Ukraine Pol: I Was Joking When I Asked Vindman To Be Our Defense Minister  —  Vindman was pressed by Republicans about whether he was secretly loyal to Ukraine because of a job offer he'd received.  But the offer itself was just a lighthearted joke.  —  During impeachment hearings on Tuesday morning …

Trump press secretary faces backlash over claim that Obama aides left ‘you will fail’ notes  —  The White House is facing fresh allegations of dishonesty after press secretary Stephanie Grisham claimed without evidence that aides to former president Barack Obama left behind disparaging messages around …

There Are Two Rhodes Scholars Running For President.  Only One Gets Mentioned.  —  Media outlets mention that Pete Buttigieg was a Rhodes scholar far more often than they mention that Cory Booker was one too.  —  A major part of Pete Buttigieg's appeal is his brain.

They're Blue Collar, and They Like That Biden Is an Average Joe  —  Joseph R. Biden Jr. has durable support from a multiracial coalition of working-class voters who view him as one of their own.  —  WEST POINT, Iowa — They are white and nonwhite alike, prefer Facebook over Twitter …

Navy Wants to Eject From SEALs a Sailor Cleared by Trump, Officials Say  —  Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher is expected to be formally notified of the action on Wednesday.  —  The Navy SEAL at the center of a high-profile war crimes case has been ordered to appear before Navy leaders Wednesday morning …

$35 million in Pentagon aid hasn't reached Ukraine, despite White House assurances  —  More than $35 million of the roughly $400 million in aid to Ukraine that President Trump delayed, sparking the impeachment inquiry, has not been released to the country, according to a Pentagon spending document obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Stephen Miller planted anti-Rubio stories in Breitbart during 2016 campaign, leaked emails show  —  The emails offer a window into just how closely Miller coordinated with Breitbart, a publication that backed President Donald Trump early in his campaign.  —  White House senior adviser Stephen Miller …

Guards Accused of Napping and Shopping Online the Night Epstein Died  —  The two jail staff members were charged with falsifying records and conspiring to defraud the United States.  —  The night that Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in a Manhattan jail, one of the guards on duty was catching …

Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Say Impeachment Hearings Won't Change Their Minds  —  The country is witnessing one of only a handful of times in its history that Congress has gone through with public hearings on whether to impeach a president.  And yet, the overwhelming majority …

Rep. Ilhan Omar wants compassion for Trump supporter convicted of making death threats against her  —  A man who threatened to kill Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has pleaded guilty, according to authorities.  —  Patrick W. Carlineo Jr., 55, of Addison, N.Y., entered the guilty plea …

Trump claims Pelosi trying to use trade deal to get votes on impeachment  —  President Trump claimed on Tuesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is using negotiations over a new North America trade deal to try to get votes for impeachment.  —  The president offered no evidence for making this claim.

U.S. breaks off talks with South Korea over costs of military alliance  —  SEOUL — The United States broke off talks with South Korea on Tuesday over how to share the cost of the two nations' military alliance, injecting fresh tension into the relationship over Washington's demands that Seoul pay sharply more.

Mike Pompeo Is Searching for a Safe Exit from State Ahead of Senate Run, GOP Sources Say  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told three prominent Republicans in recent weeks that he plans to resign from the Trump Administration to run for the U.S. Senate from Kansas in next year's elections.

'I don't know what to believe' is an unpatriotic cop-out.  Do better, Americans.  —  Since I became The Washington Post's media columnist in 2016, I've developed a habit of asking people, wherever I travel, how they get their news.  —  In keeping with that, I had a brief chat last weekend in Sarasota …

114,000 Students in N.Y.C. Are Homeless.  These Two Let Us Into Their Lives.  —  Darnell, 8, lives in a homeless shelter and commutes 15 miles a day to school.  —  Sandivel shares a bedroom with her mother and four brothers.  She is 10 and has moved seven times in the past five years.

U.S. Senate Unanimously Passes Measure Backing Hong Kong  — House, Senate need to pass same version to send bill to Trump  — China warned of retaliation as U.S. tries to close trade deal  —  The Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday aimed at supporting protesters in Hong Kong …

Children are being locked away, alone and terrified, in schools across Illinois.  Often, it's against the law.  —  This investigation is a collaboration between the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois.  —  The spaces have gentle names: The reflection room.  The cool-down room.  The calming room.

After Keeping a Careful Distance From Trump, Nikki Haley Is All In  —  Her pivot is seen as a recognition of the realities of today's Republican Party — there is little future after separating yourself from the president.  —  WASHINGTON — During her two years serving in the Trump administration …

Judge denies Trump's request to dismiss Summer Zervos defamation case  —  ‘Apprentice’ star accuses Trump of sexual assault (2016)  —  (CNN)A Manhattan judge has cleared the way for President Donald Trump to be deposed in a defamation lawsuit filed by a former “Apprentice” contestant who has accused Trump of sexual assault.

What's Really Happening At The New York Times?  A Succession Fight  —  If you're following the news these days, you'll notice that a high percentage is about the New York Times — the headlines, the opinions, the tweets, the deeper question of what it is to cover the news straight in a twisted time.

A Massive Coal Plant That Asked for Trump's Help Has Gone Dark  — Navajo Generating Station powered Arizona's growing population  — Gas, renewable energy proved too cheap for plant to compete  —  In the end, the unraveling economics of coal proved too much for even a giant among power generators to handle.