Politics

By Haley Talbot, CNN Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state said Tuesday that she “unequivocally condemns Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence as an act of war,” following comments she made to CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday that set off a firestorm among her Democratic colleagues in the House. “Let me be completely

CNN By Kevin Liptak, David Wright and Samantha Waldenberg, CNN Boston (CNN) — President Joe Biden told Democratic donors Tuesday he wasn’t confident he’d be seeking another term if his predecessor Donald Trump wasn’t running for the White House, a notably candid assessment of his reelection rationale as he enters a likely rematch with his

By Haley Britzky and Lauren Fox, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Biden administration’s dire warning that the US will soon be out of money for Ukraine has run up against a grim reality on Capitol Hill, where some House conservatives have balked at supporting more Ukraine funding and Senate Republicans are insisting on making it

CNN By Lauren Fox, CNN Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on Tuesday released the bulk of his holds for Senate votes to confirm military promotions, allowing for the quick confirmation of hundreds of nominees. The Senate confirmed hundreds of top military nominations by voice vote on Tuesday evening, hours after Tuberville announced his decision.

By Melanie Zanona, CNN In a private meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused fellow Georgia Republican Rep. Richard McCormick of getting physically aggressive with her, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter – a charge that McCormick has denied, saying it was a “friendly gesture.” Greene claimed

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Monday, December 18, and will be remembered at a pair of private ceremonies that will take place over the course of two days in Washington, the court announced. O’Connor, who died Friday at the

By Natasha Bertrand, MJ Lee, Alex Marquardt and Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — US officials expect the current phase of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza targeting the southern end of the strip to last several weeks before Israel transitions, possibly by January, to a lower-intensity, hyper-localized strategy that narrowly targets specific Hamas militants and leaders,

By Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis and Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The Biden administration offered to trade a large number of Russian nationals detained on espionage charges abroad in exchange for the release of Americans Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich from Russia, two people familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday. State Department spokesperson

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge chastised Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday for failing to attend a hearing to prepare for his defamation damages trial next week. Despite being directed by the court to attend the hearing, Giuliani did not show up. His attorney Joe Sibley told Judge Beryl Howell it was his

By Holmes Lybrand and Haley Talbot, CNN (CNN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that before publicly releasing footage of the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, the faces of the mob will be blurred to protect them from the Justice Department. The Louisiana Republican said during a news conference that he wants

By Kara Scannell and Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — Eric Trump is no longer testifying as part of the defense case in Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial, Trump attorney Chris Kise said in court Tuesday. Eric Trump, a defendant along with his father, brother Donald Jr., and the Trump Organization, had been scheduled

By Clare Foran, Melanie Zanona and Haley Talbot, CNN The House passed a Republican-led resolution on Tuesday condemning antisemitism in the United States and globally. A number of Democrats, however, expressed concern that the language of the GOP resolution is overly broad and would effectively define any criticism of the Israeli government or its policies as antisemitism.

By Katelyn Polantz, Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith plans to present evidence at Donald Trump’s federal election subversion trial next year that his continued support for US Capitol rioters helps to show he intended to inspire violence on January 6, 2021, as part of a conspiracy he led to

By Lauren Fox, CNN Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on Tuesday released the bulk of his holds for Senate votes to confirm military promotions, allowing for the quick confirmation of hundreds of nominees. The Senate confirmed hundreds of top military nominations by voice vote on Tuesday evening, hours after Tuberville announced his decision. He

By Kristin Wilson and Morgan Rimmer, CNN Washington (CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris made history Tuesday by casting her 32nd tie-breaking vote, setting a new record for number of votes cast by a vice president. “Today is historic. Vice President Harris has just cast her 32nd tie-breaking vote, the most tie-breakers ever. I join all of

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new policy Tuesday to prevent extremist Israeli settlers responsible for violence in the West Bank from coming to the United States. “Today, the State Department is implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining

By Melanie Zanona, Kristin Wilson and Jack Forrest, CNN GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, an ally of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the Financial Services Committee chairman, will not seek reelection, but plans to finish out his term, McHenry announced Tuesday. “I believe there is a season for everything and—for me—this season has

CNN By John King, CNN Las Vegas (CNN) — Antonio Munoz remembers admiring Ronald Reagan as a child, in a Las Vegas very different than it is today. “When I was born here it was very small,” Munoz said. “The communities were kind of segregated. You had your Hispanics on one side of town, your