Good morning. I'm James Holman from the Washington Post and this is the Daily

2002 for Tuesday, November 17. In today's news, Georgia's Republican Secretary of State says he faces GOP pressure to

discard legitimate ballots. President Trump races to auction off drilling

rights in ANWR before Joe Biden can stop him.

And California imposes its strictest COVID restrictions since the spring. But first, the big idea. The White House is preparing to announce

as soon as this week plans to roughly have the number of US troops in Afghanistan from around 5,000 to 2,500

before the inauguration.

Missy Ryan, Ellen Nakashima, Dan Lymouth, John Hudson, and Karen DeYoung

report that Trump is expected to announce a more Nakashima, Dan LeMoth, John Hudson, and Karen DeYoung,

report that Trump is expected to announce a more modest troop reduction

in Iraq as well, bringing the military force there

from about 3,000 to 2,500 troops.

But the reductions may not bring an end to America's long-running wars

as militant groups continue to evolve and fracture.

The proposed cuts also have uncertain meaning less than 70 days

before Biden takes office and

begin scrutinizing his predecessor's decisions.

Trump's decision to make a major reduction in Afghanistan where violence has

been surging as Afghan negotiators engage in

halting peace talks with the Taliban, is bringing to a head tensions that have

intensified between some at the Pentagon and the White House during this chaotic transition period.

Sources caution us that the plans from the White House where foreign policy zigzags have been common could change.

...