CNN – US Politics

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon is considering making significant cuts to the top of the US military as the Trump administration seeks to shrink the federal government, according to a briefing document obtained by CNN and a US defense official. The plans under consideration include consolidating combatant commands, possibly eliminating a directorate

CNN By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Wednesday defended federal judges that have come under withering criticism from President Donald Trump and his allies for a series of rulings that have slowed the White House’s agenda. Breyer, who retired from the court in 2022, said that every judge

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Wednesday defended federal judges that have come under withering criticism from President Donald Trump and his allies for a series of rulings that have slowed the White House’s agenda. Breyer, who retired from the court in 2022, said that every judge in

By Jennifer Hansler and Emily R. Condon, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Wednesday declined to remove the Department of Government Efficiency from the US Institute of Peace building or reinstate fired board members while a legal challenge to DOGE’s takeover of the independent organization plays out. While District Judge Beryl Howell declined to

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — Maggie Kulyk, a progressive donor and activist in the Atlanta area, has a long list of worries about President Donald Trump: His moves to bypass Congress and swiftly slash the size of government, the financial fallout of his steep tariffs and his decision to install Elon Musk, the world’s

By Joan Biskupic, CNN Chief Supreme Court Analyst (CNN) — Once again, it comes down to John Roberts and Donald Trump. It was Chief Justice Roberts, of course, who wrote last year’s Supreme Court decision giving then-candidate Trump substantial immunity from criminal prosecution. But in recent weeks, it also was Roberts who steered the court in

By Jeremy Herb, Kevin Liptak and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration on Tuesday released thousands of records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that it said had previously been classified. Many of the files related to the JFK assassination have already been disclosed, including a tranche of 13,000

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The Social Security Administration will require people filing benefit applications who cannot prove their identities online to visit a field office to complete the claim in person in an effort to combat fraud, the agency announced Tuesday. This, along with another new rule barring beneficiaries from changing their bank

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — A sharply divided Supreme Court declined Tuesday to halt the execution of a death row inmate in Louisiana who argued that the use of nitrogen gas would interfere with his Buddhist beliefs – an argument that drew interest from one of the court’s conservatives. Jessie Hoffman claimed that the

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge has indefinitely blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender service members, dealing a major defeat to a controversial policy the president resurrected from his first term. In a scathing ruling, US District Judge Ana Reyes said the administration cannot enforce the ban — which was set

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge is giving the Justice Department until Wednesday at noon to provide him, under seal, with more information about deportations the Trump administration carried out pursuant to President Donald Trump’s use of a sweeping wartime authority. The demand from US District Judge James Boasberg comes as he

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Billionaire Elon Musk appears to have overstepped his executive branch authority with his Department of Government Efficiency, a federal judge said Tuesday as he indefinitely blocked the dismantling of USAID. “The court finds that Defendants’ unilateral actions to shut down USAID likely violated the United States Constitution,” said Judge

By Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “I should be the leader,” he said defiantly during a morning appearance on “The View.” Even as the New Yorker draws the wrath of his party for clearing a path for President Donald Trump’s government funding bill

CNN By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back on President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric against the federal judiciary on Tuesday in a highly unusual statement that appeared to be aimed at the president’s call to impeach judges who rule against him. “For more than two centuries, it has been established

CNN By Jade Walker, CNN (CNN) — Billionaire Elon Musk’s effort to remake the US government took a hit Tuesday when a federal judge blocked his Department of Government Efficiency from shutting down USAID, saying the actions likely violated the Constitution. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On

CNN By Alayna Treene, Alex Marquardt, Jennifer Hansler and Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine after a lengthy telephone call with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin both said, even as Russia stopped short of signing

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back on President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric against the federal judiciary on Tuesday in a highly unusual statement that appeared to be aimed at the president’s call to impeach judges who rule against him. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that

By Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, Alex Marquardt and Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine after a lengthy telephone call with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the White House said, as Russia stopped short of signing off on a broader ceasefire

By Kayla Tausche and Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was adamant: The US is not headed toward recession. “Donald Trump is bringing growth to America. I would never bet on recession. No chance,” Lutnick said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” one of dozens of TV appearances he’s made in touting the

By Jennifer Hansler and Harlan Schmidt, CNN Washington (CNN) — Personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency, accompanied by DC police officers, gained access to the US Institute of Peace Monday after being turned away last week. The dramatic escalation follows the Trump administration’s Friday gutting of the organization’s board and tees up another court