National Politics

By Steve Contorno, CNN Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday defended his state’s decision not to preorder Covid-19 vaccines for children under 5 years old ahead of federal vaccine regulators’ long-awaited, expected authorization. “There’s not going to be any state programs that are going to be trying to, you know, get Covid jabs to infants

By Michael Conte and Jennifer Hansler, CNN The US State Department said they are aware of reports that a third American who traveled to Ukraine to fight against Russia has gone missing “in recent weeks.” “There are reports of one additional American whose whereabouts are unknown. I can’t speak to the specifics of that case.

By Jeremy Herb, Marshall Cohen and Zachary Cohen, CNN The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection on Thursday detailed how former President Donald Trump tried to pressure his vice president to join in his scheme to overturn the presidential election — and how Mike Pence’s refusal put his life in danger as rioters called

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Thursday asked the state’s attorney general to investigate a GOP-led county commission that refused to certify the results of a recent primary election. In the referral to Attorney General Hector Balderas, a fellow Democrat, Oliver said members of the Otero County Commission

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN Dr. Simone Gold, a Beverly Hills woman known for spreading debunked claims about Covid-19 was sentenced on Thursday to 60 days in prison for illegally entering and remaining in the US Capitol during the January 6 insurrection. Gold, founder of the group America’s Frontline Doctors, was also ordered to pay a

By Ali Zaslav and Jessica Dean, CNN The Senate on Thursday passed historic legislation that would help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service. A wide bipartisan majority approved the long-awaited bill by a vote of 84-14. It will now go to the House of Representatives, where House

By Tami Luhby, CNN New moms in Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico and Washington, DC, will have access to a year of postpartum Medicaid coverage, the Biden administration announced Thursday. An estimated 15,000 low-income women will be able to remain in Medicaid beyond the 60 days required by federal law. They join 238,000 new moms in

By Daniella Diaz and Morgan Rimmer, CNN The chief GOP negotiator in the bipartisan talks to find a gun safety package that can pass the US Senate warned Thursday evening that the negotiations could fall apart if they drag on, as many lawmakers leave Washington for the weekend. “Indecision and delay jeopardize the likelihood of

By Eric Bradner, CNN Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, will face Republican businessman Nick Begich III, independent orthopedic surgeon Al Gross and Democratic former state Rep. Mary Peltola in the August special general election for the state’s at-large US House seat, CNN projects. The four candidates advanced from

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN The United States on Thursday sanctioned a network of Iranian petrochemical producers and front companies in China and the United Arab Emirates. The move comes as the Iran nuclear deal — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — is on the verge of collapse. “The United States

By Tierney Sneed The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked Thursday in its nomination vote for Steve Dettelbach, President Joe Biden’s pick to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The tie committee vote means that Democrats will have to use an additional procedural maneuver to put Dettelbach’s nomination on the Senate floor. That vote