Trump presents his own impeachment defense  —  On the eve of his likely impeachment, President Donald Trump has opted to act as his own defense lawyer.  —  In a six-page, stream-of-consciousness diatribe sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and released by the White House on Tuesday afternoon …

Read Trump's Letter to Pelosi Protesting Impeachment  —  President Trump sent a letter on Tuesday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing his “most powerful protest” against the impeachment process.  The House is expected to vote on two articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump on Wednesday.

Buttigieg omitted high-powered bundlers from disclosure  —  Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign omitted more than 20 high-level fundraisers from a list of top bundlers it disclosed last week.  —  The public list of bundlers, featuring more than 100 people who have raised at least $25,000 for Buttigieg …

Trump Approval Inches Up, While Support for Impeachment Dips  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump's job approval rating has inched up again and is now at 45%.  The president's ratings have increased six percentage points since the House of Representatives opened an impeachment inquiry against him in the fall.

McConnell selling Pompeo on Senate as perfect platform for 2024 White House run  —  When Mitch McConnell pitches Mike Pompeo on running for the Senate in 2020, a periodic occurrence, the majority leader does not fail to mention that the chamber is a great steppingstone should the secretary of state harbor higher aspirations.

How Out of Control Is Our Surveillance State?  —  Americans deserve a stronger assurance than “hope” that their Fourth Amendment rights are being respected.  —  Mr. Sanchez is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.  —  The F.B.I.'s investigation of the former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page …

GOP Sen. Collins of Maine launches reelection bid  —  FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2019, file photo, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is surrounded by reporters as she heads to vote at the Capitol in Washington.  U.S. Sen. Collins officially launched her bid for a reelection Wednesday, Dec. 18 …

Letter from President Donald J. Trump to the Speaker of the House of Representatives  —  Speaker of the House of Representatives  —  Dear Madam Speaker:  —  I write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade being pursued by the Democrats in the House of Representatives.

Trump intervened to cut Puerto Rico's Medicaid funding in spending bill: report  —  President Trump reportedly intervened to slash billions of dollars worth of Medicaid funding the federal government was preparing to allocate to Puerto Rico as part of a new $1.4 trillion spending package.

History's Largest Mining Operation Is About to Begin  —  Unless you are given to chronic anxiety or suffer from nihilistic despair, you probably haven't spent much time contemplating the bottom of the ocean.  Many people imagine the seabed to be a vast expanse of sand, but it's a jagged …

Jared Golden will vote with Democrats on one Trump impeachment article, not the other  —  AUGUSTA, Maine — U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine's 2nd District said Tuesday he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump for abusing the power of his office, but not on a second impeachment that charges …

Most Americans Think There's Enough Evidence To Impeach Trump  —  The House of Representatives is on the brink of making President Trump the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.  It will likely be a deeply divided vote, too, as no Republicans voted in favor of either of the two articles …

Hundreds of Obama alumni endorse Elizabeth Warren  —  (CNN)Hundreds of veterans of Barack Obama's campaigns and administration have signed on to endorse Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president, as multiple Democratic presidential candidates compete to claim the popular former president's political coalition and legacy.

Georgia purged 309,000 voters from its rolls.  It's the second state to make cuts in less than a week.  —  Overnight, the number of registered voters in Georgia shrank by more than 300,000 in a contested but court-sanctioned action that could redefine the 2020 election, critics warned.

Half of active-duty service members are unhappy with Trump, new Military Times poll shows … President Donald Trump received a loud ovation when he participated in the coin toss ahead of Saturday's Army-Navy football rivalry game in Philadelphia.  But troops' actual feelings about the commander …

Democrats block GOP motion to adjourn  —  Minutes after the House floor opened Wednesday, Republicans called for a motion to adjourn the House for the day, and they called for a roll call vote.  —  Democrats blocked the motion in a 226-188 vote.  —  Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. …

European Parliament gives human rights award to Uighur activist  —  One million Uighurs are estimated to be detained in internment camps.  —  The European Parliament on Wednesday gave its human rights prize to jailed Uighur economist Ilham Tohti and called for him to be released “immediately and unconditionally.”

A Surveillance Net Blankets China's Cities, Giving Police Vast Powers  —  The authorities can scan your phones, track your face and find out when you leave your home.  One of the world's biggest spying networks is aimed at regular people, and nobody can stop it.

Among the World's Most Dire Places: This California Homeless Camp  —  We spent three months documenting the conditions of one homeless camp in the wealthiest state.  Then we traveled to a slum in Mexico City for comparison.

Adam Driver Walks Out of NPR ‘Fresh Air’ Interview Over ‘Marriage Story’ Clip  —  The star actor allegedly left after expressing displeasure with listening to a clip of his own acting—a fear Driver has repeatedly voiced in the past.  —  In the midst of promoting three of his latest starring turns …