The Pentagon won't comply with a congressional subpoena as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Assistant Defense Secretary Robert Hood told House investigators in a letter Wednesday morning. Defense Secretary Mark Esper was among a slew of Trump officials subpoenaed by congressional democrats to produce documents relating to the Trump administration's decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine. "None of your committees has identified any House rule or House resolution that authorized the committees to begin an inquiry pursuant to the impeachment power," Hood wrote on behalf of the department. Get More

The Democratic presidential primary hopefuls debated Tuesday in the shadow of the House impeachment inquiry, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, giving an update an hour before. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the leading contenders in polls, was on the campaign trail for the first time since his heart attack at the beginning of the month. Get More

Authorities are searching for two women who were caught on camera drugging a tourist at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, before they allegedly robbed him at a Dania Beach hotel. Broward Sheriff's Office officials on Wednesday released the surveillance footage of the Sept. 13 incident, which showed the victim playing poker in the casino when he was approached by the two women around 2 a.m. Get More

A dozen Democrats seeking the presidency tussled Tuesday night in a debate packed with policy, flubbing some details in the process. Several gave an iffy explanation of why they're not swinging behind a bold proposal to make people turn over their assault-style weapons. Sloppiness also crept in during robust exchanges over foreign policy, health care, taxes and more. Get More

Chicago Public Schools canceled all classes and activities for Thursday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the district's CEO announced Wednesday morning, in anticipation of the Chicago Teachers Union moving forward with a strike. "We're assuming that the House of Delegates will vote today to move forward with the strike and as a result, all classes and after-school activities will be canceled tomorrow," CPS CEO Janice Jackson said at a news conference. "This includes team practices and competitions, tutoring, field trips, internships, parent university activities and all other community activities." "While we will not be able to offer regular instruction during this time, we are going to ensure that all of our school buildings are open so that families have a safe place for students to spend the day and also ensure that they have access to meals throughout the day," Jackson continued, adding that schools would serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to all students during the strike. Get More

The family of a British teenager killed in a wrong-way crash involving the wife of an American diplomat said President Donald Trump dropped a "bombshell" during a meeting at the White House, revealing that the woman was waiting to meet them in the room next door, NBC News reported. Their lawyer said the way the meeting was proposed was "so wrong." Harry Dunn, 19, was killed after his motorcycle was hit by Anne Sacoolas, who admits driving on the wrong side of the road near a British military base used by the United States. Sacoolas, 42, whose husband is an American diplomat assigned to the United Kingdom, said she cooperated with the police but flew back to the U.S. three weeks later. The case has sparked a transatlantic dispute about whether she still has diplomatic immunity from prosecution. "The bombshell was dropped not soon after we walked in the room: Anne Sacoolas was in the building and was willing to meet with us," Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, told reporters in Washington afterward. "We made it very clear that as we've said all along … we would still love to meet with her but it has to be on our terms and on U.K. soil." She said such a meeting should involve "therapists and mediators in the room." Get More at NBC News

Interim Fort Worth Chief of Police Ed Kraus says there's "absolutely no excuse" for an officer's fatal shooting of a woman inside her home over the weekend, even if she was holding a gun inside her home. The officer, Aaron Dean, 35, resigned Monday before he could be fired from the police force, according to Kraus. Dean also has retained an attorney to represent him. Jim Lane, a prominent attorney in Fort Worth spoke with NBC 5 on Tuesday. Lane calls the shooting of Atatiana Jefferson "a tragedy" and adds Dean says "he's sorry" and that the officer's family "is in shock." An arrest warrant obtained Tuesday quoted the Jefferson's 8-year-old nephew as saying his aunt "heard noises coming from outside, and she took her handgun from her purse. The boy said his aunt "raised her handgun, pointed it toward the window" and "was shot and fell to the ground." Get More

North Korea released a series of photos Wednesday showing leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse to a sacred mountain he has often climbed before making key decisions. Near the mountain, Kim reportedly vowed to overcome U.S.-led sanctions that he said had both pained and infuriated his people. The images and Kim's rhetoric appeared aimed at bolstering his leadership at home as the North tries to pressure the United States into making concessions in nuclear diplomacy. Get More

Bargainers for General Motors and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative contract deal on Wednesday that could end a monthlong strike that brought the company's U.S. factories to a standstill. The deal, which the union says offers "major gains" for workers, was hammered out after months of bargaining but won't bring an immediate end to the strike by 49,000 hourly workers. They will likely stay on the picket lines for at least two more days as two union committees vote on the deal, after which the members will have to approve. Get More

A woman was found dead at the Santa Barbara County home of "Tarzan" actor Ron Ely and the suspected killer died after at least one deputy opened fire at the residence, according to the sheriff's department. The deadly chain of events began before 8:15 p.m., when deputies responded to a family disturbance call in the 4100 block of Mariposa Drive in the Hope Ranch neighborhood of Santa Barbara and found a woman dead, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said. During the ensuing search, deputies asked nearby resident to stay in their homes. Deputies found the suspected killer on Ely's property and at least one deputy opened fire, killing the person, Lt. Eric Raney of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said. Get More

A Florida man wanted in a campaign finance case involving associates of Rudy Giuliani is in federal custody. Spokespersons for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan and the FBI confirm that David Correia was arrested after flying Wednesday to JFK Airport in New York City to turn himself in. Correia, 44, was named in an indictment with two Giuliani associates and another man arrested last week on charges they made illegal contributions to a congressman and a political action committee supporting President Donald Trump. Get More

Fake cobwebs and some other spooky, outdoor Halloween decorations meant as harmless fun can do real damage to wildlife. Halloween spending has skyrocketed in recent years, and the National Retail Federation says Americans are expected to spend $2.7 billion on Halloween decorations this year. Wildlife organizations say they also have seen an increase in animal visits to local rehabilitation centers for injuries related to the outdoor holiday decorations. Get More