Impeachment, Russian doping, a new kind of ski vacation.
Your Monday Evening Briefing |
Good evening. Here’s the latest. |
 | | Doug Mills/The New York Times |
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1. A federal judge handed Democrats a victory in the impeachment investigation. |
Separately, Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed that Mr. Trump ordered the Pentagon not to remove Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher from the elite Navy SEAL unit, the latest in a power struggle that has pitted the president against his senior military leadership. |
The Navy had sought to oust Chief Gallagher, who was convicted of posing for photos with the body of a teenage Islamic State captive. Instead, it was the Navy secretary, Richard Spencer, who was fired. |
 | | Darko Bandic/Associated Press |
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2. Americans are back to fighting ISIS in Syria. |
The commander of the U.S. military’s Central Command said the pace will pick back up “over the next days and weeks.” |
An operation on Friday in Deir al-Zour province killed or wounded “multiple” ISIS fighters and resulted in the capture of more than a dozen others, the American military coalition in Baghdad said. |
 | | Dustin Chambers for The New York Times |
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3. We asked two tough questions about the presidential race. |
Many moderate black voters, for instance, said nominating the candidate most capable of defeating Mr. Trump was their priority. Voters on the left, on the other hand, said upending unjust systems was more important than picking someone from their own community. |
It’s a fundamental change in the party’s approach, which used to discuss the issue mostly on opponents’ terms. Now, almost every candidate says the next president should actively reframe the abortion debate. Here are their answers. |
 | | Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press |
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4. Tiffany is set to join Dior, Givenchy, Fendi and Dom Pérignon. |
In other merger-mania today, Charles Schwab, which helped pioneer discount investing in the 1970s, is buying rival TD Ameritrade for $26 billion, a deal that underscores dramatic changes in how people manage their money. The combination would create a brokerage giant with roughly $5 trillion in assets. |
 | | Nishanuddin Khan/Associated Press |
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5. Three Afghan schools, 165 accounts of students being raped. |
The prevalence of systematic sexual abuse of boys in Afghanistan has been a problem for generations and prosecutions are rare. Even so, the recent accusations point to a stunning breakdown in a relatively concentrated area. |
Robert Destro, an U.S. assistant secretary of state, called on the Afghan government “to take action to protect survivors and bring perpetrators to justice.” |
 | | Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times |
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6. The Hong Kong election landslide signals more friction with Beijing. |
Supporters of the pro-democracy movement, above, were emboldened after they captured 87 percent of the seats in local elections, a sign that residents are broadly sympathetic to their cause. The victors will be looking to drum up support for legislative elections next year. |
Beijing, on the other hand, must now reckon with a resounding defeat. Some politicians are concerned that the vote could be seen by China as a sign that the territory is slipping further from its grip and that the protests require a harsher response. |
 | | Maxim Shemetov/Reuters |
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7. Russia faces a four-year ban from global sports. |
If approved, Russian athletes and teams would be barred not only from next year’s Tokyo Olympics but from a series of other major competitions like soccer’s World Cup. |
The full board meets Dec. 9 and is expected to agree with the recommendations, though any decision the board takes would be subject to appeal. |
 | | Jeenah Moon for The New York Times |
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8. Consumers are spending. So why are things so tough for some retailers? |
One word: Amazon. Sales at many large old-school chains like Kohl’s and Macy’s, above, have largely stabilized, but it seems like a never-ending race against the online behemoth. The more retailers spend to compete, the more their profits are sapped. |
“Is this an arms race that never stops?” asked one retail industry specialist. “That has still to be determined.” |
Retailers — and Thanksgiving travelers — may have another issue this year: A bunch of winter storms are expected to hit much of the country, potentially keeping shoppers home. |
 | | Jim Wilson/The New York Times |
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9. How to navigate the new skiing landscape. |
Skiers are one group that will welcome the snowfall, and now they can try a new kind of ski vacation. There’s been an explosion in passes that let holders ride multiple mountains across North America for free or at discounted rates. |
 | | Photographs by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times (Hamilton); Andrea Mohin/The New York Times (Misty Copeland); Rob Carr/Getty Images (Katy Perry). Illustration by The New York Times |
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10. The 2010s are about over. What did we live through, culturally speaking? |
Gwyneth Paltrow became a lifestyle brand, superhero spandex took over, Broadway persevered, black art and gay culture came of age, and bingeing became a thing. And then there was #MeToo. |
Have a nostalgic evening. |
Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. |
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