Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and I’m already looking forward to the sweet, sweet weekend. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Why did Lightfoot fire Johnson?

That’s been the big question since Mayor Lori Lightfoot fired police Superintendent Eddie Johnson yesterday. Lightfoot accused Johnson of lying but refused to go into detail, hinting it would hurt Johnson’s family.

But now some details are emerging.

The Chicago Tribune reports that city investigators obtained a video of Johnson drinking “for a few hours” with a woman who is not his wife at Ceres Cafe in downtown Chicago. (Ceres, by the way, is known for serving strong drinks.)

The newspaper also reports that Johnson flashed his superintendent’s badge when officers found him in a vehicle near his Bridgeport home. [Chicago Tribune]

The Chicago Sun-Times reports the woman who had drinks with Johnson was part of his security detail. [Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, Johnson released a public statement today where he admitted to a “lapse of judgment,” but denied he lied to Lightfoot. [WBEZ]

2. House report lays out case for impeaching Trump

The House Intelligence Committee today released a report that argues President Donald Trump “compromised national security” by freezing military aid to Ukraine unless the country launched investigations into Trump’s political rivals.

The release of the report, which is based on public and private testimonies from diplomats and other administration officials, did not explicitly name what articles of impeachment could be filed against the president.

Committee members are expected to approve the report today, which will set up tomorrow’s public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, which is in charge of drafting articles of impeachment. [NPR]

WBEZ will air live coverage of tomorrow’s hearing beginning at 9 a.m. CST.

3. Trump, Macron publicly spar before NATO summit

President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron clashed today over a host of issues, from the role of NATO to fighting ISIS. Trump called out Macron for saying the NATO alliance is experiencing a “brain death,” saying Macron’s comments amounted to a “very, very, very nasty statement.”

The public sparring comes as Trump proposes tariffs on French goods, like cheese and wine, after the French approved a measure to tax digital services like Facebook and Amazon. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Trump hinted he might wait until the 2020 election to strike a new trade agreement with China. [AP]

4. North Korea warns U.S. about a “Christmas gift”

North Korea threatened to resume long-distance missile testing unless the Trump administration changes its position at the negotiating table, saying that “it is entirely up to the U.S. what Christmas gift it will select to get.”

The veiled threat comes as the U.S. stares down a self-imposed year-end deadline to restart nuclear talks. [Washington Post]

5. Black Panthers leaders were killed 50 years ago in Chicago

Black Panthers leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were killed by gunfire during a controversial police raid on Chicago’s West Side in 1969. Authorities said the Black Panthers posed a danger to the public, but skeptics said the raid was just a cover to execute Hampton and Clark.

The Chicago Tribune has this excellent report that looks back at the raid, how the police narrative fell apart and how the Black Panthers helped pave the way for modern movements like Black Lives Matter. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• A federal appeals court said Trump must turn over his financial records to Congress, setting up a likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. [NPR]

• California Sen. Kamala Harris drops out of the Democratic presidential race. [NPR]

• Many English-language learners at Chicago Public Schools are matching or surpassing their peers academically, according to a University of Chicago study. [Chicago Sun-Times]

• The Mueller report is now illustrated. [Washington Post]

Oh, and one more thing …

Here they come: the best of 2019 lists.

NPR today released its massive list of the best books of the year. [NPR]

Here’s The New York Times’ best TV shows of 2019. [NYT]

The A.V. Club goes a step further with its “best of the decade” of not only TV shows but movies, games and comic books, among other things. [A.V. Club]

And even director John Waters released his favorite movies of 2019. [A.V. Club]

Tell me something good …

I’m putting together a bingo card of local things to do as the winter holidays approach, and I’d love to hear from y’all.

Eleanor Hanson writes:

“See the Thorne Rooms decorated for the holidays at The Art Institute.”

And Melanie Wilson writes:

“Christmas trees from around the world at the Museum of Science and Industry.”

What are your favorite things to do during the holidays? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! I’ll see you tomorrow. And if you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.