National Politics

The Biden administration has paused arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as it conducts a wider review of agreements worth billions of dollars made by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told CNN Wednesday. Secretary of State Tony Blinken confirmed that pending arms sales are under review, as is

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday issued a threat bulletin due to the ongoing potential for violence in the wake of the presidential inauguration, including concerns that domestic extremists may be emboldened by the attack on the US Capitol. Acting DHS Secretary David Pekoske issued the National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin “due to a

President Joe Biden signed several executive actions related to the climate crisis on Wednesday, including one directing the secretary of the interior to pause on entering into new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or offshore waters. Biden and other administration officials have emphasized that the White House is taking a “whole of

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his workforce for the first time as top US diplomat Wednesday, telling them that “it’s a new day for America; it’s a new day for the world.” Making his formal arrival at America’s oldest Cabinet agency, Blinken greeted a carefully chosen sample of State Department employees with a

President Joe Biden’s nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations pledged to hold China to account in the international body and expressed deep regret for a 2019 speech at a university event backed by a Chinese government-funded organization. In a hearing heavily dominated by questions on China, Linda Thomas-Greenfield called for the United States’

Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said Wednesday he has drafted a resolution to censure former President Donald Trump for his actions ahead of the January 6 deadly riot at the US Capitol, a method some think would be a faster way to hold Trump accountable than an impeachment trial. “Having alternatives on the table

As threats continue to mount against members of Congress, concern is growing about the safety of some lawmakers when they travel outside Washington and the security bubble it provides, multiple sources told CNN. Intelligence based on social media chatter and other information, which increased after the January 6 insurrection, indicates a heightened threat for members

A federal judge’s action Tuesday preventing President Joe Biden’s 100-day pause in deportations demonstrated the land mines that await the new administration in the nation’s courts. The short-term order by the Texas-based judge could also force a confrontation up to the US Supreme Court, where the Biden legal team already faces hard choices over how

The Biden administration’s planned task force aimed at reuniting children who were separated from their parents at the border under the Trump-era enforcement policies will include input from first lady Jill Biden, according to three sources familiar with the planning. Biden is tasking her East Wing with taking an active role in the reunification project.

Acting Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that two police officers have died by suicide since responding to the riot at the Capitol on January 6, according to Contee’s opening statement before the committee, which was obtained by CNN. This is the first time the force has confirmed

The union representing rank-and-file US Capitol Police officers said Wednesday it is “angered and shocked” by statements its current leader made to Congress this week about what was known in the lead up to the January 6 riots, adding that an “unconscionable” lack of preparation led to officers dying and being injured. During a closed-door

President Joe Biden will sign several executive actions related to the climate crisis on Wednesday, including one directing the secretary of the interior to pause on entering into new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or offshore waters. The executive order directs the interior secretary to launch a “rigorous review” of the existing

Former first lady Melania Trump is establishing a post-White House office in Palm Beach, Florida, according to two sources familiar with her plans. Her intention is to “maintain ‘Be Best,’ ” said one of the sources, Trump’s loosely defined initiative that looks to help children. During her time in the White House, “Be Best” existed

The spread of new coronavirus variants that are more contagious threatens to add stress to an already overwhelmed health care system, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday during the Biden administration’s first virtual Covid briefing. “I also know that there are concerns about various viruses mutate, and we

The first Covid-19 briefing of the Biden administration got off to an unfortunate start on Wednesday with multiple technical difficulties. The administration has repeatedly touted their transparency amid the enormous undertaking of getting the pandemic under control, but the briefing, which was conducted virtually via Zoom, had multiple audiovisual issues. As Covid-19 chief Jeff Zients

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the president pro tempore of the Senate, said Wednesday that he went to the hospital Tuesday night because of “muscle spasms” he had been experiencing. Doctors, he told CNN, have since cleared him for a full return to his schedule and to preside over the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, scheduled to

President Joe Biden is expected to sign several executive actions related to climate on Wednesday, including issuing a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands, according to a person familiar with his plans. The moratorium on new leases would fulfill a campaign promise by Biden. When issued, the halt on new leases