National Politics

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection bid in Kentucky has emerged as a critical test of how the fight over abortion rights will shape the political landscape ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The Democratic incumbent’s focus on abortion rights – in a Republican-leaning state where abortions are outlawed in

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith’s team urged a federal judge on Wednesday to reinstate the gag order she issued on Donald Trump in the former president’s 2020 election subversion criminal case, citing his social media posts railing against a potential trial witness: Trump’s former chief of staff. US District Judge

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — The American Civil Liberties Union and its Washington, DC, chapter filed an amicus brief in support of Donald Trump on Wednesday, arguing that the gag order against the former president in his federal election subversion case is unconstitutional. The brief contends that the order issued by Judge Tanya Chutkan

By Tami Luhby, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Biden administration unveiled on Wednesday a $56 billion domestic spending request that would funnel billions of dollars into disaster response, child care, national security, aid for lower-income Americans and other programs. The supplemental funding request comes a week after the White House asked Congress for $105 billion

By Ariane de Vogue and Devan Cole, CNN Washington (CNN) — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed to repay a “significant” portion of a $267,230 loan from a friend that allowed him to buy a luxury motorcoach in 1999, according to a memo issued Wednesday by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee. But hours after the report appeared

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — A Colorado judge has rejected another attempt by former President Donald Trump to throw out a lawsuit seeking to block him from the 2024 presidential ballot based on the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.” The ruling Wednesday from Colorado District Judge Sarah Wallace clears the way for an unprecedented trial to begin

CNN By Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN New York (CNN) — Judge Arthur Engoron wanted to hear directly from Donald Trump. After Trump earlier Wednesday had apparently spoken about Engoron’s law clerk – in violation of the judge’s gag order – Engoron briefly paused the New York civil fraud trial testimony and said he was “going

By Donald Judd and Nikki Carvajal, CNN Washington (CNN) — The White House on Wednesday shared a guest list ahead of the state dinner in honor of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which included Australian performers Vance Joy and Kid Laroi, and actor John Leguizamo. It also included North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, President Joe

CNN By Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN New York (CNN) — Judge Arthur Engoron wanted to hear directly from Donald Trump. After Trump earlier Wednesday had apparently spoken about Engoron’s law clerk – in violation of the judge’s gag order – Engoron briefly paused the New York civil fraud trial testimony and said he was “going

By Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN New York (CNN) — Judge Arthur Engoron wanted to hear directly from Donald Trump. After Trump earlier Wednesday had apparently spoken about Engoron’s law clerk – in violation of the judge’s gag order – Engoron briefly paused the New York civil fraud trial testimony and said he was “going to

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a New York Democrat, pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge for falsely triggering a fire alarm in a House office building. Bowman struck a deal with the Washington, DC, Attorney General’s office, in which he pleaded guilty to the single misdemeanor offense. According to the terms

By Ariane de Vogue, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court rejected an emergency bid Wednesday to block a multibillion-dollar agreement between Florida and the Seminole Tribe to offer online sports betting throughout the state. The court’s order means that sports betting could soon be available in Florida, although other pending legal challenges in state courts

By MJ Lee, Kevin Liptak and Kayla Tausche, CNN Washington (CNN) — When President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted the Louisiana State University Tigers’ women’s basketball team at the White House this spring to celebrate their NCAA championship, he gave a passing shout-out to members of the Louisiana delegation seated in

CNN Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — A judge hearing Donald Trump’s New York fraud trial spent Wednesday wrestling with a quandary the political world long ago failed to answer: how to constrain the ex-president’s fury, tantrums and impulse to break all the rules. And on an extraordinary day in court in which he

By Jeremy Herb, CNN New York (CNN) — An apparent backtrack by Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen threw the New York civil fraud trial into more chaos Wednesday afternoon. Cohen gave combative testimony in the face of cross-examination by two Trump attorneys on Wednesday, after he had implicated Trump the day prior for

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Haley Talbot, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York has been charged by the DC attorney general with triggering a fire alarm in a House office building when there was not an emergency. Bowman has been summoned to appear in DC Superior Court 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, where the

By Christopher Hickey and Alberto Mier, CNN Rep. Mike Johnson on Wednesday landed the job of House speaker without losing any Republican votes – a feat that until now seemed out of reach. It’s been more than three weeks since the House voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker. And despite the threat of

By Fredreka Schouten and Dianne Gallagher, CNN (CNN) — Republicans who control the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday approved a new congressional map that could help their party pick up at least three US House seats in next year’s elections. The map, approved a week after it was first unveiled, could help Republicans retain –