Politics

By Brian Stelter, CNN (CNN) — Fox News stars Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt are getting married on Saturday. The couple wanted to celebrate with President Donald Trump, so on Friday evening they held a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner at Mar-a-Lago.Both the president and first lady Melania Trump were present at the celebration, sources confirmed to

By Sarah Ferris, David Wright, CNN (CNN) — In the final sprint to the midterms, Speaker Mike Johnson went to President Donald Trump with a crucial ask, according to a person familiar with the exchange. Johnson’s message: Could Trump spare more cash to help House Republicans in this tough political climate?He wasn’t the only one

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Prediction markets about the 2026 midterm elections have surpassed $1.4 billion in trading volume as Election Day fast approaches, according to a new CNN analysis.This year has seen massive growth in the prediction industry, where people can bet on real-world events like sports, entertainment and the weather. While small-scale

By Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood, Sean Lyngaas, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The United States is rushing to move some diplomats and their family members from posts in the Middle East as the threat of regional escalation looms, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.The departures have been described as a frustrating and chaotic

By Tierney Sneed, Ethan Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has preemptively filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s US Senate election if the Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses in the critical contest which could decide the balance of power in the Senate.The lawsuit represents the latest attempt of the Trump

By Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez, Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — Two former FBI officials are facing charges for allegedly lying to Congress as part of a probe that focused on whether FBI investigators sought to minimize allegations of Biden family corruption and evidence of Hunter Biden’s laptop, according to people briefed

By Kit Maher, Anna Chernova, Kosta Gak, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — First lady Melania Trump announced on Friday that she helped secure a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the city of Oleshky to facilitate the humane evacuation of elderly residents.Trump worked directly with Ukrainian and Russian leadership as the “exclusive intermediary,” according

By Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — In last week’s Georgia Senate debate, Democrat Jon Ossoff accused Republican congressman Mike Collins of calling for immigrants to be thrown to their deaths from helicopters, referring to a social media post Collins sent in 2024.Collins didn’t address the accusation directly and instead pivoted to immigration enforcement and criticized

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — Top Trump political advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita have donated money they made earlier this month in the Balkans on behalf of a pro-Russian government to President Donald Trump’s presidential library.“Yes, it’s true we donated our full fee. I love the President and am eternally grateful for the

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — A mysterious group that has spent at least $2 million boosting a little-known socialist candidate in Ohio’s highly competitive Senate race is being funded by Republicans, according to a new campaign finance filing.Enough Promises Ohio has poured money into ads and mailers that criticize Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown,

By Kevin Liptak, CNN Sioux City, Iowa (CNN) — When Christine Brenden, an Iowa paralegal who staunchly supports President Donald Trump, went to fill her gas tank a year ago, it cost around $40.Now, she said, the cost has jumped to $60. Standing in line to see Trump speak at an airport in Sioux City

By John Fritze (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed New Hampshire officials to limit when voters may use a student ID to receive a ballot, agreeing that a lower court ruling that blocked enforcement of the policy was too close to Election Day.The unsigned order was a win for New Hampshire Secretary of

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, David Wright, CNN (CNN) — Republicans working to keep the Senate are increasingly anxious about holding onto a seat in Mississippi — a GOP stronghold in the deep South — and are investing money in the final weeks to shore up incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.Senate Leadership Fund, the leading GOP

By Sarah Owermohle, Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — Calley Means, a prominent figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, resigned from his position as a senior Trump health official on Thursday over frustrations with the government’s progress tackling chronic disease, according to multiple people familiar with his decision.Means confirmed his departure in a statement,

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez, Kaitlan Collins, Priscilla Alvarez, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Justice Department prosecutors are investigating allegations of contract misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security, including the role of Corey Lewandowski who worked as de facto chief of staff to former Secretary Kristi Noem, according to multiple people familiar with the

By Tierney Sneed, CNN Miami (CNN) — A federal judge warned President Donald Trump could see his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC dismissed if he does not work harder to produce information the news outlet is entitled to in the case, including sitting for a deposition.“Engaging in discovery is burdensome, but is a

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — A Virginia grand jury has indicted Democratic state Sen. L. Louise Lucas and six others, including members of her family, on charges that she engaged in a racketeering conspiracy to sell marijuana and launder the proceeds.According to the indictment, Lucas, the 82-year-old president pro tempore of Virginia’s

CNN By Lauren Fox, Patrick Svitek, CNN Wharton, Ohio (CNN) — Amy Acton was talking school budgets, local hospitals and generational farming at a farm event in northwest Ohio when she called on an attendee and asked her if there was anything she wanted to share. Karen Lortz didn’t want to talk about those issues.

By Lauren Fox, Patrick Svitek, CNN Wharton, Ohio (CNN) — Amy Acton was talking school budgets, local hospitals and generational farming at a farm event in northwest Ohio when she called on an attendee and asked her if there was anything she wanted to share.Karen Lortz didn’t want to talk about those issues.“My heart goes

By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration told a judge Wednesday evening that construction on the president’s controversial 250-foot triumphal arch could begin in just two weeks, days after the midterm elections.The Justice Department said in Wednesday’s court filing that the National Capital Planning Commission is set to meet on November 5

By Holmes Lybrand, Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop certain investigative actions in its hunt for noncitizen voters, writing that the department’s efforts rely on faulty data that includes US citizens legally allowed to vote.Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín wrote in the order that DHS’s data

By Stephen Collinson, Gloria Pazmino, Aaron Blake, CNN (CNN) — Michigan and Kansas held some of the final major Senate debates of the 2026 midterm elections on Wednesday night. And they were a study in contrasts.The Michigan Senate debate between Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers was bitterly personal and ferociously contested —

By Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The US State Department ordered the departure of non-essential staff and family members at its embassy in Riyadh, a move that comes amid intensifying strikes on Saudi Arabia by the Iran allied Houthi rebels in Yemen.“The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S.