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In the 16 months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, six states have held direct votes on the future of abortion rights within their borders. And on six occasions, the pro-abortion rights side has prevailed — including in traditionally conservative states like Kentucky. Virginia: “There’s not like a referendum question on the ballot, but it is on the ballot,” Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine told CNN after a backyard rally for Democratic state legislative candidates in September. Though Virginia is now reliably blue in presidential races, its local races are a fierce battleground. Virginia’s off-off-year local elections — held a year after federal midterm elections and featuring no statewide contests — are famously difficult to predict.

Persons: Roe, Wade, “, ” Virginia Sen, Tim Kaine, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Republican Glenn Youngkin, Terry McAuliffe, —, Youngkin, ”, Andy Beshear, Beshear, Daniel Cameron, Cameron, Matt Bevin, Read Organizations: US Senate, CNN, Democratic, Commonwealth, Republican, Voters Locations: Kentucky, Ohio , Virginia, Pennsylvania, . Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Midwestern

Former President Donald Trump attends the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York Supreme Court on Monday. Brendan McDermid/Pool/ReutersDuring testimony, Donald Trump leaned into the microphone saying, "This is a very unfair trial. Very, very and I hope the public is watching.”The court then adjourned for a 15 minute break. Trump did not speak on his way out of court, but slammed the case on Truth Social. This is a level of Election Interference never before seen in our country," the email reads.

Persons: Donald Trump, Brendan McDermid, Trump, fundraise, Joe Biden Organizations: Trump Organization, New, Supreme, New York Times, Siena College Locations: Manhattan

☆ Live updates: House Speaker race continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Mike Hayes | Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

After three weeks of infighting, division and tensions that left the House paralyzed they will again attempt to elect a speaker this afternoon. Members can also opt to vote PRESENT, which casts no vote. Additionally, Massie this morning said he would support Johnson after voting present last night. Remember, the math is tricky here: The prevailing candidate will be the one who wins 50% +1 of the total number of the House voting for a person. Should a member not vote or vote present, that will drop the target number that a candidate needs to reach.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, Thomas Massie of, Mark Amodei, Amodei, designee Johnson, Massie, I’m, ” Massie Organizations: House GOP Conference, House, CNN Locations: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, French Hill, Arkansas, Nevada

☆ Live updates: House Republicans vote on speaker nomination
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Mike Hayes | Shania Shelton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Members of the House of Representatives vote on the House Speaker on October 20 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesDuring the speaker candidate forum on Monday, all the speaker candidates agreed that they wanted to get to 217 votes in the room before going to the floor, a source familiar told CNN. GOP Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told CNN it is important for the conference to 217 behind closed doors because they need to avoid another public embarrassment on the House floor. Texas GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw told CNN, “it’s impossible” for the conference to get to 217, but added “let’s see who wins. “We’ll pare it down And then we get it down to I assume the two, we will have a roll call vote.”

Persons: Chip Somodevilla, Kevin Hern, Jim Jordan’s, “, I've, Jim Jordan, ”, Tim Burchett, ” Burchett, Dan Crenshaw, let’s, Ralph Norman of South, “ We’ll pare Organizations: CNN, Republicans, GOP, Ohio, Texas GOP, Ralph Norman of South Carolina Locations: Washington ,, Tennessee, Texas

☆ Live updates: House speaker candidate forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Mike Hayes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Kevin Hern leaves a House Republican caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building on October 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. “He just wanted to know what was going on in the race. “I think he's going to sit this one out.”Hern added: “So I think when you look at this now, he's gonna let this play out. Because the American people don't want to see another thing that happened like last week with Jim Jordan,” he said. We do not need to bog down Israel aid in that debate right now,” he said.

Persons: Kevin Hern, Win McNamee, Donald Trump, ” Hern, CNN’s Manu Raju, “, he's, Jim Jordan’s, I've, Jim Jordan, ”, Hern Organizations: Republican, Getty, Oklahoma Republican, GOP, Ukraine Locations: Longworth, Washington , DC, Ukraine

Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy speaks to reporters as he walks to the House Chambers in the Capitol on October 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesFormer Speaker Kevin McCarthy argued interim Speaker Patrick McHenry already has the powers that some in the anti-Jim Jordan crowd want him to have. “I think you shouldn't have to do a resolution, that McHenry can carry this on as we elect Jim Jordan our speaker,” he said. “We're going in, we want to elect Jim Jordan, and if Jim's numbers drop, it's a lot of that is due to Gaetz’s email that he put out last night,” said McCarthy. Going after Republicans that would work with anything with Democrats when he did all this to us?

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Raedle, Patrick McHenry, Jim Jordan, McHenry, ”, “, ” McCarthy, CNN’s Manu Raju, Matt Gaetz, Jordan’s, Gaetz, McCarthy, “ We're, Jim, Jordan Organizations: House, Capitol Locations: Washington , DC

Here are key things to know about how Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted as House speaker:What happened to McCarthy? McCarthy had been House speaker since January, when he won the gavel after 15 rounds of balloting. Many House Republicans who share some of these ideological views, however, continued to support McCarthy. So many Democrats felt like they didn’t owe him anything, even if a future GOP speaker could be more conservative than McCarthy. Only four Republicans can break with the pack in order for a GOP speaker to be seated.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Anna Rose Layden, McCarthy, Republicans –, “, Matt Gaetz, Joe Biden, Gaetz, Republicans squirm, Biden, Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: Capitol, Getty Images Washington, Republicans, Florida, Caucus, California Republican, Democratic Locations: Washington , DC, California, New York

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is still closed, leaving humanitarian supplies piling up on the Egyptian side of the border. But, Israel has closed its two border crossings with Gaza and imposed a “complete siege” of the territory. That has left the Rafah crossing as the only viable outlet to get people out of the enclave – and supplies into it. Also complicating matters: border authorities have not managed to repair Israeli airstrike damage to the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, a Palestinian official said. Abu Obaida claimed 22 of the hostages in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes (CNN cannot independently verify that claim).

Persons: Sameh Shoukry, Abu Odaida, Abu Obaida, Antonio Guterres, Rishi Sunak, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Yoav Gallant, Yair Lapid, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, White Organizations: Egypt’s, UN, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, European Commission, World Health Organization, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, CNN, United Nations, Hezbollah, British, Israeli, State Department, Pentagon, Hamas Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Lebanese, Turkish, East

As of now, neither House Majority Leader Steve Scalise nor Rep. Jim Jordan – the two declared GOP candidates in the race – have locked down 217 votes, the necessary number to be elected speaker by a majority vote of the full chamber. The uncertain vote math has raised questions over how and when the GOP majority will be able to elect a new speaker, particularly as infighting continues to roil House Republican ranks. “I’d put it at 2%,” he said when asked by a reporter what the chances are there will be a new House speaker by Wednesday. After his removal as speaker in a historic vote last week, McCarthy announced he would not run again for the post. Read more about the race for House speaker here.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy’s, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan –, Mike Garcia, it’s, “, Thomas Massie, I’d, ”, McCarthy, Wednesday’s, Read Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Republican, California Republican, Kentucky Locations: California

☆ House speaker race live updates: Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise run to replace Kevin McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Aditi Sangal | Mike Hayes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Two candidates have stepped up to fill the vacuum: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, who has the backing of former President Donald Trump. 2 House Republican after the speaker, Scalise has been a prominent figure in the conference and had long been seen as either a potential successor, or rival, to McCarthy. Before he became majority leader, Scalise served as House GOP whip, a role focused on vote counting and ensuring support for key party priorities. The majority leader, his current role, oversees the House floor and schedules legislation for votes. Read more about the race for a new House speaker.

Persons: Patrick McHenry of, Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan of, Donald Trump, Kevin Hern, Jim Jordan, Trump’s, Jordan, Scalise, McCarthy, Read Organizations: Israel, Donald Trump . Oklahoma Rep, Committee, Freedom Caucus, Capitol, GOP, Republican, House, Caucus Locations: Washington, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, recessing, Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio

Top Democrats signal they are ready to sink Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy after leaving a closed door meeting of their caucus, saying that they remain united. Speaker McCarthy has shown he cannot govern,” Ted Lieu, a member of Democratic leadership, told CNN. “We don’t trust him. Rep. Veronica Escobar says she would not help McCarthy and called him “dishonest” and “destructive.”“I could never see a situation where I would vote for Kevin McCarthy. You know, for now, I think you're gonna see that a lot of folks think that way,” she told CNN.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Ted Lieu, “, ” Lieu, Hakeem Jeffries, Adam Schiff, Veronica Escobar, ”, Ilhan Omar Organizations: Democratic, CNN, House Democratic, ” Locations: “

President Joe Biden departs the White House on September 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden's public schedule was clear Tuesday as his son Hunter Biden was in a Delaware courtroom pleading not guilty to federal gun charges. President Biden was kept abreast of the developments by his lawyers in between policy meetings with advisers. Hunter Biden hasn't been seen publicly at the White House in several months, but he is known to speak on a near-daily basis with his father. When Hunter Biden was indicted in September, the president was preparing for what the White House billed as a "major" economic address.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Dietsch, Joe Biden's, Hunter Biden, Biden, — Hunter's, Jill Biden, Hunter, Hunter Biden hasn't Organizations: House, Getty, Ukraine, Arkansas —, Northern Virginia Community College, Justice Department, White Locations: Washington , DC, Delaware, Wilmington , Delaware, Arkansas, Lake

Justice Arthur Engoron speaks during the trial of former President Donald Trump for Trump's civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday. Shannon Stapleton/Pool/Getty ImagesJudge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the New York attorney general’s civil case against Donald Trump, said Tuesday that the trial itself is not the venue for Trump’s attorneys to contest what he’s already ruled on. Leaving court Monday, Trump incorrectly claimed that the judge had agreed that 80% of the attorney general’s case was thrown out because of the statute of limitations. It’s one of several allegations contained in the attorney general’s civil case against Trump, but it could lead to stiff penalties for his business. The attorney general’s office is seeking to bar Trump from doing business in New York.

Persons: Arthur Engoron, Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, general’s, he’s, Engoron, ”, Kevin Wallace, Mr, Wallace, Trump, ” Engoron Organizations: New York, New, Trump Locations: New York

☆ One rural Alabama school district figured out how to improve students' math scores: longer classes, group learning, and data diving
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Trisha Powell Crain | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Teachers got more time to dig into student test score data and lengthened classes to focus on specific skills. By spring 2022, the district ranked 12th in the state on math proficiency, with 57% of students reaching proficiency. There is less research on the use of targeted small group instruction in math and in middle grades. Math teacher Cheyenne Crider helps a seventh-grade student with a math problem at Piedmont Middle School in Piedmont, Alabama, on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. She oversees training for middle school math teachers through the Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative.

Persons: Mike Hayes, Rebecca Dreyfus, TNTP, Dreyfus, Trisha Powell Crain, Hayes, " Hayes, Cassie Holbrooks, Lisa Hayes, Cheyenne Crider, Keri Richburg, Richburg, Holbrooks, Landon Pruitt, Pruitt Organizations: Teachers, Service, Piedmont City, Nationwide, AP Piedmont, Piedmont Middle, AP, Alabama Math Science, Technology Initiative, Research, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, Christian Science Monitor, Dallas Morning News, Idaho Education, Courier, The Seattle Times Locations: Alabama's, Wall, Silicon, Ala, Alabama, Piedmont , Alabama, Holbrooks, Piedmont, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Idaho, South Carolina

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called US military aid "the most profitable investment into world's security" during a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv on Wednesday. Kuleba said he and Blinken had “an open, sincere and friendly conversation” and reiterated that the US support for Ukraine is long-standing. “Anyone in the world who has doubted that Ukraine and the US will stand shoulder to shoulder until the end of this war have received a powerful signal today that they are wrong. We are moving forward together because we understand this war is not just about the future of Ukraine, but the future of the world,” he said. The leaders also ate at a McDonald’s in Kyiv, which had recently reopened.

Persons: Dmytro Kuleba, Antony Blinken, ” Kuleba, Kuleba, United States “, Blinken, ” Organizations: “, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Tactical Missile Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Ukrainian, Romania

A resident places wooden boards to protect a house in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday. Juan Manuel Barrero Bueno/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesOfficials in St. Petersburg, Florida, are warning residents about storm surge from Hurricane Idalia. “We are preparing as if we could get a direct hit,” Rob Gerdes, administrator for St. Petersburg, during a press conference. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch cautioned his citizens that after Idalia potentially passes over the community, the danger will not be over. And even when it is past us we are still going to see storm surge,” Welch said.

Persons: Juan Manuel Barrero Bueno, Rob Gerdes, Ken Welch, ” Welch, Crews, ” Jeff Baker Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Idalia, St, Petersburg, Duke Energy, Census Locations: St . Petersburg , Florida, Petersburg, Idalia, Tampa, St, St . Petersburg, Midwest

“On a near daily basis, the defendant posts on social media about this case,” Gaston said. “He has publicly disparaged witnesses, he has attacked the integrity of the court and of the citizens of the District of Columbia." Gaston also sought to use some of Trump's attorney John Lauro’s own public statements in her arguments. Lauro has also publicly claimed, Gaston said, that he has read former Vice President Mike Pence’s book twice in anticipation of the trial. “We are not starting fresh from indictment in this case,” Gaston said.

Persons: Molly Gaston, Donald Trump, ” Gaston, “, Gaston, John Lauro’s, Lauro, Mike Pence’s, Tanya Chutkan Organizations: District of Columbia Locations: Washington ,

☆ Live updates: The latest news on Trump and the Fulton County, Georgia, election case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Aditi Sangal | Mike Hayes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, in Atlanta on August 30, 2022. Audra Melton/The New York Times/ReduxFani Willis had only been in office as Fulton County district attorney for a day when former President Donald Trump phoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to “find” votes to overturn the 2020 presidential election results on Jan. 2, 2021. She had campaigned on the premise of restoring integrity to the Fulton County district attorney’s office, was elected after ousting six-term incumbent Paul Howard and inherited a stack of backlogged cases from her predecessor. According to a South Atlanta Magazine profile, she worked in the private sector for five years before becoming assistant district attorney for Fulton County in 2001. Read more about the district attorney here.

Persons: Fani Willis, Audra Melton, Donald Trump, Brad Raffensperger, Paul Howard, Fulton County’s, Donald Trump’s, Young Thug, Willis, “, ” Willis, Read Organizations: New York Times, Georgia, Howard University, Emory School of Law, South Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Public School Locations: Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia, California, Washington, DC

☆ Live updates: Maui wildfires death toll rises, Lahaina recovery begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Aditi Sangal | Mike Hayes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Struggle to house displaced residents and tourists: The devastation has displaced thousands of people, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell estimated. As of Friday night, a total of 1,418 people were at emergency evacuation shelters, according to Maui County officials. Teams are working to get displaced Lahaina residents into temporary homes, with more than 500 hotel rooms already obtained with government subsidies, Green said Sunday. Hawaii's main electric provider sued: A lawsuit claims electrified power lines blown over by high winds helped to cause the destructive Lahaina wildfire. Mayor Bissen acknowledged Thursday that power lines that were “still energized” had fallen on the roads, but the new lawsuit does not state exactly how the power lines allegedly caused the wildfire.

Persons: Yuki Iwamura, John Pelletier, Josh Green, Deanne Criswell, Green, ” Green, weren’t, Bissen, ” Organizations: Getty, Maui Police, Gov, FEMA, Hawaiian Electric Industries Locations: Lahaina , Hawaii, AFP, Maui, Maui County, Lahaina

Ukraine’s National Resistance Center — an official body — claimed Tuesday that the construction of another camp to host Wagner Group fighters has begun in the Zyabrovka Air Base in Belarus. “On the border with Ukraine, in the village of Zyabrovka in the Republic of Belarus, a new camp for 'Wagner' PMC mercenaries is being built,” the center said on its website. Zyabrovka is located near Gomel in southeastern Belarus, about 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine's Chernihiv region. The camp can house around 1,000 personnel, the center said, and it looks like a tent city. Moscow used Belarusian territory to facilitate its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, strengthening ties between President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko.

Persons: —, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner’s, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, ” Organizations: Resistance Center, Wagner Group, Zyabrovka, Base, PMC, “, CNN, Ukraine, NATO Locations: Belarus, “, Ukraine, Zyabrovka, Republic of Belarus, Chernihiv, Gomel, Ukraine's Chernihiv, Russia, Moscow, Poland, Europe, Warsaw, Belarusian

Trump’s attorneys, including Todd Blanche, received the target letter from Smith’s team informing them that their client could face charges in the investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, two sources familiar with what happened tell CNN. A target letter from federal prosecutors to Trump makes clear that prosecutors are focused on the former president’s actions in the investigation into overturning the 2020 election – and not just of those around him who tried to stop his election loss. The target letter cites three statutes that Trump could be charged with, according to multiple news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, that cited a person familiar with the matter. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged the former president with falsifying business records in March, and Smith charged Trump in the classified documents investigation last month. Read more about the Trump target letter.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’s, Jack Smith, Todd Blanche, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Smith Organizations: CNN, Trump, Street Journal, Department, Manhattan, Attorney Locations: United States

☆ Latest on the intense heat waves and scorching temperatures in Europe and the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Adrienne Vogt | Mike Hayes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Firefighters rush to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Vlyhada, Greece, on Wednesday. Stelios Misinas/ReutersSouthern Europe is experiencing very high temperatures while wildfires continue in many areas. The fire danger is expected to increase in Greece and Switzerland, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). A series of heavy thunderstorms hit a large part of the northern Italian region of Trentino Alto Adige on Tuesday afternoon. Two firefighting aircraft of the Italian firefighters' service have been deployed to the northwest of Athens, the force said on Twitter.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, SkyTG24, Gabrielius Landsbergis Organizations: Reuters, Milan, Twitter, Lithuanian Locations: Vlyhada, Greece, Reuters Southern Europe, Switzerland, Italy, Turin, Sardinia, Italian, Trentino Alto Adige, Bitsch, Valais, EU, Athens, Lithuania

The United States Coast Guard will hold a news conference at 4:30 p.m. ET in Boston on the search for the missing submersible near the Titanic wreckage. Rear Admiral John Mauger, Commander of the First Coast Guard District is expected to lead the briefing. The trip begins with a 400-nautical-mile journey to the wreck site, according to the tour operator. There, up to five people board the submersible named “Titan” and descend to the bottom of the ocean.

Persons: John Mauger Organizations: United States Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Polar, First Coast Guard Locations: Boston, Canadian, Cape Cod, St, John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

“I’m not a fair-weather friend,” Pate told CNN in a telephone interview Monday evening. The event – planned for Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey — has been billed as the first major fundraising event of his presidential campaign. CNN has previously reported that Trump is expected to make remarks from Bedminster before the fundraiser. He said Tuesday’s fundraiser gathering is likely to be a “small event,” which he attributed the limited pool of big-dollar donors generally. But he said he expected small-dollar donations to Trump’s campaign — and his poll numbers — to surge with the indictment.

Persons: Stan Pate, Donald Trump, “ I’m, ” Pate, ” “ He’s, “, Bedminster , New Jersey —, Trump, Pate, —, ” Organizations: Alabama, Trump, CNN, New Jersey – Locations: Tuscaloosa , Alabama, New Jersey, Miami, Bedminster , New Jersey, Bedminster, New York

Here's what some Republican lawmakers are saying today about Trump:Sen. Lindsey Graham acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations of mishandling of classified documents laid out in the federal indictment of Donald Trump. Graham also invoked classified documents investigations into President Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Graham said he would continue to support Trump, but would not clarify if he'd keep supporting Trump should the former president be convicted. "I intend to support the president," Graham, adding he doesn't think the case will go to trial before the election. Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, attacked the Biden administration ahead of the arraignment of Trump this afternoon.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Francis Chung, Donald Trump, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Graham, Biden, Hillary Clinton, CNN's Manu Raju, Trump, Thom Tillis, “, ”, Tillis, Donald J, Chuck Grassley, ” Scalise, Scalise, Joe Biden's, Eric Schmitt, ” Trump, Schmitt, ” Schmitt Organizations: Republican, Trump, Presidential Records, Presidential, ”, United, Biden Locations: United States, Missouri, Trump

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