CNN – US Politics

By Paul LeBlanc, CNN Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper says in his new book that then-President Donald Trump asked him in 2020 about launching missiles into Mexico to “destroy the drug labs” and kill cartels, The New York Times reported Thursday. “We could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly,” Trump

By Kara Scannell and Zachary Cohen, CNN The Department of Justice is quietly unraveling a complex web of shell companies and middlemen used by Russian oligarchs, and President Vladimir Putin himself, as it accelerates efforts to seize assets belonging to the Kremlin’s most wealthy and influential players, the Justice official charged with leading the team

By Paula Reid, CNN Rudy Giuliani’s appearance before the January 6 committee, set for Friday, has been canceled, his attorney told CNN. Robert Costello said his client had been expected to appear virtually before the panel on Friday. On Thursday, Giuliani asked to record the interview, both audio and video, but the committee rejected that

By Natasha Bertrand and Katie Bo Lillis, CNN When Ukraine successfully targeted Russia’s prized warship last month with anti-ship cruise missiles, it had some help from the United States. Ukrainian forces, having spotted the Russian warship in the Black Sea, called their American contacts for confirmation that it was in fact the Moskva, sources familiar

By Veronica Stracqualursi and Paul LeBlanc, CNN Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday signed into law a bill designed to protect people who provide an abortion or receive support to obtain the procedure in Connecticut and are then sued in another state. House Bill 5414, which was sponsored by state Democratic lawmakers and cleared

By Kate Bennett, CNN First lady Jill Biden departs Thursday evening on a trip to Romania and Slovakia, where she will spend time with several Ukrainian families displaced by the Russian invasion, according to a release from the East Wing. The first lady’s intense, four-day schedule of events, meetings and visits includes Mother’s Day activities

By Edward-Isaac Dovere Top aides to President Joe Biden say that the publishing of a draft majority opinion on abortion rights from Justice Samuel Alito has made their jobs easier: Even if the final decision ends up backtracking from the full overturning of Roe v. Wade, there’s no hiding the Supreme Court’s intent. Advisers to

By Morgan Rimmer and Clare Foran, CNN Sen. Susan Collins, a rare GOP supporter of abortion rights who is under scrutiny for her key role in confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court amid fears that Roe v. Wade may soon be overturned, signaled to reporters on Thursday that she would oppose a bill that

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN A man accused of trying to grab Michael Fanone’s gun during the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting the then-Washington, DC, police officer. According to the statement of offense, which prosecutors read aloud and to which Kyle Young agreed, Young held Fanone’s wrist after he

By Kaitlan Collins, CNN Karine Jean-Pierre will become the new White House press secretary when Jen Psaki departs her role next week, President Joe Biden announced in a statement Thursday, becoming the first Black and out LGBTQ person to hold the position. Jean-Pierre currently serves as the White House’s principal deputy press secretary. “Karine not

By Ariane de Vogue and Maria Cartaya, CNN Chief Justice John Roberts said Thursday that the leak of a draft opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade is “absolutely appalling” and stressed that he hopes “one bad apple” would not change “people’s perception” of the nation’s highest court and workforce. In his first public

By Annie Grayer and Zachary Cohen, CNN The Michigan State Police has expanded its investigation into whether third parties gained unauthorized access to voting machine data after the 2020 election, and is now examining potential breaches in at least one new county, CNN has learned. In a raid last Friday, state police seized one voting

By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent US military and intelligence agencies assess that North Korea could be ready to resume underground nuclear testing this month, according to three US officials. The assessment concludes that Kim Jong Un’s government is making preparations at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site and could be ready to conduct a test