Politics

By Jim Sciutto, Chief National Security Correspondent (CNN) — Weeks into Ukraine’s highly anticipated counteroffensive, Western officials describe increasingly “sobering” assessments about Ukrainian forces’ ability to retake significant territory, four senior US and western officials briefed on the latest intelligence told CNN. “They’re still going to see, for the next couple of weeks, if there

By Betsy Klein, Arlette Saenz and Ella Nilsen, CNN The Grand Canyon, Arizona (CNN) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday designated the fifth national monument of his presidency and unveiled new climate resilience funding for national parks during a visit to lands surrounding one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon.

By Jeff Zeleny and Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence has reached the donor threshold to qualify for the first GOP presidential debate later this month in Milwaukee, an aide told CNN on Monday. The Republican National Committee set a requirement of 40,000 unique donors minimum to qualify for the first

By Jason Morris, Sara Murray and Jack Forrest, CNN (CNN) — Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan received subpoenas to testify before a Fulton County grand jury this month, a source with direct knowledge of the 2020 election interference investigation in the state told CNN. Duncan has been a sharp critic of Donald Trump’s

By Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with some of the members of the military junta in Niger Monday – a significant diplomatic push to restore democratic rule in what has been a key US partner nation. Nuland met with Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Security for the federal judge assigned to oversee the criminal case against former President Donald Trump over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election has been increased in the federal courthouse in Washington, DC. CNN has observed more security detailed to Judge Tanya Chutkan, and deputy US Marshals discussed

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has proposed narrower rules than those sought by prosecutors over what he can do with evidence he is provided in the criminal election interference case. In a new court filing on Monday, Trump’s lawyers leaned heavily into claims that special counsel prosecutors are

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s counter defamation lawsuit against E. Jean Carroll, dealing another legal blow to the former president. In an order Monday, Judge Lewis Kaplan said that Trump had not proven that Carroll’s statements on CNN the day after the jury awarded her $5 million

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN Reporter, Crime and Justice (CNN) — Judge Aileen Cannon is asking the Justice Department and Donald Trump co-defendant Walt Nauta to weigh in on the legality of special counsel Jack Smith’s ongoing grand jury activity in Washington, DC, which relates to the obstruction portion of the Mar-a-Lago documents case before her

By Kit Maher, Steve Contorno and Shawna Mizelle, CNN (CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said “of course” Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, his the most direct comments on the matter in the nearly three years since the former president’s defeat. “Of course he lost,” DeSantis told NBC News in an interview that aired

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — A Russian and Chinese naval patrol consisting of several vessels operated off the coast of Alaska last week, defense officials and lawmakers said over the weekend – a show of force that prompted a US military response but did not pose a threat to the US or Canada, a

By Steve Contorno and Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) — Bernie Hayes has spent most Mondays since the overturning of Roe v. Wade meeting with friends outside of an Iowa Planned Parenthood trying to stop abortions one at a time. He huddles monthly with other like-minded activists plotting more wholesale paths to halting the procedure. Lately,

By Shawna Mizelle and Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump, who is facing charges in Washington, DC for allegedly conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election, claimed on Sunday that he wouldn’t receive a fair trial in the nation’s capital as he continues to rail against his latest indictment. “No

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said he would comply with the law if he were compelled to testify in former President Donald Trump’s trial in the 2020 election case. “I have no plans to testify, but, look, we’ll always comply with the law. But … I don’t know what

By Sam Fossum, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyer in the 2020 election subversion case on Sunday criticized the protective order requested by prosecutors that would put some restrictions on what Trump and his team can do with evidence shared with them. “The press and the American people in a campaign season

By Daniel Strauss, CNN (CNN) — Republican presidential candidates are increasingly making Vice President Kamala Harris their prime target as they jockey for attention from voters, focusing on the No. 2 Democrat rather than President Joe Biden. In statements, speeches, televised interviews and emails, they suggest that a vote for Biden, who would be 82

By Morgan Rimmer and Abby Baggini, CNN (CNN) — Kentucky Republicans are seeking to tie Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to President Joe Biden as they work to take back the governor’s mansion in November, a strategy that state Democrats have pushed back on with a focus on local issues. Biden remains unpopular in the deep

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at Mike Pence, his former vice president and GOP presidential primary opponent, calling him “delusional” and “not a very good person.” “WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke Saturday at the Fancy Farm picnic, one of Kentucky’s classic political events, but his remarks were largely drowned out by jeers from the Democratic side of the crowd, who stomped their feet and yelled, “RETIRE,” and “DITCH MITCH” as he spoke. McConnell’s appearance

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN Reporter, Crime and Justice (CNN) — A federal judge on Friday demanded an explanation from Rudy Giuliani as to why he conceded in court that he made false and defamatory statements about two Georgia election workers after the 2020 election but hasn’t forfeited their lawsuit against him. It’s the latest legal

CNN By Tierney Sneed and Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Saturday denied a request from former President Donald Trump’s legal team for a deadline extension over the handling of evidence in the 2020 election subversion case. Trump’s lawyers will have to respond by Monday afternoon to the Justice Department’s proposal for

By Dan Berman, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s legal schedule is getting fuller by the day as the political season heats up, with the former president facing multiple criminal charges with more possibly on the way. This week, Trump was indicted on charges of leading a conspiracy to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat and

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Biden administration has intensified its focus on tracing cryptocurrency payments that some of the most dangerous Mexican drug cartels use to buy fentanyl ingredients from Chinese chemical companies, the latest step in a renewed attempt to crack down on the multibillion-dollar fentanyl trade that kills thousands of

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump is set to visit South Carolina on Saturday, wrapping up a week that has been defined by his historic third indictment. Trump’s Saturday trip to the early-primary state – he’ll visit Columbia, South Carolina, for the state GOP’s Silver Elephant Dinner – follows a Friday

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sharply criticized his chief 2024 rival during a town hall in New Hampshire that aired Friday, telling the audience former President Donald Trump’s behavior could cause Republicans to lose. “These insults are so phony, these insults are juvenile. That is not the way a great

By Tierney Sneed and Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith asked a judge to quickly set limits on what Donald Trump’s team can do with the evidence that will be shared with them in the election subversion case against the former president. In a Friday night court filing, prosecutors pointed to a

By Kayla Tausche, CNN (CNN) — The White House is directing Cabinet agencies to bring federal workers back into the office more frequently in the coming months, according to an internal email obtained by CNN. The email, sent to Cabinet secretaries by White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, cites the end of the Covid-19

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — A cyberattack on Thursday knocked computer systems offline at hospitals in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, forcing them to send ambulances to other hospitals, hospital spokespeople told CNN. As of late Friday morning, Crozer Health, a network of three hospitals and a medical center in the Philadelphia suburbs, was still diverting

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The United States “is pausing certain foreign assistance programs benefiting the government of Niger” amid the military takeover in the West African country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Friday. Blinken described it as an “interim measure” and said it does not impact all foreign assistance programs. “Most importantly,

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN Reporter, Crime and Justice (CNN) — Bernie Kerik is refusing to turn over more than 300 records sought in a 2020 election-related lawsuit just before he is set to talk with the special counsel’s office, saying they fall under attorney confidentiality. Kerik, a former New York police commissioner who worked alongside

By Jeff Zeleny, Chief National Affairs Correspondent Harbor Springs, Michigan (CNN) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said it would be foolish for Democrats to view the presidential race with an air of overconfidence or presumed victory, despite persistent signs of economic growth under President Joe Biden and another criminal indictment facing his leading Republican challenger,

By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to freeze a lower court opinion that could prevent Tulsa from enforcing municipal laws – such as speeding tickets – against Native Americans. Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Samuel Alito wrote

By Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — The Biden administration is debating whether to designate Travis King, the US Army soldier who crossed into North Korea last month, as a prisoner of war, defense officials told CNN. No final decision has been made, officials said, and as of now King’s status is still

By Ella Nilsen, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden is strongly considering declaring a vast area around the Grand Canyon as the nation’s newest national monument, according to two sources familiar with the plans. Biden will visit Arizona next week as part of a swing through that state, New Mexico and Utah. The president is

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign is seeking to raise money off criticism by the NBA players’ union of an Orlando Magic donation to a super PAC that supports his presidential bid. In a text message Friday, the Republican’s presidential campaign said it appeared that the NBA had taken a

By Tierney Sneed (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump, in a court filing Friday, pleaded not guilty to the new charges special counsel Jack Smith brought against him in the case alleging mishandling of classified documents from his time in the White House. The filing marked the second time in 24 hours that the former

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas. Personal Birth date: August 24, 1955 Birth place: Hope, Arkansas Birth name: Michael Dale Huckabee Father: Dorsey Huckabee, a fireman and mechanic Mother: Mae (Elder) Huckabee, an office worker Marriage: Janet (McCain) Huckabee (May 25, 1974-present) Children:

By Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has issued guidance to the military workforce for the first time about how Pentagon leadership roles will likely need to be reshuffled as a result of Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military confirmations. In a memo dated August 2 and

By Rebekah Riess and Dianne Gallagher, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning of North Carolina and a member of her staff were involved a “serious car accident” Thursday morning in Greensboro on their way to a district event, according to a statement issued by the congresswoman’s office. Both the representative and staffer were taken

By Kayla Tausche and Kevin Liptak, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Montgomery Locks and Dam near Pittsburgh is in the midst of a $857 million upgrade to ensure water levels in the Upper Ohio River are high enough for large cargo ships to pass through. On a grassy roadside nearby, a white sign announces who’s

By Holmes Lybrand and Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — A lawyer for Charles McGonigal, the former head of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York field office who has been charged with concealing $225,000 he allegedly received from a former Albanian intelligence employee, said he expects the case against his client in Washington, DC, to be

By Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — The US State Department expects to be able to evacuate some Americans who wish to leave Niger on a charter flight transporting non-emergency diplomats and family members out of the country, a senior State Department official said. The official said that the State Department has been

By Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — An appointee by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to an oversight board of Disney’s special tax district taught a seminar in 2021 falsely claiming “Whites were also slaves in America,” using discredited research to say there was an “Irish slave trade.” The comments were made

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — For a group of roughly two dozen displaced Afghan university students, the future feels uncertain. They’ve already uprooted their lives once, fleeing Kabul – where they were studying at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) – when Afghanistan fell back under Taliban rule and the university was shuttered two

By Kylie Atwood, Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler and Kevin Liptak, CNN Washington (CNN) — Top US and European officials are concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is factoring the 2024 US presidential election into his Ukraine war planning in hopes that a loss by President Joe Biden next year will lead the US to curtail

By Jennifer Agiesta, CNN Polling Director (CNN) — Most Americans oppose Congress authorizing additional funding to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, as the public splits over whether the US has already done enough to assist Ukraine. Overall, 55% say the US Congress should not

By Cheri Mossburg, CNN Portland, Oregon (CNN) — Justice Elena Kagan declined Thursday to outright answer the question of whether Congress could impose an ethics code on the Supreme Court, but she did allow that it could do “various things” to regulate the high court. “It just can’t be that the court is the only

By Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden on Thursday called for the immediate release of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum in a written statement commemorating Niger’s Independence Day, saying the US “stands with the people of Niger” as the country faces a “grave challenge to its democracy.” This marks the first time Biden has

By Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — The US is considering putting troops on commercial vessels in critical Middle East waterways to prevent Iranian seizures, a US official familiar with the plans said Thursday, a decision that could bring US and Iranian forces closer to direct confrontation. The move would place teams of approximately 20 sailors

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals will allow the Biden administration to carry out a controversial asylum policy while it appeals a lower court’s ruling. A district court judge had blocked the policy last week but put that ruling on hold for 14 days for a possible appeal.

By Tierney Sneed (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a Washington, DC, federal courthouse Thursday to federal criminal charges stemming from his plots to overturn the 2020 election, in a 27-minute proceeding where the first flashes of the defense’s tactics emerged. It was the third occasion that Trump was arraigned on

By Dianne Gallagher, CNN (CNN) — Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina will not seek reelection to Congress in 2024, instead opting to run for state attorney general, he announced on a local radio show Thursday morning. “To have the news break that, in fact, I’m going to be a candidate, to come home

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — Two US Navy sailors have been indicted and arrested for allegedly sending sensitive US military information to Chinese intelligence officers. One of the sailors, Jinchao Wei, was arrested Wednesday as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, according to a statement released Thursday by the US Attorney

By Zachary Cohen and Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — A pro-Trump lawyer who allegedly took part in a conspiracy to seize and access voting machines in Michigan after the 2020 election is now facing four state-level criminal charges, according to court documents reviewed by CNN. Stefanie Lambert Junttila is the third – and expected to

CNN Editorial Research Here’s a look at the life of Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States. Personal Birth date: August 19, 1946 Birth place: Hope, Arkansas Birth name: William Jefferson Blythe III Father: William Blythe Mother: Virginia (Kelley) Blythe Marriage: Hillary (Rodham) Clinton (October 11, 1975-present) Children: Chelsea Victoria, February 27, 1980 Education:

By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — The day after former President Donald Trump was indicted over his efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, Trump repeated a lie that the indictment depicts as central to his attempt to obstruct the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Trump posted on social media on

By Tierney Sneed, Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. His arrest and arraignment came in the same Washington, DC, courthouse that had a direct view of the violence that

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — The two young, Black Tennessee state House Democrats whose expulsion following a gun control protest sparked a nationwide controversy in April, will win reelection on Thursday, CNN projects. State Rep. Justin Jones, who first won the overwhelmingly Democratic, Nashville-area District 52 seat with no Republican opposition in the 2022

By Kayla Tausche and Sam Fossum, CNN (CNN) — Outreach from Fitch Ratings to the Treasury Department on Monday afternoon set off a frenzy inside the Biden administration to respond to news that would once again put President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy under the microscope. The news from Fitch – that it would

By Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN (CNN) — Despite months of increasingly positive economic indicators, the American public remains negative about the state of the nation’s economy, with 51% saying they think the economy is still in a downturn and getting worse, according to a new CNN poll. This consistent pessimism, coupled with a

By Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN (CNN) — The share of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who believe that President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win was not legitimate has ticked back up, according to a new CNN poll fielded throughout July. All told, 69% of Republicans and Republican-leaners say Biden’s win was not legitimate, up

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — Family members of US Army Pvt. Travis King said Wednesday night that they had no reason to believe the soldier, who last month crossed the border between North and South Korea in the demilitarized zone separating the two nations, would defect from the US military. Jaqueda Gates, King’s

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Former Attorney General Bill Barr on Wednesday undermined a key pillar of his old boss’ defense in the special counsel’s probe into 2020 election interference, telling CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that Donald Trump “knew well he lost the election.” The former attorney general also described Trump’s alleged actions as detailed

By Fredreka Schouten (CNN) — In an unusual move for a professional sports team, the Orlando Magic donated $50,000 to a super PAC that supports the presidential bid of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a new filing this week with federal regulators shows. It’s rare for a sports franchise to donate directly to a federal super

CNN By Kayla Tausche, Kevin Liptak and Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — For the past four years, President Joe Biden and the first lady took cues from their son Hunter on how to discuss the 4-year-old girl in Arkansas a paternity test had determined was their granddaughter. That meant saying nothing about her at all.

By Kayla Tausche, Kevin Liptak and Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — For the past four years, President Joe Biden and the first lady took cues from their son Hunter on how to discuss the 4-year-old girl in Arkansas a paternity test had determined was their granddaughter. That meant saying nothing about her at all. Initially

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The US State Department on Wednesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Niger following last week’s military takeover. “On July 26, President Mohamed Bazoum was placed under house arrest amidst efforts to overthrow the democratically elected government of Niger. Subsequent events have severely limited flight

By Kristen Holmes, Oliver Darcy and David Goldman, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday dined with top Fox executives at his Bedminster golf club, during which Fox News president Jay Wallace and the network’s chief executive, Suzanne Scott, encouraged him to participate in the first presidential debate the network is hosting later

By Macie Goldfarb and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — In the ongoing battle between Walt Disney World and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Disney’s governing district – whose current board was hand-picked by DeSantis and took control of the district in February – abolished all of its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the district said in

By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter (CNN) — Approval ratings of the US Supreme Court remain at record low levels and Americans are closely divided on Justice Clarence Thomas, as the court continues to issue controversial opinions and is hit with criticism about ethics standards. The latest results are based on a Gallup

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN Washington (CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith reentered the public eye on Tuesday with a grand jury’s indictment of Donald Trump over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination,

By Tierney Sneed and Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith unveiled his case alleging that former President Donald Trump broke several laws in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, with a grand jury indictment returned Tuesday that illustrated the depth and breadth of the federal criminal investigation. Prosecutors said in the

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has been assigned to preside over former President Donald Trump’s criminal case in Washington, DC, has repeatedly spoken out in very strong terms against the efforts to overturn the election and disrupt the transfer of power. Chutkan, a Jamaica native, has

By Ethan Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Republican presidential candidates seeking to make the second debate stage in September will face tougher criteria for doing so, according to a person familiar with the new rules. To make the next debate, which will be held on September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley,