State Department Freed Ukraine Money Before Trump Says He Did  — Department lawyers found the White House lacked authority  — Chain of events undercuts Trump's account of freeing the funds  —  President Donald Trump says he lifted his freeze on aid to Ukraine on Sept. 11 …

Democrats engineer multiple chances to make the case for Trump's impeachment  —  It's rare in politics to get a second chance, let alone a third, at making a first impression.  But that is the opportunity presented to House Democrats in the week ahead, as they take their impeachment inquiry public …

Why Pete Buttigieg Annoys His Democratic Rivals  —  His success, especially in Iowa, has grated on rival campaigns that say his record in government is not commensurate with the attention he's receiving.  —  WAVERLY, Iowa — Joseph R. Biden Jr. was mingling with a handful of mayors backstage …

How the State Dept.'s Dissenters Incited a Revolt, Then a Rallying Cry  —  Shock, anger and sadness are giving way to pride among career diplomats that they are defending American ideals and holding the Trump administration accountable.  —  WASHINGTON — State Department Foreign Service …

Jeff Bezos asked Mike Bloomberg months ago if he'd consider running for president  —  Billionaires make calls just like us.  —  Sometime after Amazon pulled the plug on plans for a New York City headquarters in February of this year, the city's former mayor Mike Bloomberg received a call from a top company executive.

The Whistleblower Complaint Has Largely Been Corroborated.  Here's How.  —  When the House impeachment inquiry began more than a month ago, much of the focus was on a complaint from a whistleblower that drew attention to a July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President …

John Bolton has a book deal, publishing officials tell AP  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Former national security adviser John Bolton has a book deal, The Associated Press has learned.  —  The hawkish Bolton departed in September because of numerous foreign policy disagreements with President Donald Trump.

Manafort's former son-in-law gets 9 years for array of scams  —  Paul Manafort's former son-in-law was sentenced to more than nine years in prison Friday for a wide-ranging series of fraud schemes the court said bilked victims out of more than $6 million.  —  As U.S. District Judge Andre …

Berliners are trolling Trump by shipping him a 2.7-ton piece of the Berlin Wall  —  US president Donald Trump will be receiving a special gift from Berlin residents on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall—a 2.7-ton section of the wall itself.

The Ukraine Depositions Have Destroyed Trump's “Corruption” Defense  —  Republicans say the president wanted to clean up Ukraine.  Witness testimony shows he didn't.  —  According to Republican senators, President Donald Trump had a very good reason to press Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and other Democrats.

Iraq protests death toll rises to 300 with nearly 15,000 injured  —  Protesters try to scale walls of Iranian consulate  —  Baghdad (CNN)At least 301 people have been killed and nearly 15,000 have been injured in Iraq since the start of anti-government protests in October …

Exclusive: Three Democratic senators use another FOIA request to get Trump-Ukraine info  —  Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris, Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse requested documents and communications from the Justice Department on Nov. 8 related to President Trump's reported call …

Roman Polanski Accused of 1975 Rape  —  A French photographer said the director hit her and assaulted her when she was 18.  She is the sixth woman to publicly accuse him of sexual abuse.  —  PARIS — A French photographer has accused the director Roman Polanski of violently raping her in 1975 …

In Virginia, Republicans confront a fearful electoral future  —  RICHMOND — As Virginia election returns rolled in Tuesday night, Republican campaign manager Daniella Propati quickly realized two things: Her candidate for the House of Delegates, GayDonna Vandergriff, would lose, and calling their opponent a “socialist” hadn't worked.

Trump Pokes Fun at Himself.  Why Do Only Some People See It?  —  There's a common conception, among foes of Donald Trump, that the 45th president tweets every day in a kind of fevered state: alone by his bedroom TV set, wrapped in a smoking jacket or maybe a satin Snuggie, typing in fits of narcissism …

Child Abusers Run Rampant as Tech Companies Look the Other Way … How PhotoDNA Works  —  The uploaded image — in this instance a photograph of Dr. Farid — is turned into a square and colors are removed, making the process faster and consistent across images.