Melania Trump’s Epstein statement stunned White House aides but was in keeping with a first lady who does her own thing
April 11, 2026
CNN's Dianne Gallagher reports for The Lead.
April 09, 2026
First lady Melania Trump has denied any connection to Jeffrey Epstein
April 11, 2026
In his first 100 days in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has governed with a star power unusual in politics
April 10, 2026
‘I know what it requires’: Harris on why she’s thinking about running for president in 2028
April 10, 2026
First lady Melania Trump has delivered a statement at the White House denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes
April 10, 2026
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has told NBC News’ Meet the Press that he would not step down in his first interview with a U.S. network
April 10, 2026
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are saying President Donald Trump should be removed from office after he threatened Iranian civilization would “die” if it didn’t meet his demands
April 09, 2026
Iranian Americans are experiencing uncertainty as the Trump administration imposes deadlines and intermediaries seek paths to avoid escalation of the war in Iran
April 09, 2026
Donald Trump Jr. has lashed out at the European Union
April 07, 2026
The Declaration of Independence isn’t just a philosophical breakup letter. It was a strategic move to secure vital support for America after its first declaration of war.
April 07, 2026
A couple living in Iran's capital have grown used to the sound of daily airstrikes five weeks into the war
April 07, 2026
Pam Bondi is out of her job after failing to deliver criminal cases against President Donald Trump’s political enemies
April 03, 2026
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans an April rally to mark his first 100 days in office
April 04, 2026
Donald Trump won the presidency by promising to lower costs and end wars
April 03, 2026
Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general
April 02, 2026
Conflicting claims about kratom are widespread, but scientific evidence makes the risks clear.
April 03, 2026
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have announced a plan to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security and try to end a record partial government shutdown
April 02, 2026
President Donald Trump has attended oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court, marking a first for a sitting president
April 02, 2026
CNN Poll: Trump’s approval rating on the economy hits a new low
April 01, 2026
A federal judge in Rhode Island has ruled that the Trump administration's effort to change the criteria for using tens of millions of dollars in funding to aid homeless people was unlawful
April 01, 2026
Why is there a golden toilet on the National Mall?
April 01, 2026
Turkey’s foreign minister says diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran is stalled, but he thinks quiet back-channel talks remain possible
March 15, 2026
President Donald Trump says he doesn't think it'd be “appropriate” for the Iranian soccer team to attend this year's World Cup
March 12, 2026
Trump leaned toward endorsing Cornyn. Then the leaks started — and Paxton made a ‘genius move’
March 12, 2026
A record number of Republicans are leaving the House
March 12, 2026
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon are driving thousands of families to flee again, and some longtime Hezbollah supporters are now openly blaming the group
March 11, 2026
Trump’s Iran war is historically unique in one critically important way: Early on, the war is not popular with the American public.
March 10, 2026
New Mexico authorities search Zorro Ranch formerly owned by Epstein
March 10, 2026
Fact check: Trump’s latest false, unproven and contradictory claims about the Iran war
March 10, 2026
The White House says it fired an NTSB board member for serious misconduct, and he says the claims are false
March 10, 2026
The war that began Feb. 28 hews to a familiar, dangerous pattern, writes an Iran expert, from deep, historical mistrust and incompatible strategic interests to miscommunication and misperception.
March 10, 2026
More than 20 years after the US military success in Iraq, the outcome of the US effort at regime change wasn’t as expected, and authoritarians with close ties to Iran now rule the country.
March 10, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump says that the war with Iran began because that country was starting work on a new site for developing material for nuclear weapons
March 09, 2026
Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh sparred over the many emergency orders the court has issued allowing President Donald Trump to move ahead with key parts of his agenda
March 10, 2026
Rep. Kevin Kiley of California says he’s dropping his Republican Party affiliation to serve as an independent
March 10, 2026
President Gustavo Petro’s political party has emerged victorious in Colombia’s congressional election, but will have to build coalitions with other parties to advance its agenda
March 10, 2026
Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region
March 07, 2026
Trump tells CNN Cuba is soon going to fall: ‘I’m going to put Marco over there’
March 06, 2026
How Kristi Noem finally lost Trump — and her job
March 06, 2026
A partisan battle to redraw U.S. House districts is raging in some states, even though campaigning is underway
February 21, 2026
Democrats are gearing up for a bruising presidential primary as they argue over how to rebuild a winning coalition
March 06, 2026
Venezuela enters the World Baseball Classic in Miami with politics hanging over the tournament
March 06, 2026
With 100 days to go until the World Cup, the Iran war has added a new layer of complexity to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada
March 04, 2026
‘I’m not grouchy, I’m just optimizing’: Thom Tillis doesn’t want to hear he’s not doing enough to challenge Donald Trump
March 04, 2026
Trump admin asked a court to drop court fights against law firms tied to Democrats. Now it’s changing its mind
March 04, 2026
As Israel unleashed a sweeping military response to the brutal assault by Hamas on October 7, 2023, it aimed punch after punch at Iran, the militant group’s longtime sponsor, and its proxies
March 02, 2026
Some of the jubilation was open and even raucous
March 02, 2026
Saturday’s military operation against Iran shows the dramatic evolution in risk tolerance that President Donald Trump has made in a matter of months
March 01, 2026
Trump deliberated on Iran for weeks. His ‘massive and ongoing’ operation comes with acknowledgment US lives could be lost
February 28, 2026
Former President Bill Clinton has finished his testimony before members of Congress for their investigation over convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
February 27, 2026
President Donald Trump says the United States is talking with Cuba and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover” of the island without explaining what that means
February 28, 2026
Democrats are growing more confident of winning a majority in the House in the November elections
February 28, 2026
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told members of Congress she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and didn't recall ever meeting him
February 26, 2026
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced that the Scandinavian country will hold a parliamentary election on March 24
February 26, 2026
Bill and Hillary Clinton are slated to testify this week in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, part of a deal with Republicans after it became clear that Congress — with the help of some Democrats — was on track to hold them in contempt if they refused to cooperate
February 25, 2026
Tennessee bill could make women eligible for murder charges or the death penalty in abortion cases
February 25, 2026
Supreme Court justices sit in silence at State of the Union as Trump slams their tariffs decision
February 25, 2026
First lady Melania and Donald Trump bringing separate guests to SOTU in break with precedent
February 24, 2026
A gobsmacking amount of money is spent on federal elections in the US. The credit or blame for that reaches back to a landmark, 50-year-old Supreme Court decision.
February 24, 2026
Zelensky pleads to Trump: ‘Stay on our side’
February 23, 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit China as Germany worries about rising Chinese competition and Beijing’s stance on Ukraine
February 24, 2026
What to expect from Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s State of the Union response
February 24, 2026
President Donald Trump is threatening countries around the world to abide by any tariff deals they agreed to, despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down many of his far-reaching taxes on imports
February 23, 2026
John Roberts just gave Trump an off ramp on tariffs. He’s not taking it
February 23, 2026
With 116 medal events over 19 days in five different clusters, what a spectacle the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics were
February 23, 2026
South Korea punishes former president who thought he could unravel democracy
February 21, 2026
John Roberts ends Trump’s big Supreme Court winning streak
February 21, 2026
President Donald Trump’s vision of the Supreme Court, in which his three appointees are personally loyal to him, collided with the court’s view of itself when six justices voted to strike down Trump’s signature economic policy, global tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law
February 20, 2026
The Supreme Court has struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs
February 20, 2026
The ruling strikes down most of the Trump administration’s current tariffs, with more limited options to replace them.
February 20, 2026
Virginia Democrats have passed a new congressional map that aims to flip four U.S. House seats, but the courts and voters still must have a say before the maps are official
February 20, 2026
Rep. Tony Gonzales denies allegations that he had an affair with an aide who later died by suicide
February 20, 2026
A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face has been hung on the exterior of Justice Department headquarters in a physical display of the Republican president’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency
February 19, 2026
Giant banner of Donald Trump hung at Justice Department headquarters
February 19, 2026
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol handed life sentence for leading insurrection
February 19, 2026
Democrats are playing catch-up in having online influencers and content creators promote their candidates and priorities
February 19, 2026
Trump launches his ‘Board of Peace’ with billions pledged for Gaza, but many allies are wary
February 18, 2026
Man accused of charging Capitol with shotgun said he wanted to speak to member of Congress, prosecutors say
February 18, 2026
CNN's Jake Tapper reports.
February 17, 2026
The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s two presidential runs and his life of activism inspired leaders across generations
February 18, 2026
As anger about the presence of ICE in Minneapolis divided the nation, Americans turned to the American Civil War for metaphors.
February 18, 2026
More than a dozen former international cricket captainshave urged Pakistan’s government to ensure better prison treatment and medical care for former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan
February 18, 2026
With budgets under strain, states are split on taxing the rich
February 17, 2026
In a podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, former President Barack Obama made a remark about aliens existing. He later clarified on Instagram that he has not seen evidence of extraterrestrial life.
February 16, 2026
A Ukrainian delegation is heading to Geneva for another round of U.S.-brokered talks with Russian officials, days before next week’s fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor
February 16, 2026
Obama clarifies alien comments after telling podcast ‘they’re real’
February 16, 2026
Steve Bannon courted Epstein in his efforts to ‘take down’ Pope Francis
February 14, 2026
Trump privately lashes out at GOP lawmakers over racist video blowback, sources say
February 13, 2026
Netanyahu leans on Trump ties as Israel heads toward elections
February 12, 2026
President Donald Trump met privately with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and says he pushed Israel to back continued U.S. talks with Iran on a nuclear deal
February 11, 2026
Fact check: What Trump got wrong and left out while threatening to block the new US-Canada bridge
February 10, 2026
President Donald Trump posted his thoughts on Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show on Truth Social
February 09, 2026
Israeli military strikes on Monday killed three people west of Gaza City, according to the hospital where the casualties arrived
February 09, 2026
A day after the Seattle Seahawks became Super Bowl champions, speculation about the halftime music showdown is making news
February 09, 2026
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance redefined what it means to be an American patriot
February 09, 2026
The White House is trying to show it's lowering the cost of living, but President Donald Trump has said he doesn't want to see the price of homes come down
February 08, 2026
North Korean state media says the country's leadership will convene a major political conference later this month
February 08, 2026
Tourists in Milan during the Winter Olympics faced disappointment as access to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper was closed for three and a half days
February 07, 2026
AIPAC allies picked a candidate to target in New Jersey. They may have boosted a stronger critic of Israel
February 07, 2026
Trump won’t apologize for sharing since-deleted racist video depicting Obamas as apes on Truth Social
February 06, 2026
Norway’s crown princess has apologized for the situation she has put the royal family in as she faces scrutiny over her contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
February 06, 2026
The Republican lawmakers in charge of the House and Senate intelligence committees have rejected an anonymous complaint from last year alleging that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard withheld access to classified information for political reasons
February 05, 2026
Fact check: Trump repeats lies about inflation, immigration and elections in NBC interview
February 05, 2026
Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, a crewcut-wearing Indiana Democrat who was a leading foreign affairs voice during three decades in Congress, has died
February 04, 2026
Republicans and Democrats in some states are redrawing U.S. House districts to gain an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections
February 03, 2026
Supreme Court lets California use new Democrat-friendly congressional map
February 04, 2026
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a new reelection running mate — as her current lieutenant governor has launched an increasingly caustic primary challenge to unseat her
February 04, 2026
Trump wants Republicans to ‘nationalize’ US elections. The Constitution might get in the way
February 04, 2026
A complaint made about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard months ago relates to an allegation that she withheld access to classified information for political reasons
February 04, 2026
Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested some activists who were trailing their vehicles Tuesday in Minneapolis
February 03, 2026
Iran's president has instructed the foreign minister to pursue negotiations with the United States
February 03, 2026
Two Utah Republican Congress members are asking a federal court to block new U.S. House districts that could help Democrats win a Salt Lake City seat
February 03, 2026
A Democrat flipped a state Senate seat in Texas. Republicans say it’s a ‘wake-up call’ for the midterms
February 03, 2026
Trump ups demands from Harvard, seeks $1 billion settlement after months of strained talks
February 03, 2026
The nearly monthlong disappearance from public view of Bolivia’s towering socialist icon, ex-leader Evo Morales, just days after the Jan. 3 U.S. seizure of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his close ally, is alarming his supporters, roiling his enemies and galvanizing the internet
February 03, 2026
President Donald Trump says he won't tear down the Kennedy Center
February 02, 2026
Georgia's Geoff Duncan was once a conservative Republican
February 02, 2026
Young Democrats across the United States are challenging veteran party figures, aiming to mount tougher opposition to President Donald Trump
February 02, 2026
Amazon touts ‘Melania’ box office success, though film well short of turning a profit
February 01, 2026
Donald Trump credits the mayor of a small Detroit suburb with helping him win over Michigan's Arab American community during the 2024 presidential campaign
February 01, 2026
Independent journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon speaks outside of a Los Angeles courthouse after he was criminally charged in connection with a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
January 30, 2026
What 3 million new documents tell us about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein
January 31, 2026
The release of many more records from Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein is revealing more about what investigators knew of his sexual abuse of young girls and his interactions with the rich and powerful such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton
January 30, 2026
Fact check: Trump twice promotes phony claim that Walmart is closing 250 California stores
January 29, 2026
President Donald Trump is threatening Canada with a 50% tariff on any aircraft sold in the U.S., the latest salvo in his trade war with America’s northern neighbor as his feud with Prime Minister Mark Carney expands
January 29, 2026
President Donald Trump is suing the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion
January 30, 2026
When officials lie time and again, people don’t know what to trust. And when this happens, citizens cannot deliberate, approve or dissent coherently, because a shared world no longer exists.
January 27, 2026
Prize-winning composer Philip Glass has canceled the world premiere of his symphony about Abraham Lincoln at the Kennedy Center
January 27, 2026
When the Supreme Court granted an unusually quick hearing over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a similarly fast resolution seemed possible
January 28, 2026
Amy Klobuchar says she's running for governor of Minnesota
January 29, 2026
President Donald Trump is making a big pitch in Iowa as the White House tries to focus on affordability ahead of midterm elections despite fallout over his administration's immigration crackdown
January 27, 2026
Russian authorities use various strategies to recruit new troops to replenish its supply of soldiers for its nearly 4-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine
January 27, 2026
Chris Madel, a Republican running for Minnesota governor, ends his bid and criticizes ICE
January 26, 2026
Zohran Mamdani’s first NYC snowstorm becomes a major governing test
January 23, 2026
How a Minneapolis federal building’s namesake is inspiring resistance to the ICE actions happening inside
January 23, 2026
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has voted to rescind its guidance on workplace harassment
January 22, 2026
NATO’s Mark Rutte emerges as Trump whisperer-in-chief after dramatic about-face at Davos
January 22, 2026
Trump says Board of Peace meant to oversee Gaza reconstruction ‘might’ replace UN
January 20, 2026
Divisions have emerged over U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace as its ambitions have grown beyond Gaza
January 21, 2026
Michelle Obama explains her comments that the US wasn’t ready for a female president
January 21, 2026
Although she’s the world’s reigning pop star, attitudes toward Swift are split markedly along both partisan and gender lines.
January 21, 2026
Israeli settlers are celebrating the inauguration of a new settlement in the West Bank on land where Israel and the U.S. once hoped to build a hospital for Palestinian children
January 20, 2026
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, are expecting their fourth child
January 20, 2026
Even some Trump advisers are wary of a military pursuit of Greenland. Is an off-ramp possible?
January 19, 2026
Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter says the holiday honoring her father's legacy is a “saving grace” amid political division
January 18, 2026
CNN's Nick Watt reports on The Lead.
January 16, 2026
Republican Congressman Mike Flood joins The Lead.
January 16, 2026
President Donald Trump has made lots of promises during the first year of his second term in the White House
January 17, 2026
Social media users are falsely claiming that Enrique Tarrio, a former Proud Boys leader, is working as an officer for the federal agency
January 16, 2026
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing questions about the launch of a new cryptocurrency token, which he claims will help support efforts to end antisemitism and anti- Americanism
January 15, 2026
International journalists have been flocking to Greenland's capital, Nuuk during the geopolitical crisis triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's desire to control the island
January 15, 2026
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is trying to project political influence even as his term nears its end
January 15, 2026
U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials have met face to face to discuss President Donald Trump’s ambitions to take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark
January 15, 2026
The two leaders fighting for Venezuela’s future – and for Trump’s favor
January 15, 2026
Senate Republicans have voted to dismiss a war powers resolution that would have limited President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks on Venezuela
January 14, 2026
President Donald Trump has claimed control of Venezuela, escalated threats to seize Greenland and increased immigration raids in the U.S. These actions have created turmoil as voters prepare for midterm elections that will determine control of Congress
January 14, 2026
In a letter to GOP Rep. James Comer, the Clintons' attorneys claim that the subpoenas are invalid and meant to embarrass and harass the former president and secretary of state. Jeffrey Toobin explains why he is skeptical of the Clintons' argument.
January 13, 2026
Restricting academic freedom is often thought of in terms of universities telling professors what they can and cannot do or teach. But that isn’t the only scenario.
January 14, 2026
Beirut’s Commodore Hotel, once a hub for foreign journalists during Lebanon’s civil war, has closed amid the country’s economic crisis
January 14, 2026
The House gave approval to legislation aimed at loosening water efficiency regulations for showerheads
January 13, 2026
Trump steps up pressure campaign to avoid rare Congress reprimand on war powers
January 13, 2026
Elizabeth Warren says Democrats need to ‘read the room’ on the economy
January 12, 2026
British-born Thomas Paine helped inspire the 13 English colonies to declare independence and form the United States of America
January 10, 2026
Republican Congressman Don Bacon joins The Lead.
January 06, 2026
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is running for a second term in the pivotal battleground state after a first term that put him on the Democratic Party’s radar as a potential presidential contender in 2028
January 08, 2026
Newsom contrasts California ‘blueprint’ with Trump’s ‘carnival of chaos’ in final state of state address
January 08, 2026
Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that ended her political career
January 08, 2026
Lebanon says first phase of plan to disarm Hezbollah completed, but Netanyahu warns progress ‘far from sufficient’
January 08, 2026
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro launches his reelection bid with bigger plans in mind
January 08, 2026
Opposition supporters have long hoped their leaders could replace Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela's president
January 07, 2026
White House rewrites January 6 history and blames police for deadly attack on 5-year anniversary
January 06, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans still face deportation from US after Maduro capture
January 07, 2026
A suburban Phlladelphia shop selling President Donald Trump-themed merchandise that became a magnet for die-hard supporters announced it’s closing its doors, six years after opening
January 06, 2026
Congress has taken on Epstein. But lawmakers and survivors are still searching for accountability
Capitol rioters clamor for payouts from Trump's new 'anti-weaponization' fund despite backlash
Blue Origin faces months of delays after rocket explosion damages launch pad
The Latest: Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal prepare for Champions League final in Budapest
It's more than just fashion for Naomi Osaka in Paris. She's into the French Open 4th round
Ukraine keeps up assault on Russian oil infrastructure as Kyiv braces for more strikes
Most new moms get the baby blues. But it could be something more serious: postpartum depression
Arne Slot fired as Liverpool manager a year after winning Premier League title