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CNN – US Politics

Elise Stefanik criticizes Hochul over affordability and Mamdani in campaign launch for NY governor

By David Wright, Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik announced her campaign for New York governor on Friday with a video seizing on the issue of affordability and attacking Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul for her support of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, declaring that “the Empire State has fallen.” “Kathy

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Fact check: Cheaper Walmart Thanksgiving meal touted by Trump has fewer items than last year’s

By Daniel Dale, CNN President Donald Trump keeps touting the fact that Walmart’s promotional Thanksgiving meal basket is cheaper this year than it was last year. But Trump hasn’t mentioned that this year’s basket is different than last year’s – in particular, that it contains significantly fewer items. This year’s basket contains 15 products, six

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Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev speaks during the signing ceremony at the Ak Orda Presidential Palace in Astana

Kazakhstan will join Abraham Accords, Trump announces

By Tal Shalev, Jennifer Hansler, Betsy Klein, Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN (CNN) — Kazakhstan is joining the Abraham Accords, US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, although the country already has longstanding diplomatic relations with Israel. “I just held a great call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of Israel, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan

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Certain obesity drugs will cost as little as $149 and Medicare will start covering them under White House deals

By Tami Luhby, Meg Tirrell, CNN (CNN) — Certain blockbuster obesity drugs will be available for as little as $149 per month and more Medicare enrollees will have access to them under two deals announced Thursday by the Trump administration. The arrangements with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, which President Donald Trump foreshadowed in

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Condoleezza Rice Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Personal Birth date: November 14, 1954 Birth place: Birmingham, Alabama Birth name: Condoleezza Rice Father: John Wesley Rice Jr., minister and dean Mother: Angelena (Ray) Rice, a high school teacher Education: University of Denver, B. A.,

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Trump admin tells Congress it currently lacks legal justification to strike Venezuela

By Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler, Katie Bo Lillis, Zachary Cohen, Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — Trump administration officials told lawmakers on Wednesday that the US is not currently planning to launch strikes inside Venezuela and doesn’t have a legal justification that would support attacks against any land targets right now, according to sources familiar with

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How Trump’s lawyer could pull off another surprise Supreme Court win for his boss

By Joan Biskupic, CNN Senior Supreme Court Analyst (CNN) — President Donald Trump, who has declared it a matter of “LIFE OR DEATH,” opted against attending Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing over his billion-dollar tariffs, but his lawyer presented the case in similarly audacious terms. “President Trump determined that our exploding trade deficits had brought us to

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Top Democrat expresses confidence in US intel on boat strikes, but calls for more transparency from Trump administration

By Alison Main, Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju, Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner on Wednesday expressed confidence in the intelligence used by the Pentagon to strike alleged drug traffickers in the Pacific Ocean, but he urged the Trump administration to divulge more information to a skeptical public as

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Trump wants GOP to focus more on his economic achievements. But he’s often changing the subject.

By Kevin Liptak, CNN Miami (CNN) — President Donald Trump spent the morning after a terrible election night for Republicans publicly processing the results, and arrived at several conclusions. First, he determined his party was losing the messaging battle over the now-record-length government shutdown, and told GOP senators so in no uncertain terms over coffee

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Warning signs for the GOP, lessons for Democrats: How Tuesday’s results will shape the 2026 midterms

By Eric Bradner, Arit John, CNN (CNN) — Democrats’ dominance in Tuesday’s elections reset expectations ahead of next year’s midterm battle for House and Senate control, reinvigorating a party that has been in the political wilderness and leaving Republicans lamenting that the gains President Donald Trump made a year ago with key portions of the

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Takeaways from Trump’s rocky Supreme Court arguments over global tariffs

By John Fritze, Elisabeth Buchwald, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court appeared deeply concerned Wednesday with President Donald Trump’s reliance on a vague federal law to impose global tariffs, with several members of the court’s conservative wing picking apart the administration’s position in a case that could have sweeping implications for the economy

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Zohran Mamdani announces an all-female leadership team for his transition including former FTC Chair Lina Khan

By Gloria Pazmino, David Wright, CNN New York (CNN) — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced an all-female team of co-chairs for his transition team, including former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan. The team of co-chairs includes Khan, former first deputy mayor Maria Torres-Springer, United Way of New York City head

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Federal judge warns Justice Department it may be veering close to mishandling evidence in Comey case

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Wednesday warned the Justice Department it may be veering close to mishandling evidence in its criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey. “Right now, we are in a bit of a feeling of indict first, investigate later,” Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick of

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Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani looks at the menu inside of Kreyol Flavor in the East Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn

Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral election

WUSA, SPECTRUM-NEWS-NY1, WABC, CNN By Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist whose focus on working-class issues and personal magnetism attracted a diverse coalition of supporters to propel a once-underdog campaign, has won New York City’s general election race for mayor. Mamdani beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a second time, shattering the

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Takeaways from Tuesday’s elections: Democrats win across the spectrum as voters reject Trump

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Voters up and down the East Coast delivered Democrats a sweep on Tuesday, electing candidates across the party’s ideological spectrum in a vivid show of discontent with President Donald Trump nearly a year into his second term. In Virginia, moderate former Rep. Abigail Spanberger turned in the strongest Democratic

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California will approve Prop 50, the redistricting push to create more Democrat-friendly US House districts

By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — California voters will approve Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to redraw the state’s congressional maps, boosting the national Democratic Party’s efforts to win control of the US House next year. The measure will allow Democrats to replace congressional lines drawn by the state’s independent commission with new ones that make five US House seats more favorable for

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Democrats defend Pennsylvania Supreme Court majority in a race with 2028 implications

By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — Pennsylvania Democrats defended the liberal majority on the state Supreme Court Tuesday, blocking GOP efforts to flip the balance of power ahead of the next presidential election. Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue and David Wecht were retained for new 10-year terms. They faced no opponents, only a yes-or-no vote on

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Democrat Jay Jones participates in the Virginia attorney general debate against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in Richmond

Jay Jones will become Virginia’s next attorney general, overcoming disclosure of violent text messages

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Democrat Jay Jones won the race to become Virginia’s next attorney general, overcoming the disclosure of text messages in which he suggested a former legislative colleague should be shot. Jones will unseat Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, who was seeking reelection and sharply criticized Jones for sending the text

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Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani looks at the menu inside of Kreyol Flavor in the East Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn

Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral election

By Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist whose focus on working-class issues and personal magnetism attracted a diverse coalition of supporters to propel a once-underdog campaign, has won New York City’s general election race for mayor. Mamdani beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a second time, shattering the political scion’s hopes of a

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Ghazala Hashmi wins Virginia lieutenant governor’s race, becoming first Muslim woman elected statewide

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Democrat Ghazala Hashmi won the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race, becoming the nation’s first Muslim woman elected to statewide office. Hashmi will defeat Republican John Reid, a former conservative talk show host and the state’s first gay statewide nominee. As lieutenant governor, she will preside over the state Senate and

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Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger walks in the Virginia State University annual Homecoming Parade in Petersburg

Democrat Abigail Spanberger is elected Virginia’s first female governor

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Abigail Spanberger, a former Democratic congresswoman and CIA officer, has been elected Virginia’s next governor and will become the state’s first female chief executive. She beat Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears after running a campaign focused on affordability and addressing local concerns about the impact of federal job cuts

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Trump again taps tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA after previously pulling nomination

By Alejandra Jaramillo, Kristen Holmes, Jackie Wattles, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump is nominating tech billionaire Jared Isaacman for a second time to serve as administrator of NASA, he announced on social media Tuesday. Isaacman, an Elon Musk associate who has twice traveled to space on private SpaceX missions, was previously tapped for the

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This whole referendum in California is kind of complicated. Here’s what residents are voting on

By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — One of the most consequential elections this year isn’t between a Democratic and Republican candidate, but over a ballot initiative in California. Proposition 50 would allow California Democrats to replace the state’s congressional maps with ones the party hopes will help them to flip five GOP-held seats. Democrats launched

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White House says it will partially fund SNAP benefits after Trump threatens to withhold them until shutdown ends

By Adam Cancryn, Tami Luhby, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The White House said Tuesday it would follow through on plans to partially fund critical food aid during the government shutdown, despite President Donald Trump’s threat just hours earlier that he would withhold the federal assistance. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that

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Judges want to peek under the hood at the Justice Department, setting up another showdown with Trump

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department is facing several court orders that land it in a position it often seeks to avoid: Revealing the private statements of its top political leaders. Judges’ attempts to confidentially review executive branch records and hold hearings where Justice Department attorneys could take the stand are bearing

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Top DC federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro intervened to reverse the firings of at least 4 FBI agents. It was short lived.

By Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro intervened Monday to reverse the firings of at least four FBI agents axed in the latest Trump administration purge at the bureau, according to multiple sources familiar with the developments this week. While their jobs were briefly restored Monday, the FBI leadership

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Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks during a protest against US President Donald Trump's recent comments accusing him of drug trafficking and a court ruling that overturned convictions against former President Alvaro Uribe

US is yet to follow through on Trump promise to halt ‘all payments’ to Colombia as Rubio stresses importance of relationship

By Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — More than two weeks after President Donald Trump said he would halt “all payments” to Colombia, there has not been any interruption to the assistance, even after the administration sanctioned the country’s President Gustavo Petro accusing him of playing a “role in the global illicit drug trade.”

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Justice Department defends Lindsey Halligan and Trump’s social media posts targeting James Comey

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz, Devan Cole, Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s personal vendetta against James Comey did not lead to his indictment, the Justice Department said in a court filing Monday, urging a judge not to throw out the charges against the former FBI director over Trump’s extraordinary social media post

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What to know about Justice Department election monitors

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department is dispatching federal monitors to polling locations in New Jersey and California, two Democratic states with crucial off-year elections on Tuesday. The announcement put the decadeslong federal monitoring practice under new scrutiny, as some Democrats and voting rights activists worry that this year’s monitors

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Why Tuesday’s elections could give Democrats two paths to coming back from Trump

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN Ashland, Virginia (CNN) — Only a party going through the Democrats’ identity and existential crises could, nine months into Donald Trump’s second presidency, have Zohran Mamdani and Abigail Spanberger as its front-runners in two of Tuesday’s biggest races. Spanberger is a 46-year-old former CIA officer, the daughter of a nurse and

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Justice Department tells Congress Trump doesn’t need its approval for military strikes on alleged drug boats

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — A senior Justice Department official has told Congress that the Trump administration can continue lethal military strikes on alleged drug traffickers without congressional approval and that the administration is not bound by a decades-old war powers law, two congressional sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The head of

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Native American leaders say layoffs and benefit lapses are making this shutdown more painful for Native communities

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Native American leaders warned senators last week that mass layoffs and potential benefit lapses are making this government shutdown more painful for their communities and insisted that the federal government fulfill its treaty obligations with tribal nations. “The shutdown reductions in force have crept into our classrooms, our early

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Hegseth bars military officials from discussing drug boat strikes with Congress without prior approval

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — The Office of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has disseminated a broad list of topics that Defense Department personnel are now required to seek prior approval on before engaging with Congress, which includes any and all “sensitive military operations” and US military strikes on suspected drug boats around Latin

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Hotly contested mayoral election isn’t just about the candidates. The NYPD’s future is also at stake

By Mark Morales, CNN (CNN) — With the high-stakes New York mayoral contest hanging in the balance, the largest police department in the country may find itself caught between the promise of reform and the stability that followed a couple of scandal-scarred years. If Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani wins the election, his choice to lead

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