CNN – US Politics

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is trying to tamp down concerns about his history of vaccine skepticism as he meets with GOP senators who will vote on whether to confirm him as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy on Monday told

By Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s felony conviction in the New York hush money case should not be tossed out because of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, Judge Juan Merchan ruled Monday. Merchan’s decision rejected one of several avenues that Trump’s lawyers have taken to

By Betsy Klein, CNN Washington (CNN) — Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is making an all-out push in the waning days of the Biden administration that she believes could bolster reproductive rights, calling on the president to certify the Equal Rights Amendment and enshrine its protections into the Constitution. The move, the New York Democrat wrote

CNN By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump, in his first news conference since his victory, downplayed concerns that his administration would revoke the polio vaccine’s authorization, suggested he could pardon New York City Mayor Eric Adams and said he will press Ukraine and Russia to end their war. The president-elect on Monday

By Steve Contorno and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, is a top contender to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Donald Trump’s administration, two people with knowledge of the president-elect’s consideration told CNN. Another person close to the Trump transition team confirmed Moskowitz is in the mix. It

By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump made numerous false claims in a Monday news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Trump also offered a noncommittal reply when he was asked if he believes there is a connection between vaccines and autism, saying that “right now, you have some very brilliant

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The family of an American woman killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank said they left a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken frustrated and with little hope anyone would be held accountable for her death. “Nothing left us optimistic about justice for my sister moving forward,”

By Natasha Bertrand and Avery Schmitz, CNN (CNN) — Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to two US officials and a western official familiar with the intelligence. The officials characterized the Russian withdrawal as large-scale and significant

By Tierney Sneed, CNN Washington (CNN) — A federal appeals court judge has withdrawn his intention to retire, depriving President-elect Donald Trump of the ability to make an influential circuit court nomination and enraging Senate Republicans. Fourth Circuit Judge James Wynn, an appointee of President Barack Obama, told the White House late last week that

By Gregory Krieg and Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams was dealt a pair of dire political blows on Monday, even as a potential legal lifeline emerged when President-elect Donald Trump said he would consider pardoning Adams if the mayor was convicted in his coming federal corruption trial. Trump, during

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to wade into Peter Navarro’s yearslong battle with the government over presidential records, brushing aside an appeal from President-elect Donald Trump’s former trade adviser without hearing from the Biden administration in the case. The National Archives and Records Administration has demanded Navarro turn

By John Fritze and Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up an appeal from conservative states challenging California’s ability to establish strict vehicle emission rules that effectively set the standard for the rest of the nation. The move, which effectively leaves in place a lower court ruling that upheld

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court declined Monday to review federal bribery charges against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, a Democrat who resigned two years ago after prosecutors said he sought campaign contributions in exchange for a state grant. Benjamin, a former state lawmaker, told the high court that prosecutors

By Kate Sullivan and Kayla Tausche, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son announced Monday morning at Mar-a-Lago that the company is expected to invest $100 billion in US projects over the next four years with a goal of creating 100,000 new jobs, according to two people familiar with the

By Curt Devine, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to do everything in his power to benefit American workers. “We will build American, buy American and hire American,” he said during a rally in August. Despite that pledge, Trump’s own businesses sought to hire more foreign guest workers this year

By Jack Forrest, CNN (CNN) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, promised to release the woman who accused him of sexual assault from a confidentiality agreement. Graham told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Hegseth “told me he would release her from that agreement,”

By Jack Forrest, CNN (CNN) — Lawmakers from across the political spectrum on Sunday criticized the federal government’s response to mysterious drone sightings in the Northeast, as officials emphasize there is no evidence of a security threat. The criticism comes a day after the federal agencies leading the response held a news briefing that left

CNN By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Mitt Romney, a frequent Donald Trump critic who will soon retire from Congress, stood by his criticism of the president-elect’s character but said Trump and his MAGA movement now define the Republican Party. “I’m, as you know, not a supporter of President Trump’s. I didn’t support

CNN By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Mitt Romney, a frequent Donald Trump critic who will soon retire from Congress, stood by his criticism of the president-elect’s character but said Trump and his MAGA movement now define the Republican Party. “I’m, as you know, not a supporter of President Trump’s. I didn’t support

CNN By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN (CNN) — Top aides and people close to Kamala Harris have divided over whether she should head home to run for California governor in 2026 — and it all comes down to whether they believe she could win the Democratic nomination for president in an expected competitive primary in 2028.

CNN Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — America’s new rulers are putting on a show of intent and unity as Donald Trump turns from his so-far-successful rescue of Pete Hegseth to three more of his provocative Cabinet choices. The complex dynamics driving the most empowered presidential transition in modern history went public Saturday as

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Mitt Romney, a frequent Donald Trump critic who will soon retire from Congress, stood by his criticism of the president-elect’s character but said Trump and his MAGA movement now define the Republican Party. “I’m, as you know, not a supporter of President Trump’s. I didn’t support him

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN (CNN) — Top aides and people close to Kamala Harris have divided over whether she should head home to run for California governor in 2026 — and it all comes down to whether they believe she could win the Democratic nomination for president in an expected competitive primary in 2028. Some

By Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN (CNN) — The American public is closely divided on the outlook for Donald Trump’s second term, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, with 52% of adults expressing positive feelings, and 48% responding negatively. Those contrasting emotions stem from very different sets of concerns and priorities. One of the biggest

By Katie Lobosco, CNN Washington (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s frequent calls for new tariffs on foreign goods may have overshadowed another massive trade-related pledge he made about a month before the November election: renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Known as the USMCA, the trade deal was negotiated by the first Trump administration and replaced the

CNN By Paula Reid and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — ABC News will pay $15 million to a “presidential foundation and museum” in a settlement reached with President-elect Donald Trump in his defamation suit against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos. The settlement, which was filed publicly Saturday, reveals the network will also pay $1

CNN By Fredreka Schouten, David Wright and Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN (CNN) — Nearly three dozen of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks to serve in his incoming administration donated to his campaign or to the deep-pocketed outside groups that worked to elect him, a CNN analysis of federal campaign records shows. They range from tech multibillionaire

By Paula Reid and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — ABC News will pay $15 million to a “presidential foundation and museum” in a settlement reached with President-elect Donald Trump in his defamation suit against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos. The settlement, which was filed publicly Saturday, reveals the network will also pay $1 million

CNN By Annie Grayer and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — Rep. Nancy Pelosi underwent a “successful” hip replacement surgery Saturday and is “well on the mend,” according to a spokesperson, one day after being hospitalized from an injury sustained during an official engagement in Luxembourg. Pelosi was admitted to a hospital in Luxembourg as the

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN Aqaba, Jordan (CNN) — The United States has had direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian rebel group now in de-facto control of the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. The first public confirmation of direct interaction with the US-designated terrorist group, known as HTS, came at the

By Fredreka Schouten, David Wright and Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN (CNN) — Nearly three dozen of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks to serve in his incoming administration donated to his campaign or to the deep-pocketed outside groups that worked to elect him, a CNN analysis of federal campaign records shows. They range from tech multibillionaire Elon

By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — Victims of major public corruption cases in Pennsylvania and Illinois are angry that President Joe Biden granted clemency this week to two convicted officials. The commutations were announced Thursday as part of a historic clemency package for 1,500 convicted criminals who, the White House said, “deserve a second

By Associated Press (CNN) — Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, launching one of the first challenges in the US to shield laws that Democrat-controlled states passed to protect physicians after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit on

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a selected list of White House intrusions and security breaches. Facts The White House grounds include 18 acres of land. It is part of President’s Park, a national park. The Secret Service is in charge of White House security. According to the White House Historical Society, US President Thomas

By Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — When President Donald Trump was searching for a new FBI Director after firing James Comey in 2017, he wanted among other things someone who looked the part of America’s top law enforcement official. Christopher Wray, a 50-year-old Yale-trained lawyer, was at the top of the list

By John Fritze and Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether religious affiliated entities like Catholic Charities should be exempt from state unemployment taxes, taking up its first major religion case in more than a year. The Catholic Charities Bureau in Wisconsin told the high court that the state’s

WABC, CNN By Melanie Hicken, Blake Ellis and Pamela Brown, CNN (CNN) — The former leader of the US Coast Guard who withheld from Congress the explosive findings of an investigation that documented years of sexual assaults at the agency’s prestigious academy said he did so because he worried lawmakers wouldn’t protect the privacy of

By Annie Grayer and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — Rep. Nancy Pelosi underwent a “successful” hip replacement surgery Saturday and is “well on the mend,” according to a spokesperson, one day after being hospitalized from an injury sustained during an official engagement in Luxembourg. Pelosi was admitted to a hospital in Luxembourg as the result

By Melanie Hicken, Blake Ellis and Pamela Brown, CNN (CNN) — The former leader of the US Coast Guard who withheld from Congress the explosive findings of an investigation that documented years of sexual assaults at the agency’s prestigious academy said he did so because he worried lawmakers wouldn’t protect the privacy of the victims.

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN Baghdad (CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq Friday to meet with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as the international community grapples with the implications of the Syrian government’s collapse. Blinken met with Sudani for more than an hour in Baghdad — the latest

By Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to pardon US Capitol rioters on Day One, but one month before Inauguration Day it’s not clear who among the hundreds of convicted rioters, defendants awaiting trial and remaining fugitives would receive clemency. Trump advisers are still solidifying

CNN By Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to pardon US Capitol rioters on Day One, but one month before Inauguration Day it’s not clear who among the hundreds of convicted rioters, defendants awaiting trial and remaining fugitives would receive clemency. Trump advisers are still

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Nevada prosecutors have refiled criminal charges against the six Republican “fake electors” who tried to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat in that state. The retooled charges were announced Thursday by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat. His original case, filed last year, was thrown out by a Las

By Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene, Kate Sullivan and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump, eager to turn his inauguration into a global event, is personally extending invitations to some foreign leaders, including heads of state that have clashed with the United States in the recent past. Already, Trump has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping

By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Ed Martin, a hardline, socially conservative activist and commentator, to serve as the next chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As CNN first reported in July, Martin has publicly advocated for a national abortion ban without

By Jennifer Hansler and Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The Biden administration is working to surge deliveries of weapons to Ukraine in its final days in office in a concerted effort to put Kyiv on a strong footing going into 2025, according to a senior administration official. The push is in stark contrast to that

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The rate of sexual assaults in US military academies “significantly decreased” in 2024, a new Pentagon report released on Thursday said, down from the highest rate ever recorded in 2022. But officials warned that more work was still needed, as the latest data still indicates a higher rate of

By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris and Ali Main, CNN Washington (CNN) — Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said he expects to bring up a series of allegations against Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, when the two men sit down for their first meeting later Thursday. “I know there haven’t been any formal

By Aaron Pellish, Haley Britzky and Katie Lobosco, CNN (CNN) — Accompanying his selection as Time’s Person of the Year, President-elect Donald Trump sat down with the magazine for a wide-ranging interview that published on Thursday. The president-elect, fresh off his election victory and recognized by the magazine as its Person of the Year for

By Annie Grayer and Pamela Brown, CNN Washington (CNN) — As Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy make sweeping promises to cut $2 trillion dollars of federal spending, senior House Republicans have raised concerns with GOP leadership that efforts to cut wasteful federal spending will put the party on a collision course. Senior House Republicans, including

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — An FBI informant accused of lying about the Biden family has cut a plea deal with special counsel David Weiss, the prosecutor who led the criminal probe into Hunter Biden. Alexander Smirnov is set to plead guilty to four charges, including tax evasion and obstructing justice by providing false

By Kristen Holmes, Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb, Lauren Fox and Jeff Zeleny, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota is the kind of Republican who has been willing to clash with Donald Trump in the past and could be seen as wavering on some of the president-elect’s more controversial choices for his Cabinet.

By Gregory Krieg and Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — The victor of a cutthroat primary for mayor in 2021, New York City’s Eric Adams rushed to embrace national political stardom. He declared himself the “face of the new Democratic Party” and, after an early invitation to the White House from President Joe Biden, dropped a

By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN (CNN) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, has repeatedly criticized policies allowing gay people to serve openly in the US military, calling them part of a “Marxist” agenda to prioritize social justice over combat readiness. In his 2024 book “The War on Warriors”

By MJ Lee, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he is commuting the sentences of some 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes – marking a broad use of the presidential clemency power just weeks from the end of Biden’s administration. White House officials are billing Thursday’s move as

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — First lady Jill Biden is looking to a post-White House future building on work she began while in office to shine a light on women’s health, a chronically underfunded and under-researched space – and one impacting half the population. At a White House event Wednesday, geneticist Dr. Marlena Fejzo

By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — Republicans in the North Carolina House pushed through a measure restricting the powers of the incoming governor and other Democrats, overriding outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. The bill passed with 72 members voting for the override and 46 against. Three House Republicans who opposed the measure last month

By Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis and Nechirvan Mando, CNN (CNN) — The US’ key anti-ISIS partners in Syria said on Wednesday that the ISIS detention facilities they guard are coming under attack and that they have been forced to halt anti-ISIS operations, complicating the US military’s efforts to prevent the terror group from reconstituting

By John Fritze and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — William J. Hennessy Jr., a veteran sketch artist who gave Americans striking views from inside courtrooms during some of the nation’s most important legal dramas, died on Monday. From the Supreme Court to high-profile criminal trials to the Senate chamber during President Donald Trump’s impeachment in

By Samantha Waldenberg and Betsy Klein, CNN Washington (CNN) — One of President Joe Biden’s former top communications advisers ravaged the president’s messaging rollout strategy around his decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, lambasting the situation as “exceptionally poor timing” in a major public rebuke of her former boss. “In the middle of a

CNN By Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — FBI Director Chris Wray will resign at the end of the Biden administration, the agency said Wednesday, as it became clear he would be forced out by President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, who originally nominated Wray after firing the previous FBI director, previously announced he will

By Steve Contorno and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump once publicly speculated that Time would never name him the news magazine’s “Person of the Year.” Now, the honor has been bestowed on him twice. Time on Thursday named Trump as this year’s choice, recognizing the president-elect as the individual or group deemed to

By Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — FBI Director Chris Wray will resign at the end of the Biden administration, the agency said Wednesday, as it became clear he would be forced out by President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, who originally nominated Wray after firing the previous FBI director, previously announced he will nominate

By Jennifer Agiesta, CNN (CNN) — Most Americans expect President-elect Donald Trump to do a good job upon his return to the White House next month (54%) and a majority approves of how he’s handling the presidential transition so far (55%), according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS. Trump won the presidency last

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN Los Angeles (CNN) — Diplomatic and depressed as they have been in public, a small group of Democratic governors are deep into behind-the-scenes preparations and deliberations over how to balance the politics of pushing back on what they are expecting from President-elect Donald Trump’s next turn in the White House. Since

By Annie Grayer, Clare Foran and Haley Talbot, CNN Washington (CNN) — The House voted on Wednesday to pass a critical defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a ban against gender-affirming care for some transgender children that further inflamed the politics around the must-pass piece of legislation. The legislation,

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden is facing mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and allies to extend protections to immigrants in the United States amid party fears over President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations. Behind the scenes, senior Biden administration officials are wrestling with what, if anything, more can be

By Paula Reid, Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz and Casey Gannon, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s Justice Department is preparing to go on the anti-“woke” offensive against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have been a cause célèbre of the right, two sources familiar with the incoming administration’s plans told CNN. Trump’s pick to lead

By Alayna Treene, Kristen Holmes and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — The epicenter of Donald Trump’s transition is gradually shifting from south Florida to Washington, DC, to prepare for the president-elect’s return to the country’s seat of power, even as he prefers to bask in the afterglow of his electoral triumph from Mar-a-Lago. Key allies

By Brian Rokus and Rashard Rose, CNN (CNN) — US Capitol Police arrested a person who Rep. Nancy Mace said “physically accosted” her Tuesday, the South Carolina Republican said in a post on X. “I was physically accosted tonight on Capitol grounds over my fight to protect women. Capitol police have arrested him. All the

By Rashard Rose, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has selected Andrew Ferguson as his choice for Federal Trade Commission chair. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday. Ferguson serves as

By Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle as his pick to be the US ambassador to Greece. “For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally. Her extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics along with her sharp intellect make

By Clare Foran and Brian Stelter, CNN Washington (CNN) — Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an effort by Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill that would give journalists greater protections under federal law – a move that comes in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump opposing the measure. Trump called on Republicans to “kill this

CNN By Clare Foran, Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer and Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell tripped on Tuesday, spraining his wrist and sustaining “a minor cut to the face,” his office said in a statement. The incident is the latest in a high-profile string of health issues for the 82-year-old Kentucky

By Jennifer Hansler and Katie Bo Lillis, CNN (CNN) — The US government is rushing to uncover new information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice following the collapse of the Syrian government this weekend. The stunning fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime presents an opportunity to try to gather fresh intelligence about the American journalist

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden and key Democrats have come out against a once broadly bipartisan bill that would create 63 new permanent judgeships now that President-elect Donald Trump would be the one to fill 22 of them. The White House said Tuesday that Biden would veto the bill – passed

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court appeared poised Tuesday to significantly weaken the scope of environmental reviews of major infrastructure projects in a case that could hand President-elect Donald Trump an early win on an issue he often hammered on during his first term. If the court backs the plan to build

By Clare Foran, Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer and Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell tripped on Tuesday, spraining his wrist and sustaining “a minor cut to the face,” his office said in a statement. The incident is the latest in a high-profile string of health issues for the 82-year-old Kentucky Republican.

By Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — The New York attorney general and the Manhattan district attorney both said Tuesday they will not dismiss their historic cases against Donald Trump now that he’s been reelected president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, argued in a filing made public Tuesday

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department secretly obtained phone records from two members of Congress and 43 staffers – including Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI – during sweeping leak investigations during Trump’s first term, according to a watchdog report released Tuesday. The

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Ketanji Brown Jackson is set to fulfill another one of her life’s goals. The first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court is set to appear in a Broadway show on Saturday when she takes the stage in a one-night performance in “& Juliet.” It’s a walk-on role

By Marshall Cohen and Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump derailed his 2020 election subversion indictments by winning back the White House, but dozens of his allies still face state criminal prosecutions that he, even as president, can’t shut down through his Justice Department or short-circuit with pardons. Since the election, Democratic prosecutors in Georgia,

By Alex Marquardt, MJ Lee, Jennifer Hansler and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — The Biden White House is working increasingly closely with officials from the incoming administration as it races to try to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal to halt the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas before Donald Trump is inaugurated on

By Jack Forrest, CNN (CNN) — Two former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officials have been charged with war crimes for allegedly torturing Americans and other civilians who were deemed enemies by the Syrian government and held in a military prison, the Department of Justice said Monday. US prosecutors say the two officials in former President Bashar

By Clare Foran, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — Top GOP senators on Monday signaled support for Donald Trump’s plan to oust the current FBI director in favor of firebrand loyalist Kash Patel, while keeping the door open for Pete Hegseth, who faces a slate of misconduct allegations, as the president-elect’s pick to

By Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The US military is again pausing flights of it troubled V-22 Osprey fleet “to determine if any additional safety measures are necessary,” a Navy spokesperson said Monday. “Today, Naval Air Forces directed an operational pause for all U.S. Navy CMV-22B Ospreys following a recommendation from Naval

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — A judge has paused an ongoing lawsuit against Linda McMahon, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Education Department, that accuses her and the company she once led, World Wrestling Entertainment, of failing to act on allegations of sex abuse of children who helped ringside at wrestling events in the

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear an appeal from a group of parents who say their Wisconsin school district is hiding transgender support plans involving their children. Three conservatives said they would have heard the case: Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. While the Supreme Court

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to decide whether three elite Boston public schools violated the Constitution with a zip-code based admissions policy intended to ensure racial diversity. The appeal landed at the high court more than a year after a landmark 6-3 ruling ended affirmative action at universities

By Colin McCullough, CNN (CNN) — Lara Trump said Sunday that she is stepping down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee. “The job I came to do is now complete and I intend to formally step down from the RNC at our next meeting,” Trump said in a post on X. Trump, the daughter-in-law

By Evan Perez, Zachary Cohen and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Years before he was Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel was a midlevel Justice Department lawyer who once drew the ire of a Texas judge who described Patel as being precisely the kind of federal bureaucrat he has vowed to weed

CNN By Aaron Pellish, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump in a television interview that aired Sunday previewed a sweeping agenda for his first days in office, outlining how his administration will prioritize deporting migrants with criminal records, vowing to pursue pardons for January 6 defendants on his first day, and raising the possibility that

By Betsy Klein, Aileen Graef, Kayla Tausche, Jack Forrest and Isabelle D’Antonio, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden on Sunday called the extraordinary fall of the Assad regime in Syria “a moment of risk” and “historic opportunity” while offering a blueprint for how the US plans to support the region. Speaking at the White House

By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump repeated numerous false claims during an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” – including his old lie that the US is the world’s only country with birthright citizenship. Trump reiterated his intention to try to end birthright citizenship, in which, under the

By Aaron Pellish, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump in a television interview that aired Sunday previewed a sweeping agenda for his first days in office, outlining how his administration will prioritize deporting migrants with criminal records, vowing to pursue pardons for January 6 defendants on his first day, and raising the possibility that former

By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — For more on the GOP agenda in the new Congress, watch CNN’s “Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju” this Sunday at 8 a.m. ET and 11 a.m ET. Republicans from Capitol Hill to the White House are battling internally over the basic tenets of

CNN By Alex Marquardt, Katie Bo Lillis and Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — Biden administration officials, watching the remarkable speed of the Syrian rebel advance, increasingly see the possibility of the regime of Bashar al-Assad falling within days, five US officials told CNN. If the American analysis proves true, it would represent a spectacularly fast