Adam Schiff gave a lengthy interview to NPR Monday outlining the high crimes and misdemeanors at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. He centered on bribery.

Nancy Pelosi focused today on that too, signaling that that’s the direction the party is going in as investigators consider articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.

A day after the first public hearings, Pelosi said: “The devastating testimony corroborated evidence of bribery uncovered in the inquiry, and that the president abused his power and violated his oath by threatening to withhold military aid and a White House meeting in exchange for an investigation into his political rival — a clear attempt by the president to give himself an advantage in the 2020 election.”

The House speaker added:

“The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections. That’s bribery” (italics mine).

She also explained what “exculpatory” means for the president’s sake.

More

• Today’s edition of the Editorial Board: “How Can Honest People Possibly Be Bored by Impeachment Hearings?” Some journalists think they’re art critics.

• Conspiracy theory slammed into reality during the first impeachment hearings.

• The Hill’s John Solomon published propaganda maligning Joe Biden. Then he negotiated a failed deal for Rudy Giuliani to be the host of a Hill podcast.

• The yield curve is no longer inverted, but we’re not out of the woods yet.

• Donald Trump’s defense comes from—wait for it—Moscow.

Plus

When you have no defense, bang on the table