National Politics

Key lawmakers in both parties plan to engage in substantive talks in the coming weeks to see if there can be a policing overhaul deal reached by the time of Democrats’ self-imposed deadline: George Floyd’s death anniversary. Democratic Rep. Karen Bass of California told CNN the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin “gives

Democratic Rep. Val Demings and Republican Rep. Jim Jordan had a heated exchange Tuesday during a House Judiciary hearing after Jordan tried to cut Demings short as she spoke about law enforcement. Tensions escalated during debate over the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would address the surge of hate crimes against Asian Americans. Republicans had

The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security surged hundreds of federal agents to Portland, Oregon, last summer with incomplete training and missing equipment, a new watchdog report says. The department’s inspector general flagged several major concerns with the deployment of more than 700 officers, including failure to properly train them to police riots and to

Capitol Hill security forces abruptly reversed plans to reinstall outer perimeter fencing on Capitol Complex grounds meant to protect against potential unrest related to the high-profile trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, walking back its request for additional security measures minutes after Chauvin was convicted of the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Late

Top officials from the Biden administration’s national security team on Tuesday briefed lawmakers about the decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, facing questions from skeptical Republicans and Democrats alike about whether they’re prepared for the ramifications of what happens once US troops are gone. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Director

The House voted Tuesday afternoon to block a resolution from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to censure Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters following her remarks over the weekend calling for protesters to “get more confrontational” if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were acquitted in the killing of George Floyd. Democrats had an extremely narrow margin to

The top US military official who runs the American nuclear arsenal warned that China and Russia are modernizing their nuclear weapons and capabilities faster than the US, saying during a congressional hearing on Tuesday that if it does not start investing more in nuclear defense and infrastructure, the US will be “at risk of losing

The Biden administration kicked off a 100-day effort on Tuesday to beef up cybersecurity in the nation’s power grid, calling for industry leaders to install technologies that could thwart attacks on the electricity supply. The move follows a high-profile, if unsuccessful, cyberattack in Florida that sought to compromise a water treatment plant, which highlighted some

The US Ambassador to Russia will return to the United States this week for discussions with the Biden administration about the relationship between Russia and the US, amid heightened tensions between the two nations. Ambassador John Sullivan plans to come back to the US for “consultations,” the US Embassy in Moscow said in a statement

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills tightening gun regulations into law on Monday, nearly a month after the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, left a police officer and nine others dead. Both measures were introduced before the mass shooting occurred on March 22 at a grocery store, but the tragedy added to the

The House is voting Tuesday afternoon on whether to block a resolution from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to censure Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters following her remarks over the weekend calling for protesters to “get more confrontational” if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted in the killing of George Floyd. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

The US Capitol Police department has asked to keep the outer perimeter fence on Capitol Complex grounds, according to sources familiar with the request. Three sources told CNN that Capitol Police have asked the Capitol Police Board to approve keeping the fencing up through the joint session of Congress, which is scheduled for April 28.

Montana Democrats are suing the state over two bills signed into law Monday that add new restrictions to voting in the Big Sky state. On Monday, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 176, which ends same-day voter registration, and Senate Bill 169, which revises the accepted IDs which can be used for voting —

Former President George W. Bush on Tuesday described the Republican Party as “isolationist, protectionist and, to a certain extent, nativist,” his strongest and most direct criticism yet against his own party since leaving office in 2009. Bush’s comments are notable not only because he’s a former Republican president, but he has largely kept quiet on

Just 12 individuals and couples provided $1 out of every $13 spent to influence congressional and presidential races in the last six elections, according an analysis released Tuesday by a Washington watchdog group. Led by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, America’s political megadonors have plowed $3.4 billion into federal contests between January 2009 and

President Joe Biden called George Floyd’s family on Monday as they and the nation await a verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin. “He was just calling. He knows how it is to lose a family member. And he knows that the process of what we’re going through so he was just

Three House Democrats were in Minnesota Monday participating in protests around the Derek Chauvin murder trial while the House of Representatives was in session back in Washington, DC. All three used a new option to vote by proxy to cast ballots remotely, citing the “ongoing health emergency.” Reps. Ihan Omar of Minnesota, Joyce Beatty of

The Biden administration is considering pressing Guatemala to address governance issues in the country, ranging from investment to corruption, according to a source familiar with the deliberations at the White House, highlighting just one of the delicate negotiations Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to lead. The State Department, in coordination with other federal agencies,

Former President Donald Trump has elevated his son Donald Trump Jr. to an unofficial new role inside his orbit as he weighs the idea of a comeback presidential bid in 2024 that would require him to maintain a vise grip on the Republican base for any chance of success. Behind the scenes, Trump’s eldest son

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will likely try to force a House vote Wednesday to censure Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters following her remarks over the weekend calling for protesters to “get more confrontational” if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted in the killing of George Floyd, House aides familiar with the matter tell CNN.

The State Department announced Monday that it would begin to update its travel advisories to more closely align with those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a change that “will result in a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4: Do Not Travel, to approximately 80% of countries worldwide.” “This

Former President George W. Bush said Sunday he was “shocked” by people’s reaction to his public interactions with former first lady Michelle Obama as he reflected on the pair’s across-the-aisle friendship. Recalling the memorable moment of the two embracing at the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and their

Former President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to his former vice president, Walter Mondale, who died Monday, crediting his late “invaluable partner” with creating the vice presidency in its current form. “Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history,” Carter said in