Politics

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — The State Department has informally notified Congress that it intends to sell $8 billion in arms to Israel, a US official and another source familiar with the matter told CNN. The State Department sent the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee the informal notification of the

By Steve Contorno, Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — With two Republican lawmakers standing between Mike Johnson and the speaker’s gavel, President-elect Donald Trump picked up the phone. From the golf course Friday afternoon, he spoke to Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas and

CNN By Steve Contorno, Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox, CNN (CNN) — With two Republican lawmakers standing between Mike Johnson and the speaker’s gavel, President-elect Donald Trump picked up the phone. From the golf course Friday afternoon, he spoke to Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas

By Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky and Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest military award for valor – to seven US Army soldiers in a White House ceremony Friday, marking the last time he would preside over such an occasion as commander in chief. “These

CNN By Kara Scannell, Paula Reid and Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump will face no legal penalties for his conviction in the hush money case, a New York judge ruled Friday. Judge Juan Merchan, however, upheld Trump’s conviction in the case, rejecting the president-elect’s effort to throw out the jury’s verdict because

CNN By Kara Scannell, Paula Reid and Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump will face no legal penalties for his conviction in the hush money case, a New York judge ruled Friday. Judge Juan Merchan, however, upheld Trump’s conviction in the case, rejecting the president-elect’s effort to throw out the jury’s verdict because

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — With the start of the 119th Congress on Friday, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott has become the longest-serving Black US senator. Scott will also serve as the first Black chairman of a Senate standing committee, leading the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, where he previously served as the

By Clare Foran, Ethan Cohen and Haley Talbot, CNN (CNN) — The 119th Congress will begin on Friday, ushering in a new era of Republican control in Washington that will start with a high-stakes leadership fight to pick the next House speaker. Mike Johnson is vying to retain the gavel and has President-elect Donald Trump’s

By Evan Perez and Holmes Lybrand, CNN (CNN) — After four unsuccessful years trying to identify the person who placed two viable pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters, the FBI is hoping that allegiances have changed and someone is ready to talk. Despite well-publicized photos of a suspect wearing a hoodie

CNN Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN (CNN) — House speaker elections on Friday are less about Mike Johnson and more about Donald Trump. Johnson’s frantic fight to hold onto his job was still a cliffhanger heading into a fateful day for Republicans. But the president-elect has even more on the line – nothing less than

By Clare Foran, Annette Choi and Ethan Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson has a bit more room in his narrow House majority after Republican Matt Van Epps was sworn in following a special election win in Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District. The partisan breakdown in the House is now 220 Republicans and

By Sarah Ferris and Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson’s allies are leaning into a key argument in a bid to avoid a chaotic floor fight over the gavel on Friday: A vote against Johnson could delay the finalization of Donald Trump’s White House win. A day before the speaker’s election, Johnson,

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — January 1 not only ushered in 2025 but a slew of new laws. In 2024, states tackled issues ranging from abortion rights to gender-affirming care for minors, advancing legislation to take effect the following year. Starting Wednesday, Americans in nearly two dozen states will also see a hike in

By Simone Pathe, Renée Rigdon and Arit John, CNN (CNN) — The new year brings a mixed picture for women’s political representation – the highest glass ceiling in American politics remains intact, but female governors and state legislators are setting new records. The number of women in Congress is decreasing but not by much. Overall,