Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

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If Donald Trump orders the bombing of Iranian cultural sites, would it be a war crime?

In a tweet that gained wide notice internationally, President Donald Trump warned that an Iranian attack on U.S. targets could drive him to counter with an attack on Iranian cultural sites. But critics quickly warned that a deliberate attack on cultural sites could open Trump and other officials to charges of war crimes. 

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How big is America’s household debt burden today? Overall, not so bad

It may come as a surprise to Americans laboring under mountains of student debt, but the overall household debt burden in America is actually more modest today than it’s been in many years.

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pete buttigieg elizabeth warren dec 19 2019 debate

Warren vs. Buttigieg: Why they were fighting about campaign finance and a wine cave at the debate

One of the sharpest exchanges of the Democratic presidential debate came when Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren faced off over campaign finance. Here's a recap of what they said, fact-checked.

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Pelosi gaveling impeachment

What’s next after Trump’s impeachment?

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment on near-party-line votes, making Donald Trump the third impeached president in U.S. history. Here’s what to expect in the weeks ahead.

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Editing tricks in viral Biden ad intensify world leaders’ seeming distaste for Trump

We found that Biden's ad was edited, with clips sometimes shown out of order or out of context, in ways that intensify the campaign’s message and iron out nuances. But a look at the more complete source material doesn’t create a substantially different impression.

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Pelosi articles of impeachment

How the impeachment articles against Trump are similar to, and different from, Clinton and Nixon

House Democrats have settled on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump -- the first alleging abuse of power and the second alleging obstruction of Congress. In several ways, the new articles carry historical echoes. But in other ways, they don’t. Here’s our analysis.

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Scholars testifying

Should Trump be impeached? What law professors said at the House hearing

The House’s impeachment inquiry moved to a new phase on Dec. 4, as the House Judiciary Committee invited four legal scholars -- three called by Democrats, one by Republicans -- to testify about the history and law of impeachment.

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Petro Poroshenko

What we know about the Politico story at the heart of a Ukraine conspiracy theory

PolitiFact has previously reported on the similarities and differences between Ukrainian and Russian election meddling. But we decided to take a closer look at the Politico story to outline what it does — and doesn’t — show about Ukraine’s involvement in 2016.

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impeachment hearing room overview

6 key takeaways from the public impeachment hearings against Donald Trump

Over five days, the House Intelligence Committee heard from multiple witnesses who worked in the Trump administration. Here are some of the main points we learned related to the impeachment inquiry.

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Fiona Hill and conspiracy theories about Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know

Fiona Hill used her testimony in the House impeachment hearings to heap contempt on conspiracy theories and those who spread them, specifically those swirling around Ukraine.

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