Politics & Government

David Holmes, a career diplomat, leaves Capitol Hill on Nov. 15 after a deposition before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

READ: State Department Official David Holmes' Impeachment Inquiry Testimony

8:46pm November 18, 2019

by NPR Staff

The diplomat testified Nov. 15 that he overheard President Trump telling Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the EU, that he was seeking political investigations from Ukraine's president.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale departs the U.S. Capitol after giving a closed-door deposition to the House committees conducting the impeachment inquiry of President Trump on Nov. 6.

READ: Testimony Of Top State Department Official David Hale

8:39pm November 18, 2019

by Elena Moore

Hale, the under secretary of state for political affairs, allegedly knew about the White House's push to recall Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been seeking a short-term deal to fund the government through Dec. 20. Currently, federal agencies are set to run out of money on Thursday.

Politics & Government

Days From Shutdown Deadline, Congress Races To Pass Temporary Government Funding Bill

8:01pm November 18, 2019

by Claudia Grisales

With the government set to run out of money on Thursday, lawmakers say another temporary funding measure is needed. A stopgap spending bill that has been introduced funds agencies through Dec. 20.

Trump Administration's Efforts To Ban Most Flavored Vaping Products Have Stalled Out

6:07pm November 18, 2019

by Richard Harris

The White House is apparently backpedaling on its plan to ban most flavors in vaping products. The proposed FDA rule is unpopular with vape shop owners, and that's creating political blowback.

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Politics & Government

Impeachment Inquiry Enters Its 2nd Week Of Public Hearings

5:59pm November 18, 2019

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Joel Willett, former White House National Security Council staffer, about the witnesses testifying in the impeachment proceedings on Tuesday.

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President Trump tweeted on Monday that he likes the idea of providing written testimony to House lawmakers leading the impeachment inquiry.

Democrats Offer Trump Chance To Testify, And He Says He Might Do It — In Writing

5:28pm November 18, 2019

by Bobby Allyn

The president's surprise announcement comes after Democrats invited him to defend himself against accusations that he tried to bribe a foreign country to help himself politically.

Secretary Of State Pompeo Announces Pro-Israel Move In Rare Press Briefing

5:20pm November 18, 2019

by Michele Kelemen

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called a rare press conference to make a pro-Israel announcement, but steered away from questions about the impeachment inquiry and Ukraine.

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Politics & Government

Impeachment Hearings Illustrate Longstanding Conflict Throughout Trump's Presidency

4:58pm November 18, 2019

by Brian Naylor

The impeachment hearings have illustrated a conflict that has played out repeatedly in the Trump administration between public service motivated-career government workers, and the drain the swamp view of President Trump and his supporters.

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Illustration of four of the United States' Founding Fathers: John Adams, Robert Morris, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.

Politics & Government

Fractured Into Factions? What The Founders Feared About Impeachment

3:09pm November 18, 2019

by Jessica Taylor

The Founding Fathers saw impeachment as a release valve from another "crisis of a national revolution." But they also worried it would devolve into partisan bickering if put into action.

The U.S. government is letting American businesses work with Chinese tech giant Huawei for three more months, in a third delay to a ban enacted in May for national security reasons.

U.S. Firms Get 90-Day Extension To Work With Huawei On Rural Networks

2:30pm November 18, 2019

by Shannon Bond

The U.S. government is letting American businesses work with Chinese tech giant Huawei for an additional three months, in a third delay to a ban enacted in May for national security reasons.