National Politics

By Tierney Sneed A federal judge Friday questioned the controversial enforcement mechanism of Texas’ six-week abortion ban and asked whether the law made private citizens “a proxy for the state to insulate the state from the sort of judicial oversight that would exist.” US District Judge Robert Pitman is holding a hearing Friday to consider

By Rachel Janfaza, CNN Planned Parenthood clinics have seen dramatic increases in the number of people from Texas going out of state to seek abortions since the Texas six-week abortion ban took effect, the group says. The organization says that clinics in neighboring states saw a surge in patients with Texas zip codes. In Oklahoma,

By Ella Nilsen and Angela Dewan, CNN With just one month to go until a pivotal UN climate change conference in Glasgow, President Joe Biden’s climate agenda is on the line. The fate of Biden’s ambitious climate promises is wrapped up in a large budget bill that’s stalling in Congress, as moderates and progressives in

By Karl de Vries and Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN Justice Brett Kavanaugh has tested positive for Covid-19, the Supreme Court said Friday, the first publicly known case of coronavirus among the high court’s justices. Kavanaugh, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive on Thursday night, the court said in a statement. The justice’s immediate family tested negative

By Phil Mattingly and Lauren Fox, CNN There wasn’t a vote. There wasn’t a deal. But a $2.1 trillion compromise framework has been floated by Democratic leaders and the White House after an all-day sprint to bridge the gap between their party’s opposing factions. Despite an 11-hour scramble, Democratic leaders left the US Capitol Thursday

By Tami Luhby, CNN The federal government picked up the cost of the unprecedented expansion of jobless benefits during the pandemic, but many states are still facing a hefty tab for their share of the program — and tough decisions about how to cover the bill. To avoid hiking taxes on employers, some states have

By Joan Biskupic, CNN legal analyst & Supreme Court biographer Supreme Court justices have revealed a new level of defensiveness and anger in recent weeks, showing irritation with public expectations, the news media and one another. The extraordinary public display extends beyond any single justice or case, although the majority’s decision to let a Texas

By Jeff Zeleny, Chief National Affairs Correspondent Glenn Youngkin doesn’t deliver blistering criticism of President Joe Biden. He doesn’t heap glowing praise on former President Donald Trump. In his bid for Virginia governor, the Republican’s best path to victory is to win over voters who supported Biden and Trump, a remarkably challenging needle to thread

By Alex Rogers, Melanie Zanona and Daniella Diaz, CNN House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ruled against putting a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on the floor Thursday night, according to a leadership aide, after progressives rebelled, potentially delaying consideration until Democrats strike an agreement on separate, much larger social safety net and climate legislation. Pelosi’s decision came

By Tami Luhby, CNN Food stamp recipients will see their monthly payments go up in October thanks to a major update to the program, even though a special pandemic boost has now expired. Benefits will jump 27% above pre-pandemic levels, on average — the largest increase in its history. The change stems from a revision

By Jasmine Wright and Jeremy Diamond, CNN Vice President Kamala Harris’s office is trying to contain the fallout from an exchange earlier this week between the vice president and a student who characterized Israel’s actions toward Palestinians as “an ethnic genocide and a displacement of people.” While visiting a political science class at George Mason

By Holmes Lybrand, Tara Subramaniam and Greg Clary, CNN During a rally in Georgia over the weekend, former President Donald Trump invited Lance Cpl. Hunter Clark to the stage, implying he was the Marine in a viral video who lifted a child over a wall at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. “We’re also honored to

By Ashley Killough and Ed Lavandera, CNN When Kyrsten Sinema won her US Senate seat in 2018, she was the first Democrat from Arizona elected to the chamber in three decades. It was a triumphant gain for her party — bolstered further when Democrats took over the White House and the Senate two years later,