National Politics

By Gregory Wallace, CNN (CNN) — The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Michael Whitaker to a five-year term running the Federal Aviation Administration. Whitaker is a former Obama-era deputy FAA administrator, and said at his confirmation hearing earlier this month that his past “time at FAA gives me some real advantage” taking the top job. Most

By Katie Lobosco, CNN Washington (CNN) — An estimated 305,000 people initially received federal student loan bills with the wrong amount – many with charges higher than they should be – when payments resumed this month after a three-plus year pause. The Department of Education identified the errors and directed student loan servicing companies to

By Holmes Lybrand and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was granted immunity by special counsel Jack Smith and has met with federal prosecutors multiple times in their investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to a report from ABC News. Meadows told investigators

By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter (CNN) — Florida’s attorney general on Tuesday asked the US Supreme Court to allow a law that a federal court judge says amounts to a crackdown on drag shows to go back into effect while legal challenges play out. Attorney General Ashley Moody said the law –

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that while “the United States does not seek conflict with Iran,” it will act to defend itself “swiftly and decisively” against attacks by Iran or its proxies, and called on United Nations member states to urge Iran not to become directly involved

By Pamela Brown and Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Intelligence shared with the United States suggests a small cell of Hamas operatives planning the deadly surprise attack on Israel communicated via a network of hardwired phones built into the network of tunnels underneath Gaza over a period of two years, according to two sources familiar

By Kit Maher and Steve Contorno, CNN Epping, New Hampshire (CNN) — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday defended his record standing up for Florida’s Jewish community after a Republican lawmaker in his home state flipped his endorsement to former President Donald Trump and accused the governor of failing to address antisemitism. Rep. Randy Fine, the

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — US Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip who withdrew his bid for the speakership after it was thrown into immediate jeopardy Tuesday afternoon, has tried to balance an at-times moderate voting record while trying to appeal to the Donald Trump-aligned base of the Republican Party. The move

By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falsely claimed last week that “no pro-lifer has ever argued” that a woman should be jailed for getting an abortion. DeSantis made the claim while criticizing a rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to

By Alta Spells and Nick Valencia, CNN (CNN) — The Georgia State Supreme Court upheld the state’s six-week abortion ban in a ruling Tuesday morning. The ruling reverses a lower court’s decision to void certain sections of the LIFE Act because it was enacted prior to the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision one year ago

By MJ Lee, Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak and Alex Marquardt, CNN (CNN) — Talks to secure the release of a large number of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza are ongoing, two sources familiar with the matter and one western diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN, but the negotiations are being complicated by

By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Georgia election subversion case and will cooperate with Fulton County prosecutors – the third guilty plea in the past week. At an unscheduled hearing in Atlanta, Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — In a slew of court filings late Monday, attorneys for Donald Trump filed several motions asking the judge overseeing the election subversion case in Washington, DC, to dismiss the charges against the former president on grounds that, among other things, they violate his First Amendment rights and are the

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — Paul Whelan, an American who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly five years, pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call in August to ensure that he is not left behind again, Whelan told CNN. “I told him point blank that leaving me here the first

By Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle, CNN (CNN) — Michael Cohen was once one of Donald Trump’s most loyal allies. But after going to jail for tax crimes and lying to Congress, Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” became a star witness against his former boss, testifying before Congress about the hush-money payments he

By Clare Foran, Melanie Zanona, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju, Haley Talbot, Kristin Wilson and Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — The House GOP picked Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest speaker nominee Tuesday evening, though the Louisiana Republican so far lacks the 217 votes needed to win the gavel – the latest sign that Republicans are

CNN By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump made numerous false claims in a campaign speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trump falsely claimed that the United States had no terrorist attacks during his presidency. He falsely claimed that Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley had initially proposed “to flood” the US with

By Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump on Monday compared himself to Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in South African prisons before emerging to lead the nation out of decades of apartheid rule, as he railed against the numerous criminal charges against him. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential

By Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene and Daniel Strauss, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump’s decision to skip next month’s third GOP presidential primary debate and instead hold a rivaling rally just up the road highlights how complicated – and at times thorny – the relationship between the Republican National Committee and the front-runner’s team

By Daniel Dale, CNN Washington (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump made numerous false claims in a campaign speech Monday in New Hampshire. Trump falsely claimed that the United States had no terrorist attacks during his presidency. He falsely claimed that Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley had initially proposed “to flood” the US with refugees