CNN – US Politics

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration will begin garnishing wages of student loan borrowers in default starting in January, the Education Department told CNN on Tuesday. “We expect the first notices to be sent to approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers the week of January 7, and the notices will increase in scale

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump’s request to allow him to deploy the National Guard to Chicago to protect ICE agents, a significant and rare loss for the administration on the conservative court’s emergency docket. “At this preliminary stage, the government has failed to identify a

Associated Press (CNN) — Wyoming’s lone U.S. representative is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Cynthia Lummis, who isn’t seeking re-election. Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Republican, on Tuesday became first to announce for Senate in Wyoming after Lummis, also a Republican, said Friday she isn’t seeking a second term. “I will always

By Katelyn Polantz, Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Former CIA director John Brennan is accusing the Justice Department of “irregular activity,” including possible judge shopping and improper leaks to the media, in a letter from his defense attorney that also disclosed Brennan is the target of a grand jury investigation launched out of Florida. The

From CNN’s Kara Fox and Tierney Sneed, CNN Warning: This post contains language readers may find disturbing. The Justice Department now says a handwritten letter it released Tuesday that was signed by “J. Epstein” and addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar is “fake,” asserting that the handwriting did not appear to match that of

By Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — Former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse announced Tuesday that he’s been diagnosed with “metastasized, stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.” “Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do,” Sasse, 53, wrote on

By Brian Todd, CNN (CNN) — Some staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs are finding little to be merry about after the agency said it would eliminate tens of thousands of open, unfilled positions across the country as it looks to streamline its staffing. Three sources familiar with the decisions told CNN that leadership

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A new lawsuit filed in Washington, DC’s federal court Monday challenges the Kennedy Center board of trustees’ move to add President Donald Trump’s name to the cultural institution. Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and an ex-officio trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is

By Clay Voytek, CNN (CNN) — The US military conducted a strike against a “low-profile vessel” allegedly trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, killing one person, according to US Southern Command. “On Dec. 22, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on

By Kevin Liptak, Donald Judd, CNN West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Monday the US remains in active pursuit of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, more than 24 hours after the chase began, while repeating his threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. “It’s moving along and we’ll end

CNN By Tricia Escobedo, Andrew Torgan, CNN A “60 Minutes” story that was shelved at the last minute, sparking accusations of political interference, has reached a worldwide audience — thanks to some eagle-eyed Canadian viewers with access to a streaming platform. Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump bemoaned Monday the potential reputational damage inflicted on people who appear in photos released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which he insisted were only made public because of an effort to distract from his accomplishments. The comments mark the first time Trump has addressed

By Katelyn Polantz, Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files — mandated by Congress to be completed last week — is still a work in progress. Thousands of files still aren’t public. The redactions are extensive, at times going beyond what was called for in the law passed by

CNN By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump unveiled a new “Trump class” of Navy battleships Monday, describing them as a superior war fighting vessel to replace an “old and tired and obsolete” US fleet. “They’ll help maintain American military supremacy, revive the American ship building industry, and inspire fear in America’s enemies

By Devan Cole, Angelica Franganillo Diaz, CNN (CNN) — An apparently frustrated federal judge pressed the Trump administration Monday to share what it was going to do next in the fast-moving saga over Kilmar Abrego Garcia days after she found he was being unlawfully held in immigration custody. During an hour-long hearing that at times

By CNN’s Logan Schiciano (CNN) — Betty Reid Soskin, who was the National Park Service’s oldest active ranger when she retired at age 100, has died. She was 104. She passed away “peacefully” at her home in Richmond, California on Sunday, according to a statement from her family. “Thank you for your service, Ranger Betty,”

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department’s release of thousands of documents and pictures related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday was highly anticipated and provided a glimpse into the life of the late sex offender and his associations with some of the richest and most powerful people in the world. But

By MJ Lee, CNN (CNN) — A Jeffrey Epstein survivor who has only ever chosen to identify herself anonymously as “Jane Doe” was startled to learn that her name appeared multiple times in the Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files that began on Friday, and she told CNN in an exclusive interview Monday that

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump unveiled a new “Trump class” of Navy battleships Monday, describing them as a superior war fighting vessel to replace an “old and tired and obsolete” US fleet. “They’ll help maintain American military supremacy, revive the American ship building industry, and inspire fear in America’s enemies all

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is removing numerous career ambassadors from their posts abroad, marking the latest shake-up of the US State Department and diplomatic corps. At least two dozen senior diplomats have received notice that they must leave their roles next month, sources said. They were appointed to ambassadorships around

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has signaled to the Smithsonian Institution that the White House could withhold federal funding from the museum organization if it does not comply with the administration’s unprecedented, sweeping review. In a Thursday letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, White House officials said funds are

By Steve Contorno, CNN Phoenix (CNN) — This weekend’s gathering of young Republicans and conservative influencers in the Arizona desert offered a glimpse into the divisions already fraying President Donald Trump’s coalition even before its lame-duck leader is out of the picture. Enter Vice President JD Vance, a figure many in the movement view as

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — The US is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry. The tanker, called Bella 1, was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil. It

By Jennifer Agiesta, Amy O’Kruk, CNN (CNN) — About half of Americans say they’ve already given the 2028 presidential election, set to be the first race since 2016 without a sitting president vying for the nomination on either side, at least some thought, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. With nearly three

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — When Rep. Dan Goldman first ran for Congress in 2022, he was cheered on the left as the party’s top lawyer during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Three years on, the Manhattan Democrat is in the fight of his political life against New York City Comptroller Brad

CNN By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — Personnel from the United States boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to a US official familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas. It was the second known instance of the US interdicting a vessel near

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — Personnel from the United States boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to a US official familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas. It was the second known instance of the US interdicting a vessel near Venezuela

By CNN staff, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department released thousands of files related to sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein after Congress passed a law forcing the Trump administration to do so. Friday’s release didn’t contain all the files as the DOJ said it will continue releasing more in the coming weeks.

By Steve Contorno, Jeff Simon, CNN Phoenix (CNN) — At 23, Caleb Gasca has checked off several traditional markers of adulthood. He graduated college, found a job in a construction office and got married. But living with his wife’s parents in San Bernardino County, California, he still feels as though his life has yet to

CNN By Tricia Escobedo, Andrew Torgan, CNN A detailed tip on Reddit helped lead investigators to the gunman behind the deadly Brown University shooting. Whether the person who posted it will ever receive the $50,000 reward is unclear — partly because of the way the FBI worded the offer. Here’s what else you need to

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump came to North Carolina on Friday to talk about the economy. He ended up explaining how his wife organizes her lingerie drawer. “I think she steams them,” he offered at one point, hoping to underscore the violation Melania Trump felt when, in his telling, FBI agents

By MJ Lee, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department’s partial release of its files related to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday marked a moment of triumph for Epstein survivor Maria Farmer and her sister Annie, who have said for years that Maria had filed one of the first complaints against Epstein in the 1990s.

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A top Justice Department attorney argued in court on Friday that President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rally speech before the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol was at least partially aimed at furthering the broader interests of the United States. At the civil lawsuits hearing that Democratic members

CNN By Zachary Cohen, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The US struck multiple targets in Syria on Friday that the US military tied to ISIS as retaliation for the recent attack that killed two American service members there, according to two US officials. “I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio decried the “status quo” with the Maduro government as “intolerable” as the Trump administration on Friday announced new sanctions on family members of the embattled Venezuelan leader. For months, the administration has carried out a campaign of deadly military strikes in the Caribbean

By Zachary Cohen, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The US struck multiple targets in Syria on Friday that the US military tied to ISIS as retaliation for the recent attack that killed two American service members there, according to two US officials. “I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation,

By Terence Burlij, CNN (CNN) — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik announced Friday she was ending her short-lived bid for governor of New York and would not run for another term in Congress. “While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will

By Tami Luhby, Adam Cancryn, Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — In his latest effort to lower drug costs, President Donald Trump unveiled Friday “Most Favored Nation” pricing deals with nine more pharmaceutical companies. The president also announced he would call a meeting next week or early January with health insurers to push them to lower

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Friday sided against the Trump administration, keeping alive a federal lawsuit from immigration judges who are attempting to challenge a policy that limits their ability to speak publicly. “At this stage,” the court said in a brief order, “the government has not demonstrated that it

By Kaanita Iyer, Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — New signage was installed Friday at Washington, DC’s performing arts center on Friday to include President Donald Trump’s name. It comes after the institution’s board of trustees voted a day earlier to rename the facility to honor the president. The building, known as the John F. Kennedy

By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — How should a military commander respond if they determine they have received an unlawful order? Request to retire — and refrain from resigning in protest, which could be seen as a political act, or picking a fight to get fired. That was the previously unreported guidance that

By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — The White House is heading into a critical midterm year beset by economic challenges, as it tries to manage stubbornly high prices, a frustrated electorate and a commander-in-chief who struggles to show sympathy toward voters’ pain. For one night, at least, officials addressed one issue: getting President Donald Trump

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, Alison Main, Aileen Graef, Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — Congressional Republicans have sent lawmakers home for the holidays without voting to address the Obamacare subsidies cliff that will hit millions of Americans on New Year’s Day — infuriating some of their own rank and file. “Here we are without a

By Annie Grayer, MJ Lee, CNN (CNN) — A number of Jeffrey Epstein survivors voiced their concern in a private meeting with female Democratic lawmakers earlier this week about the intermittent disclosure of Epstein-related documents and photos by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, sharing that the selective publication of materials was distressing, four sources

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The US military conducted strikes against two alleged drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing 5 people, according to US Southern Command. At least 104 people have now been killed in US strikes on alleged drug boats, and Thursday’s attack marks the third this week.

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday the White House will host the “Patriot Games,” a competition with young athletes from across the county, as part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary next year. “In the fall, we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, Gloria Pazmino, CNN New York (CNN) — With under two weeks to go before he’s sworn in, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has not announced many hires for his administration. One of the few that he has announced was forced to almost immediately resign Thursday after her past antisemitic tweets came

By Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — Frustration is mounting inside the Justice Department as it races to redact thousands of pages of files related to Jeffrey Epstein before they must be released Friday, multiple sources familiar with the process told CNN. A substantial number of redactions are needed, one of the sources said,

By Camila DeChalus, Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — The GOP-controlled House passed a bill that would block Medicaid funds from being used for gender identity care to minors. The measure, sponsored by Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw, passed by a vote of 215 to 201 with four Democrats voting in favor. It’s the second bill passed

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The one-time bonuses President Donald Trump said Wednesday will be paid out to over a million US service members will be pulled from funds already approved by Congress to cover housing and other household costs for troops as part of a military stipend program. President Trump announced the $1,776

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge ruled Thursday that two entities that implement policy and conduct administrative tasks for the judicial branch are not required under a transparency law to turn over their communications to a private legal group aligned with President Donald Trump. The opinion by Judge Trevor McFadden came in

By Kit Maher, Steve Contorno, Sarah Owermohle, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to expedite the reclassification of marijuana – an effort to increase research on its medical use but not fully legalize it. “This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Thursday to rename the facility after both the former president and President Donald Trump. “The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John

By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — The Democratic National Committee said Thursday that it would not release a highly anticipated “autopsy” of the 2024 election, a decision aimed at unifying the party that also sidesteps uncomfortable and lasting divisions over its loss to President Donald Trump. DNC Chair Ken Martin issued a statement on the

By Casey Gannon, CNN (CNN) — Former special counsel Jack Smith did not invoke his Fifth Amendment rights during eight hours of testimony Wednesday behind closed doors to the House Judiciary Committee, the panel’s chairman said. “He did not take the Fifth like some of his deputies did,” Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said on

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate Thursday — the latest in a series of intermittent disclosures that have fueled significant political intrigue in recent weeks about who may have been associated with the convicted sex offender. The more than 60 images, released without

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The United States sanctioned two more judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) – the latest step in the Trump administration’s campaign to punish those involved with efforts to investigate Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said he was imposing sanctions

By Kaanita Iyer, Katelyn Polantz, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department tried to add a third felony charge related to mortgage fraud against Letitia James when attempting to reindict the New York attorney general last week, according to court documents. The attempted third criminal count, which was first reported by Politico, would have

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The cavalry didn’t come to save the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium subsidies, which ended when 2025 did. And while the House is expected to vote in January on a Democratic proposal to extend them for three years, the effort faces significant hurdles in the Senate. This means that

By Priscilla Alvarez, Pete Muntean, CNN (CNN) — The Department of Homeland Security’s newest airplane has a very familiar, very Trumpian look. Photos captured over the weekend at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, DC, show the department’s newly acquired Boeing 737 adorned with a design akin to President Donald Trump’s proposed paint scheme for a new

By John King, CNN Mount Juliet, Tennessee (CNN) — Megan Schwalm is full of energy. She sees the excitement and ambition of every member of the coffee group she started three years ago. Yet she is often afraid to trust what she sees and feels — afraid she will be let down again. “It’s a

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — In President Donald Trump’s telling, a land strike on Venezuela could come “soon.” He’s been saying that since mid-September. In that time, he’s publicly hinted or outright promised US military action on land at least 17 times, according to a CNN analysis of his appearances. The president’s rhetorical threat

By Kaanita Iyer, Matt Stiles, CNN (CNN) — Within weeks of retaking the White House, President Donald Trump boasted that he had “brought free speech back to America.” But since then, he has tested the limits of the First Amendment time and again, stoking alarm among civil rights experts and his critics. The First Amendment

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would be issuing checks to members of the United States military for $1,776 – in honor of the country’s founding – calling the payment the “Warrior Dividend.” “1,450,000 military service members will receive a special, we call, warrior dividend before Christmas. A

By Daniel Dale, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump made a series of false claims during his prime-time address from the White House on Wednesday night, most of which have been debunked before. Here is a fact check of some of his assertions. Inflation and the economy Inflation under Trump: Near the end of the

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The US military conducted a strike against another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing 4 people, according to US Southern Command. “On Dec. 17, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a

By Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — The House on Wednesday voted to pass a bill that could imprison health care providers for providing gender-affirming care for minors. The bill — titled the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” and sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia — would make it a class C felony to treat

By Sarah Ferris, Tami Luhby, Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — House Republicans on Wednesday approved a narrow package designed to lower health care costs for some Americans in the coming years – marking a win for leadership even as some of their own members complain it falls woefully short of tackling rising prices in 2026.

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, is making another effort at overturning her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes, with new court filings Wednesday claiming evidence has emerged showing that she did not receive a fair trial. Maxwell’s latest maneuver faces extremely long odds and

By Holmes Lybrand, Evan Perez, Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — Deputy FBI director Dan Bongino is stepping down soon from the job after eight months marked by clashes with his boss, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and fighting off the conspiracies he once fueled. President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that he thought Bongino wanted to

By Pete Muntean, Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — The US government now admits failures by the pilots of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a controller in the Reagan National Airport tower during the January 29 midair collision over the Potomac River that killed 67 people. The new admission is part of court documents filed

By Angélica Franganillo Díaz, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from enforcing new rules limiting congressional oversight visits, finding that Democratic lawmakers are likely to succeed in their claim that the policy violates federal law governing congressional access to detention facilities. Judge Jia M. Cobb granted

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A retired Tennessee law enforcement officer was held in jail for more than a month this fall after police arrested him over a Facebook post of a meme related to the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors eventually dropped the criminal charge brought against Larry Bushart, but

By Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — On Sunday morning, as investigators rushed to prepare a search warrant for a hotel room in Coventry, Rhode Island, FBI Director Kash Patel broke the news on social media celebrating that a person of interest had been detained in the Brown University mass shooting. Around the same time, Providence

By Alejandra Jaramillo, Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — The White House has installed plaques along President Donald Trump’s “Presidential Walk of Fame,” offering descriptions of his predecessors, often written in the style of his social media posts — including insults, baseless claims and random capitalization. A plaque at the front of the exhibit, which lines

By Jason Morris, CNN (CNN) — A defiant Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testified Wednesday before an investigative Georgia state Senate committee. The committee scrutinized her prosecution of President Donald Trump and multiple codefendants, at one point briefly cutting Willis’ microphone when she testified beyond the question she was asked. “Let me tell you

CNN By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — A bloc of House GOP centrists just made the ultimate hardball play against Speaker Mike Johnson — agreeing to help Democrats effectively seize control of the Republican agenda by forcing a vote on their own bill on the looming Obamacare subsidies cliff. The stunning blow to

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — Rep. Sarah McBride on Wednesday criticized congressional Republicans as being “obsessed with trans people” ahead of a vote on bills that would restrict youth access to gender identity care and penalize health workers who provide it. “I actually think they think more about trans people than trans people think

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — The Senate passed the annual defense policy bill, sending it to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Democrats and Republicans in the Senate voted overwhelmingly, 77-20, to approve the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes nearly $900 billion in funding for military programs, including a 3.8% pay raise

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — A new trailer previewing Melania Trump’s eponymous documentary offers more questions than answers about the relationship between President Donald Trump and the first lady. “Hi Mr. President. Congratulations,” Melania Trump says brightly, standing with her back to the camera, as she looks out at the Manhattan skyline in a

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal appeals court is letting President Donald Trump continue his deployment of National Guard troops in the nation’s capital. In a unanimous decision issued Wednesday by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, the court indefinitely paused a lower court order that had required Trump to remove thousands of

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — A bloc of House GOP centrists just made the ultimate hardball play against Speaker Mike Johnson — agreeing to help Democrats effectively seize control of the Republican agenda by forcing a vote on their own bill on the looming Obamacare subsidies cliff. The stunning blow to Johnson

By Steve Contorno, Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — Of all the blunt assessments White House chief of staff Susie Wiles shared with Vanity Fair over the past year, perhaps her sharpest words were aimed at Attorney General Pam Bondi. In remarks the magazine published Tuesday, Wiles said that Bondi “completely whiffed” in her

By Casey Gannon, Katelyn Polantz, Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Former special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday defended his criminal investigation into President Donald Trump in a closed-door deposition before the House Judiciary Committee as he faces scrutiny from Republican lawmakers. “The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine, but the basis for

By Annie Grayer, Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — A group of moderate Republicans have warned for months that their party’s plan to eliminate clean energy tax credits would contribute to utility bills skyrocketing. Now, their predictions are coming true. And more Republicans are starting to openly worry that the issue could hurt them in next

By Marshall Cohen, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — A new federal law requires the Justice Department to release by Friday a massive trove of investigative documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The release of the Epstein files, detailing the probes into the disgraced multimillionaire and sex offender who died in 2019, has attracted significant attention. The

By Alexandra Skores, CNN (CNN) — The US Air Force announced plans Tuesday to purchase two Boeing 747-8 aircraft to support its future presidential airlift program, with an Air Force official confirming it would acquire the planes from German carrier Lufthansa. At a price tag of $400 million, the Air Force said in a statement

By Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — When an attacker killed two US service members and a civilian interpreter in Syria over the weekend, President Donald Trump vowed “very serious” retribution against those responsible, and officials were quick to describe the assailant as a “lone gunman” who was a member of ISIS. However, a spokesman for

By Elle Reeve, CNN (CNN) — In her first podcast episode after what she described as a 4.5-hour conversation with Erika Kirk, conservative podcaster Candace Owens said Tuesday that she still does not believe that the person charged with murder for Charlie Kirk’s death is solely responsible. Erika Kirk’s efforts to tamp down on speculation

By Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — Speaker Mike Johnson is charging ahead with a GOP health plan that allows Biden-era Obamacare subsidies to expire this month — all but guaranteeing that the money will indeed lapse and spike premiums for tens of millions of Americans next year. In a high-stakes Tuesday night meeting, top House

By Aleena Fayaz, CNN (CNN) — GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump for his comments on the murders of Rob and Michele Reiner, as she predicted more Republicans will follow her lead in breaking with Trump. “I thought that statement was absolutely completely below the office of the president of

By Kit Maher, Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was ordering a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving from Venezuela, ratcheting up pressure against leader Nicolás Maduro’s regime and suggesting an economic motive to the US’ military campaign in the region. Punctuating the words

By Kit Maher, Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday that would reschedule marijuana to a lower drug classification — a move that would ease federal restrictions, though it would not mean full legalization, according to a source familiar with the planning and a senior White

By Aleena Fayaz, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries with full or partial travel restrictions to 39, increasing from the previous list of 19 countries, according to the White House. The proclamation adds seven new countries to the full travel ban list: Laos, Sierra Leone,

By Priscilla Alvarez, Jennifer Hansler, Nimi Princewill, CNN (CNN) — The South African government briefly held, then released, two US government employees on assignment in South Africa as part of the Trump administration’s bid to admit Afrikaners to the United States, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. The incident appeared to mark an

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon has launched a new “official Command” phase of its investigation into whether Sen. Mark Kelly will be punished for his involvement in a video that reminded members of the military they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, with a decision likely to be made in about

By Devan Cole, Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge indicated Tuesday that he won’t order President Donald Trump to immediately stop work on the massive new White House ballroom. But US District Judge Richard Leon left open the possibility that he could intervene in the high-stakes legal fight over the project at a

By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday sought to rally gloomy Pennsylvania voters behind the Trump administration’s economic agenda, alleviate their cost-of living concerns — and accomplish it all more efficiently than President Donald Trump had done a week before. Returning to the swing state just days after Trump delivered

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — The House Judiciary Committee is demanding interviews with four current and former Department of Justice officials who were involved in subpoenaing phone records for several members of Congress around the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, the day before Republicans interview former special counsel Jack Smith. The interview requests to

By Haley Britzky, Alison Main, Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon will not release to the public the full video of the US military’s strike on an alleged drug boat on September 2, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. The attack, which included a follow-up strike that killed two crew members who