Politics

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — The US military conducted a strike against a vessel in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing four people, according to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. “This vessel, like all the others, was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking

By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — A three-star general serving on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff has been pushed out of his position following months of sustained tensions with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to people familiar with the matter. The general’s stalled promotion also contributed to his early retirement, the

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — Trump administration briefed Republicans on Wednesday about US military strikes on suspected drug boats without telling Democratic members about the briefing, according to a top Senate Democrat and a source with direct knowledge of the incident. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner slammed the Trump

By Natasha Bertrand, Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC, will remain mobilized in the city at least through February 2026, according to people familiar with the guard’s orders. The troops’ orders had been expected to lapse at the end of November before Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth extended them,

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN (CNN) — The Senate passed a resolution aimed at ending President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, with four Republicans joining Democrats to rebuke the administration’s trade policies a day after they voted to terminate tariffs on Brazil. Sens. Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell crossed

CNN By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris, Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — A group of rank-and-file senators increasingly frustrated by the weeks-long stalemate on Capitol Hill believe they have found a possible path to end the government shutdown. It’s not yet clear if it will work. Behind the scenes, this gang of Republicans and Democrats have

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — An Australian man on Wednesday pleaded guilty in connection with a scheme to steal powerful hacking tools from a US defense contractor and sell them to a buyer in Russia, the Justice Department said. The tools were “meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies,”

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday took the rare step of asking for additional briefing in a high-profile, emergency case challenging President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, questioning whether those troops can be used under the federal law at issue to augment immigration officials. A federal

By Alayna Treene, Jeremy Herb, Sarah Owermohle, CNN (CNN) — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins burst into the White House last week explaining that her team had found a legal way to help unlock billions in relief funds for US farmers caught up in the trade war with China, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris, Ted Barrett, CNN (CNN) — A group of rank-and-file senators increasingly frustrated by the weeks-long stalemate on Capitol Hill believe they have found a possible path to end the government shutdown. It’s not yet clear if it will work. Behind the scenes, this gang of Republicans and Democrats have been

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — Two federal prosecutors in Washington, DC, were placed on leave after describing the January 6, 2021 attack at the US Capitol as stemming from a “mob of rioters” in a sentencing memo Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The two prosecutors, Carlos Valdivia and

By Kylie Atwood, Wayne Chang, Will Ripley, Zachary Cohen, CNN (CNN) — Days before President Donald Trump departed for Asia where he will sit down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday for their first in-person meeting of his second term, the president refused to count out the possibility of America’s position

By Natasha Bertrand, CNN (CNN) — The US is withdrawing some troops from Romania, on NATO’s eastern flank, as the Pentagon works to shift its focus away from Europe and toward homeland defense and Latin America, US and European officials said on Wednesday. The US is sending home the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of

By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The clock is ticking for four major social safety net programs that keep tens of millions of struggling Americans — including millions of children and senior citizens — fed and warm, as well as provide early education services. The government shutdown, which began October 1, has put in jeopardy

CNN By Riane Lumer (CNN) — President Donald Trump has said it is “pretty clear” the US Constitution does not permit him to run for the third term in office, after days of speculation prompted by claims from allies there was a plan to let him do just that. “I have my highest poll numbers

By Gabe Cohen, CNN (CNN) — In the final month of the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump put his critique of FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene front and center, making false claims that funding was stolen for illegal migrants and the agency ignored requests for help. One particular claim had legs – that Republican residents

By Katie Bo Lillis, Sean Lyngaas, Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — In the final year of President Donald Trump’s first administration, the CIA carried out a clandestine cyberattack against the Venezuelan government, disabling the computer network used by Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s intelligence service. The attack, described to CNN by four sources familiar with the