Politics

By Kylie Atwood, Isabelle Khurshudyan, Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has often bragged about his warm relationship with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. But in the months leading up to the leaders’ first meeting in six years, Trump began asking Europeans and White House aides what’s changed about his counterpart.

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee for governor, formally accepted CNN’s invitation on Wednesday to participate in a fall debate. But her Democratic opponent, former US Rep. Abigail Spanberger, declined CNN’s invitation a day later. The election is one of two governor’s races across the nation in

By Arlette Saenz, CNN (CNN) — A judge in Illinois on Wednesday denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to enforce civil arrest warrants for the absent Texas House Democrats trying to stop a redistricting effort that could net Republicans five seats in the US House. Judge Scott Larson of the Eighth Circuit Court of

By Molly Reinmann, Julia Vargas Jones, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge in San Francisco seemed unconvinced after a three-day trial that the continued deployment of federalized members of California’s National Guard — who were originally deployed to Los Angeles in response to protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda — is lawful. US District

By Brian Todd, Dan Berman, Michael Williams, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — A traffic checkpoint set up by Washington, DC, police and federal agents drew community outrage on Wednesday night as President Donald Trump’s takeover of the city’s police entered its third night. CNN’s team at the scene observed multiple cars being pulled over temporarily,

By Devan Cole, Katelyn Polantz, CNN Baltimore (CNN) — A federal judge was skeptical at a hearing Wednesday of the Justice Department’s effort to sue all of Maryland’s federal court judges in a case testing the Trump administration’s effort to limit the power of the judiciary. The case raises major questions about ongoing power struggles

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — Only the legislative branch can sue a presidential administration for making changes to congressionally approved budgets, the federal appeals court in DC ruled after looking at President Donald Trump’s administration ending planned grants for foreign aid. The decision empowers the Trump administration to refuse to spend budgeted money. And

CNN By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The White House is conducting a comprehensive internal review of exhibits and materials at the Smithsonian Institution – the organization that runs the nation’s major public museums – in an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive about what should and shouldn’t be displayed. The initiative, a

By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — After Donald Trump won the presidential election, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser flew to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to see him. When Republicans pressured her over the giant “Black Lives Matter” lettering she installed in front of the White House during Trump’s first term, Bowser agreed to remove it. Her

CNN By Eva McKend, CNN (CNN) — After Donald Trump won the presidential election, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser flew to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to see him. When Republicans pressured her over the giant “Black Lives Matter” lettering she installed in front of the White House during Trump’s first term, Bowser agreed to remove it.

By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump visited the Kennedy Center on Wednesday to unveil the next recipients of its hallmark honors — and announce that he would personally host the institution’s awards show in December. The appearance at the iconic performing arts complex came as Trump seeks greater authority over Washington, DC,

By Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — A recruitment poster recently shared on the Department of Homeland Security’s social media pages depicts Uncle Sam at a crossroads. In one direction point the words “homeland” and “opportunity.” Toward the other, “invasion” and “cultural decline.” In its caption, the agency overseeing the country’s immigration system presents these choices

By Kristen Holmes, Kevin Liptak, and David Brooks, CNN (CNN) — American officials scrambling this weekend to identify and lock down a venue for Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart quickly discovered a major snag: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the

CNN By Kristen Holmes, Kevin Liptak, and David Brooks, CNN (CNN) — American officials scrambling this weekend to identify and lock down a venue for Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart quickly discovered a major snag: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — The White House is conducting a comprehensive internal review of exhibits and materials at the Smithsonian Institution – the organization that runs the nation’s major public museums – in an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive about what should and shouldn’t be displayed. The initiative, a trio

By Devan Cole, John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Months after President Donald Trump ordered the nation’s military academies to scrap policies that allowed admissions officials to consider race, an anti-affirmative action group this week dropped a pair of lawsuits against West Point and the Air Force Academy. Students for Fair Admissions threw out the two

By Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood, CNN Washington (CNN) — The US State Department on Tuesday released a pared-down version of its annual report meant to catalogue human rights concerns in countries around the world. The report covers the 2024 calendar year – before the Trump administration took office – and sources told CNN it was

By Arlette Saenz, Steve Contorno, CNN (CNN) — Texas Democratic lawmakers are currently holding a members-only meeting and discussing next steps as they weigh how long to continue to remain out of the state and block a new congressional map, three sources close to the caucus told CNN. The deliberations come as Texas Republicans signaled