CNN – US Politics

By Aileen Graef, CNN Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin said Sunday that “everything is on the table” as the panel scrutinizes new ethics concerns around Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. “The bottom line is this: Everything is on the table. Day after day, week after week, more and more disclosures about Justice Thomas — we

By Haley Britzky, CNN About 2,100 Afghan refugees remain held in a sprawling compound in the United Arab Emirates more than 18 months after they were evacuated from Afghanistan largely by private groups working with the State Department. They are what’s left of as many as 20,000 Afghans who were hastily relocated to the camp

By Jasmine Wright, CNN President Joe Biden is expected to deliver the commencement speech at Howard University this month, a historically Black university in Washington. The commencement is scheduled for May 13. The White House confirmed to CNN that Biden will also give the keynote address at the United States Air Force Academy’s commencement in

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN Prosecutors asked a federal judge Friday to sentence Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes to 25 years in prison — the government’s first sentencing request for a person convicted of seditious conspiracy related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot. The Justice Department’s request provides insight — for the first time

By Paula Reid and Devan Cole, CNN The White House initially reacted with anxiety toward a decision by Hunter Biden’s lawyer to pursue an aggressive legal strategy against increasing Republican attacks on him, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Much of the tension centered around Kevin Morris, the lawyer, bringing on attorney Abbe Lowell,

By Sara Murray and Jason Morris, CNN At least eight of the Republican “fake electors” in Georgia have accepted immunity deals in an ongoing criminal investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election there, according to a new court filing. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had previously notified

By Oren Liebermann, CNN The Pentagon has begun implementing a law that requires they provide mental health services for troops seeking help after a delay of more than a year. On Friday, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros signed a policy to implement the Brandon Act, requiring the military services to

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN A watchdog group is asking federal election regulators to investigate whether Republican Herschel Walker violated campaign finance laws during his unsuccessful 2022 US Senate bid in Georgia. The complaint, filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, includes emails published earlier this

By Sara Murray, Annie Grayer and Jeremy Diamond, CNN House Oversight Chairman James Comer is once again taking aim at President Joe Biden’s retention of classified documents, demanding a transcribed interview and documents from former White House Counsel Dana Remus, the committee announced Friday. “The Committee has learned that you were a central figure in

By Jason Morris and Sydney Kashiwagi, CNN Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia signed legislation Friday that will create an oversight commission with the power to remove local prosecutors and district attorneys from their jobs. The measure has been heavily criticized by Democrats, including an Atlanta-area DA, who is seriously weighing charges in connection with

By Katie Lobosco, CNN President Joe Biden’s one-time student loan forgiveness program remains blocked by federal courts, but there are other ways to get debt relief. Some government workers, nonprofit employees and teachers may qualify for federal student debt cancellation. The Department of Education also wipes away student debt for permanently disabled borrowers and those

By Kara Scannell, Dan Berman and Nicki Brown, CNN The video deposition of Donald Trump played before the jury in the E. Jean Carroll civil battery and defamation trial was made public Friday, showing the former president discussing the accusations against him, the “Access Hollywood” tape and the Russia “hoax.” In the video, Trump confirms

By Tierney Sneed, CNN The US Supreme Court on Friday put on hold the execution of Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma death row inmate whose capital conviction the state attorney general has said he could no longer support. The latest round of litigation was brought to the Supreme Court by Glossip, with the support of the

By Kit Maher and Steve Contorno, CNN Throughout this year’s session, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature has pushed through several pieces of legislation that are considered big policy wins for GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. As the session came to a close Friday — and as the countdown for DeSantis to jump into the 2024 presidential race

By Allie Malloy, CNN President Joe Biden will not be holding a news conference Friday afternoon, despite telling reporters he would be “holding a major press conference this afternoon.” A White House spokesperson told CNN that Biden was “referring to a previously announced interview.” MSNBC previously announced that Stephanie Ruhle will air a Biden interview

By Rebekah Riess and Kate Conerly, CNN Former Florida gubernatorial candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was found not guilty of lying to the FBI on Thursday by a federal jury. Jurors were deadlocked and the court declared a mistrial for the other 18 counts — which included charges of wire fraud and conspiracy —

By Jeff Zeleny, Chief National Affairs Correspondent President Joe Biden delivers a standard two-word answer whenever he is asked about his fitness to serve a second term, smiling as he declares with an air of boastful confidence: “Watch me.” That’s exactly what Kathi Harris is doing. So far, she is unbothered by it all. “Age

By Steve Contorno, CNN After 60 days of pushing through the priorities of Gov. Ron DeSantis — a contentious slate of policies that have established Florida as the vanguard of the conservative movement’s latest fascinations — state lawmakers concluded their annual legislative session Friday. Now, the countdown to DeSantis’ presidential campaign has begun. DeSantis put

By Betsy Klein and Arlette Saenz, CNN First lady Dr. Jill Biden attended the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom on Saturday and reflected on the significance of the historic ceremony moments after its conclusion. “I thought about, really, the importance of traditions, the importance of oath,” Biden said in a phone

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed on Wednesday a collection of bills restricting access to abortion, triggering legal action and challenging a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling on the procedure. While abortion remains legal in Montana, the legislation specifies that access to the procedure until viability is no longer protected under

By Alex Marquardt, Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen, CNN Russia has been thwarting US-made mobile rocket systems in Ukraine more frequently in recent months, using electronic jammers to throw off its GPS guided targeting system to cause rockets to miss their targets, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN. Ukrainian military officials, with the

By Oren Liebermann, CNN President Joe Biden is expected to name Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chief of the Air Force, as his choice for the next top US general, according to a source familiar with the matter. If approved by the Senate, it would mark the first time in United States history that

By Andi Babineau, CNN Republican state senators in Oregon were absent from the chamber Thursday, denying a quorum for the second day in a row, during a week in which gun safety, reproductive health and gender-affirming care legislation were scheduled for discussion. Twenty members are required to reach a quorum and conduct Senate business, but

By Morgan Rimmer and Jessica Dean, CNN Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday pushed back on claims that her extended absence from the Senate, and the Judiciary Committee, as she recovers from shingles has caused a significant delay in advancing and confirming judicial nominees. Feinstein indicated in the statement that she still plans to return but

By Betsy Klein, CNN The White House on Thursday expressed openness to a short-term fix to the debt ceiling as the US barrels toward a June default with the full faith and credit of the US government in the balance. “Congressional leaders are going to have to figure out a way to do this. Of

By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the current Republican favorite to be the party’s nominee for governor in 2024, has a long history of remarks viciously mocking and attacking teenage survivors of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, for their advocacy for

By Manu Raju, Chief Congressional Correspondent Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin ratcheted up demands for Chief Justice John Roberts to police the actions of Clarence Thomas in the wake of a new ProPublica report showing a GOP megadonor paying school tuition for a close relative of the conservative justice. But Durbin told CNN he can’t

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN Four members of the far-right Proud Boys have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a jury in Washington, DC, for their roles to forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. Enrique Tarrio — the Proud Boys

By Simone Pathe, CNN Maryland Rep. David Trone, who’s poured millions of his own money into his congressional campaigns, is announcing his Senate candidacy on Thursday, accelerating what will likely be a competitive Democratic primary for the seat of retiring Sen. Ben Cardin. His announcement video opens with a ticking clock and Trone rattling off

By Marshall Cohen, CNN President Joe Biden‘s son, Hunter Biden, is mired in a contentious and highly personal child support battle with an Arkansas woman who is the mother of one of his daughters. The parties reached a settlement in 2020 where Hunter Biden would pay monthly child support of $20,000 to Lunden Roberts, but

By Jeremy Herb and Kara Scannell, CNN Former President Donald Trump is trying to move the New York criminal case regarding hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to federal court, saying the Manhattan district attorney’s charges are tied to Trump’s duties as president. In a court filing Thursday, Trump’s lawyers also hinted

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN The Iowa legislature has passed a Republican-led bill that would roll back child labor protections, including the hours teens are allowed to work and the establishments where they can be employed. If signed by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds — who has expressed support for the measure — the bill would allow

By Fredreka Schouten Florida lawmakers have passed an array of new restrictions on groups that register voters — an action that voting rights experts say could make it harder for people of color in the state to register and participate in future elections. The measures are part of a sweeping elections bill that now awaits

By Liam Reilly and Kaanita Iyer, CNN Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore signed bills into law Wednesday that enshrine abortion rights and protect gender-affirming care. “In our state, no one should ever have to justify their humanity,” Moore said at the signing. “In our state, no one should have to justify their own humanness.” The

By Katelyn Polantz and Paula Reid, CNN Prosecutors for special counsel Jack Smith have been asking questions in recent weeks about the handling of surveillance footage from former President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago resort after the Trump Organization received a subpoena last summer for the footage, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. The handling

By Arlette Saenz and Betsy Klein, CNN First lady Jill Biden and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the Bronx Children’s Museum Wednesday, marking a rare moment where a justice from the nation’s highest court appeared at an event with one of the White House principals. The two women visited with children and toured the

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN The United States is “engaged with Syria, engaged with third countries” to try to bring detained journalist Austin Tice home, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. “We are extensively engaged with regard to Austin, engaged with Syria, engaged with third countries, seeking to find a way to get him

By Sara Murray, Annie Grayer and Evan Perez, CNN Two top congressional Republicans are demanding internal FBI documents that an unnamed whistleblower claims will show then-Vice President Joe Biden was involved in a criminal scheme with a foreign national. The unverified allegation, outlined in a new letter Wednesday, is the most explosive claim House Oversight

By Kevin Liptak, CNN The powerful United Auto Workers is holding off on endorsing President Joe Biden’s reelection bid, citing concerns over his policies that would encourage a transition to electric vehicles, according to a memo from the union. Biden, who has termed himself the most “pro-union” president in history, has already received the backing

By Ted Barrett, CNN The White House faced another setback to its regulatory agenda Wednesday after Senate Republicans won bipartisan support for two votes, one related to solar panels made with Chinese parts, the second dealing with endangered species protections for the lesser prairie chicken. This comes after Republicans have succeeded in pushing legislation through

By Tina Burnside, LJ Spaet and Shawna Mizelle, CNN Republican lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly have reached a deal on legislation that would place restrictions on most abortions after 12 weeks. Assuming the agreement holds, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, who has worked to enshrine abortion rights, would be unable to

By David Wright, CNN Texas Democratic Rep. Colin Allred announced a run for US Senate on Wednesday morning, entering the race to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024. “We don’t have to be embarrassed by our senator. We can get a new one,” Allred said in his announcement video. Allred is a former

By Annie Grayer, Sara Murray, Paula Reid and Zachary Cohen, CNN President Joe Biden’s former executive assistant said she wasn’t aware that any classified documents were among the papers she packed for the then-vice president as he was leaving office, according to excerpts from her transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee provided to CNN.

By Steve Contorno, CNN Shortly after winning the GOP nomination for Florida governor in 2018, Ron DeSantis decided it would be too much to serve in the US House while campaigning to become the state’s top executive, so he voluntarily resigned from his congressional seat. “As the Republican nominee for governor of Florida, it is

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN The Biden administration, already facing an increase in border crossings, is setting plans in motion to manage an anticipated influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border when a Covid-era border restriction ends next week, sources tell CNN. On May 11, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends, the Title 42 authority,

By Devan Cole, CNN Newly released documents from the files of a late justice show how the Supreme Court was concerned with how to avoid appearing political when it ruled unanimously against President Bill Clinton’s attempts to avoid lawsuits in the White House 25 years ago. The decades-old documents provide a fresh look at how

By Donie O’Sullivan and Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN President Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign has often been celebrated as the first to effectively use social media as a mobilization tool to capture the White House. In the 15 years since, the technology has gone from being a novel addition to a political campaign to transcending every

By Joan Biskupic, CNN Senior Supreme Court analyst Justice Sandra Day O’Connor provided the early framework that steered the outcome in the dispute over the 2000 presidential election and ensured George W. Bush would win the White House over Al Gore, Supreme Court documents released on Tuesday show. Memos found in the newly opened files