Watch CBS News
During the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearing on Wednesday, constitutional law scholar Pamela Karlan criticized President Trump's phrasing during his July 25 call with the Ukrainian president. Karlan said that when Mr. Trump asked Volodymyr Zelensky to "do us a favor, though," he was using the "royal we." "Only kings say 'us' when they mean 'me,'" she said.
After much discussion over bribery at Wednesday's House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing, Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina Law School testified that bribery is defined by Congress, not the courts. Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) asked the witnesses to comment on testimony from another witness, Jonathan Turley, a CBS News legal analyst and George Washington University law professor, who asserted that using public office for personal gain is a "viable impeachable offense." After all three remaining witnesses affirmed Turley's statement, Gerhardt said, "Much talk has been made here about the term bribery ... It's your job, it's the House's job, to define bribery, not the courts. You follow your judgement on that."
Congressman Steve Chabot argued against a "party-line impeachment" during the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearing on Wednesday. "'We must not overturn an election and impeach a president without an overwhelming consensus of the American people,'" the Republican from Ohio said, quoting the committee's Democratic chairman, Jerry Nadler, during the impeachment of President Clinton. "... Well, what you said should never happen ... is exactly what you're doing now."
Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School explained what makes President Trump different from a king during her testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee asked Karlan what characteristics of kings influenced the Founding Fathers in shaping the Constitution. "Kings could do no wrong because the king's word was law," Karlan told the Democrat from Texas. "And, contrary to what President Trump has said, Article 2 does not give him the power to do anything he wants." She added an example: "While the president can name his son Barron, he can't actually make him a baron."
The four-term congressman said that the "countless hours" spent on the impeachment inquiry and investigating Russian election interference "rendered my soul weary."
Members of the House Judiciary Committee returned from recess to resume questioning constitutional law experts Wednesday. Watch this portion of the sixth day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry.
Congressman Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, and Republican counsel Paul Taylor questioned constitutional law experts Wednesday in the impeachment inquiry. Watch this portion of the witnesses' testimony.
Congressman Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was taken aback by a response from Noah Feldman during Wednesday's impeachment hearing and appeared to imply that constitutional law experts should not interpret the Founding Fathers' words. "I think we just put in the jury pool the Founding Fathers and said what would they think? I don't think we have any idea what they would think," Collins said. "... To in some way insinuate … that the Founding Fathers would have found President Trump guilty is just simply malpractice." Jonathan Turley, a CBS News legal analyst and George Washington University law professor who was called by House Republicans, then defended his colleague's right to interpretation, jokingly replying, "First of all, only I will speak for James Madison. No, no, we all will speak for James Madison with about the same level of accuracy. It's a form of necromancy that academics do all the time."
The sixth day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry included five-minute rounds of questioning by House Judiciary Committee members, which they could yield to colleagues. Watch this portion of the constitutional law experts' testimony.
Jonathan Turley, a CBS News legal analyst and George Washington University law professor, testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he strongly disagrees with one of the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon and, in turn, disagrees with its use as a basis for the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. "Citations have been made to the third article of the Nixon impeachment. First of all, I want to confess, I've been a critic of the third article of the Nixon impeachment my whole life. My hair catches on fire every time someone mentions the third article," Turley said. "Why? Because you would be replicating one of the worst articles written on impeachment." Turley added that, in order to give the impeachment process legitimacy, Mr. Trump should be allowed to fight requests from Congress in the courts. "In Nixon, it did go to the courts, and Nixon lost. And that was the reason Nixon resigned," Turley said.
Jonathan Turley, a CBS News legal analyst and George Washington University law professor, diverged from his fellow witnesses when he testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Turley, who was invited by Republican committee members, said that the Constitution does not allow a "boundless interpretation" of bribery and accused pro-impeachment lawmakers, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, of using a liberal definition of bribery that includes the exchange of meetings for political gain. Turley referenced the 1948 Supreme Court case McDonald v. United States in making his point. "You cannot take the bribery crime and use what they called a 'boundless interpretation,'" he said. "... You can't accuse a president of bribery and then ... say, 'Well, it's just impeachment. We really don't have to prove the elements.' … This isn't improvisational jazz. Close enough is not good enough."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler kicked off the first round of questioning Wednesday with 45 minutes granted to himself and Norm Eisen, who is serving as the Democratic counsel. Watch them question constitutional law experts in the impeachment inqury.
The Judiciary Committee heard testimony from four constitutional law experts on the historical grounds for impeachment.
The House Judiciary Committee held its first impeachment hearing Wednesday, focusing on the constitutional arguments for and against impeachment. CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, Wall Street Journal congressional reporter Siobhan Hughes, CBS News White House producer Fin Gomez and CBSN legal contributor and former New York County prosecutor Rebecca Roiphe joined "Red & Blue" with their takeaways from the hearing.
Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School quoted conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during her testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. "'It is fundamental to the definition of our national political community that foreign citizens do not have a constitutional right to participate in, and thus may be excluded from, activities of a democratic self-government,'" Karlan said, quoting Kavanaugh. "... Then-Judge, now Justice, Brett Kavanaugh was so correct in seeing this that the Supreme Court … summarily affirmed … that it's constitutional to keep foreigners out of our election process."
Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina Law School testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that if Congress does not punish President Trump for his actions the power of the Constitution will erode. "I want to stress that if what we're talking about is not impeachable, then nothing is impeachable," Gerhardt said. "... If Congress concludes that they're going to give a pass to the president here … every other president will say, 'OK, then I can do the same thing.' The boundaries will just evaporate, and those boundaries are set up by the Constitution. We may be witnessing, unfortunately, their erosion. And that is a danger to all of us."
Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that, without the ability to impeach a president, we would not have democracy. "The abuse of power occurs when the president uses his office for personal advantage or gain," Feldman said. "That matters fundamentally to the American people because if we cannot impeach a president who abuses his office for personal advantage, we no longer live in a democracy, we live in a monarchy or we live under a dictatorship."
Jonathan Turley, a CBS News legal analyst and the J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University Law School, said Wednesday, "We are living in the very period described by Alexander Hamilton, a period of agitated passions." Watch his opening statement in the impeachment inquiry.
Three of the constitutional law experts called before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday testified that they agree that "abuse of power" is an impeachable offense and that President Trump committed such an offense. Democratic counsel Norm Eisen asked the legal scholars called by House Democrats: "Did President Trump commit the impeachable high crime and misdemeanor of abuse of power?" Noah Feldman, Pamela Karlan and Michael Gerhardt all agreed that Mr. Trump is guilty of abuse of power. "We three are unanimous," Gerhardt said.
Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the framers of the Constitution created impeachment for actions that align "precisely" with what President Trump is accused of doing. "The framers reserved impeachment for situations where the president abused his office. … In particular, they were specifically worried about a situation where the president used his office to facilitate his own reelection," Feldman said. "... That is precisely what the framers anticipated."
Pamela Karlan, the Kenneth and Harle Montgomery professor of public interest law and co-director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic at Stanford Law School, said Wednesday that President Trump's actions aided Russia, which interfered in the 2016 election. Karlan said Mr. Trump's behavior "shows a president who delayed meeting a foreign leader and providing assistance that Congress and his own advisers agreed served our national interest in promoting democracy and limiting Russian aggression." Watch her opening statement in the impeachment inquiry.
Noah Feldman, the Felix Frankfurter professor of law and director of the Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law at Harvard Law School, said Wednesday that President Trump "committed impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors by corruptly abusing the office of the presidency" in asking the Ukrainian president to investigate a political rival. Watch his opening statement in the impeachment inquiry.
Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that President Trump's actions amount to impeachable offenses because they show a disregard for the Constitution. "Saying, 'Russia, if you're listening,' ... a president who cared about the Constitution would say, 'Russia, if you're listening, butt out of our elections,'" Karlan said. "It shows a president who did this to strongarm a foreign leader into smearing one of the president's opponents in our ongoing election season. That is not politics as usual, at least not in the United States or any other mature democracy."
Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee during its first day of hearings in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. During her opening statement, Karlan deviated from her prepared remarks in order to respond to an insuation from Congressman Doug Collins that the witnesses do not care about the facts. "Mr. Collins, I would like to say to you, sir, that I read transcripts of every one of the witnesses who appeared in the live hearing because I would not speak about these things without reviewing the facts, so I'm insulted at the suggestion that as a law professor I would not care about those facts," Karlan said. "Everything I read on those occasions tells me that when President Trump invited -- indeed, demanded -- foreign involvement in our upcoming election, he struck at the very heart of what makes this country the republic to which we pledge allegiance. That demand constituted an abuse of power."
Constitutional law expert Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that President Trump committed "impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors." During his opening statement, Feldman said that high crimes and misdemeanors are defined as "abuses of power and of public trust connected to the office of the presidency." Feldman then said Mr. Trump is guilty of these offenses because he solicited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "to announce investigations of his political rivals in order to gain personal advantage, including in the 2020 presidential election."
Tariffs on U.S. imports would raise prices for consumers on a range of goods, experts say. Here's what to know.
Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released from detention, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.
The tech CEO has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right following a rocky relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
As Israel and Hezbollah cease fire after a year, President Biden says Palestinians in war-torn Gaza also "deserve an end of the fighting and displacement."
The woman boarded Delta Flight No. 264 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, CBS News learned. She was discovered while the plane was in midair and was taken into custody in Paris.
President Biden has been briefed on the incidents and "unequivocally" condemns threats of political violence, the White House said.
Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Canada could increase U.S. gas prices by up to 70 cents a gallon, energy experts say.
A November 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center found that 72% of people think tipping is expected in more places than it was five years ago.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers again asked the rapper be released on bond ahead of his trial, but the request was denied.
The tech CEO has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right following a rocky relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
The woman boarded Delta Flight No. 264 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, CBS News learned. She was discovered while the plane was in midair and was taken into custody in Paris.
Before temperatures dip to single digits, the cranberry bogs at the Lee Brothers Cranberry Farm will have to be flooded to keep the fragile buds from drying out.
A November 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center found that 72% of people think tipping is expected in more places than it was five years ago.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said that she will soon seek an execution warrant for Aaron Brian Gunches, who is on death row for killing his girlfriend's ex-husband.
A November 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center found that 72% of people think tipping is expected in more places than it was five years ago.
Here's what a noted housing expert thinks will happen to mortgage rates next year as Donald Trump outlines his priorities.
Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Canada could increase U.S. gas prices by up to 70 cents a gallon, energy experts say.
Consumers are expected to open their wallets this holiday season, with these children's toys high on the list.
An Illinois mom got stuck with a big bill after taking her 3-year-old to the ER but never seeing a doctor. "It's mind-blowing," she said.
The tech CEO has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right following a rocky relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
Former Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, was convicted of 16 felony counts in July.
Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, served as national security adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence.
President Biden has been briefed on the incidents and "unequivocally" condemns threats of political violence, the White House said.
The Trump transition team has yet to sign key agreements with the Justice Department or General Services Administration, White House officials say.
An Illinois mom got stuck with a big bill after taking her 3-year-old to the ER but never seeing a doctor. "It's mind-blowing," she said.
Why is Thanksgiving traditionally associated with turkey and other specific foods? We asked a history expert why we eat what we do on the holiday.
If you're looking forward to a delicious — and safe — Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones, here's how to cook your turkey and keep your leftovers safely.
A federal panel has been meeting for months to draft recommendations.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who has faced restrictions on social media platforms because of his views, was a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
The woman boarded Delta Flight No. 264 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, CBS News learned. She was discovered while the plane was in midair and was taken into custody in Paris.
Police in the Balkans arrested 11 alleged members of a criminal syndicate responsible for smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe, officials said.
Scientists now have a clearer picture of Camp Century, an abandoned U.S. military base long hidden under the ice in Greenland, thanks to a NASA research team's good luck.
Australia's House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using most social media platforms.
As Israel and Hezbollah cease fire after a year, President Biden says Palestinians in war-torn Gaza also "deserve an end of the fighting and displacement."
Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers again asked the rapper be released on bond ahead of his trial, but the request was denied.
Members of the iconic band, the Grateful Dead, reflected on the impact bandmate Phil Lesh had on their lives and said they had hoped to play together again.
Iconic band The Grateful Dead, is remembering one of the band's original members, Phil Lesh, who died in October at 84 years old. The surviving original members of the band credit Lesh for the impact he made in each of their lives and revealed they were hoping to play together one more time.
Harvey Weinstein's lawyers filed a legal claim alleging that he is receiving substandard medical treatment in unhygienic conditions while in custody at Rikers Island.
Irish band The Script continues to inspire with hits like "Hall of Fame," while moving forward after the loss of guitarist Mark Sheehan. Danny O'Donoghue talks to Natalie Morales about the band's journey, and how boxing helps him cope.
The tech CEO has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right following a rocky relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
Australia's House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using most social media platforms.
From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.
British phone company Virgin Media O2 has developed an AI-generated grandmother to talk to scammers all day and waste their time so you don't have to. CBS News Confirmed executive producer Melissa Mahtani has more on the "grandma" and how you can protect yourself from phone scams.
Starbucks managers forced to rely on manual systems to handle baristas' pay, but customers unaffected.
Scientists now have a clearer picture of Camp Century, an abandoned U.S. military base long hidden under the ice in Greenland, thanks to a NASA research team's good luck.
Negotiators are far apart as the United Nations tries to work out the world's first treaty to curb plastic pollution. Issues creating roadblocks include limiting new manufacturing of plastic and the potential phasing out of some chemicals. For more on the talks, CBS News was joined by Erin Simon, vice president and head of plastic waste and business for the World Wildlife Fund in the U.S.
Forensic pathologists hope advanced DNA testing technology will enable them to attach names to all the unidentified people at the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office.
At the Johnson Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston, NASA scientists develop dishes – freeze-dried, heat-stabilized, or irradiated – to serve on the International Space Station. Correspondent David Pogue checks out what's on the menu in Earth orbit.
This winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted above-average temperatures throughout the U.S. because of a "slowly developing" La Niña pattern. CBS News Sacramento meteorologist Tracy Humphrey reports on the changing winter conditions.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers again asked the rapper be released on bond ahead of his trial, but the request was denied.
Police in the Balkans arrested 11 alleged members of a criminal syndicate responsible for smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe, officials said.
Daniel Andreas San Diego, a suspect in in two 2003 northern California bombings, was arrested in the U.K. this week. San Diego, who had been one of the FBI's most wanted terror suspects, now faces extradition.
Forensic pathologists hope advanced DNA testing technology will enable them to attach names to all the unidentified people at the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office.
The cartel allegedly uses fishing boats to smuggle drugs and migrants — and catch tons of red snapper, a commercially valuable but vulnerable species.
The Sombrero galaxy, named for its resemblance to the Mexican hat, is about 30 million light-years from Earth.
Marc and Sharon Hagle, both making their second space flight, were among the passengers for the NS-28 mission.
The ninth Blue Origin space tourism flight launched from West Texas Friday morning. CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood and space expert Scott Heidler offered analysis of the flight.
President-elect Donald Trump attended SpaceX's sixth flight test of its Super Heavy-Starship on Tuesday with CEO Elon Musk. The burgeoning friendship between the two men played a key role in Trump's reelection, with Musk now set to run a government efficiency agency in the coming months. CBS News political reporter Jake Rosen and Politico aviation reporter Oriana Pawlyk join "America Decides" with more.
President-elect Donald Trump was on hand with Elon Musk for the sixth test flight of SpaceX's huge Super Heavy-Starship rocket.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
See some of convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala's photographs that were discovered by detectives in a Seattle storage locker.
The seesaw marriage between the former ballerina and her much older husband only lasted four years, until she shot him on Sept. 27, 2020.
A look at the evidence in "The Dexter Killer" case; plus, newly revealed letters from the man police say wanted to be like fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan.
Live performances are in full swing this summer. Scroll through our concert gallery, featuring pictures by CBS News photojournalist Jake Barlow and photographers Ed Spinelli and Kirstine Walton.
Scrim the rescue dog has become a familiar sight to some in New Orleans, as his face has been plastered on missing posters more than once. The well-known rescue dog has escaped once again, but recent sightings give people hope he'll be home again soon. Kati Weis has the story.
The FBI is investigating multiple threats made against some of President-elect Donald Trump's administration picks like Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Howard Lutnick and others. CBS News political reporter Libby Cathey has more on the attacks and the Trump transition.
Sean "Diddy" Combs will not get out of jail on bail after a federal judge denied his latest request Wednesday.
The fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah forced over a million people to leave their homes. Some began returning to Southern Lebanon on Wednesday. CBS News foreign correspondent Debora Patta reports.
Something is in the air in New York City --it's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons! CBS News New York reporter Alecia Reid has more on the characters to expect and what's behind the fun display.