National Politics

By Katelyn Polantz, Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Former special counsel Jack Smith is requesting that Congress and the Justice Department allow him to testify publicly, according to a new letter he sent Thursday to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees. Smith says he wants to testify “in open hearings” because of

By Kevin Liptak, Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — The entirety of the White House East Wing appears to have been knocked down, photos published Thursday show, as President Donald Trump moves swiftly ahead with plans to construct a massive new ballroom. The images from the Associated Press show the demolition work reaching almost to the

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia are launching an investigation into President Donald Trump’s reported demand that his own Justice Department hand over $230 million as compensation for past federal investigations into him, according to a letter obtained by CNN. Trump’s ask, made through administrative claims filed in

By Alayna Treene, Allison Morrow, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge in 2023, the White House said Thursday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump “exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao,

By Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams will endorse former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday. Adams, who previously labeled Cuomo “a snake and a liar” days before deciding to drop his reelection bid, is expected to confirm the announcement at a press conference focused on childcare, two sources

By Aileen Graef, Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance left Israel on Thursday with an optimistic note, saying Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza strip, could be rebuilt in two to three years. Vance said Palestinians should be able to move into a “Hamas free zone” in southern Gaza “in the

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — As the walls come down on the part of the White House that’s been synonymous with American first ladies for decades, Melania Trump has remained silent. The first lady has not publicly spoken about the demolition of the East Wing, which has served as the headquarters for presidential spouses

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — Senate GOP leaders are again shaking up their strategy as they look for more ways to pressure Democrats to end a three-week stalemate over government funding — this time, with a vote that would keep paychecks flowing to “essential” workers. Democrats, however, are expected to

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Speaking at a town hall following days of negative revelations about his online posts and a tattoo that resembled Nazi imagery, Graham Platner was defiant. “The amount of money and time it takes to dig through somebody’s entire past who has not lived a very public life is extensive

By Kit Maher, Jake Tapper, Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN (CNN) — Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Google, Coinbase, Comcast and Meta are just some of the major companies who have made donations to build President Donald Trump’s proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom, according to the White House. Trump has repeatedly said that work on the ballroom is privately

SPECTRUM-NEWS-NY1, CNN By David Wright, Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — This time, the gloves came off. Democrat Zohran Mamdani clashed with independent Andrew Cuomo from the first moments of Wednesday’s second and final general election debate for New York City mayor. Cuomo called Mamdani divisive and said he lacked experience or new ideas, while Mamdani

By David Wright, Gloria Pazmino, CNN (CNN) — This time, the gloves came off. Democrat Zohran Mamdani clashed with independent Andrew Cuomo from the first moments of Wednesday’s second and final general election debate for New York City mayor. Cuomo called Mamdani divisive and said he lacked experience or new ideas, while Mamdani said the

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN Tropical Storm Melissa is slowly churning in the Caribbean Sea and could soon dump catastrophic flooding on Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. View CNN’s Storm Tracker to follow Melissa’s projected path. Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. 1️⃣

By Kevin Liptak, Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has proceeded with enormous latitude as he constructs his massive new ballroom, bypassing concerns raised by preservationists and so far stopping short of seeking approval from the commission overseeing construction on federal buildings to tear down the entirety of the White House

By Annie Grayer, Manu Raju, CNN (CNN) — Todd Armstrong, the owner of a 200-year-old family cattle and crops farm in Indiana, voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 but feels abandoned by the president now for suggesting a deal for the US to buy beef from Argentina. “What frustrates me about this whole move

By Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration’s move to issue paychecks this week to some but not all federal law enforcement employees during the government shutdown is sowing division in the ranks and does little to resolve the harm being done to ongoing investigations, current and former law enforcement officials tell CNN. Under

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s demand that his own Justice Department hand over $230 million as compensation for federal investigations into his behavior is an unprecedented example of how his past indictment lingers over the presidency. His ask, made through administrative claims filed in 2023 and 2024

CNN By Alexandra Banner, CNN Tropical Storm Melissa is slowly churning in the Caribbean Sea and could soon dump catastrophic flooding on Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. View CNN’s Storm Tracker to follow Melissa’s projected path. Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. 1️⃣

By Jennifer Hansler, Kit Maher, Kaitlan Collins, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies as it called on Moscow to agree to an immediate ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. President Donald Trump had for weeks signaled he could impose penalties against Russia for its continuation

By Brian Todd, CNN Washington (CNN) — The site of one of the most iconic battlefields in American history suffered recent damage, prompting a law enforcement investigation. A National Park Service ranger, who asked not to be identified because the person was not authorized to speak to the media, told CNN there is extensive damage