National Politics

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A new lawsuit filed in Washington, DC’s federal court Monday challenges the Kennedy Center board of trustees’ move to add President Donald Trump’s name to the cultural institution. Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and an ex-officio trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is

By Clay Voytek, CNN (CNN) — The US military conducted a strike against a “low-profile vessel” allegedly trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, killing one person, according to US Southern Command. “On Dec. 22, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on

By Kevin Liptak, Donald Judd, CNN West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Monday the US remains in active pursuit of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, more than 24 hours after the chase began, while repeating his threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. “It’s moving along and we’ll end

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump bemoaned Monday the potential reputational damage inflicted on people who appear in photos released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which he insisted were only made public because of an effort to distract from his accomplishments. The comments mark the first time Trump has addressed

CNN By Tricia Escobedo, Andrew Torgan, CNN A “60 Minutes” story that was shelved at the last minute, sparking accusations of political interference, has reached a worldwide audience — thanks to some eagle-eyed Canadian viewers with access to a streaming platform. Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on

By Katelyn Polantz, Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files — mandated by Congress to be completed last week — is still a work in progress. Thousands of files still aren’t public. The redactions are extensive, at times going beyond what was called for in the law passed by

CNN By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump unveiled a new “Trump class” of Navy battleships Monday, describing them as a superior war fighting vessel to replace an “old and tired and obsolete” US fleet. “They’ll help maintain American military supremacy, revive the American ship building industry, and inspire fear in America’s enemies

By Devan Cole, Angelica Franganillo Diaz, CNN (CNN) — An apparently frustrated federal judge pressed the Trump administration Monday to share what it was going to do next in the fast-moving saga over Kilmar Abrego Garcia days after she found he was being unlawfully held in immigration custody. During an hour-long hearing that at times

By CNN’s Logan Schiciano (CNN) — Betty Reid Soskin, who was the National Park Service’s oldest active ranger when she retired at age 100, has died. She was 104. She passed away “peacefully” at her home in Richmond, California on Sunday, according to a statement from her family. “Thank you for your service, Ranger Betty,”

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — The Justice Department’s release of thousands of documents and pictures related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday was highly anticipated and provided a glimpse into the life of the late sex offender and his associations with some of the richest and most powerful people in the world. But

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump unveiled a new “Trump class” of Navy battleships Monday, describing them as a superior war fighting vessel to replace an “old and tired and obsolete” US fleet. “They’ll help maintain American military supremacy, revive the American ship building industry, and inspire fear in America’s enemies all

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is removing numerous career ambassadors from their posts abroad, marking the latest shake-up of the US State Department and diplomatic corps. At least two dozen senior diplomats have received notice that they must leave their roles next month, sources said. They were appointed to ambassadorships around

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has signaled to the Smithsonian Institution that the White House could withhold federal funding from the museum organization if it does not comply with the administration’s unprecedented, sweeping review. In a Thursday letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, White House officials said funds are

By Steve Contorno, CNN Phoenix (CNN) — This weekend’s gathering of young Republicans and conservative influencers in the Arizona desert offered a glimpse into the divisions already fraying President Donald Trump’s coalition even before its lame-duck leader is out of the picture. Enter Vice President JD Vance, a figure many in the movement view as

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — The US is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry. The tanker, called Bella 1, was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil. It

By Jennifer Agiesta, Amy O’Kruk, CNN (CNN) — About half of Americans say they’ve already given the 2028 presidential election, set to be the first race since 2016 without a sitting president vying for the nomination on either side, at least some thought, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. With nearly three

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — When Rep. Dan Goldman first ran for Congress in 2022, he was cheered on the left as the party’s top lawyer during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Three years on, the Manhattan Democrat is in the fight of his political life against New York City Comptroller Brad

CNN By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — Personnel from the United States boarded and seized a vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to a US official familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas. It was the second known instance of the US interdicting a vessel near