| U.S. stocks fell in light trading on the penultimate day of a blockbuster year for markets. Treasuries and the dollar declined. The S&P 500 is still headed for its best year since 2013. —Josh Petri Here are today's top stories President Donald Trump faces criticism from political opponents—and queasiness even among some supporters—for naming the alleged whistle-blower whose complaint triggered the congressional inquiry that resulted in his impeachment. The upcoming impeachment trial will be especially momentous for a small group of vulnerable senators whose 2020 re-election bids are central to determining control of the chamber. A hypersonic nuclear missile that Russia says it has deployed is fueling concerns of a new arms race with the U.S. Tesla handed over the first 15 Model 3 sedans assembled at its new multibillion-dollar plant near Shanghai. The company says the plant is already assembling more than 1,000 cars a week, and aims to double that rate over the next year. After a bruising year, U.S. department stores and apparel retailers will seek to bounce back in 2020 the only way they can: Shrinking. Bitcoin investors believe the world's biggest cryptocurrency is in for material gains in 2020 due to a network quirk. What's Andy Mukherjee thinking about? The Bloomberg Opinion columnist says China's upcoming digital yuan is far more than just another cryptocurrency. It will be fully backed by the central bank of the world's second-largest economy, drawing its value from the Chinese state's ability to impose taxes in perpetuity. Get ready to say goodbye to banking as we know it, Mukherjee says. What you'll need to know tomorrow What you'll want to read tonight What happens on July 1, 2047, when the "one country, two systems" agreement expires in Hong Kong? That question has fueled the dramatic protests that have raged for more than six months, turning one of Asia's premier financial hubs into a battleground featuring tear gas volleys, petrol bombs, vandalism, road blocks and subway shutdowns. All of the unrest is really about Hong Kong's future: Can the city retain its freedom of the press and assembly, its English common law legal system, its low tax rate and open markets? Up to now, this is what's kept Hong Kong distinct from China. Whether it can stay that way is a bellwether for China's rise—and how it will co-exist with the West.  Demonstrators during a protest in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong on Aug. 18, 2019. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg Like Bloomberg's Evening Briefing? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com. You'll get our unmatched global news coverage and two premium daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close, and much, much more. See our limited-time introductory offer. Interested in the future of health care? Sign up for Bloomberg's Prognosis . Get the latest news and analysis about the people, science and industries driving the medical economy, delivered to your mailbox weekly. Download the Bloomberg app: It's available for iOS and Android. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more. | 
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