Politics

By Tami Luhby, Aileen Graef, CNN (CNN) — The US Department of Agriculture ordered states to stop issuing full food stamp benefits for November and to “immediately undo” any issuance of the full allotments, after a Supreme Court justice on Friday paused a lower court order requiring the agency to pay Americans their full assistance.

CNN By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Democrats’ sweeping election victory on Tuesday, including the approval of a redistricting ballot measure in his state, “represents a new moment” for the Democratic Party as it debates its path forward. “Clarity, conviction, purpose, energy. On our toes, not on our heels. A

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Democrats’ sweeping election victory on Tuesday, including the approval of a redistricting ballot measure in his state, “represents a new moment” for the Democratic Party as it debates its path forward. “Clarity, conviction, purpose, energy. On our toes, not on our heels. A resurgent

By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s campaign set a blueprint with content engineered for an online electorate. Now, all over screens in 2025, candidates are gesturing and leaning toward the camera. They might walk and talk through a busy street or store. There’s a warm camera filter, and quick

By Kevin Liptak, CNN West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — As Republicans were casting about for explanations for their party’s dismal showing in off-year elections last week, President Donald Trump had several other pieces of business to attend to. He hosted Central Asian leaders for dinner at the White House on Thursday. A day later,

By Tami Luhby, Gabe Cohen, CNN (CNN) — In late October, Elizabeth Wick got the email she had been dreading. Her insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, told her that the monthly premiums for her Affordable Care Act policy would soar to $1,380 next year, up from $862. Wick, 57, currently gets $400

By Kevin Liptak, Samantha Waldenberg, CNN (CNN) — Images of Donald Trump appearing to close his eyes at an Oval Office announcement this week rocketed around social media this weekend, with the president’s opponents seizing on the footage to raise questions about Trump’s on-the-job performance. Trump was participating in an announcement Thursday about cutting prices

By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision not to seek reelection next year could open the floodgates on the race to replace her. Pelosi, who has served in Congress since 1987, already had two primary challengers ahead of her Thursday announcement: Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to US

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Two things went very wrong when Damon Landor, a devout Rastafarian, was transferred to a prison in central Louisiana five years ago. The first is that prison guards handcuffed Landor to a chair and shaved off the knee-length dreadlocks he had grown over nearly two decades. The second is

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — The impacts of the longest federal government shutdown in United States history are reverberating around the country — leaving millions of Americans in limbo and igniting concerns about an economic downturn. Frustrated travelers were scrambling as more than a thousand flights were canceled Friday and thousands more were delayed.

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Former President Joe Biden delivered a strong critique of his successor Friday, arguing to a room of supporters that President Donald Trump has “taken a wrecking ball” to democracy. “I knew Trump was going to taking a wrecking ball to the country, but I had no idea, I have

By Adam Cancryn, Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump knows he’s losing the politics of the government shutdown so far. But that’s not making him any more inclined to give ground on the Democratic demands that could bring the standoff to a swift end. Trump has repeatedly urged Senate Republicans to unilaterally reopen

By Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — Prosecutors in Florida moved to issue subpoenas to former CIA Director John Brennan and other former officials as the Justice Department investigates the federal government’s counterintelligence investigation into Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign and its contacts with Russians, sources told CNN. The subpoenas are likely to fuel

By Sarah Ferris, Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN (CNN) — The Senate on Friday failed to pass a bill to pay federal workers forced to work without pay during the government shutdown, with Democrats refusing to yield to GOP attempts to fund any parts of the federal government without major concessions for their party. The shutdown –

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — New York Attorney General Letitia James said Friday her criminal case should be thrown out because it’s the product of President Donald Trump’s yearslong personal vendetta against her. Lawyers for James filed a motion to dismiss the two-count indictment related to a 2020 mortgage, saying it is both a

By Alejandra Jaramillo, Samantha Waldenberg, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has approved a pardon for Michael McMahon, the White House said Friday, a retired New York City police officer who was convicted in 2023 for his role in stalking a New Jersey family on behalf of the Chinese government. The White House praised the

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — Teachers and other employees of US military schools who have been working without pay during the government shutdown received letters this week telling them they owed money to the government, CNN has learned. Debt letters outlining that personnel have been “overpaid” by various amounts ranging from several hundred dollars

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge ruled Friday that the Department of Education violated the First Amendment rights of some agency employees when it sent out-of-office messages on their behalf that blamed Democrats for the government shutdown. The ruling from US District Judge Christopher Cooper is the latest court rebuke of controversial

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has granted clemency to former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry for a 1995 tax evasion charge. Trump, a White House official said, “has approved a pardon for Darryl Strawberry, three-time World Series champion and eight-time MLB All-Star.” “Mr. Strawberry served time and paid back taxes

By Austin Culpepper, CNN (CNN) — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory to recruit police officers to leave the New York Police Department. On Friday, ICE posted a recruitment message to social media calling on police officers to “Defend the Homeland” and “work for a President and a Secretary who

By Daniel Dale, Matt Stiles, CNN President Donald Trump keeps saying beef is the only grocery product that has gotten more expensive during his second presidency. “Groceries are down except for the beef, which I’ll get down too,” he said in a speech last week in Tokyo. “Groceries are way down, other than beef,” he

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has reached a multimillion-dollar deal with Cornell University to restore more than $250 million in federal funding for the school. Cornell is expected to pay the federal government $30 million over three years, according to the text of the agreement. The school is also expected to

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh delivered a pep talk to conservatives on Thursday night, telling an audience of right-leaning legal leaders and students in Washington, DC, they should stand up for their principles and “fight fire with strength and grace.” Barrett drew hearty applause at the annual

By Alex Leeds Matthews, Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Open enrollment for 2026 coverage on the Affordable Care Act exchanges is underway. And millions of consumers are now seeing just how expensive their health insurance policies will be without the enhanced premium subsidies that have been in place since 2021. The enhanced subsidies, which are

By Tami Luhby, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The US Department of Agriculture announced Friday it is working to fully fund food stamp benefits for November to comply with a federal court order, and the process should be completed later in the day. Several states quickly pounced on the news, saying the money should start

By David Wright, Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik announced her campaign for New York governor on Friday with a video seizing on the issue of affordability and attacking Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul for her support of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, declaring that “the Empire State has fallen.” “Kathy

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court will meet behind closed doors Friday to consider a longshot bid to overturn its decade-old same-sex marriage precedent, an appeal that is churning fear among some LGBTQ advocates even though the justices themselves have repeatedly signaled little appetite for reopening the landmark decision. The pending appeal