Axios

A federal judge in California blocked President Trump on Wednesday from diverting $3.6 billion from military projects to build the border wall.

The big picture: This follows a nationwide injunction issued on Tuesday by a Texas judge, who also argued that Trump's national emergency was unlawful. The administration is now blocked from using about one-third of the total funds that were allocated for the border wall, signaling that it intended to appeal after the Texas' judge ruling on Tuesday.

Go deeper: Trump declares national emergency to access $3.6B for border wall

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested fewer people this fiscal year, as the agency shifted its priorities to the U.S.-Mexico border, the agency announced Wednesday.

By the numbers: ICE officers arrested approximately 143,000 undocumented immigrants in fiscal year 2019, nearly 13,000 fewer than the year prior. The agency deported more than 267,000 people — an increase from FY 2018. The number of people apprehended or not admitted at the border, meanwhile, increased by 68% from the previous fiscal year.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told CNN on Wednesday that he's "very much torn" on voting to convict President Trump in a Senate impeachment trial.

Why it matters: Manchin, a moderate representing West Virginia, is widely regarded as among the most likely senators to defect from fellow Democrats in a potential vote to remove Trump from office.

Former Vice President Joe Biden told Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) that he would "serve two terms, if necessary" in response to a Politico article suggesting he had signaled he would only serve a single term if elected president, CNN's Ali Zaslav said Wednesday.

Background: Biden, who would be 81 years old by the 2024 election, has grappled with addressing his age and sharpness throughout his campaign. He has considered making a public pledge binding himself to just one term, per Politico, but aides fear such a promise could drain his political capital upon entering office.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said at a hearing Wednesday that he was "surprised" that U.S. Attorney John Durham, who has been tasked by Attorney General Bill Barr with investigating the origins of the Russia probe, issued a statement on Monday disputing some of the conclusions of his report.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz summarized his 400+ page report on the origins of the 2016 Russia investigations in an opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

The big picture: Horowitz's investigation found serious irregularities and inaccuracies in the FBI's applications for court-approved surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Ultimately, however, Horowitz did not find evidence that the Russia investigation was politically motivated and determined that it was adequately predicated — a conclusion that Attorney General Bill Barr disputes.

While Democratic provocateur Tulsi Gabbard doesn't get written about as much as top-tier candidates, data suggests she's the most provocative.

The big picture: Her war of words with Hillary Clinton in October and her appeal to viral, right-wing media have driven outsized interest in stories about her, according to data from NewsWhip provided exclusively to Axios.

President Trump has paid charities $2 million following a court-ordered judgment to settle a lawsuit alleging his foundation misused funds, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Tuesday.

Charities are not a means to an end, which is why these damages speak to the president’s abuse of power and represent a victory for not-for-profits that follow the law."

The federal deficit hit $342 billion for the first two months of fiscal year 2020, according to new Congressional Budget Office estimates.

The big picture: The annual deficit is forecast to average $1.2 trillion a year between 2020 and 2029, about 4.4% to 4.8% of gross domestic product, according to the CBO. Meanwhile, the national debt exceeded $23 trillion in November.

House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment against President Trump on Tuesday, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

What's next: The House Judiciary Committee will mark up the articles on Wednesday and will formally vote on them by the end of this week, setting up a full House vote on impeachment next week before Congress breaks for Christmas recess.

Rudy Giuliani told the Washington Post Tuesday that President Trump has asked him to brief the Justice Department and Republican senators on his recent trip to Ukraine, where he sought to gather information that he believes could undermine the case for impeachment.

Why it matters: Trump has claimed that he never directed Giuliani to dig up dirt on his political rivals in Ukraine, but told reporters last week Giuliani has "a lot of good information" and was going to "make a report" to present to Congress and Attorney General Bill Barr. Giuliani said he hopes to have the report done by the end of the week.

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Eliot Engel announced Tuesday plans for a hearing with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in response to an incriminating report that three U.S. administrations misled the public in regard to the Afghanistan war.

“I fully expect the State Department and other agencies to cooperate in the committee’s endeavor to provide transparency and accountability to the American people on the impact of 18 years of war and more than $2 trillion spent.”

The Defense Department's inspector general plans to review how U.S. soldiers are actually used to support security operations at the U.S-Mexico border, according to a memo first reported by NBC News.

Why it matters: The review could answer some questions posed by House Democrats, who are concerned that soldiers deployed to the border could violate laws prohibiting the use of the military in civilian law enforcement.

Attorney General Bill Barr dismissed some of the findings of the Justice Department's inspector general report in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, saying he doesn't agree that there was "sufficient predication" to open a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign and that the prosecutor he appointed will have the final say.

John Bolton, President Trump's former national security adviser, is publicly criticizing the Trump administration's decision to stymie a United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea's human rights abuses.

Driving the news: "We should take the lead, not obstruct other nations," Bolton tweeted on Tuesday.

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fl.) will not seek re-election, honoring a campaign promise that he would not serve more than four terms in Congress, CNN reports.

The big picture: Yoho is the 22nd Republican to announce that he won't return to the House or seek higher office, compared to just five Democrats.

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump — one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress.

What's next: The House Judiciary Committee will mark up and vote on the two articles this week, before sending them to the House for a full floor vote before Christmas.

The House-Senate deal made on Monday on must-pass defense legislation would impose sanctions against companies helping Russia complete the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany.

Why it matters: Critics contend the project will bolster Russia's leverage in Europe plus erode energy security and Ukrainian access to Russian gas.

Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney has arranged a conflict resolution session at the White House between the nation's two top health officials, according to three administration officials. President Trump himself is likely to join, one of the officials said.

Why it matters: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma are engaged in a bitter feud that has exploded into the public eye over the last few weeks.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) announced Tuesday that House Democrats plan to back the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Why it matters: Completing the trade deal, designed to replace NAFTA, is one of President Trump's biggest policy goals for 2019. Democrats' decision to back it — despite unveiling articles of impeachment against the president only an hour prior — highlights how they want something to bring home to their constituents ahead of 2020 as well.

President Trump criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray for his reaction to the Justice Department inspector general's report on the Russia probe in a Tuesday tweet.

"I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me. With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!"

The state of play, via Axios' Jonathan Swan: A number of current and former Trump administration officials think the president would like to dump Wray — but can’t stomach the trouble of firing another FBI director.

Internationalists have always dreamed of a court with jurisdiction over all the countries of the world. In 1995, the World Trade Organization was created — allowing the world's countries to press claims against one another for the first time.

The state of play: That era lasted just 25 years. As of Tuesday, the Trump administration has, to all intents and purposes, brought it to an end.

Joe Biden's 2020 campaign is now running a TV version of his viral digital ad — which shows other world leaders laughing at President Trump at NATO — in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.

Why it matters: The former vice president is leaning heavily on foreign policy to make his electability pitch to voters and demonstrate another clear contrast between himself and Trump.

Responding to a Justice Department inspector general report that found that political bias did not taint the 2016 Russia investigation, former FBI Director James Comey wrote in a Washington Post column Monday that "those who smeared the FBI are due for an accounting."

Why it matters: The report largely debunks conspiracy theories promoted by Trump and his allies that the Russia investigation was politically motivated and a product of the so-called "Deep State." However, the report also rebukes FBI officials in rather harsh terms for failing to meet agency standards, especially with respect to surveillance warrants.

House Democrats worked into the night to finalize impeachment plans, but they're expected to unveil two articles against President Trump during a Tuesday morning news conference, the Washington Post first reported.

Why it matters: The charges were expected to focus on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, according to multiple news outlets. If the House were to vote for impeachment, it'd set up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate to decide whether to remove Trump from office. 

Houston Police chief Art Acevedo slammed Republican senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, during a news conference Monday for inaction on gun violence.

The big picture: Acevedo criticized the senators two days after a Houston police sergeant was fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence report. Acevedo criticized the Republicans over the long-stalled Violence Against Women Act.