CNN – US Politics

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has been receiving options for expanding the military operation in Iran, according to two people familiar with the matter, including during a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday that centered on ways to intensify efforts to loosen Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has publicly

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Several years ago, a family came to the United States and took up a terrifying new endeavor: smuggling young, poor women from Central and South America into the country and forcing them into prostitution. The scheme was rather straightforward, according to court documents. One or two members of the

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Katie Bo Lillis, Holmes Lybrand, Katelyn Polantz, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — In twin hearings Wednesday, two nominees integral to executing President Donald Trump’s agenda worked to convince senators that they were up to the task: Todd Blanche for attorney general, and Jay Clayton to lead the US Intelligence community. The men

By MJ Lee, Annie Grayer, Nicky Robertson, CNN (CNN) — The House Oversight Committee has discussed with Jeffrey Epstein survivors the possibility of the women providing affidavits about longtime Epstein assistant Lesley Groff – coming on the heels of multiple survivors telling CNN that Groff had lied to the committee last month. The ongoing deliberations

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance said in a podcast episode that aired Wednesday that the backlash to a UFC fighter’s false and offensive remark about former first lady Michelle Obama was “totally disproportionate” to the comment itself. Speaking on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in an episode that taped Tuesday, Vance

By Ellis Kim, Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — The US House on Tuesday voted in strong bipartisan fashion to enact year-round Daylight Saving Time across the country. But the measure’s fate in the Senate remains far from certain. Senate Republican leaders have not said whether they will bring the bill – known as the “Sunshine

By Kristen Holmes, Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Chief of staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s closest aide, and FBI Director Kash Patel helped personally orchestrate a sprawling investigation last week at the White House aimed at determining who in the government leaked information about the security deficiencies of a Qatari-gifted airplane meant

By Annie Grayer, Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck, CNN (CNN) — Former Obama White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler said she regrets interacting with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and believes now it was a mistake, according to opening remarks she delivered to House committee investigators as part of a closed-door interview. “If I knew

By Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday revealed his long-awaited plans for a massive $95 billion emergency funding request to pay for defense spending, including for the Iran war, and to promote President Donald Trump’s push to crack down on election laws. It’s a massive gamble by Johnson,

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — County party chairs inundated with calls. An endless stream of Google sign-up forms and spreadsheets. And a disgraced former nominee looming over it all, haunting the party’s hopes of starting anew. The snap Democratic election to replace Graham Platner and face Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall is off

By Adam Cancryn, Kevin Liptak, Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump shocked Gulf allies and many of his own aides with his plan to impose a toll on the Strait of Hormuz, touching off an international scramble to convince him to reverse course on his demand, several sources familiar with the matter told

CNN By Adam Cancryn, Kevin Liptak, Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump shocked Gulf allies and many of his own aides with his plan to impose a toll on the Strait of Hormuz, touching off an international scramble to convince him to reverse course on his demand, several sources familiar with the matter

CNN By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Darline Graham, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s younger sister, was sworn into the Senate on Tuesday to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term after his sudden death over the weekend. She was appointed to the seat by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and will remain in

By Jennifer Hansler, Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju, Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — US senators on Tuesday unveiled their sweeping bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, which they have urged Congress to quickly pass to honor of one its main sponsors, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The legislation, which is meant to pressure Moscow and deprive it of

By Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — The US House voted Tuesday to pass a measure to enact year-round Daylight Saving Time across the country, springing Congress forward into an issue that has long stumped lawmakers and spurred impassioned pleas by parents, farmers and others with sharply divergent views. It will now head to the Senate

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Darline Graham, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s younger sister, was sworn into the Senate on Tuesday to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term after his sudden death over the weekend. She was appointed to the seat by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and will remain in the

CNN, CLEVELAND CLINIC By Betsy Klein, Holmes Lybrand, Manu Raju, Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump downplayed the idea Tuesday that Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death was a result of any nefarious activity, saying the FBI is “wasting their time” if they’re pursuing conspiracy theories about the matter. According to four law enforcement sources

By Betsy Klein, Holmes Lybrand, Manu Raju, Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump downplayed the idea Tuesday that Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death was a result of any nefarious activity, saying the FBI is “wasting their time” if they’re pursuing conspiracy theories about the matter. According to four law enforcement sources who spoke with

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has rescinded its effort to freeze $10 billion in childcare and social assistance funding for five blue states — the latest setback in its push to withhold or cut federal funding to fight alleged fraud and to punish perceived opponents. The freeze was announced in early

CNN By John Fritze, Devan Cole, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered an unusually personal plea for additional security funding for the Supreme Court on Tuesday, using a pair of rare hearings before Congress to address for the first time personal threats that have been directed against her and her family.

CNN By John Fritze, Devan Cole, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered an unusually personal plea for additional security funding for the Supreme Court on Tuesday, using a pair of rare hearings before Congress to address for the first time personal threats that have been directed against her and her family.

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — The US Justice Department on Tuesday announced the indictment of three Russians who prosecutors say were at the center of a major cybercrime network that allegedly helped hackers target hospitals, schools and banks across the US, causing $62 million in damages. The indictment targets one of the more brazen

By Kevin Liptak, Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump plans to use part of a primetime speech Thursday to discuss new findings about the security of American elections, among other topics — setting up yet another high-profile opportunity for the president to dispute the results of the 2020 election he lost. Speaking in

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — More than $5 million was transferred to E. Jean Carroll, a significant move in a protracted legal battle with President Donald Trump coming three years after a jury found he had sexually abused and defamed the former magazine writer. The disbursement of $5,625,005.48 – the damages award plus interest

By John Fritze, Devan Cole, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered an unusually personal plea for additional security funding for the Supreme Court on Tuesday, using a pair of rare hearings before Congress to address for the first time personal threats that have been directed against her and her family. Barrett,

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — More than three years ago, President Donald Trump turned to New York defense attorney Todd Blanche to step into a legal firestorm that threatened multiple criminal convictions and could cost Trump’s business hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, Blanche is slated to formally undertake the permanent role

By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was drained Monday to make repairs and that it “will be refilled and put back into service soon,” again claiming that vandals gashed the pool’s lining. CNN observed that much of the water had been drained, revealing dried sediment,

By Sarah Ferris, Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — Republicans returned to Washington on Monday night in an increasingly dour mood about the state of their party: Growing fears of a November wipeout. A Middle East war with no end in sight. A feeling of loss after the sudden death of their longtime colleague Lindsey Graham.

By Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville said one of his staffers was with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s scheduler Saturday evening when the late senator called the scheduler to complain of chest pains and asked her to call for emergency services. “Lindsey called, called basically, said, ‘Listen, I’m having chest pains. You know,

By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump will support the passage of a bipartisan Russia sanctions package that was spearheaded by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a White House official told CNN on Monday. The endorsement comes days after Graham’s unexpected death, likely further smoothing the path for a bill that the South