National Politics

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

By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — Former President Barack Obama urged voters to back California Democrats’ redistricting effort during a virtual event with Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday, framing the proposed constitutional amendment as a way to counter President Donald Trump’s efforts to skew the 2026 midterm elections in Republicans’ favor. The measure, Proposition 50, would

ZOOM| CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM By Arit John, CNN (CNN) — Former President Barack Obama urged voters to back California Democrats’ redistricting effort during a virtual event with Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday, framing the proposed constitutional amendment as a way to counter President Donald Trump’s efforts to skew the 2026 midterm elections in Republicans’ favor.

By Natasha Bertrand, Rashard Rose, CNN (CNN) — The US military conducted lethal strikes against two boats in the eastern Pacific this week, killing all people on board each vessel, according to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The two strikes on vessels in the Pacific — the eighth and ninth known strikes by the US

By Daniel Dale, CNN (CNN) — The president keeps claiming a major American city is burning down. Even though that is not even close to true. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday: “I looked at Portland over the weekend. The place is burning down, just burning down.” Trump noted that an

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration has reached an agreement with the University of Virginia, according to an announcement from the Department of Justice, marking the first public university to reach a deal with the White House after months of turmoil. The university has signed on to Justice Department guidelines on federal

CNN By Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett and Rashard Rose, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley now holds the record for third longest Senate floor speech in modern history, after delivering remarks for more than 22 hours. Merkley began speaking on the Senate floor after announcing he would protest what he called President Donald Trump’s

By Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett and Rashard Rose, CNN (CNN) — Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley now holds the record for third longest Senate floor speech in modern history, after delivering remarks for more than 22 hours. Merkley began speaking on the Senate floor after announcing he would protest what he called President Donald Trump’s “grave

By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for mayor of New York, can hardly believe the position he finds himself in. “In the past few weeks, I feel like I’m watching an Eddie Murphy movie, ‘Trading Places,’” he said during a fiery appearance Wednesday morning on the New York radio station

By Abby Phillip, CNN (CNN) — Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a civil rights leader and political outsider, ran for president in two groundbreaking campaigns that changed American politics. A son of the segregated South who went from nothing to eventually becoming one of the most well-known public figures in America, Jackson’s outsider political campaigns challenged

By Betsy Klein, Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — While praising first lady Melania Trump’s work to return Ukrainian children from Russian captivity, President Donald Trump last week seemed to downplay the estimates of the number of children allegedly abducted since the war began. Seated across the table in the White House Cabinet Room, Ukrainian President

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — Federal workers are bearing the brunt of the government shutdown, with more than 1 million of them going unpaid while Democrats and Republicans in Congress argue over funding federal agencies for the current fiscal year. Many will miss their first full paychecks on Friday, while others will feel the

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon is barring nearly all Defense Department personnel, including military commanders, from talking to Congress or state lawmakers unless they have received prior approval from the agency’s office of legislative affairs, according to a memo signed this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and obtained by CNN. “Unauthorized

By Kevin Liptak, CNN (CNN) — One of the nation’s premier historic preservation groups on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to pause demolition of the White House East Wing, which excavators began tearing into this week to make way for President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Congressionally chartered non-profit