See EU later

The UK leaves the EU [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( The day has finally come for the United Kingdom to officially part ways with the European Union. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is celebrating with English sparkling wine, but not everyone is in a party mood. And, US President Donald Trump could be acquitted as early as today after Democrats learned last night they might not have the votes to support a call for witnesses. Also, while Brexit is here, so too are the jokes. Happy Friday everyone. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today The UK leaves the EU [A person holds a placard with, “Bye Bye EU!” written on it as people celebrate Britain leaving the EU in London, Britain, Jan. 31, 2020.]( Credit: Simon Dawson/Reuters The UK leaves the European Union today after 47 years at the stroke of midnight (in Brussels, 6 p.m. ET). After the numerous twists and turns of a four-year crisis, Britons on either side of the Brexit divide are expressing either sadness or delight as the country steps into a transition period. But, Johnson, who is planning to celebrate with [English sparkling wine and Yorkshire pudding](, will have a tough road ahead with the UK now needing to strike a new trade agreement with the EU and other critical partners around the world. Follow our partners at [the BBC for live Brexit coverage today](. Also: [The past four years of Brexit two minutes (video)]( With Brexit here, Poles in the UK wonder where home is Since Poland joined the EU in 2004, Poles have been moving to the UK to live and work in significant numbers. More than 800,000 people living in Britain were born in Poland — the largest immigrant group in the UK after immigrants from India. In recent years, Polish was the second-most common language in the UK. That's why in 2016, when the Brexit vote passed, the Polish community felt particularly targeted. “The entire nation took a vote expressly saying they do not want to have any further new immigration into the UK. So, yes, of course, I felt unwelcome,” [said Barbara Moskal](, who moved to London to study law and stayed put for more than a decade. “Suddenly, Polish people were all over the news and they were discussing the future of people who came from other countries. It was quite unsettling for me to feel that my future, my status is discussed at such a high level.” A possible acquittal for Trump today [US Senator Lamar Alexander speaks to reporters as he exits President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in Washington, DC, Jan. 30, 2020.]( Credit: Brendan McDermid/Reuters After two days of questions from Senators and two weeks of arguments, Trump’s impeachment trial faces a climactic vote today on whether to allow witnesses and new documents as evidence. The Democrats appeared to learn some tough news last night with [the announcement of Rep. Sen. Lamar Alexander](, who had been undecided, declaring that while the case against Trump was proven, the president's actions did "not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offense." Alexander’s no vote likely leaves the Democrats short of the 51 votes they need to call witnesses like Trump’s former national security advisor, John Bolton, to testify. If nothing changes, the Senate could vote to acquit the president [as early as today](. Also: [Pompeo heads to Kyiv under shadow of political ‘theater’]( Watch live The World will be [streaming the impeachment proceedings live here](. Timeline: [Impeachment trial in the Senate]( Number of coronavirus cases surpasses SARS The US and others continue to tighten travel restrictions to China and have increased warnings over the coronavirus outbreak that with nearly 10,000 cases reported, [has become larger than the SARS]( epidemic in 2003. Yesterday the outbreak was [declared a global emergency]( by the World Health Organization. The death toll — all deaths have taken place in China — has risen to 213. The ripple effects of the outbreak are being felt all over the world, from tourism to entertainment to supply chains — with major companies like South Korea's Hyundai Motor [announcing plans]( to halt some production to cope with the disruption. Also: [What to call this new coronavirus? Some cautionary tales.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Number in the News: 4 At the Rosenthal family home in England, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Musician Tom Rosenthal’s four-year-old daughter, Fenn, recorded her first song this week. It’s been heard more than 4 million times [on Twitter]( and it’s incredible cute. But, fair warning: four-year-old Fenn knows how to craft a narrative. Hear “Dinosaurs in Love” for yourself on today’s episode of [The Number in the News](. Add the show to your smart speaker’s flash briefing to hear us every day of the week. Host Bianca Hillier will tell you one number you won’t forget and why it’s the news today. [Click here]( to get instructions for Amazon and Google smart speakers. --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Meme It's finally here: Brexit. But just because the UK is leaving the EU, doesn't mean we have to forget the jokes that came with the Brexit saga. [Our farcical favorite?]( With Britain leaving the EU how much space was created? Exactly 1GB. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [The World in Iowa]( - [New research probes how cows communicate]( - [Do Americans care about Ukraine?]( - [Poles and Brexit]( - [American-Israeli imprisoned in Russia released]( - [Migrant detentions in Mexico]( - [Day nine of impeachment trial]( - [Coronavirus vaccine]( - [Coronavirus update]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX](, [WGBH](, and the [BBC](.