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Qatari plane that could be new Air Force One will be ‘unconditional’ gift to the Pentagon, agreement says

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart have signed an agreement outlining the terms of Qatar’s “unconditional donation” of a Boeing jet to the Pentagon, confirming that the US will pay nothing to Qatar for the plane, according to a copy of the memorandum of understanding reviewed by

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Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship could have taken effect this weekend. Lower courts are continuing to block it

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A Supreme Court decision last month limiting the use of nationwide injunctions appeared to pave the way for President Donald Trump to begin enforcing his plan to end birthright citizenship on Sunday — until lower courts stalled the effort. The president could have begun enforcement if lower courts had

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‘He fumbled this 1,000%’: How Ron DeSantis keeps making powerful enemies in Trump’s GOP

By Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — Thirty minutes into a routine appearance Thursday on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis abruptly turned his fire on a fellow Republican, accusing a veteran state lawmaker of betraying the party’s voters. Hours later, President Donald Trump endorsed that same lawmaker, Joe Gruters, to become the next chairman of

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Retired CIA official rebuts Gabbard’s claims about US intelligence on Russian election interference

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN (CNN) — Retired CIA official Susan Miller, an author of the agency’s 2017 intelligence report on Russian election meddling, is vowing to fight any potential criminal charges brought by the Trump administration. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused the Obama administration of manufacturing the intelligence report, which assessed that

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House Ethics report finds AOC ‘impermissibly accepted gifts’ related to 2021 Met Gala appearance

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN (CNN) — The House Ethics Committee found that Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “impermissibly accepted gifts” in connection with her 2021 appearance at the Met Gala, violating a House rule. The House “gift rule” prohibits lawmakers from knowingly accepting gifts, including favors, discounts, or services, with some exceptions. In a report released

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Trump signs executive order making it easier to remove homeless people from streets

By Donald Judd, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday making it easier for local jurisdictions to remove homeless people from the streets. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees” that limit jurisdictions’ abilities to relocate homeless people. It also redirects

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What we know about the Epstein files

By Kara Scannell, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — Federal prosecutors amassed millions of records during the sex trafficking investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The question of what is actually in those pages — and whether the public will ever see them — has become central to

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Exclusive: ‘A more vulnerable nation’: FEMA memos lay out risks of plan to cut $1B in disaster and security grants

By Gabe Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has proposed cutting nearly $1 billion in grant funding for communities and first responders nationwide to better prepare for disasters and to bolster security for possible terror or cyberattacks. The proposed cuts, which still require approval from the White House budget office and Congress,

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Ex-Biden chief of staff told congressional staffers that Clinton, Sullivan raised concerns about Biden’s waning support

By Jake Tapper, Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN (CNN) — Former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, told staffers on the House Oversight Committee that former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised concerns to him in 2023 and 2024 about Biden’s political chances, two sources familiar with the

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Democratic socialists fresh off Mamdani victory see opportunity in Minneapolis

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Less than a month after Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City’s mayoral primary, some of Mamdani’s allies are coalescing around another democratic socialist challenging the incumbent Democratic mayor of Minneapolis. Minnesota State Sen. Omar Fateh has proposed enacting rent stabilization if elected mayor, disciplining and firing local police

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Murkowski questions whether Trump admin is attacking Obama to distract from Epstein fallout

CNN By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski questioned whether Trump administration officials are accusing former President Barack Obama of treason in order to distract from the fallout over its handling documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Obviously, this is new language. Words like treason are big words, right?” the Alaska Republican

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Murkowski questions whether Trump admin is attacking Obama to distract from Epstein fallout

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski questioned whether Trump administration officials are accusing former President Barack Obama of treason in order to distract from the fallout over its handling documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Obviously, this is new language. Words like treason are big words, right?” the Alaska Republican told

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Federal appeals court issues another blow to Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday issued another major blow to President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, ruling that it’s unconstitutional and upholding a nationwide block against the controversial policy. The 2-1 ruling from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is significant because the

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Gabbard releases more Russia documents to accuse Obama of ‘manufacturing’ intelligence

By Jeremy Herb, Katie Bo Lillis, CNN (CNN) — One day after President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of treason over the intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and sought to help Trump, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified a highly sensitive congressional report she claimed was more evidence

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Exclusive: Trump administration moves to rapidly deport migrant children, asking teens if they want to leave

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is moving to rapidly deport some migrant children who arrived in the US without a parent or guardian by having federal agents ask teens whether they want to voluntarily depart the country, according to two Homeland Security officials and a source familiar with the discussions. The

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Trump’s Justice Department seeks voter rolls from Michigan, a key battleground

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is asking the top election official in the key battleground state of Michigan for access to voter registration records and demanding information about its efforts to kick ineligible voters off the rolls. The department’s outreach to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in the

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Supreme Court lets Trump dismiss Consumer Product Safety Commission members for now

By Devan Cole, John Fritze, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed President Donald Trump to remove three members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission for now, the latest instance in which the conservative court has backed an emergency appeal from the administration. The court’s three liberal members dissented from the decision.

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Abrego Garcia to remain behind bars for at least a month even as judge rejects Trump administration’s claim he’s dangerous

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge in Tennessee declined on Wednesday to undo a separate judge’s decision to let Kilmar Abrego Garcia remain free while he awaits trial on human smuggling charges — though he’ll continue to remain behind bars for at least another month. The ruling from US District Judge Waverly

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Pentagon watchdog has evidence Hegseth’s Signal messages included classified information, sources say

By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon’s inspector general has received evidence that the military plans shared from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Signal account to a group chat earlier this year were taken from a US Central Command document that was marked classified at the time, according to two people familiar

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Judge declines to release grand jury documents from the criminal probe into Jeffrey Epstein

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Kara Scannell, CNN Washington (CNN) — A Florida federal judge on Wednesday declined to release additional grand jury documents from the criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first roadblock in the Justice Department’s efforts to quell the public backlash over the handling of the case. The request is related to

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Demonstrators with signs stand around the John Harvard Statue in Harvard Yard after a rally was held against President Donald Trump's attacks on Harvard University at Harvard University in Cambridge

Trump administration opens investigation into Harvard’s visa program eligibility

By Jennifer Hansler and Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — The US State Department is opening an investigation into Harvard University’s “continued eligibility as a sponsor for the Exchange Visitor Program,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday, marking the Trump administration’s latest escalation against the Ivy League institution. It was announced amid ongoing legal

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‘We learned some lessons’: How Chuck Schumer and Democrats are gearing up for the next funding fight with Trump

By Lauren Fox and Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — Democrats will soon face a significant test of their willingness to take on President Donald Trump with a fall funding deadline fast-approaching. And this time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn’t want to become his party’s bogeyman. Months after a contentious fight that put him at

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Exclusive: Newly discovered photos and video shed fresh light on Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein

By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN (CNN) — Newly uncovered archived video footage and photos reveal fresh details about Donald Trump’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Photos from 1993 confirm for the first time that Epstein attended Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. Epstein’s attendance at the ceremony at the Plaza Hotel was not

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Attorneys for wrongly deported Venezuelan asylum seeker will seek criminal contempt proceedings after prisoner swap

By Devan Cole and Molly Reinmann, CNN (CNN) — Lawyers for a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker who was wrongly deported earlier this year will ask a federal judge in coming days to consider opening criminal contempt proceedings against the Trump administration for “egregious violations” of her orders. The potential proceedings would open a major new

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House increases security funding ahead of members’ return to their home districts after attack on Minnesota lawmakers

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — The House is increasing security funding and resources for lawmakers after a June attack on Minnesota state lawmakers reignited the long-standing question of how to best keep members and their families safe when they’re away from Washington. Members will have $20,000 to increase the security of their homes, up

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2,000 National Guard troops expected to be called up to assist at ICE detention facilities, sources say

By Haley Britzky and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — Roughly 2,000 National Guard troops across multiple states are expected to be mobilized to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement at detention facilities, according to a US official and a source familiar with the planning. It’s unclear when the troops will be mobilized, though the US official

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Justice Department reaches out to Maxwell as calls for Epstein transparency grow louder on Capitol Hill

By Shania Shelton, Annie Grayer and Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — The Department of Justice said Tuesday it has reached out to Jeffrey Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell for a meeting amid backlash over the administration’s handling of files related to Epstein. “Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching

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‘It’s just wildly misleading’: Why the administration’s latest allegations about the Russia investigation don’t add up

By Jeremy Herb and Katie Bo Lillis, CNN (CNN) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified and released new intelligence documents Friday that she claimed were evidence of a “treasonous conspiracy” by top Obama administration officials to manufacture the notion that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. But the allegations conflate and misrepresent

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Judge partially blocks Trump administration from enforcing funding ban against Planned Parenthood

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Monday extended an order that blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a provision of President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy law to defund Planned Parenthood’s health care services. US District Judge Indira Talwani partially granted Planned Parenthood’s request for a preliminary injunction while its

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Trump ‘caught off guard’ by Israel’s actions in Gaza and Syria last week as skepticism of Netanyahu grows inside White House

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump was caught by surprise last week by Israeli actions in Gaza and Syria, and in both instances phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “rectify” the matter, according to the White House. That underscores what sources have said is an increasingly tense dynamic between the two leaders.

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Netanyahu, weighing in on New York mayoral race, rips Mamdani’s proposals as ‘stupid’

By Gloria Pazmino, CNN New York (CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed some of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign proposals in New York City as “nonsense,” saying the Democratic mayoral nominee would only serve one term if elected in November. Netanyahu appeared on “The Full Send Podcast” with the Nelk Boys Monday. During a wide-ranging

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Gabbard threatens Obama officials with criminal referral over 2016 election assessment

By Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Friday threatened to refer Obama administration officials to the Justice Department for prosecution over the intelligence assessment of Russia’s 2016 election interference, in the latest example of officials going after perceived enemies of President Donald Trump. Gabbard declassified documents Friday that she

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DOJ moves to release grand jury testimony in Epstein case

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration’s chaotic handling of the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files continued Friday as the Justice Department asked a federal judge to make public years-old grand jury testimony made behind closed doors against the convicted sex offender. In its filing, the department justified releasing the heretofore secret evidence

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State Department official testifies how Stephen Miller was involved in discussions over student visas and antisemitism

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — The State Department had more than a dozen meetings with the White House – including Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff – and other agencies to discuss the topic of student visas, a top department official said in federal court on Friday. The White

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