Politics

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — Amid ongoing foreign policy crises around the globe and as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, the State Department last week finalized the firings of nearly 250 foreign service officers in a brief, impersonal email. “Your reduction in force separation will

By Eric Bradner, CNN (CNN) — Spencer Pratt might be a candidate uniquely suited for the moment: An elder millennial with everywhere-all-the-time social media instincts, bluntly spelling out Los Angeles’ challenges with homelessness, crime and mismanagement and laying blame at the feet of its entrenched Democratic establishment. The 42-year-old former reality television star’s willingness to

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, has lost his bid for a third term in a remarkable defeat, after two primary challengers — including one backed by President Donald Trump — finished ahead of him in Saturday’s primary and headed to a runoff for his seat. Rep. Julia Letlow,

By René Marsh, Audrey Ash, CNN (CNN) — A long-abandoned proposal at the Department of Homeland Security – one so ambitious the agency had never gone through with it before – was revived under the leadership of then-Secretary Kristi Noem. Officials spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to buy the department its own fleet

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — The USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s largest and newest aircraft carrier, returned to port in Virginia on Saturday after nearly a year at sea that included participating in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Iran war, a shipboard fire and repeated plumbing issues. It goes down

By Alayna Treene, Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — As Donald Trump grew increasingly frustrated with diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran, administration officials were closely watching whether the president’s trip to China — a nation with close ties to Tehran — would yield a significant breakthrough. But Trump landed stateside Friday with seemingly

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Friday tossed out an emergency request from Virginia officials to reinstate a congressional map that would have benefited Democrats in this year’s midterm election, a widely expected decision that represented the court’s latest foray into a nationwide redistricting war. The decision thwarts Democratic plans to

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Tina Peters, the Republican former election clerk imprisoned for crimes related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, will receive clemency from Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and soon be released from custody, Polis exclusively told CNN. The decision followed a statement in Peters’ clemency application, obtained

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — It was two years ago when a pregnant teenager first reached out to a Tennessee couple on Instagram who had desperately been trying to adopt a baby for nearly a decade. Their relationship would eventually devolve from designing a nursery over the phone to threats of murder and a

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — The US Justice Department is working to secure criminal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro, according to sources familiar with the matter. The scope of the investigation is unclear. But federal prosecutors have examined a number of possible charges, including some related to the Cuban military’s

By Lauren Fox, Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — When Rep. Emilia Sykes met with Democratic leaders about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill, she made one thing very clear to Hakeem Jeffries: this could not just be a women’s issue. “This could all be eliminated and we wouldn’t even be here if these

By Andrew Kaczynski, Sarah Ferris, Ellis Kim, CNN (CNN) — Top House Republicans have grown increasingly concerned by Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s mysterious absence from the chamber. Now his father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., is seeking to offer assurances that his son will be returning soon — though he, too, declined to

By Alejandra Jaramillo, Sunlen Serfaty, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that his “National Garden of American Heroes” will be built in West Potomac Park, advancing a yearslong push for a sweeping sculpture park honoring hundreds of prominent Americans ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. “I’m proud to announce the site

CNN By Betsy Klein, Simone McCarthy, Kristen Holmes, CNN Beijing (CNN) — President Donald Trump departed Beijing Friday afternoon local time without any immediate sign that the US and China have resolved thorny challenges dogging their fractious relationship, but with a freshly stabilized relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping – for now. The leaders covered

By Arit John, CNN Bakersfield, California (CNN) — Even when he was a child, healthcare was top of mind for Humberto Rico. Like many children who grew up in the Central Valley — known for having some of the worst air quality in the country — he had asthma that would sometimes leave him bedridden

By Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump wants to take down Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment and has been a critic of parts of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow to run against Cassidy and most other challengers dropped out.

By Betsy Klein, Simone McCarthy, Kristen Holmes, CNN Beijing (CNN) — President Donald Trump departed Beijing Friday afternoon local time without any immediate sign that the US and China have resolved thorny challenges dogging their fractious relationship, but with a freshly stabilized relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping – for now. The leaders covered a

By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is racing to fill a widening leadership vacuum within the US Department of Health and Human Services, amid months of upheaval that have shaken Americans’ trust and stoked GOP fears of a backlash at the ballot box in November. Senior health officials plan to settle on