From CNN, I'm Afoma D-K, with the five things you need to know for Thursday, November 14th.

Top Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are calling on the House Ethics Committee to release their findings on Matt Gates,

like Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin.

I want to know what's in this Ethics Committee report. It's a bipartisan investigation of some extremely serious charges.

That has to be public.

Let the American people then decide whether he's competent and qualified.

The Florida Republican resigned from Congress Wednesday, after President-elect Donald Trump

tapped him as his choice for Attorney General.

The years-long ethics investigation into Gates involved allegations of sexual misconduct and

illicit drug use, among other serious claims. Gates has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The House Ethics Committee was supposed to meet and vote on the report tomorrow, but with Gates's

resignation, the investigation came to an end, on the report tomorrow. But with Gates's resignation, the investigation

came to an end, as the panel only has jurisdiction over a member when they are serving in Congress.

More than a quarter of the Northeast is experiencing severe or worse drought conditions, as little

to know rain has fallen in the last week. And the U.S. drought monitor says this could lead to higher fire danger through the weekend.

New Jersey has faced the brunt of warm weather and lack of rain.

Places such as Newark and Trenton, New Jersey, as well as Philadelphia, have reported

a record number of consecutive days without precipitation before light rain Sunday.

But the drought summary noted that it wasn't enough to relieve conditions across most of the region.

The Western U.S. is also experiencing extreme drought.

In Arizona, the drought is covering around one-third of the state, the highest it's been in more than 15 months.

Israeli airstrikes in Damascus killed at least 15 people, including women and children, and injured 16 others.

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