8. EXECUTIONS ON THE DECLINE IN US A new report finds a continuing decline in capital punishment in America, with less than 30 such cases for the fifth straight year.
9. BREES SETS NFL ALL-TIME TD MARK The New Orleans Saints' quarterback passes Peyton Manning to become the league's career leader in touchdown passes in a 34-7 win over Indianapolis.
10. '~THE RISE OF SKYWALKER' A HIT PREMIERE Audiences enthusiastically greet the latest 'œStar Wars'ť film, rising in a standing ovation as the credits on the closing chapter in the franchise's third trilogy rolled.
FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2019 file photo, a riot policeman removes an anti-government protester who is blocking a main highway with her body, in Beirut, Lebanon. As the Middle East ushers in 2020, a new kind of uprising is unfolding in the Arab world. While the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings that took place in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria were directed at long-ruling autocrats, the current economically driven uprisings are directed at corrupt political elites who have failed at providing their people with basic services. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
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A worker looks up underneath a Boeing 737 MAX jet Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, in Renton, Wash. Shares of Boeing fell before the opening bell on a report that the company may cut production of its troubled 737 MAX or even end production all together. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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In this Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, photo, doctors prepare to amputate the leg of a landmine victim at Emergency Surgical Center for Civilian War Victims in Kabul, Afghanistan. The total number of children killed or maimed in more than four decades long Afghan war is not known. But, with a population where close to 50% are under the age of 20, the losses among the young is tremendous. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
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A charity worker wearing a Santa Claus costume walks after delivering Christmas presents to a poor family on the outskirts of Brasov, Romania, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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A child holds up a statue of baby Jesus as Pope Francis blesses them during the Angelus noon prayer he celebrated from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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A woman shouts slogans from inside a bus after being detained during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Gauhati, India, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. Indian student protests that turned into violent clashes with police galvanized opposition nationwide on Tuesday to a new law that provides a path to citizenship for non-Muslim migrants who entered the country illegally from several neighboring countries. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
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Firefighter Ryan Gilley, left, helps evacuate a mobile home with Decatur Fire & Rescue members after a tree fell on the home in Decatur, Ala., Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. Powerful storms smashed buildings, splintered trees and downed power lines Monday around the Deep South, leaving at least one person dead as the dangerous mix of thunderstorms and suspected tornadoes raked the region in the week ahead of Christmas. (Dan Busey/The Decatur Daily via AP)
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Mark Hamill arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, in Los Angeles (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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A girl rides a horse on a merry-go-round on the Christmas market in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
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