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Takeaways from Blanche’s House testimony: ‘Anti-weaponization’ fund is over, ban on Trump tax audits remains

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified to lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department has abandoned its plans for an “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate people who say they were wrongly prosecuted by the government. “We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche told the House Appropriations

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Why Trump selected an acting director of national intelligence with no intel experience

By Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene, Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — The behind-the-scenes jockeying began almost immediately after Tulsi Gabbard announced last month that she would resign as director of national intelligence. Some allies told President Donald Trump he should replace Gabbard with someone who had more intelligence experience. Others said he should go with someone

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Trump names controversial top housing official to be acting director of national intelligence

By Zachary Cohen, Hannah Rabinowitz, Aileen Graef, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump on Tuesday named housing official Bill Pulte, who has played a leading role in stoking the president’s retribution campaign, as acting director of national intelligence. Pulte — a wealthy businessman turned Federal Housing Finance Agency director — appears to be an unusual choice

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Janet Mills reminds voters she’s ‘still on the ballot’ against Platner as some supporters want her to campaign again

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — Some prominent supporters of Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ now-suspended run for US Senate suggested Monday she should revive her campaign in a last-ditch effort to stop Graham Platner as his bid becomes engulfed by another controversy. “I definitely want her to un-suspend her campaign,” said Lynn Bromley, a former

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media prior to a Marine One departure from the South Lawn of the White House on May 8 in Washington

Trump administration signals to GOP congressional leaders it will back off $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

By Kristen Holmes, Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has signaled to Republican congressional leaders that it plans to drop the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, though it was unclear how firm or permanent that plan is, according to two sources familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump has not committed publicly to terminating

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers his 100 Days Address

Mamdani-backed congressional candidate deleted posts calling to seize private property, abolish police, borders, prisons

By Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck, CNN (CNN) — Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist congressional candidate endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, deleted a previous Twitter account that included thousands of posts and reposts expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders, as well as seizing private property and nationalizing major industries and

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Hackers breach senior US Space Force official’s Instagram account and post Iranian propaganda

By Sean Lyngaas, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Hackers breached a senior US Space Force official’s Instagram account and temporarily posted a string of pro-Iran and anti-US propaganda on Sunday, some of it invoking the Vietnam War. One video reviewed by CNN used audio from “Hanoi Hannah,” an infamous Vietnam War propagandist, telling US soldiers

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Sen. Mitch McConnell

Anxious GOP lawmakers seek specific promise that DOJ fund is dead before moving on Trump agenda

By Ted Barrett, Adam Cancryn, Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Senate Republicans need more assurances that the Trump administration will completely drop a controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund after the Justice Department said it would abide by a court order temporarily blocking the effort. Many senators told CNN they cannot move

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Former county clerk Tina Peters listens during her criminal trial in Grand Junction

Election denier Tina Peters released from prison

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Election denier Tina Peters was released from a Colorado prison Monday, prison officials confirmed, weeks after the state’s Democratic governor granted a controversial commutation that cut her sentence in half. The Republican former Mesa County clerk was convicted in 2024 of state felonies for conspiring with fellow election deniers

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Graham Platner’s wife says she’s ‘deeply hurt’ by public revelations of her husband’s extramarital sexts

By Michael Williams, Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — The wife of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said she was “deeply hurt” after details of her husband’s extramarital sexting became public Saturday, accusing a former campaign official and confidante of betraying her trust. The statement from Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, came after both The New

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California blues: Races for governor, Los Angeles mayor feature weak Democratic frontrunners and insurgent Republicans

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Democrats’ governance in one of the bluest states in America is being put to the test Tuesday, as California voters in primaries for governor and Los Angeles mayor weigh crowded fields led by relatively weak or unpopular frontrunners. President Donald Trump may be less popular with voters now than

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Trump’s doctor recommends he lose weight and exercise more but says he is in ‘excellent health’

By Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — The White House released the results of President Donald Trump’s May physical late Friday evening, sharing a memo from his physician recommending he lose weight and exercise more while noting he is in excellent health. “President Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical

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Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization fund’ is stalled, and some allies are urging him to scrap it entirely

By Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” is stalled, with some allies urging the White House to scrap it altogether amid an unusually intense backlash from multiple Senate Republicans, sources familiar with the matter said. It remains to be seen whether the president will agree to end the

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US military leader held rare meeting with senior Cuban military officials near US base at Guantanamo Bay

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — The commander of US Southern Command met with senior Cuban military officials on Friday in a rare meeting on the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, a US military installation located in Cuba’s southeast. SOUTHCOM said that Commander Gen. Francis Donovan met with Cuban Army Corps Gen. Roberto Legrá

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Reid Hoffman says E. Jean Carroll probe involving his nonprofit is meant to ‘silence’ Trump critics

By Kara Scannell, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Democratic billionaire Reid Hoffman said Friday that the Justice Department’s criminal probe involving donations he made toward E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits is meant to “silence” those who stand up to President Donald Trump. “He is investigating me because I supported E Jean’s lawsuit –– where a jury

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How James Talarico is working to win over Black voters who strongly backed Jasmine Crockett

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — At James Talarico’s first rally after Ken Paxton became his opponent in their US Senate race, one of Texas’ most prominent Black leaders, Rodney Ellis, acknowledged he had supported Talarico’s opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, in their hard-fought Democratic primary. “That was then, this is now,” Ellis said on Wednesday.

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Mullin plan to punish sanctuary jurisdictions by targeting their airports faces fierce headwinds

By Michael Williams, Alayna Treene, Alexandra Skores, CNN (CNN) — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has become preoccupied with an idea to punish cities and states that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement — cutting customs staffing at their airports and possibly stopping the processing of international travelers all together. But the

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Iran’s nuclear stockpile — a key part of negotiations to end the war and a focus of Trump’s — explained

By Davis Winkie, CNN (CNN) — What happens to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, including the 970 pounds that it has highly concentrated to near-weapons grade, is one of the primary sticking points as the US and Iran have trudged through weeks of negotiations to potentially end the Iran war. President Donald Trump has insisted that

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LA mayor candidate Spencer Pratt distances himself from past 9/11 conspiracy comments, says he was ‘young and naive’

By Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck, CNN (CNN) — Years before Spencer Pratt emerged as a high-profile insurgent candidate in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, the former reality TV star immersed himself in the world of noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — telling Jones’ audience in 2009 that the September 11 attacks were “100%” an inside

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This photo US Rep. Andy Barr posted to X on January 8

Trump admin planning to potentially put president’s image on commemorative $250 bill

By Aileen Graef, CNN (CNN) — The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is planning to potentially print a commemorative $250 bill with the image of President Donald Trump to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed the plans in a statement, saying it was conducting “appropriate planning and due diligence” in response

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E. Jean Carroll leaves a courthouse in New York in September 2024.

Exclusive: Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz, Paula Reid, Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The investigation is focused on whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony tied

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Federal prosecutors charge Google engineer for allegedly using insider info to make $1.2 million on Polymarket

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — Federal prosecutors in New York charged a Google software engineer with making roughly $1.2 million in profits from bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket by using confidential insider information he learned about the most searched people of 2025. Michele Spagnuolo, the Google software engineer, allegedly used an account

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Exclusive: Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Paula Reid, Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The investigation is focused on whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony tied to

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Jill Biden reignites the Democrats’ age argument by questioning if Joe Biden had a stroke during 2024 debate

CNN By Eric Bradner, Dana Bash, CNN (CNN) — Jill Biden’s new comments about Joe Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate have reignited a conversation that tore the Democratic Party apart during and after the now-former president’s performance. Biden told CBS News in an interview clip published Wednesday that her husband’s stumbles and apparent confusion “scared me

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Jill Biden reignites the Democrats’ age argument by questioning if Joe Biden had a stroke during 2024 debate

By Eric Bradner, Dana Bash, CNN (CNN) — Jill Biden’s new comments about Joe Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate have reignited a conversation that tore the Democratic Party apart during and after the now-former president’s performance. Biden told CBS News in an interview clip published Wednesday that her husband’s stumbles and apparent confusion “scared me to

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Iran war spending drains US military budgets, triggering cancelled trainings, delayed maintenance

By Davis Winkie, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon is feeling the financial squeeze and is struggling in some cases to carry out routine training and maintenance amid its ongoing operations against Iran, with uniformed military leaders pressing Congress to support additional funding. The Navy’s top officer, Adm. Daryl Caudle, told House Armed Services Committee lawmakers

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John Cornyn’s defeat raises a new question: Will he join the Senate Republicans rebelling against Trump?

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — Sen. John Cornyn’s landslide defeat immediately raises a pressing question for his GOP colleagues: Will he join the ranks of other Republicans recently vanquished by President Donald Trump and begin bucking the president more? Cornyn suggested prior to Tuesday’s loss that he will continue to be a team player,

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‘Slush fund for crooks’: GOP lawmaker faces criticism over ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, Epstein files and Trump at town hall

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — GOP Rep. Mike Flood said President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund should not be used for rioters who were at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, during a town hall in his district Tuesday where he was repeatedly pressed on his support of the president’s agenda. The Nebraska congressman,

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President Donald Trump walks as he arrives at Morristown Airport in New Jersey

Targets of Trump’s retribution slam ‘slush fund,’ saying they’re the real victims of weaponized DOJ

By Marshall Cohen, Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Former US Capitol riot prosecutors, fired federal officials and journalists who say they were past targets of President Donald Trump’s retribution tell CNN they may seek compensation from the Justice Department’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Some Trump critics have already sent letters to the DOJ outlining their

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John Cornyn makes his last stand against Ken Paxton, and other things to watch in Tuesday’s Texas runoffs

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — Republican Sen. John Cornyn’s uphill battle for renomination from his party reaches its conclusion Tuesday as voters head to the polls in the Texas primary runoffs. Cornyn’s race against state Attorney General Ken Paxton was considered highly competitive until a week ago, when President Donald Trump abruptly backed Paxton

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Sidelined on Iran and Venezuela, Gabbard instead pursued Trump’s Deep State grievances amid her own suspicions

By Jeremy Herb, Zachary Cohen, Kristen Holmes, Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump selected Tulsi Gabbard as his top intelligence official thanks to her non-interventionist, “America First” ideology that had pushed her away from the Democratic Party and into the MAGA fold. But as Trump’s director of national intelligence, Gabbard’s isolationist tendencies quickly

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Bettina Anderson floated a White House wedding to Donald Trump Jr. She got an island ceremony instead

By Kristen Holmes, Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — Palm Beach socialite and model Bettina Anderson celebrated her marriage to President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., on a tropical island Saturday. It wasn’t the affair the bride had originally envisioned. Anderson had initially expressed interest in getting married at the White House, multiple sources

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Kilmar Abrego

Judge dismisses charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying Todd Blanche spurred a ‘tainted investigation’

By Holmes Lybrand, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the man the Trump administration deported to El Salvador last year despite a judge’s order barring his removal to the country – have been dismissed by a federal judge in Tennessee, who cited a “tainted investigation” by now-acting Attorney

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Trump says he’s sending 5,000 troops to Poland, deepening confusion over US military deployments to Europe

By Lex Harvey, Kit Maher, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump declared Thursday the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, an apparent reversal following recent moves by his administration to reduce the number of US troops in Europe. The announcement comes one week after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stopped

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Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration will be on a small island in the Bahamas — without his father present, sources say

By Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson will hold a wedding celebration on a small island in the Bahamas this weekend, two people familiar with the plans told CNN. One person who is not expected to attend the intimate affair? President Donald Trump

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Legal challenge to Idaho school bathroom law dismissed

A legal challenge against Idaho’s school privacy law has officially come to an end after plaintiffs agreed to dismiss both their district court case and Ninth Circuit appeal.

According to a statement issued by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador. The lawsuit, Sexuality and Gender Alliance v. Critchfield, challenged Senate Bill 1100, a 2023 Idaho law requiring students in K-12 public schools to use bathrooms, locker rooms, showers and overnight accommodations that correspond with their biological sex.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) speaks to reporters before Jeffrey Epstein's former assistant Sarah Kellen testifies at a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington

Epstein’s longtime assistant accused three previously unknown abusers connected to him, Oversight chair says

By Annie Grayer, MJ Lee, CNN (CNN) — Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime assistant gave the House Oversight Committee three new names of alleged abusers in the convicted sex offender’s network — a revelation that committee chairman James Comer described as a promising lead in his panel’s investigation into Epstein’s misdeeds. The assistant, Sarah Kellen, provided the

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