QUICK HITS

WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. House committees leading an impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump have scheduled several current and former National Security Council officials to testify this week, an attempt to get a better look inside the White House as Trump pushed Ukraine to conduct investigations. Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he’d like ex-national security adviser John Bolton to testify but expects the White House to“fight us” over his appearance.

VATICAN CITY: On the heels of a call by Amazon-region bishops for married men to be allowed to become priests, Pope Francis exhorted Catholics to be open to fresh ways of evangelization Sunday, saying the church must “open new roads,” and cautioned against self-righteousness, an apparent slap at critics.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Even some severely obese preteens should be considered for weight loss surgery, according to new American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. The academy’s review indicated surgery in teens can result in marked weight loss with few complications.

NETHERLANDS: A Dutch inventor is widening his effort to clean up floating plastic from the Pacific Ocean by removing it from rivers, using a new floating device to catch garbage before it reaches the seas. Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup to deploy a system he invented, and the next step is a solar-powered device he calls the “Interceptor,” which scoops plastic out of rivers as it drifts past.

ENGLAND: Two British opposition parties proposed an even earlier election date (Dec. 9) than Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered, a political move that seeks to force his government to delay a final decision on its European Union divorce deal.