NPR News

At least 10 state foster care agencies hire for-profit companies to obtain millions of dollars in Social Security benefits intended for the most vulnerable children in state care each year, according to a review of hundreds of pages of contract documents.

The Associated Press called the race for Biden on Saturday when it said that Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes put him over the 270-vote threshold needed to win the Electoral College.

The president said he is “feeling great” and plans to move forward with the second presidential debate slated for Oct. 15 in Miami.

Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president has mild symptoms.

Fourteen states hold contests Tuesday, with about a third of all delegates for the Democratic nomination at stake. Follow the latest news and get live results here.

The House of Representatives debates and votes on articles of impeachment against President Trump. Starting at 5:00 AM local time on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Former special counsel Robert Mueller is appearing in two separate hearings before the U.S. House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. The proceedings are scheduled to start Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. and conclude at approximately 10 a.m. Alaska time.

Residents in the town of Norilsk in northern Siberia were surprised to see the female bear, who reportedly appeared to be exhausted and looking for food.

Every year, 8 million tons of plastic wash into the oceans. The biggest sources are in Asia. In the Philippines, one man is going head-to-head with multinational corporations to stop the plastic tide.

The partial government shutdown won’t end before Dec. 27. Negotiations continue, but President Trump maintains that any bill has to include money for his wall, a demand Democrats still reject.