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Trump announces pardon for Tina Peters, increasing pressure to free her though he can’t erase state charges

By Samantha Waldenberg, Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is granting Tina Peters a full federal pardon, which is likely to increase the pressure campaign to free the former Colorado clerk from state prison even though he cannot erase her state charges. “Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia attends an event with supporters

Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody after judge’s ruling

CNN By Priscilla Alvarez, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Thursday afternoon following a federal judge’s order. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered Abrego Garcia’s release from ICE custody “immediately,” Thursday in a court filing, a significant development in the case concerning the Salvadoran man

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U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly speaks at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on December 1

Navy delivers report to Hegseth on potential of punishment for Sen. Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video

By Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The US Navy has submitted its recommendations on potential punishments, if any, for Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his participation in a video that reminded US troops they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, a Pentagon official told CNN on Thursday. Those recommendations have been submitted to the

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Trump takes steps toward demolishing four federal buildings, preservationist alleges

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — After demolishing the White House’s East Wing, President Donald Trump is now eying four federal buildings for the same treatment and is circumventing a key government agency with his plans, according to a historic preservationist raising the alarm. Mydelle “Mina” Wright, a former senior official at the General Services

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia attends an event with supporters

Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody after judge’s ruling

By Priscilla Alvarez, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Thursday afternoon following a federal judge’s order. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered Abrego Garcia’s release from ICE custody “immediately,” Thursday in a court filing, a significant development in the case concerning the El Salvadoran man

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Pentagon did not conduct routine investigation on whether Hegseth damaged national security by sharing strike plans on Signal

By Zachary Cohen, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon did not conduct a routine investigation into the impact of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s disclosure of sensitive military information in a group chat on Signal earlier this year and whether it damaged national security – in part because Hegseth never authorized it, according to multiple

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Trump’s face will replace images of national parks on some annual passes, environmental group sues to stop change

By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is ruffling more feathers with some fans of America’s national parks — this time by replacing images of the picturesque parks on some annual passes with an image of President Donald Trump’s face. An environmental group, the Center for Biological Diversity, is suing the administration

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A divided GOP forges ahead on health care message — without plan to address spiking premiums

By Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — Congressional Republicans are taking a major political gamble this week, laying out a GOP health care agenda that ignores the soon-to-expire enhanced subsidies that help tens of millions of Americans afford Obamacare — despite pleas from some in their own party. Top Republicans didn’t come to the decision easily.

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A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster recovery center in Pasadena

Exclusive: Trump’s FEMA council to recommend dramatic downsizing and overhaul – but not elimination – of the agency

By Gabe Cohen, CNN (CNN) — A task force created by President Donald Trump plans to recommend the most sweeping overhaul of FEMA in decades, dramatically reducing the federal agency’s role in disaster response by cutting its workforce in half and rolling out a new block grant system designed to get aid to communities faster

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President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington

US seizes oil tanker off Venezuelan coast

CNN By Adam Cancryn, Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said, escalating US pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s regime. “As you probably know we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said. “Large tanker, very large,

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In CNN interview, Govs. Spencer Cox of Utah and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania condemn political violence

By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned the rise of political violence during a joint interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, calling on politicians, including President Donald Trump, to help lower the temperature in the country. The two responded on Tuesday to the president’s comments

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President Donald Trump speaks in Mount Pocono

Almost eight years later, Trump confirms he used the phrase ‘shithole countries’

By Daniel Dale, CNN (CNN) — It was an international controversy during President Donald Trump’s first term. Media outlets including CNN reported that, at a closed-door January 2018 meeting with senators about immigration policy, Trump had asked why the US should accept immigrants from “shithole countries” such as some in Africa. Trump’s White House spokesperson

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Battleground Republicans clash with hard-liners over Obamacare subsidies as party talks health care strategy

By Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — A number of endangered GOP lawmakers on Wednesday privately pressed Republican leaders to address expiring Covid-era health care subsidies — but faced sharp pushback from the right flank of their party. And House Republican leaders remained adamant that they did not support a short-term fix, making it

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3 separate US strikes on alleged drug boats have initially left survivors. Each time they’ve been treated differently

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — As the US military has undertaken a campaign of attacks against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, at least five people have survived initial strikes ending up in the water after explosions killed fellow crew members and disabled their ships. But what happened next

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Maj. Blaine McGraw

Fort Hood doctor accused of sexual misconduct charged with secretly recording his patients

By Haley Britzky, Brianna Keilar, CNN (CNN) — An Army gynecologist accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of his former patients is officially charged with allegedly recording his patients, along with several other related charges, the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel said Tuesday. Maj. Blaine McGraw, a doctor at Fort Hood, Texas, was charged

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As Trump states Ukraine is losing the war with Russia, officials say the battlefield situation hasn’t changed significantly

By Jim Sciutto, CNN (CNN) — Following President Donald Trump’s claim that Ukraine is “losing” the war against Russia’s ongoing invasion and that Moscow now has the “upper hand,” multiple officials told CNN there are no new US or European assessments suggesting there have been significant changes on the battlefield and they don’t see any

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Senate to vote on GOP health care bill that does not extend expiring Obamacare tax credits

By Morgan Rimmer, Alison Main, Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — Majority Leader John Thune announced that the Senate will vote Thursday on a Republican-led alternative to Democrats’ three-year extension of soon-to-expire enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits. Neither bill, however, is expected to get the 60 votes needed to advance. Republicans have accused Democrats of

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Judge says Ghislaine Maxwell court documents can be released as part of the push for information on Jeffrey Epstein

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge in New York on Tuesday granted the Justice Department’s request to unseal records from the investigation and criminal prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell. The ruling from Judge Paul Engelmayer opens the door for the department to publicly release evidence it had gathered against Maxwell, an associate of

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Trump administration quietly builds plans for what would happen if Maduro were ousted in Venezuela

By Kylie Atwood, Alayna Treene, Jennifer Hansler, Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — Months into a pressure campaign that has seen the US military move thousands of troops and a carrier strike group into the Caribbean and President Donald Trump issue repeated threats against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration is working on day-after plans in the

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Trump’s lawyer pushed for more executive power; Supreme Court justices seem eager to comply

By Joan Biskupic, CNN Chief Supreme Court Analyst (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s lawyer argued on Monday for far-reaching power that would go well beyond his ability to fire officials at the Federal Trade Commission and other independent agencies. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan warned US Solicitor General D. John Sauer, “Once you’re down this road, it’s

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Exclusive: Migrant families paint grim picture of life in Texas ICE detention facility, new court documents show

By Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — Immigrant families held at a detention facility in Texas describe prolonged stays, despondent children, limited access to potable water and agents offering money for families to voluntarily leave the country, according to new court declarations filed early Tuesday morning. The filings paint a portrait of the inside

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Judge expands criminal contempt probe over deportation flights, saying Kristi Noem failed to provide answers

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Days after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem provided little information about her actions in a high-stakes deportation case, a federal judge on Monday expanded his criminal contempt probe into the matter, ordering a top Justice Department attorney to testify under oath about the episode. US District Judge James Boasberg

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Mace voices frustration with House GOP leaders in NYT op-ed, arguing they’re marginalizing rank-and-file members and women

By Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — Republican Rep. Nancy Mace criticized House GOP leaders, arguing they have marginalized rank-and file members, including women, in a New York Times op-ed published Monday. “Speaker Mike Johnson is better than his predecessor. But the frustrations of being a rank-and-file House member are compounded as certain individuals or groups

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Congress will vote on limiting Hegseth’s travel budget unless he releases unedited video of boat strikes

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Tucked into Congress’ massive defense policy bill is a provision that would limit Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget unless he provides the House and Senate Armed Services committees with unedited video of US military strikes in the Caribbean. The mandate in the must-pass piece of legislation – known

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Lindsey Halligan in the Oval Office

Bondi says judges are engaging in an ‘unconscionable campaign of bias’ against Lindsey Halligan

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Attorney General Pam Bondi denounced federal judges in Alexandria, Virginia, on Monday, saying that they had launched an “unconscionable campaign of bias and hostility” against Lindsey Halligan, who was recently stripped of her US attorney title. The statement from Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, posted on X,

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Trump blames Maduro for migrants, but a war in Venezuela could create millions of refugees

By Angélica Franganillo Díaz, CNN (CNN) — When President Donald Trump has been asked about the reason he’s pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down and threatening military action against the country, he consistently blames the South American leader for two things: drugs and migrants. “We just have to take care of Venezuela. They

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A view of the US Supreme Court in Washington

Supreme Court agrees to decide if Trump may end birthright citizenship

The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide if President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship with an executive order is constitutional, offering the justices an opportunity to revisit what has widely been considered settled law since the 19th Century.

By granting the appeal, the court is directly taking on the merits of a controversy that it largely avoided earlier this year, when it sided with Trump on technical grounds dealing with how the challenges to the policy were handled by lower courts.

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Federal judge in Florida orders unsealing of grand jury transcripts and records in Epstein probe

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge in Florida ordered the unsealing of grand jury transcripts and other records in the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, paving the way for the public release of those documents. In a two-page order, Judge Rodney Smith granted the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts and

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Trump national security strategy calls for ‘cultivating resistance’ in Europe and changing US’ role in Western Hemisphere

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN (CNN) — The White House quietly released President Donald Trump’s new national security strategy late Thursday, a 33-page document that elevates his “America First” doctrine and sets out the administration’s realignment of US foreign policy, from shifting military resources in the Western Hemisphere to taking an unprecedentedly confrontational posture toward Europe.

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Exclusive: Survivors clinging to capsized boat didn’t radio for backup, admiral overseeing double-tap strike tells lawmakers

By Katie Bo Lillis, Natasha Bertrand, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The two men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat in a secondary strike against a suspected drug vessel in early September did not appear to have radio or other communications devices, the top military official overseeing the strike told lawmakers on

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US strikes another boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four, amid escalating questions about its counter-drug offensive

By Samantha Waldenberg, CNN (CNN) — The US military carried out a strike Thursday on a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people on board, according to a social media post from US Southern Command. “Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated

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