National Politics

By Alayna Treene and Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — After rarely being seen in public in the two weeks since he delivered a brief, 46-second victory speech on election night, JD Vance reemerged this week to play one of the most important roles he will be expected to fill as Donald Trump’s No. 2: His

By Clare Foran, CNN (CNN) — The Senate on Wednesday voted down an effort led by Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to block a series of planned US weapons sales to Israel. The failure of the long-shot effort highlights that despite criticism from the left that the Biden administration and Israel are not doing enough

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes. Conservative

By Kristen Holmes, Holmes Lybrand and Jamie Gangel, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump is considering a right-wing media personality, people who have served on his US Secret Service detail, as well as others to run the agency that has been plagued by its failure to preempt two alleged assassination attempts on Trump this summer, sources

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Two Georgia election workers who won a massive verdict against Rudy Giuliani because he defamed them after the 2020 election are asking a federal judge to hold him in contempt of court. Their request on Wednesday morning opens up a new avenue of difficulty in court that the former

By Sara Murray and Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — A Democratic election official in Pennsylvania offered an impassioned apology Wednesday for claiming “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country” to justify counting about 600 faulty ballots in defiance of state Supreme Court rulings. “The passion in my heart got the best of

By Jennifer Hansler, Hannah Rabinowitz and Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Matthew Whitaker, who served as acting attorney general during Trump’s first term, as his pick to be US ambassador to NATO. “Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and

By Betsy Klein, CNN Washington (CNN) — With just two months until he leaves office, President Joe Biden is gearing up to utilize his presidential pardon power for fowl reasons. Justice will be served Monday as Biden pardons the national Thanksgiving turkeys on the White House South Lawn, CNN has exclusively learned, participating in the

By Tami Luhby and Matt Egan, CNN (CNN) — Ensuring the US doesn’t default on its obligations. Extending trillions of dollars in tax cuts before they expire. Quarterbacking President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for the economy. The incoming Treasury secretary, whomever Trump ultimately picks, will face a confluence of deadlines and campaign promises that will make

By Rene Marsh, Kristen Holmes and Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, a nongovernmental entity helmed by billionaire Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, is expected to make a push for an end to remote work across federal agencies as a way

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — On one side of the Capitol, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace vowed to “stand in the way” of Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first out transgender woman elected to Congress, using women’s bathrooms in the US Capitol. Across the building, McBride was privately counseling her Democratic colleagues how to balance

By Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — The Biden administration has approved sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time in another major policy shift, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed on Wednesday. The decision comes just days after the US gave Ukraine permission to fire long-range US missiles at targets in

By Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, told Republicans on a prayer call Tuesday that “the battle is just beginning,” as he faces questions about his confirmation after a past sexual assault allegation surfaced that he denies. Hegseth’s comments made during the call, which was hosted by

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — Two women who claim they were paid for sex by former Rep. Matt Gaetz provided House ethics investigators with “numerous” photos related to time they spent with the Florida Republican, a lawyer for the women said Tuesday, including from an alleged 2019 trip to New York. The women said

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN (CNN) — Thanksgiving dinner will cost less this year amid reduced demand for turkeys, an annual survey found. The average price of a 16-pound turkey — typically the star of the holiday meal — is $25.67, or 6% less than last year. Here’s what else you need to know to

By Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins and John Towfighi, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has named his transition co-chair Linda McMahon as his pick to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Education. The decision, which Trump announced Tuesday night confirming CNN’s earlier reporting, took shape after it became clear that McMahon would

CNN By Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins and Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump announced Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as his pick for secretary of the Department of Commerce on Tuesday, selecting his transition co-chair for a key role in an administration that the president-elect has promised will enact sweeping tariffs. “He will lead