National Politics

By Maegan Vazquez, CNN The Biden administration on Thursday announced it would be directing more than $400 million in loans and grants to support high-speed internet projects for rural communities — funding which is expected to reach about 31,000 families and businesses across 11 states. “Rural communities are the backbone of our nation and have

By Kevin Liptak, CNN President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a lengthy and candid discussion about Taiwan on Thursday as tensions mount between Washington and Beijing, despite Biden’s onetime hope of stabilizing the world’s most important country-to-country relationship. The two leaders did agree to begin arrangements for a face-to-face summit, their

By Jessica Dean, Morgan Rimmer and Ted Barrett, CNN A procedural vote to advance legislation aimed at helping millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits failed on Wednesday afternoon, in a surprise move that the Senate Veterans’ Affairs chairman warned could cost veterans’ lives. With 60 votes needed to advance, the vote was 55-42

By Ryan Nobles, Annie Grayer and Zachary Cohen, CNN The House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, has been engaging with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he could sit for a closed-door deposition with the panel as soon as this week, multiple sources familiar with the committee’s schedule tell CNN. Pompeo’s potential appearance

By Holmes Lybrand and Tierney Sneed, CNN In the weeks before traveling to the Washington, DC area, the man accused of attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh researched how to assassinate individuals and said he would be “shooting for 3” justices, according to a search warrant application from the FBI. Nicholas Roske, who

By Shawna Mizelle Trevor Reed, an American citizen and former US Marine freed earlier this year after two years imprisoned in Russia, said Wednesday that he thinks detained Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan “have a really good chance” of being released amid revelations the US has presented a “substantial proposal” to Moscow for an

By Barbara Starr and Devan Cole, CNN The Pentagon is developing a security plan to use ships and aircraft to keep House Speaker Nancy Pelosi safe should she decide to lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan, according to several Defense officials. The plan, which is being developed by John Aquilino, the head of the US

By Manu Raju, Ella Nilsen and Tami Luhby, CNN Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin on Wednesday announced a deal on an energy and health care bill, representing a breakthrough after more than a year of negotiations that have collapsed time and again. But it will face furious GOP opposition. The deal

By Curt Devine, Scott Glover, Kara Scannell and Evan Perez, CNN In the Fall of 2018, Hunter Biden received a quick succession of emails from his accountant: They were all about his taxes. “They are late,” Bill Morgan told his client in October, noting that Biden had missed an already extended deadline of October 15.

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN The Justice Department obtained a second warrant to search the cell phone of right-wing lawyer John Eastman as part of a January 6-related criminal inquiry, prosecutors said in a court filing Wednesday. Investigators seized Eastman’s phone earlier this month in New Mexico after receiving a warrant to take

By Holmes Lybrand and Avery Lotz A January 6 rioter accused in the assault of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick pleaded guilty on Wednesday to disorderly conduct and entering and remaining in a restricted area in connection to the US Capitol attack. George Tanios, who purchased two cans of bear spray and two cans of

By Evan Perez and Paul LeBlanc, CNN Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson is cooperating with the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the plots to subvert the 2020 election, a source with knowledge of the discussions confirmed to CNN. The extent of that cooperation, first reported by ABC News, isn’t clear. The Justice Department

By Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler, CNN After months of internal debate, the Biden administration has offered to exchange Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year US prison sentence, as part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan,

By Clare Foran and Ted Barrett, CNN The Senate voted Wednesday to pass a long-awaited bill aimed at boosting US semiconductor production in a bid to increase American competitiveness. It passed with broad bipartisan support, 64 to 33. The measure now goes to the House for approval before it can be sent to President Joe