HUD: Homelessness In U.S. Increased By 2.7% This Year

Homelessness in the U.S. rose for a third straight year in 2019, according to a new government study. The Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a press release Friday nearly 568,000 people "experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019." That's an increase of 14,885 people – or 2.7% – from the year prior. According to HUD, while 29 states and the District of Columbia reported declines in homelessness in 2019, those were offset by increases from the other 21 states, "particularly California and Oregon." The agency says homelessness in California increased by more than 21,000 people in 2019, "which is more than the total national increase of every other state combined." HUD Secretary Ben Carson called on local and state leaders in California to address the homelessness issue "with crisis-like urgency," saying it will take "a broader, community-wide response that engages every level of government to compassionately house our fellow citizens who call the streets their home." Learn More

Oil Spill Off The Galapagos Islands Prompts State Of Emergency

On Monday, officials said emergency crews were responding to a 600-gallon oil spill after a barge overturned near the Galapagos Islands. The incident occurred just off San Cristobal Island, an area known for its lush biodiversity and rare species. President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador declared a state of emergency on Twitter but said the situation was under control. According to the Ecuadorian Coast Guard, the spill happened as a large container was being loaded onto the vessel. The crane then lost control of the container and fell on the ship, causing it to capsize. No injuries have been reported. Learn More

PolI: Impeachment Puts Relationships To The Test At Holiday Gatherings

A new survey from Newsy and Ipsos found that nearly half of Americans discussed impeachment with friends or family during holiday gatherings. Overall, 63 percent of respondents said they had discussed the impeachment proceedings with loved ones at some point. But 64 percent said they had Avoided talking about politics with at least one person they're close to. Millennials are avoiding political conversations more than other generations. But Gen Z is doing more than just avoiding political conversations, they're outright cancelling their friends on social media. Learn More

House Judiciary Committee Says It Needs Don McGahn To Testify

The House Judiciary Committee says it still needs former White House Counsel Don McGahn to testify, according to a court filing in federal court Monday. The committee is asking a federal appeals court to order McGahn to testify. In April, the committee subpoenaed McGahn as part of its investigation into whether the president obstructed justice during former special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. The committee says McGahn's testimony would "inform the House's decision-making about impeachment and presentation of the Articles in a Senate trial." Lawyers for the committee said the House could consider new articles of impeachment against the president if it discovers new evidence that he tried to obstruct investigations about him. Learn More

WATCH NOW ON-DEMAND

When the U.S. military kills or injures civilians in war zones, it has traditionally offered condolence payments — a goodwill gesture meant to keep the U.S. in positive standing. But in "Collateral Damage", a new investigative report from Newsy, we discovered those condolence payments have all but stopped. Watch the series on the Newsy streaming channel on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and most smart TVs (see all platforms at newsy.com/go) and online here.

WATCH NOW ON-DEMAND

Four hundred years after the first enslaved African people were brought to the U.S., the country still hasn't determined how to properly teach this integral part of American history. Newsy analyzes the gaps in the American education system and tells the stories of educators and experts who are working to change how American students learn about the nation's complex history of slavery. Watch the series on the Newsy streaming channel on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and most smart TVs (see all platforms at newsy.com/go) and online at newsy.com/teaching-slavery.