Good morning, NBC News readers.
The House is set to vote today on how to proceed with its impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
But before the political swords are drawn, the nation's capital had a moment of bipartisan joy last night when its home team won Game 7 of the World Series.
Happy Halloween! Here's what we're watching today.
House set to vote on Trump impeachment procedures
The House is expected to vote this morning on how to proceed with its impeachment inquiry into the president — a move that will put lawmakers on record about where they stand and that Republicans are decrying as a sham.
Debate on the procedures — which include beginning public hearings and the release of some of the information gathered in the ongoing inquiry over the last few weeks — is expected to begin around 9 a.m. ET.
So, what is impeachment and how does it work?
We have a good refresher for you with 10 facts about the ultimate congressional check on executive power.
The impeachment inquiry may soon get another star witness: Former national security adviser John Bolton has been invited to be interviewed next Thursday behind closed doors by House Democrats leading the probe.
But his appearance is still uncertain, his lawyer said that Bolton is "not willing to appear voluntarily."
Meantime, things may all be going to plan for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She wants America to watch the trial of Donald Trump, NBC News' Jonathan Allen writes in an analysis piece.
The motivation behind al-Baghdadi's betrayal: Revenge
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was betrayed by a member of his inner circle who helped lead American troops to his compound in Northern Syria.
The commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Gen. Mazloum Abdi, gave NBC News a detailed account of how he spent months running a spy inside ISIS who followed al-Baghdadi as he moved from one safehouse to another, until he was finally trapped in a tunnel beneath one of them.
Abdi said the informant’s motivation simple: revenge.
“I think he was under a lot of pressure from his family,” the general said. “His relatives were subjected to harsh treatment by ISIS and he no longer believed in the future of ISIS. He wanted to take revenge on ISIS and al-Baghdadi himself.”
Wildfire north of L.A. forces evacuation of Reagan library
The wind-driven wildfire outside Los Angeles that led to the evacuation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has forced about 30,000 residents from their homes and injured three firefighters, authorities said Wednesday night.
More than 1,000 firefighters were battling the Easy fire in Simi Valley, in Ventura County about 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The blaze had burned through over 1,600 acres and was at 0 percent containment, Ventura County fire officials said Wednesday night.
County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the fire broke out as fierce Santa Ana winds swirled around the region, with sustained winds of 40 mph "and fuels that were ripe and ready to carry a fire."
"Unfortunately, it was about the worst time it could happen," Lorenzen said.
Washington Nationals beat Astros to win World Series
The Washington Nationals captured the franchise's first World Series title, defeating the Houston Astros 6-2 on Wednesday night in Game 7.
"The dream came true, and we did it for the fans of Washington," said Ted Lerner, the 94-year-old founding principal owner of the Nationals.
This is the first World Series title for a District of Columbia team since the long-ago-departed Washington Senators won it all back in 1924.
A tweet from the Washington National Cathedral seemed to sum up the feeling of many towards the Nats run: "We don't give thanks for winning a ball game; we give thanks for the @Nationals bringing joy and unity to a city in desperate need of both."
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Plus
- "We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought": Twitter announced Wednesday that it will stop accepting political ads ahead of the 2020 election.
- College admissions cheating scandal: 12th parent sentenced to two months in prison for paying $250,000 to get his son into USC.
- "I wished I had known sooner": Alex Trebek is helping to awareness about pancreatic cancer with a new PSA.
- The hero dog injured in the al-Baghdadi raid will be heading to the White House for a visit.
- "She treats me like one of her sons": A nurse adopted a man with autism so he could have a heart transplant.
- Federal appeals court nominee Lawrence VanDyke broke down in tears during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. He was reacting to a scathing letter against his confirmation by the American Bar Association that concluded he was “not qualified” for the bench.
THINK about it
It's easy to hate couples' Halloween costumes, because people make it so hard not to, Mikki Kendall writes in an opinion piece.
Live BETTER
Training for a marathon — or just thinking about it? These new books help runners get started, bounce back from injuries and understand the role (and evolution) of running shoes.
One fun thing
Images shared by NASA this week showcase the spooky wonders of space just ahead of the most unearthly day of the year: Halloween.
The agency posted two images to Twitter: one of a celestial phenomenon appearing to be a galactic ghoul, and one of the sun resembling a burning jack-o'-lantern.
Have fun and be safe if you are going out with your own little goblins tonight!
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
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Thanks, Petra
