National Politics

A scathing report by the US Capitol Police watchdog obtained by CNN reveals that there were even more law enforcement failures prior to January 6 than previously known, including new details about expired ammunition, ineffective shields and a previously unreported warning more than two weeks ahead of the insurrection about a map of the Capitol’s

Federal investigators are seeking to determine whether Rep. Matt Gaetz was provided travel and women in exchange for political favors as part of a broader probe, people familiar with the investigation tell CNN. The investigation includes scrutiny of a trip to the Bahamas and whether women were paid to travel for sex with the Florida

The state of Florida is suing the Biden administration to reopen the cruise industry “immediately” and allow cruises to “resume safely,” Florida’s governor and attorney general announced Thursday. “We don’t believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data.

West Virginia state senators on Thursday approved a measure prohibiting transgender girls and women in the state from competing on secondary and college sports teams, moving the state one step closer to joining four others that have enacted similar bans this year. The state’s Republican-led Senate approved HB 3293 by a vote of 18-15 Thursday

Joel Greenberg, a key figure in the ongoing investigation into Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, is likely to strike a plea deal with federal prosecutors, his attorney and prosecutors said in court Thursday. Federal government lawyers and Greenberg’s attorney told a judge the deal was not finalized but there is an expectation that within the

The Biden administration is creating a task force to review the federal government’s scientific policies to ensure they are free from inappropriate political influence, as several top health officials under former President Donald Trump publicly admit they faced political pressure while doing their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic. The White House Office of Science and

Nearly 30% of migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border in March had previously tried to cross, the Biden administration says. Overall, US Customs and Border Protection apprehended more than 172,000 people attempting to cross the US-Mexico border in March, a 71% increase from February, according to administration officials who briefed reporters with the agency’s official

Tishaura Jones on Tuesday was elected mayor of St. Louis and will become the city’s first Black woman to hold that office after running on a progressive platform and a promise to reform and revitalize the city. Jones, the city’s treasurer, beat Alderwoman Cara Spencer by 2,280 votes, according to the final unofficial election results

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin made it clear Wednesday evening that he opposes the frequent use of the budget reconciliation process, which Democrats have hoped to use in a 50-50 Senate to pass President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities. Manchin’s position, stated in a Washington Post op-ed, potentially slows Democrats’ ability to push through a sweeping infrastructure

President Joe Biden will take his first, limited actions on gun control Thursday, directing his administration to tighten restrictions on so-called ghost guns and pistol stabilizing braces that allow the weapons to be used more accurately. The steps — which also include nominating a gun control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms

Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bipartisan-supported bill into law on Wednesday that expanded voting access by codifying election recount procedures, online absentee ballot portals and early voting procedures — an exception to the GOP efforts nationwide to overhaul state election rules in the wake of the 2020 election. “Today is also a good

Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Wednesday that will automatically restore the voting rights of people convicted of a felony once they are released from prison, even if they are still under community supervision. The law, which takes effect next year, will restore voting rights to more than 20,000 people in the state,

An unprecedented amount of money is flowing to K-12 schools from the federal government and districts are planning to spend it on summer schools, tutoring programs and, in some places, teacher bonuses. About $128 billion was approved by Congress in March as part of the most recent stimulus, nearly double the amount sent to K-12

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam endorsed former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial bid on Thursday, backing the man he succeeded as governor to be the commonwealth’s next chief executive. Northam’s endorsement, two years removed from a blackface scandal that threatened to end his tenure, is one of the most coveted in Virginia Democratic circles, especially in the

The Biden administration said it is “disturbed” by reports of swift deterioration in the health of Alexey Navalny, as campaigners called on the US to impose more sanctions to hold Moscow accountable for what Amnesty International said may be the “slow death” of the Russian opposition leader. The Russian government appears undaunted by previous tranches

David Chipman, President Joe Biden’s planned nominee for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, has a long history at the agency and sports credentials in gun control advocacy sure to excite firearm safety groups. If confirmed, Chipman will lead the agency that enforces gun laws at a critical point in Biden’s

Faced with major blowback over its $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, the Biden administration is rolling out a campaign to justify why it needs to hike corporate taxes to fund the massive plan. But President Joe Biden also left the door open Wednesday to negotiate one of the most contentious provisions — raising the corporate tax

The Biden administration is eying an eventual withdrawal of US troops from Iraq as the country’s security forces grow more capable and the threat of ISIS wanes, the two countries announced in a joint statement Wednesday. The statement followed a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The timing

Former House Speaker John Boehner said former President Donald Trump “incited that bloody insurrection” at the US Capitol and blamed his false election claims for the GOP losing control of Congress, according to a copy of his forthcoming book obtained by CNN. Republicans have wobbled over whether to embrace the 45th President’s legacy as an