National Politics

By Dan Merica, CNN Republican candidate Larry Elder told reporters on Wednesday that he believes “there might very well be shenanigans” in the election to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom, continuing the baseless GOP effort to undermine elections by suggesting wrongdoing. Elder, the leading Republican candidate to replace Newsom if the recall is successful, made

By Maeve Reston, CNN California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been doing everything he can to persuade women to vote “no” on the Republican effort to oust him in Tuesday’s recall election, and in Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday he got his most high-profile surrogate to date to help deliver that message. The former California

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN Two prominent election lawyers have joined forces to launch a network that will provide free legal assistance to election officials who have faced unprecedented threats during and after the 2020 election. Democrat Bob Bauer, former White House counsel in the Obama administration, and Ben Ginsberg, a leading Republican election lawyer who

By Christina Carrega, CNN The FBI has released new video footage of a suspect accused of planting two pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, the night before the US Capitol riot. The new information includes a virtual map that highlights the route the suspect walked while

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday acknowledged “a fair amount of confusion” around charter flights from Afghanistan and said that the United States government is “working to do everything in our power to support those flights and to get them off the ground.” The top US diplomat blamed the grounding

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN Reporter, Crime and Justice John Pierce, the defense attorney who represents nearly 20 Capitol riot defendants but disappeared from court last month when he fell ill, resurfaced on Wednesday. Pierce filed a letter to several judges explaining that he was in a Los Angeles-area hospital for 12 days. At his doctor’s

By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter The Supreme Court granted a request Wednesday from a Texas death row inmate who sought to block his execution because the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will not allow the inmate’s pastor to “lay hands” on him and audibly pray during the execution. The execution had been

By Maeve Reston, CNN California’s homelessness crisis is a top-of-mind issue for many voters who are still weighing whether to return their ballots in the special election to recall California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. They have watched their cities and towns transformed as scores of tent encampments have sprung up in their parks and residential

By Oren Liebermann and Ellie Kaufman, CNN A US destroyer sailed near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday, the US Navy’s 7th Fleet announced, days after China imposed new maritime identification rules that include the disputed body of water. The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, sailed within 12 miles of

By Kate Sullivan, CNN The Saudi embassy in Washington, DC, said Wednesday it “welcomes the release of” classified documents related to the September 11 terrorist attacks as pressure ramps up on the Biden administration to disclose additional information the government has previously blocked. “Since that horrific day 20 years ago, the leadership of Saudi Arabia

By Katelyn Polantz and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN A Pennsylvania man who told the FBI and local news media that he organized buses for 200 people to travel to Washington, DC, for the January 6 Donald Trump rally, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a low-level charge for taking part in the US Capitol insurrection. Just before

By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN The Biden administration has told 11 officials appointed to military service academy advisory boards by former President Donald Trump to resign or be dismissed, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN’s KFile. The officials asked to resign include prominent former Trump officials like former White House press

By Kate Sullivan, CNN President Joe Biden held a belated Labor Day celebration at the White House on Wednesday as he made the case for his large-scale economic agenda and how it would benefit working and middle-class families at an event honoring labor unions. “We’re the only country in the world that goes into a

By Melanie Zanona and Whitney Wild, CNN Law enforcement officials are bracing for potential clashes and unrest during an upcoming right-wing rally in Washington, DC, as violent rhetoric surrounding the September 18 event has increased online and counterprotests are being planned for the same day, according to an internal Capitol Police memo reviewed by CNN.

By Daniella Diaz, CNN Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats are moving “full speed ahead” on the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill despite the call for a “strategic pause” and smaller price tag from moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. “We’re moving full speed ahead,” Schumer said on a call

By Kristin Wilson, CNN Democratic Rep. Darren Soto of Florida, who is fully vaccinated, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he tested positive for Covid-19. “I recently tested positive for #COVID19, and am grateful to only have mild symptoms, which I credit to the vaccine,” Soto said. “I am currently self-isolating and working remotely. I encourage