National Politics

By Betsy Klein, Brian Stelter, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Sunday ordered the Trump administration to cancel all further airings of President Donald Trump’s controversial taxpayer-funded ads. But the spots continued to air after the deadline, prompting further legal maneuverings. A Justice Department lawyer on Monday apologized “to the court and the plaintiffs”

By Alison Main, CNN (CNN) — Republican Sen. Roger Marshall settled his debts this weekend with a bakery in Kansas after a bill for hundreds of treats his campaign ordered for a 2020 event sat unpaid for six years. Holly Thomas, the owner of the shop that made cookies, brownies and cupcakes for Marshall’s primary

By Ethan Cohen, CNN (CNN) — After the first days of early voting in Ohio, a state that could help determine control of the Senate, there are clear signs Democrats are more enthusiastic to vote. So far, affiliated Democrats make up larger shares of pre-election voters than they did two years ago, even in the

By Betsy Klein, Billy Stockwell, CNN (CNN) — US President Donald Trump expressed irritation with Russia and Ukraine a day after he announced a so-called “energy ceasefire,” which appeared to take both countries by surprise. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv supported the surprise ceasefire announcement but did not know about it in advance, and

CNN By Tierney Sneed, Michael Williams, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Monday said she was “furious” with the Trump administration’s move over the weekend to cut down at least 430 trees from a Washington, DC, public golf course that President Donald Trump is seeking to renovate. US District Judge Ana Reyes, who is

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Crews with the Interior Department on Saturday began a new phase of removing trees from the East Potomac Golf Course in Washington DC, the site of one of several Trump administration renovation projects wrapped up in litigation brought by groups seeking to stop those efforts. On Friday, the National

CNN By Kevin Liptak, David Goldman, Matt Egan, Ivana Kottasová, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Volodymyr Zelensky as the two sparred over a new US-Russia diesel deal, saying he would “suggest” Ukraine get a new leader. “You know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — The texts from Elon Musk’s super PAC arrived last week, all with the same message to a group of Colorado voters: “Your ballot request is in,” they read. “Confirm now where and when to return it.” But every active registered voter in Colorado automatically receives a mail ballot, and

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the execution of the convicted Fort Hood mass shooter would be shown in public caught people across the Pentagon and the Army off guard, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Hegseth made the announcement in an interview Wednesday with far-right

By Gloria Pazmino, Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — The friendly relationship between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hit one of its toughest tests yet Thursday after a series of calls over a shooting involving immigration agents in the Bronx. Mamdani, who keeps an open line of communication with Trump, has

By Kevin Liptak, David Goldman, Matt Egan, Ivana Kottasová, Jennifer Hansler, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Volodymyr Zelensky as the two sparred over a new US-Russia diesel deal, saying he would “suggest” Ukraine get a new leader. “You know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who can

By Tierney Sneed, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge accused the Justice Department of trying to subvert civil rights laws with a voter roll audit plan that would run “roughshod over longstanding laws that were carefully crafted to protect the rights of the American people.” The new ruling from US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan halts

By Sarah Ferris, CNN (CNN) — For weeks, top Democrats in Washington have watched with cautious restraint as Republicans dumped millions into red states like Kansas and South Carolina to defend an increasingly shaky Senate map. But Democrats increasingly believe they have a real chance to win seats deep in Trump territory as Republicans face

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation Thursday that the firing squad death of the Fort Hood mass shooter will be livestreamed was swiftly met with bipartisan outrage and questions over how the public execution will be carried out. Firing squad executions are rare in the US (though they have been

By Alayna Treene, Kaitlan Collins, Kristen Holmes, Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has selected Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator who worked briefly at the Department of Homeland Security, as his new press secretary. Zacharia thanked Trump in a social media post Friday, writing, “Serving President Trump and the American people at this

By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN (CNN) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear hoped being chair of the Democratic Governors Association this midterms year would raise his profile and connections ahead of his expected 2028 run for president. But it’s also created an opening to ramp up pressure on him, with frustrations spilling into the open this week

By Sunlen Serfaty, CNN (CNN) — A county board in Virginia is suing to stop the construction of President Donald Trump’s “Triumphal arch,” bringing another legal challenge to the controversial 250-foot project. In announcing the suit, brought with the left-leaning nonprofit group “Democracy Forward,” the five-member Arlington County Board argued that the arch “would dramatically