Happening Today

Happening Today: Impeachment Trial, Tekashi 6ix9ine, R. Kelly, Largest Menorah

Here's what to know for Wednesday, December 18.

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Trump on Brink of Impeachment as House Readies Historic Vote

President Donald Trump is on the cusp of being impeached by the House, with a historic debate set to begin Wednesday morning on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress. Votes that will leave a defining mark on Trump's tenure at the White House are expected by early evening. On Tuesday, Trump sent off a fiery letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denouncing what he called the "vicious crusade” against him. But Pelosi has the votes to approve the charges, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press.

Tekashi 6ix9ine to Be Sentenced in Gang-Related Case

Tekashi 6ix9ine, the Brooklyn rap star who became a government witness, will be sentenced on Wednesday. Attorneys for the rapper had asked Judge Paul Engelmayer to sentence him on an “expedited basis” following the guilty verdicts last week against two Nine Trey Bloods members. Tekashi testified that he began cooperating with prosecutors almost immediately after he and other Nine Trey Bloods gangsters were arrested by the feds in Nov. 2018. He pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges carrying a minimum of 47 years in prison.

R. Kelly to Appear in Brooklyn Court Via Video

R. Kelly is slated to be beamed into a Brooklyn courtroom from federal lockup in Chicago — so he can be arraigned on a fresh bribery charge related to his illicit 1994 marriage to the late singer Aaliyah. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn pushed for federal Judge Ann Donnelly to require Kelly — who has a phobia of flying — to appear in person for the Dec. 18 arraignment over allegations that he paid off a government employee in 1994 to get a 15-year-old Aaliyah a fake ID. Kelly is charged with racketeering in Brooklyn and also faces state and federal charges in Chicago and Minneapolis. He denies all the charges.

World's Largest Menorah to Be Delivered to NYC

A 36-foot, 4,000-pound menorah will arrive Wednesday and be assembled outside the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The massive Hebrew lampstand has been certified as the largest in the world by the Guinness World Records.

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