CSi Weather…

REST OF TODAY…Decreasing clouds. Highs 15 to 20. Temperatures falling into the mid single digits in the afternoon. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows near zero. Wind chill readings 23 below to 28 below zero. South winds 5 to 15 mph.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Highs in

the mid 20s. South winds around 10 mph shifting to the west in

the afternoon.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 10. West winds

around 10 mph.

.THURSDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 20s. East winds

around 10 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 5 to 10 above.

.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 20s.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 15.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs around 30.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s.

 

 

Temperatures will steadily fall late this morning in the area south of I94.

This evening will see temps continue to fall and after sundown rapidly into the teens below zero with clear skies and a light wind. as the  high pressure slides southeast across the area.

A few locations can be expected to fall into the 20s below. This cold won`t last long as the high slides to the southeast quickly and return southerly flow develops during the overnight.

Some light snow or flurries will be possible Wednesday.

 

(CSi)  The Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s Foundation and Volunteers invites the community to the Annual Tree of Love Dedication & Holiday Social, on Tuesday December 17, from 3-p.m., to 4-p.m.

There will be a short greeting, prayer and moment of silence to reflect on the holiday season and loved ones.

Ornaments can be purchased for a free-will donation online at www.jrmcnd.com/giving or in the JRMC Gift Shoppe or Foundation office.

The social is free and open to the public. Beverages and light snacks provided.

Jamestown  (CSi)   Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department has reports that  the schedules for the various warming houses are set at McElroy, Meidinger and Leapaldt Parks and the Bunker at Hillcrest Golf Course.

All warming houses will open for the season on Saturday, December 21st.

The ice rinks warming houses hours   at McElroy, Meidinger and Leapaldt Parks will be Monday through Friday from 3:30-p.m., to-8-p.m., Saturdays from 11-a.m. -7-p.m., and Sundays from 12-6-p.m.

The Bunker at Hillcrest Golf Course for sledding will be open Monday through Friday from 3:30-p.m. to -5:30-p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11-a.m. to – 5:30- p.m..

Warming houses will be closed if the wind chill is 15 degrees below zero and colder.

For more information, contact Jamestown Parks at 252-3982.

Jamestown  (NDFU) – Mark Watne of Velva was reelected to a seventh year as North Dakota Farmers Union president by more than 600 members attending the organization’s 93rd annual state convention this past weekend, Dec. 13-14, in Bismarck.

Watne says, “I’m deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve the forward-thinking members of North Dakota Farmers Union. Even in these times of economic challenge, we find ways to work for solutions.”

Bob Kuylen of South Heart was reelected vice president.

A mix of educational speakers, youth achievement recognition, policy debate and entertainment highlighted the convention, as well as Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Company’s annual meeting. Of special importance were two special orders of business adopted by NDFU members.

The first called on Congress and the Administration to ensure future ad hoc payments, such as Market Facilitation Program payments, account for direct and indirect impacts of trade wars on all commodities, and account for basis costs as well. The second order calls on Congress to enact legislation to strengthen antitrust laws, reverse the trend of agribusiness consolidation, and protect family farmers and ranchers from abuses of market power.

In other elections, Jon Iverson of Langdon joins the organization’s board of directors, replacing Terry Borstad of Devils Lake, who did not seek reelection. Borstad served on the state board for 18 years. Iverson will represent members from District 1, encompassing the counties of Benson, Cavalier, Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Towner and Walsh. Tyler Stafslien of Makoti was reelected to the District 3 seat. That district encompasses the counties of Burke, Divide, Mountrail, Renville and Williams. Wes Niederman Jr. of Elgin was reelected to the District 5 seat. District 5 comprises a nine-county area: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux. Ronda Throener of Cogswell was reelected to represent NDFU members in District 7. The district encompasses the counties of Barnes, Cass, Griggs, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill.

Members also elected delegates to represent North Dakota at the National Farmers Union (NFU) Convention, which will be held March 1-3 in Savannah, Ga. They include:

ALAMO – Devin Jacobson. ASHLEY – Polly Ulrich. BEACH – David Ekre. BINFORD – Ron Halvorson. CENTER – Dave Berger. COGSWELL – Joseph Throener. CRARY – Adam Leiphon. DAZEY – Justin Sherlock. DEVILS LAKE – Terry Borstad, Mary Borstad. DOUGLAS – Bob Finken, De Anne Finken. DRAKE – Mary Blumhagen. EDGELEY – Richard Schlosser; GLADSTONE – Jon Pierce, Lenci Sickler. GRAND FORKS – Jeanna Smaaladen. GRANVILLE – Kendra Larsen, Kyle Larsen. JAMESTOWN – Lori Carlson, Roy Musland; JUD – Alan Bergman; MCCLUSKY – Eden McLeod. MENOKEN – Karen Kershaw. MOTT – Jan Ottmar. NEW SALEM – Joanne Beckman. PAGE – Brad McKay. REGENT – Curtis Wax. SHARON – Ben Vig. ST. ANTHONY – Steve Tomac. SELZ – Adam Held. SHERWOOD – Ben Ethen, Lacey Ethen, Steve Keith. TIOGA – Patty Jensen. TOLNA – Sheila Rude. TOWNER – Ryan Taylor. VALLEY CITY – Bob Bruns. WILLISTON – Kurt Andre.

Keynote and convention speakers included Jay Debertin, CHS president & CEO; Roger Johnson, NFU president; Tom Halverson, CoBank president & CEO; U.S. Sen. John Hoeven; Josh Kramer, N.D. Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives CEO/general manager; Dan Hildebrandt, CEO of Farmers Union Industries; and Frayne Olson, NDSU crop economist.

Closing out the convention was the Torchbearer Award ceremony, where 20 youths earned the highest honor that can be achieved in the Farmers Union youth program. Recipients (listed by county) include:

BARNES – Benton Murray, Valley City. BENSON – Jacob Arnold, Esmond. CASS – Koral Salisbury, Horace.

CAVALIER – Marcus Iverson, Langdon. EDDY – Garret Schuster, New Rockford. EMMONS – Haley Hase and Bailey Hulm, both of Linton. HETTINGER – Autumn Geerts, Mott. LAMOURE – Jakkia Duffy, LaMoure; Kevonna Isakson, Litchville. LOGAN – Kourtney Bitz, Kylee Bitz, both of Wishek. MORTON – Teresa Westberg, St. Anthony. SARGENT – Joseph Throener, Cogswell. STUTSMAN – Zebedee Willer, Jamestown. TRAILL – Chase Fossum, Hillsboro. WARD – Hailee Miller, Sawyer. WILLIAMS – Taylor Barman, Danika Knox, Lydia Oster, all of Ray.

 

(AP)  A teenager has been sentenced to five years in prison for taking part in an attack on guards at a juvenile corrections center in Mandan. Seventeen-year-old Elijah Barse and three other youths were accused in the uprising at the Youth Correctional Center in January 2018. The inmates were accused of choking one guard and handcuffing him in an attempt to escape. Barse earlier pleaded guilty to charges in adult court. During sentencing Monday, South Central District Judge James Hill called the youths’ actions “deliberate” and “shocking conduct.” The other teens involved in the uprising received prison sentences ranging from three to five years.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota will work with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to help develop a response plan for potential spill of the Dakota Access pipeline. State Emergency Services Director Cody Schulz said tribal leaders recently requested a response plan and resources to prepare for a spill near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Schulz on Monday told a committee of state and tribal leaders headed by Gov. Doug Burgum that his agency would either “participate or facilitate” a training exercise. The state also would work with the tribe to obtain federal grant money for planning and equipment. Standing Rock Chairman Mike Faith, who sits on the panel, said oil spill response training would be “awesome” and he appreciates the state’s effort to work collaboratively with the tribe.

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — The Minot Air Force Base is among other similar bases that will soon receive replacements for the Vietnam-era Huey helicopters. A ceremony will be held later this week at Duke Field, in Crestview, Florida where Air Force officials will accept the first delivery of the Huey’s replacement, the MH-139A helicopter, and announce its name. The new helicopter is the first major acquisition in the Air Force command’s 10-year history. The helicopters provide security and support for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile fields. The MH-139 was acquired from Boeing at a cost of about $2.4 billion for up to 84 aircraft.

 

In sports…

Valley City  (VCSU)  VCSU athletics is offering free admission for all fans to the men’s basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The Vikings host University of Maine at Fort Kent for a 7 p.m. game. Instead of a gate fee, the athletic department is accepting donations for the Barnes County Food Pantry. Fans are asked to bring their donation items to the game, and the athletic department will take care of delivering those items to the food pantry.

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=

Barnes County North 57, Lakota 47

Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier 79, Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter 34

Ellendale 69, South Border 24

Griggs County Central 59, Larimore 45

Hillsboro/Central Valley 80, Kindred 63

New Rockford-Sheyenne 64, Carrington 35

New Salem-Almont 62, Wilton-Wing 54

Oakes 69, Maple Valley 52

Rolla 69, Bottineau 60

Thompson 82, Finley-Sharon/Hope-Page 32

Trenton 60, Trinity Christian 45

Turtle Lake-Mercer-McClusky 60, Max 52

Wyndmere-Lidgerwood 69, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, Minn. 68

Stanley Lions Holiday Tournament=

First Round=

Ray 73, Tioga 43

Stanley 60, Lewis and Clark-Berthold 59

Velva Invitational=

First Round=

Nedrose 56, Surrey 33

Our Redeemer’s 45, Kenmare 43

 

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=

Beach 54, Beulah 35

Bottineau 65, Dunseith 58

Dickinson Trinity 65, Richardton-Taylor 45

Dickinson Trinity 65, Richardton-Taylor-Hebron 45

Glenburn 40, Tioga 37

New Town 70, Killdeer 37

Parshall 54, Burke Central/ Bowbells Co-op 31

St. John 66, Westhope-Newburg 52

Trenton 76, Alexander/Trinity Christian 22

Tri-State 61, Great Plains Lutheran, S.D. 39

Turtle Lake-Mercer-McClusky 48, Max 19

 

College Basketball…

(AP) Vinnie Shahid scored 24 points and Tyson Ward scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and North Dakota State beat Montana State 79-65. Ward’s 13 boards tied a career high and marked the third time the 6-foot-6 forward has reached that mark. Maleeck Harden-Haynes added 10 points. Montana State started the second half with a 7-0 spurt when Amin Adamu sandwiched a pair of jump shots between a 3-pointer from Harald Frey and led 38-34. But North Dakota State bounced back and outscored the Bobcats 20-7 over a 6-minute span and took control.

 

NFL…MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL…

Brees sets TD mark as Saints rip Colts

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees (breez) has added his name to one more NFL record.

Brees is the league’s all-time leader in touchdown passes after tossing four more in the Saints’ 34-7 thrashing of the Colts in New Orleans. The scoring strike that broke Peyton Manning’s record of 539 career touchdown passes came in the third quarter, when Brees hit tight end Josh Hill for a 5-yard score.

He came into the game already holding NFL records for completions and passing yards before helping the Saints improve to 11-3. Brees also broke a single-game record for completion percentage by connecting on 29 of his 30 attempts for 307 yards in a little more than three quarters.

The 6-8 Colts dropped their fourth in a row to eliminate themselves from playoff contention.

NFL-NEWS

Josh Gordon suspended again

UNDATED (AP) — Josh Gordon has received yet another indefinitely suspension from the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver has been punished for violating league policies on performance enhancers and substances of abuse. Gordon was reinstated by the NFL in August after having been suspended indefinitely in December 2018, missing the final three games of last season for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

This is the eighth time in his career Gordon has been suspended either by the league or his team.

In other NFL news:

— The Falcons will play their final two games without Takk McKinley after the third-year defensive end hurt his shoulder in an upset victory at San Francisco. McKinley left the game midway through the first quarter and did not return.

— The Jaguars tried to fine former defensive end Dante Fowler more than $700,000 for missing “mandatory” appointments with a team trainer or physician. An arbitrator recently ruled in favor of the NFLPA and negated the fines levied against Fowler and other Jaguars players in 2018. The arbitrator affirmed that under the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement teams cannot require rehabilitation or medical appointments at team facilities during the offseason.

NBA…

Mavs halt Bucks’ streak

UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-the-toh-KOOM’-poh) poured in 48 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Monday night, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from ending the Milwaukee Bucks’ 18-game winning streak. And the Mavs didn’t even need their top player to pull off the victory.

Seth Curry and Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS’-tahps pohr-ZIHN’-gihs) each scored 26 points to help the Mavericks hang on for a 120-116 triumph against the Bucks in Milwaukee. Dallas was 16 of 41 from 3-point range, including four 3s each by Curry and Porzingis.

The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic (DAHN’-chihch) because of a sprained right ankle, yet they still improved to 18-8 to stay atop the Southwest Division.

Antetokounmpo received little support as the Bucks lost for the first time since Nov. 8 at Utah. The winning streak was their longest since a franchise-record 20 consecutive victories by the 1970-71 championship team.

Checking out Monday’s other NBA action:

— The Rockets set a franchise record by overcoming a 25-point deficit to beat the Spurs, 109-107. Russell Westbrook scored 31 points and James Harden had 28 as Houston eclipsed the 23-point deficit it faced in a victory against Portland in January 1977. Harden made two free throws to extend the lead to 109-106 with 16.2 seconds left.

— The Thunder also pulled off a stunning comeback by crawling out of a 26-point hole in a 109-106 downing of the Bulls. Chris Paul hit five 3-pointers while scoring 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. Paul also had nine rebounds and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which trailed 55-29 midway through the second quarter after Chicago turned 12 Thunder turnovers into 26 points.

— Pascal Siakam (see-Ah’-kam) dropped in 33 points and Kyle Lowry registered his 110th double-double for the Raptors in a 133-113 rout of the Cavaliers. Lowry had 20 points and 11 assists to tie Antonio Davis for the third-most double-doubles in team history. Norman Powell finished with 26 points for the Raptors, who have won two straight at home since dropping three in a row in Toronto.

— Bradley Beal scored 15 of his 35 points while the Wizards were shooting a blistering 81% in the first quarter of a 133-119 victory at Detroit. Isaiah Thomas returned from a calf injury and scored 23 points for Washington, while Davis Bertans added 17. Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris each scored 22 points for Detroit, which played without injured stars Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.

— The Grizzlies won for the fourth time in five games as rookie Ja Morant had 20 points and 10 assists to lead a 118-111 victory over the Heat. Memphis scored 11 straight points for a 115-107 lead on a Morant drive with 2:31 left. Jonas Valanciunas (YOH’-nuhs val-ehn-CHOO’-nuhs) finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis.

— Damian Lillard scored 27 points, including a crucial three-point play with 26 seconds left as the Trail Blazers rallied past the Suns, 111-110. CJ McCollum had a team-high 30 points and helped the Blazers come back from a 16-point, first-half deficit. Kelly Oubre (OO’-bray) Jr. had 24 points for Phoenix, including a four-point play that put the Suns ahead, 110-108 with 32 seconds remaining.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL

Texas Tech hangs on to beat Southern Miss

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech was the only top-25 men’s basketball team in action on Monday, playing hours after entering the AP poll.

The 24th-ranked Red Raiders almost made it a short stint in the rankings before rallying in the second half to beat Southern Miss, 71-65.

Terrence Shannon scored 18 points for Texas Tech, which trailed by two with three minutes remaining before improving to 7-3. Davide Moretti scored 17 points and hit a punctuating 3-pointer that helped the Red Raiders extend the nation’s second-longest active home nonconference winning streak to 52 games.

Texas Tech was back in the poll after knocking off previous No. 1 Louisville last Tuesday.

T25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL-POLL

Kansas becomes latest No. 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas has become the fifth team to occupy the top of The Associated Press men’s basketball poll already this season.

The Jayhawks picked up 47 of 65 first-place votes to move up one spot on the rankings. They unseated Louisville, which dropped to third following last Tuesday’s 70-57 loss to Texas Tech.

Gonzaga claimed 15 first-place votes to climb from sixth to second.

Former No. 1 Duke moved up three spots to fourth, just ahead of Ohio State. Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia and Baylor round out the top 10.

No. 23 Penn State is ranked for the first time in 23 years. The poll doesn’t include North Carolina, which had been ranked since February 2014.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-AP ALL-AMERICA TEAM

AP All-America teams dominated by LSU, Ohio State

UNDATED (AP) — The Associated Press has released its All-America team and it is full of players from LSU and Ohio State.

Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow of LSU highlights the first-team offense. Defensive end Chase Young of Ohio State leads the defense.

The top-ranked Tigers also placed receiver Ja’Marr Chase and cornerback Derek Stingley on the first team. Young was joined on the first team by Ohio State teammates Wyatt Davis, a guard, and Jeff Okudah, a cornerback.

Ohio State led all teams with seven players selected to the three All-America teams, including second team quarterback Justin Fields

Across all three AP All-America teams, the SEC had 18 players in all. The Big Ten had 17. The Pac-12 had 13 players, the Big 12 had 10 and the ACC had eight.

NHL…

Jackets top Caps again

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals may own the NHL’s best record, but they are suddenly having trouble beating the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Joonas Korpisalo (YOH’-nuhs kohr-pih-SAH’-loh) notched his third career shutout with 30 saves as the Jackets beat the Caps for the second time in a week, 3-0. Eric Robinson put Columbus on the board midway through the first period.

The win was just the second in eight games for the Blue Jackets, with both coming against Washington.

The Capitals still have 53 points, five more than Boston and St. Louis for the NHL’s overall lead.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— The Blues picked up a 5-2 win against the Avalanche as David Perron (peh-RAHN’) completed his fifth career hat trick. Vince Dunn and Jordan Kyrou (KY’-roo) also scored for the Blues, who now top the Central Division by three points over Colorado. The Blues are 17-3-0 against the Avs since April 5, 2011.

— Connor McDavid set up first-period goals by Leon Draisaitl (DRY’-sy-tul) and Zack Kassian to help the Oilers down the Stars, 2-1. Draisaitl’s power-play goal was Edmonton’s 10th in its last eight games. Mikko Koskinen (MEE’-koh KAHS’-kih-nehn) made half of his 34 saves in the third period and blanked Dallas until Tyler Seguin’s (SAY’-gihnz) goal with 2:37 to play.

— Roman Josi (YOH’-see) had two goals and an assist in the Predators’ third win in five games, 5-2 over the Rangers. Rocco Grimaldi, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis also scored to back Juuse Saros (YOO’-see SAH’-rohs), who stopped 39 shots. Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin (ahr-TEH’-mee pah-NAH’-rihn) tallied for New York.

— Noel Acciari (ah-CHAH’-ree) registered his first career hat trick and the Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak by trouncing the Senators, 6-1. Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO’-bur-doh) had four assists, giving him 400 career points in 500 NHL games. Aleksander Barkov, Mike Matheson and Dominic Toninato also tallied and Sergei Bobrovsky (boh-BRAHF’-skee) stopped 29 shots while making his sixth straight start.

NHL NEWS

Coyotes get Hall from Devils

UNDATED (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes have added a former MVP to their lineup as they try to capture both their first division title and playoff berth since 2012.

The Coyotes have acquired high-scoring winger Taylor Hall from the Devils for three prospects and two draft picks. Arizona also gets forward Blake Speers and sends forwards Nick Merkley and Nate Schnarr and defenseman Kevin Bahl to New Jersey, along with a 2020 first-round pick and a conditional third-rounder in 2021.

Rumors of Hall’s departure began to percolate when he was a healthy scratch for back-to-back games. He has scored six goals and 25 points in 30 games this season and averaged nearly one point a game in his three-plus seasons with New Jersey.

Hall won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s top player after producing 39 goals and 93 points for the 2017-18 Devils.

Also around the NHL:

— The Kings have placed veteran forward Ilya Kovalchuk (KOH’-vul-chook) on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. The 36-year-old Kovalchuk had three goals and nine points in 17 games for Los Angeles and hasn’t played since Nov. 9. The 11-time All-Star has scored 436 goals and 859 points in 897 NHL games.

— The Blackhawks have determined that assistant coach Marc Crawford will remain suspended until Jan. 2 following an investigation into his behavior in previous jobs. Several former players accused Crawford of physical and verbal abuse in recent weeks. Crawford on Monday apologized to four players who spoke publicly about the coach’s actions.

MLB NEWS

Porcello, Mets finalize contract

UNDATED (AP) — Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets finalized a $10 million, one-year contract.

Porcello is a right-hander who turns 31 on Dec. 27. He joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz. He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year in his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young.

In other major league news:

— The Rays and Japanese outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo have finalized a two-year contract worth about $12 million. Tsutsugo batted .272 this year with 29 homers and 79 RBIs. He has a .285 average with 205 homers and 613 RBIs during 10 seasons with Yokohama, including 44 homers and 110 RBIs in 2016.

— The Pirates have acquired catching help by signing Luke Maile (MAY’-lee) to a one-year deal. Maile is considered an above average defensive catcher but has struggled at the plate throughout his career, batting .198 with two homers and 60 RBIs in 215 games with Toronto and Tampa Bay.

ATHLETE COMPENSATION

Senator: College athletes getting inadequate health care

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy has released a report calling on NCAA schools to do more to provide health care to their student athletes.

The report is the last of three from the Connecticut Democrat dealing with issues surrounding players and the money generated by college athletics.

Murphy co-chairs a bipartisan congressional working group on athlete compensation with Utah Republican Mitt Romney. The Connecticut Senator also announced they would meet Tuesday with NCAA President Mark Emmert to discuss developing national policies for paying athletes.

His latest report recommends the NCAA require full health coverage for athletes and allow players to see doctors who are not associated with their athletic program or school. Murphy also wants schools to guarantee four-year scholarships for athletes, including those who become injured, and allow players to transfer immediately from programs if they believe their health is at risk.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Rules Committee is expected to meet in a marathon session to set the parameters for the debate over articles of impeachment for President Donald Trump. The committee hearing is set to begin at midmorning Tuesday with the full House debating the articles of impeachment on Wednesday. The House Judiciary Committee accuses Trump of betraying the nation by abusing his office and of blocking lawmakers’ efforts to investigate his actions. Trump denies those charges, insisting he has done nothing wrong. House Democrats anticipate that a handful of their colleagues will vote against impeachment while Republicans expect their ranks to remain solidly behind Trump.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal spending bill that’s massive both in number of pages and number of dollars is heading to a vote in the House. House leaders say the 2,313-page bill calls for $1.4 trillion in federal spending as it heads off a government shutdown that would take place this weekend. Democrats and Republicans have been fighting for months over spending priorities. The compromise bill gives both sides some of what they want as well as some of what they don’t want, such as money for the contentious border wall with Mexico. President Donald Trump hasn’t said whether he will sign such a measure.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — A small group of President Donald Trump’s fiercest conservative critics is launching a super PAC designed to fight Trump’s reelection and punish congressional Republicans deemed his “enablers.” The organization is known as the Lincoln Project. It represents a formal step forward for the so-called Never Trump movement, which has been limited largely to media commentary during Trump’s presidency. Organizers launched a website Tuesday. They report fundraising commitments exceeding $1 million to begin. They hope to raise much more to fuel an advertising campaign in a handful of 2020 battleground states to persuade disaffected Republican voters to break from Trump’s GOP. Trump has the public backing of virtually every Republican member of Congress.

 

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has abolished the “pontifical secret” used in clergy sexual abuse cases. He issued a new law after facing mounting criticism that the high degree of confidentiality covering abuse cases has been used to protect pedophiles, silence victims and keep law enforcement from investigating the crimes. Francis decreed Tuesday that information in abuse cases must be protected to ensure its “security, integrity and confidentiality.” But he said the “pontifical secret” no longer applies. He also raised from 14 to 18 the cutoff age below which the Vatican considers pornographic images to be child pornography.

 

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. A dangerous mix of thunderstorms and suspected tornadoes raked the region Monday as a cold front collided with warmer air. The severe weather threat was continuing past nightfall. The sheriff’s office in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, says the death there came from an apparent tornado strike on a home. An official in north Alabama reported two deaths there after storms passed through that region.

 

HOUSTON (AP) — Authorities say a 19-year-old man was arrested Monday after mercury was found spilled in Houston parking lots, leading dozens of people to be decontaminated as a precaution. The agency’s Houston office said Christopher Lee Melder had been charged with burglary and unlawful disposal of hazardous material. The FBI said he allegedly broke into a lab and stole the toxic metal. On Sunday, less than a pint of mercury was found spilled in the parking lots outside three businesses located near one another: a Walmart, a Sonic Drive-In and a Shell gas station. On Monday, Houston health officials said mercury had also been detected inside the Walmart.