CNN – US Politics

By Em Steck, Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — Former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson admitted he lied about a bombshell CNN KFile investigation during the final months of his 2024 gubernatorial campaign, uncovering his extensive history of posting inflammatory and racist comments on a pornography website. Robinson initially denied the report and sued CNN

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly stated that the number and intensity of the strikes the US is carrying out against Iran is only increasing, data provided by the US military shows a pace of operations that has ebbed and flowed over the last three weeks. As Hegseth

By Kit Maher, Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump is reshaping a Colorado Republican primary by offering one of the candidates a role in his administration and returning his endorsement to the incumbent, whom he called a “RINO” just last month. On Friday, Trump said that he met with Hope Scheppelman, who is

By Camila DeChalus, Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN (CNN) — More than a month into the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are reckoning with their own travel privileges amid anxieties the funding crunch could exacerbate issues at already understaffed airports around the country. Lawmakers typically are allowed expedited screenings and to request security

By Sunlen Serfaty, Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — The White House has denied that TV host and comedian Bill Maher will receive the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, even though two sources close to the Kennedy Center told CNN he had been offered the honor. “This is fake news. Bill Maher will NOT

By Alayna Treene, Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — US officials are furiously trying to avert a potential monthslong closure of the Strait of Hormuz, privately acknowledging that reopening the key waterway is a problem without a clear solution and dependent at least in part on what lengths President Donald

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration slapped a new multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Harvard University on Friday, alleging that the school is in violation of a civil rights law and has failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination. It is asking a federal judge to require the school to pay back

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Friday revived a First Amendment lawsuit from a street preacher who used a loudspeaker to call people “whores,” “Jezebels” and “sissies” as they tried to enter an amphitheater to attend concerts in a suburban Mississippi community. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the opinion for a unanimous

By Kaanita Iyer, Brian Todd, CNN (CNN) — Veterans’ advocates are raising concerns that a new agreement between the departments of Veterans Affairs and Justice could take away veterans’ autonomy over their health care decisions and deter them from seeking care, particularly those facing homelessness. The memorandum, announced by the departments last week, would authorize

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — The co-founder of Super Micro Computer and two others were charged with diverting $2.5 billion worth of servers with Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips to China, in violation of US laws barring exports to that country without a license. Yih-Shyan Liaw, known as Wally; Ruei-Tsang Chang, known as Steven; and

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The Treasury Department will begin to manage federal student loans in default, taking on a key function of the Education Department as the Trump administration further pushes to dismantle it. The Treasury Department “will assume operational responsibility” for collecting on defaulted federal student loans and “provide operational support”

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s handpicked Commission of Fine Arts voted Thursday to approve a commemorative coin for the United States’ 250th birthday featuring the president’s likeness. And it’s going to be big. “I motion to approve this as presented, and with the strong encouragement that you make it as large

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Thom Tillis on Thursday blasted talk of ending the Senate filibuster to pass the “SAVE America Act” as a “foolish and lazy idea” and warned his party that pushing the president’s priority through the so-called talking filibuster would hand control to Democrats. “I have made it crystal clear

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — The chief executive of Live Nation testified Thursday that it was “disgusting” that a top ticketing employee talked about “robbing fans blind” in internal messages. CEO Michael Rapino, who has led Live Nation since 2005, parsed his answers and pushed back at times to repeated questions about rising ticket

By Holmes Lybrand, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — The war with Iran has raised concerns about possible retaliatory terrorist attacks in major cities such as London, where the police commissioner says they have intensified focus on possible threats. But unlike in the US, where government officials have raised alarm of possible so-called Iranian sleeper cells,

By Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department on Thursday seized several websites it says were used by Iran as part of “psychological operations” targeting perceived advisories and spreading terrorist propaganda. Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security was using the four websites, in part, to post “sensitive data stolen during such hacks,

By Annie Grayer, Manu Raju, Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — Conservative hardliners who supported subpoenaing Attorney General Pam Bondi in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe are now indicating that they are open to changing their position after Bondi met with the panel for a briefing that turned contentious with Democrats. GOP Rep. Lauren

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, Annie Grayer, Lauren Fox, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Cracks are emerging among congressional Republicans over the Iran war with key lawmakers skeptical about spending hundreds of billions of dollars to prolong the conflict and several refusing to support any money without a clear White House strategy. In the coming

By Em Steck, Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime employee and attorney Darren Indyke testified to lawmakers on Thursday that he “had no knowledge whatsoever” of the convicted sex offender’s wrongdoing and rejected “any suggestion” he assisted or facilitated his former boss’ crimes, according to a copy of his opening statement. “Had I

By Morgan Rimmer (CNN) — Democratic Sen. John Fetterman cast the deciding vote Thursday to advance Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to serve as US Department of Homeland Security secretary, crossing party lines to send President Donald Trump’s nominee to the full Senate for consideration. He explained in a post on X his decision to join Republicans

By Haley Britzky and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command,

By Alayna Treene, Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — When White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told President Donald Trump she had breast cancer last week, he urged her to start treatment immediately — and take as much time away from the White House as needed. Wiles agreed, but made one thing clear: She wasn’t

By Annie Grayer, Paula Reid, Katelyn Polantz, Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A transparency law passed by Congress has forced the release of more Epstein files than ever before, but some lawmakers and victims are exploring ways to push the Justice Department to disclose even more information from the voluminous trove that’s being withheld. Some

By Samantha Waldenberg, CNN (CNN) — Former US National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent sat Wednesday for an extensive interview with former Fox News host and right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson, his first public comments since he resigned from his post, citing concerns about the war with Iran. The interview lasted more than one hour and

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Annie Grayer and Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — When Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon, they hoped to boost members’ confidence on their handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Within half an hour, Democratic lawmakers had walked out. The closed-door briefing for

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is moving away from operations tied to the Iran war and sailing to the US Navy’s base in Crete for repairs after a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area last week, a US official said. The movement of the Navy’s

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — A typically friendly setting for one of their own turned tense on Capitol Hill Wednesday with senators grilling Markwayne Mullin for roughly three hours as he vies to become President Donald Trump’s next Department of Homeland Security chief. Republican Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul cast doubt on whether

By Aaron Blake, CNN (CNN) — Top Trump administration officials testified publicly Wednesday for the first time since the launch of the Iran war three weeks ago. Officials including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, where they were

By Adam Cancryn (CNN) — The White House is temporarily lifting key limits on the shipping of oil, gas and other commodities throughout the United States, in its latest effort to counter rising energy prices sparked by its war with Iran. The move to waive the Jones Act will allow foreign-flagged ships to transport the

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and asserted it does not have new evidence to prosecute anyone for crimes related to the convicted sex offender, in an interview released Tuesday. “I’m not trying to defend Epstein. I’m not,” Blanche said