Politics

By Betsy Klein, CNN Washington (CNN) — Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is this year’s designated survivor, retreating from Washington to an undisclosed location during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday. Cardona will stay away from the US Capitol, fulfilling the annual task of remaining outside the House chamber during the president speech in case disaster

By Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who ended his long-shot Democratic primary challenge to President Joe Biden this week, denied Thursday that his campaign had weakened Biden politically. “I think, to the contrary, I think he did so well in the Democratic primaries that I think he looks awfully strong,” Phillips

By Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — A US Army sergeant has been charged with leaking classified information to China in exchange for $42,000 after prosecutors said he repeatedly sent sensitive documents about some of the military’s most advanced weapons to a foreign national claiming to live in Hong Kong. Prosecutors said Sergeant Korbein Schultz, who served as

CNN By Betsy Klein and Arlette Saenz, CNN Washington (CNN) — An Alabama woman seeking in vitro fertilization, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain are among those headed to the US Capitol Thursday evening as President Joe Biden is set to deliver a high-stakes State of the Union address.

By Kylie Atwood and Kristen Holmes, CNN (CNN) — Allies of former President Donald Trump held meetings with top officials in Israel last week to discuss the current conflict in Gaza, according to three sources familiar with the trip. The visit – led by Keith Kellogg, a leading national security adviser to the former president who also

By Tierney Sneed, Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand and Devan Cole, CNN Washington (CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith is forcefully opposing former President Donald Trump’s sweeping claim of presidential immunity in the criminal case over his handling of classified documents, urging the judge to cut off Trump’s ability to appeal the issue in a way

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — Some Chinese-made cranes used at US ports contain communications equipment with no clear purpose or record of their installation, according to a new congressional investigation that will heighten US concerns that the cranes could be used for surveillance or sabotage. The investigation by the House Committee on Homeland Security

By Clare Foran and Kaanita Iyer, CNN Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the US Senate, criticized President Joe Biden and his administration over the border, the state of the US economy and crime and safety issues as she delivered the GOP’s rebuttal to Biden’s State of the Union address. “Right now, the

By Morgan Rimmer, CNN The Senate passed on Thursday an extension — and expansion — of funding for victims of radiation exposure The vote was 69-30, and heads next to the House. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has been pushing to pass additional funding of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, since last year, and

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — The New York judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal trial beginning later this month agreed to limit access to juror information, citing the possibility of harassment. Judge Juan Merchan granted motions by prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office to restrict who can know the names of jurors to Trump,

By Haley Talbot, CNN The House on Thursday afternoon passed the Laken Riley Act, with all GOP members in attendance plus 37 Democrats supporting the bill. The legislation, introduced by freshman conservative Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, requires the detention of any migrant who committed burglary or theft. Laken Hope Riley was found dead

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The head of US Africa Command warned Congress on Thursday that Russia is aggressively working to expand its footing among African countries, leaving several “at the tipping point” of falling under its influence. “[A] number of countries are at the tipping point of actually being captured by the Russian

By Jack Forrest and Will Mullery, CNN (CNN) — When President Joe Biden returns to the House chamber to deliver his third State of the Union address, the former longtime senator will address his onetime congressional colleagues as a guest. The president is invited to address Congress by the House speaker, in accordance with his constitutional duty

By Oren Liebermann, CNN (CNN) — The Navy demoted Rep. Ronny Jackson in 2022 after a scathing report from the Defense Department watchdog found the former White House physician drank on the job, routinely screamed at subordinates and acted inappropriately. Jackson, who retired in 2019 as a one-star rear admiral, was demoted to the rank

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — In remarks Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump said, “It was announced that 325,000 people were flown in from parts unknown. Migrants were flown in — airplane — not going through borders, not going through that great Texas barrier.” Facts First: This is misleading. Trump appeared to be citing a

By Kara Scannell, CNN (CNN) — Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife will be arraigned on Monday on new charges that they tried to obstruct the federal investigation into bribery allegations. Judge Sidney Stein set the arraignment for the Menendezes and two other New Jersey businessmen for 11 a.m. ET. The Democratic senator from New

By Arlette Saenz, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Biden campaign is recognizing efforts by staff at its Wilmington, Delaware, headquarters to unionize, kickstarting a bargaining process that could address wages, working hours and working conditions for some of the individuals pushing to reelect President Joe Biden. The unionization effort is affiliated with the Campaign Workers

CNN By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN Washington (CNN) — A handful of Democratic governors made their way through a gaggle of their colleagues last month to tell President Joe Biden directly what they’ve been stressing behind the scenes: He needs to be fighting harder. The Democrats told Biden that he needed to show more of the