Politics

By Marshall Cohen, CNN (CNN) — After accruing immense governmental power over the past month, tech billionaire Elon Musk got his biggest boost yet this week when President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving him broad authorities over the hiring and firing of federal workers. Musk heads into the weekend not only as the

By Tami Luhby, Rene Marsh, Matt Egan and Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration broadened its effort to terminate thousands of probationary workers on Thursday, instructing agencies on a call to move forward with the layoffs. Officials have set their sights on probationary workers, who have typically been employed for less than a

By Jessie Yeung, CNN (CNN) — Vice President JD Vance warned on Thursday that the United States could hit Russia with economic and military “tools of leverage” if Russian leader Vladimir Putin doesn’t negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine in good faith. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Vance said the option of

By Pamela Brown, CNN (CNN) — At least one member of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team visited the Internal Revenue Service offices in Washington on Thursday as part of its mission to evaluate and potentially downsize government agencies, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. The DOGE member, Gavin Kliger, made a

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Danielle Sassoon, who resigned from her position as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, oversaw all investigations into federal crimes in the Southern District of New York, including the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams that the Trump administration has directed be dropped. Sassoon, the acting US attorney

CNN By Hannah Rabinowitz, Kara Scannell and Evan Perez, CNN (CNN) — A federal prosecutor assigned to the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned Friday in a blistering letter that accused top leaders at the Justice Department of looking for a “fool” to dismiss the criminal charges. The attorney, Hagan Scotten,

By CNN staff (CNN) — The acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, resigned from her position in a letter to the attorney general. Sassoon’s letter ripped into the Justice Department over the decision to drop criminal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil

By Zachary Cohen, Jeremy Herb and Alex Marquardt, CNN (CNN) — US intelligence agencies recently warned both the Biden and Trump administrations that Israel will likely attempt to strike facilities key to Iran’s nuclear program this year, according to sources familiar with the assessments. Israel’s willingness to use military force runs counter to President Donald

By Daniel Dale and Natasha Bertrand, CNN Washington (CNN) — President Donald Trump and ally Elon Musk are misleadingly depicting a Pentagon defense contract that was awarded during Trump’s first presidency. The $9.1 million contract was awarded to Thomson Reuters Special Services, a company that provides “data-driven solutions” to the federal government and other clients,

By Kara Scannell, Evan Perez, Hannah Rabinowitz and Jeremy Herb, CNN New York (CNN) — Three senior Justice Department officials in New York and Washington resigned Thursday instead of complying with orders from the Trump administration to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The flurry of resignations in protest represents

By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — Minnesota’s Democratic Sen. Tina Smith announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection in 2026, a decision that could spark a competitive Democratic primary as the party faces a challenging Senate map next year. “I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026,” Smith wrote on

By Matt Stiles, CNN (CNN) — The US Senate on Thursday voted to approve Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, clearing the way for one of President Donald Trump’s more controversial Cabinet appointments. The vote split mostly on along party lines, with 52 Republicans supporting the

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Personal Birth date: November 17, 1965 Birth place: Tampa, Florida Birth name: Pamela Jo Bondi Father: Joseph Bondi, educator Mother: Patsy (Hammer) Bondi Marriages: Scott Fitzgerald (1997-2002, divorced); Garret Barnes, (1990-1992, divorced) Education: University of Florida, B.A.,

By Priscilla Alvarez and Haley Britzky, CNN Washington (CNN) — Officials at the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department are racing to set up multiple tent facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house thousands of migrants, but the scattered efforts have prompted questions internally about who’s in charge and what will happen once

By Jeremy Herb, Ella Nilsen, Rene Marsh and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — Federal agencies across Washington are finding ways to keep funding frozen even after judges last month temporarily blocked the White House’s effort to pause trillions of dollars in federal assistance. FEMA has clawed back $80 million intended to help New York City

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — Even though most Americans don’t like some of the Supreme Court’s highest-profile recent decisions, a new poll Thursday found that a vast majority believe presidents must still honor them. Eighty-three percent of Americans believe a president is required to follow the Supreme Court’s rulings, according to a Marquette Law