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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Republican who sparked Trump's criticism of Elijah Cummings and Baltimore announces run for his seat in Congress  —  The Baltimore County Republican official whose social media posts about trash in West Baltimore prompted President Donald Trump to verbally attack the late Rep. Elijah Cummings …

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.

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 …

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 …

Virginia Democrats elect first female speaker of the House  —  Washington (CNN)For the first time in Virginia's 400-year legislative history, a woman will become speaker of the House.  —  Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, the current Democratic House leader, won a competitive race for the top spot …

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.

Cindy McCain: John would be ‘disgusted’  —  Cindy McCain: John would be disgusted by this  —  Washington (CNN)Cindy McCain said that her husband, the late Sen. John McCain, would be “terribly upset” about several recent events and she lamented the unwillingness of Republicans in Congress to speak out.

Plane crashes after unloading 350 gallons of pink water in gender reveal stunt  —  A recent plane crash in Texas was caused by a gender reveal stunt that went completely off the rails, authorities said Friday.  —  The pilot of the plane was flying at a low altitude on Sept. 7 in the town of Turkey …

Robert De Niro says impeachment inquiry of Trump must proceed  —  Actor Robert De Niro lights up the screen in the blockbuster movie, ‘Joker,’ and also stars in the new movie, ‘The Irishman,’ films that portray criminals during a troubling time in American politics.

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.

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 …