Elijah Cummings, powerful Democrat who investigated Trump, dies at 68

A son of sharecroppers, Mr. Cummings fought tirelessly for his hometown, Baltimore, and became a key figure in the impeachment investigation. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the House Oversight Committee. On the panel, which is charged with maintaining integrity in government, Mr. Cummings may have left his most lasting legacy. The position gave him sweeping power to investigate Mr. Trump and his administration, and he used it. Mr. Cummings’s death left a gaping void on the committee.

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Third-rate name calling. Or is it third-grade?

It was supposed to be a briefing for lawmakers on the administration’s Syria policy. But a roughly 20-minute meeting on Wednesday, the first with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump since the impeachment inquiry began, devolved into name-calling and finger-pointing. Ms. Pelosi said Mr. Trump called her a “third-grade” politician, but the White House and Senator Chuck Schumer said the insult was actually “third-rate.” Ms. Pelosi told Mr. Trump that Russia had always wanted a foothold in the Middle East and that it now had one because of his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. “All roads with you lead to Putin,” she said, referring to Russia’s leader, Vladimir V. Putin. At another point, Mr. Trump said, “I hate ISIS more than you do.” Somewhere in there, Mr. Trump also insulted Jim Mattis, his former defense secretary, calling him, “the world’s most overrated general.” (Later in the week, Mr. Mattis said: “I have earned my spurs on the battlefield,” adding, “Donald Trump earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor.”)