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CNN By Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump is no longer fighting the release of the Epstein files. But that doesn’t mean he’s happy about it. Trump threw his support behind a congressional effort to release all the files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after it became clear that he could

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration on Monday challenged in federal court California’s ban on most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations, a move the Department of Justice insisted was necessary to protect federal agents. In a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Central District of

CNN By Gabe Cohen, CNN (CNN) — The embattled acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will step down after hurricane season following months of public controversy and internal frustration. David Richardson submitted a resignation letter on Monday to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, giving two weeks’ notice, the department told

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN (CNN) — A federal judge on Monday scorched the Justice Department’s handling of years-old evidence in its case against former FBI Director James Comey, raising the possibility that the indictment may be tainted. “The record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and

CNN By MJ Lee, CNN (CNN) — Larry Summers said Monday night that he was “deeply ashamed” about his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling CNN that he would pause all public engagements as he works to “rebuild trust and repair relationships” — but the Harvard University professor added that he will

By MJ Lee, CNN (CNN) — Larry Summers said Monday night that he was “deeply ashamed” about his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling CNN that he would pause all public engagements as he works to “rebuild trust and repair relationships” — but the Harvard University professor added that he will continue

By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will review a controversial immigration policy adopted during the first Trump administration of turning away potential asylum seekers before they step foot on American soil, setting up the first major immigration policy case of the term. Federal law requires the government to

CNN By Aileen Graef, CNN (CNN) — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Sunday she will stop using “toxic” rhetoric, marking what would be a dramatic shift in a political brand hallmarked by derogatory comments. The commitment comes amid a rift with Donald Trump that has spilled into public view, with the president attacking the

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon on Saturday conducted the 21st known strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat, US Southern Command announced Sunday. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Southern Command posted on social media. “Three male narco-terrorists aboard

By Piper HudspethBlackburn, Aileen Graef, Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Sunday night encouraged House Republicans to vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and move on from what he calls a “Democrat Hoax,” marking a stark reversal from his efforts to discredit the effort. “House Republicans should vote to release the

By Sylvie Kirsch, Julia Benbrook, Nick Leimbach, CNN (CNN) — Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are welcoming members of the public back after weeks of closures because of the government shutdown. The Smithsonian Institution, which receives federal funding and comprises the largest museum complex in the world, closed as the shutdown entered its third

By Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak, Haley Britzky, Kylie Atwood, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump suggested he has made up his mind on a course of action in Venezuela following multiple high-level briefings this week and a mounting US show of force in the region. Officials briefed Trump this week on options for military operations

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has issued a new pardon to a militia member involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, covering separate Kentucky firearms offenses that were not included in his initial Inauguration Day pardon. In April, the appeals court for the District of Columbia rejected Dan Wilson’s attempt

By Betsy Klein, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Friday he is officially rescinding his endorsement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and attacked her in personal terms, while the congresswoman countered that Trump was trying to make an example of her to prevent the release of files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The

By Annie Grayer, Kaanita Iyer, CNN (CNN) — Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat who represents the US Virgin Islands in Congress as a non-voting delegate, exchanged texts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing, the delegate’s office confirmed to CNN. “During the hearing, Congresswoman Plaskett received texts from staff, constituents and the

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — A day after a federal judge said that portions of a transcript she reviewed from the grand jury proceedings in James Comey’s criminal case were “missing,” the prosecutor who filed the charges against the former FBI director told the court that there are no such gaps in the record.

CNN By Andrew Kaczynski, CNN (CNN) — For years, President Donald Trump has sought to downplay his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who for years moved in the same social circles as Trump in Palm Beach and Manhattan. Trump has alternately called Epstein a “terrific guy” — in 2002 —

CNN By MJ Lee, Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Employees of a minimum-security prison camp in Bryan, Texas, where convicted child-sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is serving time have been terminated, one of Maxwell’s lawyers said Friday, after a whistleblower this week released to Rep. Jamie Raskin alleged correspondence between Maxwell and her lawyer. Leah Saffian,

By MJ Lee, Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Employees of a minimum-security prison camp in Bryan, Texas, where convicted child-sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is serving time have been terminated, one of Maxwell’s lawyers said Friday, after a whistleblower this week released to Rep. Jamie Raskin alleged correspondence between Maxwell and her lawyer. Leah Saffian, a

By Adam Cancryn, Donald Judd, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Friday he will ask Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to many other high-profile figures, in an extraordinary step that comes just days after Democrats released emails from the late Epstein that mention him. Trump announced the directive in a

By Ella Nilsen, René Marsh, Alayna Treene, CNN (CNN) — Top energy and nuclear officials in the Trump administration are planning to meet with the White House and National Security Council in the coming days to dissuade President Donald Trump from resuming testing of the nation’s nuclear weapons, sources told CNN. Energy Secretary Chris Wright,

By Jason Morris, CNN (CNN) — The sprawling 2023 racketeering indictment case against President Donald Trump and several allies for their efforts to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat in Georgia will continue and is now in the hands of a new prosecutor. The case was assigned in September to Peter Skandalakis, director of the Prosecuting Attorney’s

By Sarah Ferris, Adam Cancryn, CNN (CNN) — Republicans in Washington successfully defused the 43-day government shutdown without surrendering to Democrats’ demands to spend billions more to offset spiking health insurance costs. Now, the GOP is under mounting pressure to figure out its own plan. Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire in

By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — Paul Ingrassia, who withdrew his controversial nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel last month, is now serving as deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration, according to a White House official. Ingrassia’s chances of getting through the Senate confirmation process imploded after Politico published a slew

By Kevin Liptak, Zachary Cohen, Jim Sciutto, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump was briefed this week on options for military operations inside Venezuela as he continues to mull a path forward in the country, four sources told CNN. Trump has yet to decide on how to proceed, and he continues to weigh the risks

By Samantha Delouya, Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN (CNN) — A Trump administration official referred California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Justice Department over mortgage fraud allegations, a source familiar told CNN. The accusation was made by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who has made similar allegations against high-ranking democratic officials including

By Annie Grayer, CNN (CNN) — Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is receiving care at a Pittsburgh hospital after suffering a fall near his home, according to his office. “Upon evaluation, it was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground and hitting his face

By Haley Britzky, CNN (CNN) — The Pentagon conducted its 20th strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat earlier this week, a Defense Department official said Thursday. “The strike occurred in the Caribbean and four narco-terrorists were killed, no survivors,” the official confirmed in a statement to CNN. Trump administration officials have acknowledged they do

By Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration moved Thursday to challenge California’s effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, throwing the full weight of the Justice Department in the high-stakes battle over control the House of Representatives next year. After voters in the Golden State approved a ballot