Laura Coates Live

Republican senators struggled to defend Donald Trump’s decision to commute and pardon hundreds of January 6 protesters, including those who were charged and convicted of crimes against police officers, just hours after the president entered office Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the first day of his second term, Trump signed actions that remove the US from the Paris climate agreement, freeze hiring in the federal government and require federal workers to return to the office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A law that requires TikTok to find a new, non-Chinese owner or face a ban is scheduled to go into effect Sunday — and there is little indication the company is set to pull off a sale before then. That means 170 million Americans could lose access to a platform they use to find entertainment, news and community, or even run a business, after TikTok became the first new platform in years to pose a real competitive threat to A merican social media stalwarts like Instagram and YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump continues to see some of the most positive ratings of his political career, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, which finds the president-elect poised to enter his second term with far more positive sentiment behind him than when he last occupied the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After four years in the White House – and a half-century in Washington – President Joe Biden has said farewell. Sitting behind the Resolute Desk on Wednesday evening, the one-term Democratic leader used a 19-minute address to frame his four-year presidency on his own terms – and to appeal for a brand of politics that he sees as rapidly disappearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Firefighters are facing challenging conditions in their battle against the Los Angeles wildfires, with powerful winds forecast over the next 24 hours that could cause extreme fire behavior in the blazes or turn any new spark into a raging inferno. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Firefighters are in a critical stage of their almost week-long battle against deadly Los Angeles blazes. Crews report progress, but the National Weather Service has issued an expanded warning about winds that could gust up to 70 mph, causing extreme fire behavior in ongoing blazes or possibly turning any new spark into a raging inferno. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Total of 11 reported dead In L.A. County inferno. Local Palisade resident describes saving homes. A plane fighting L.A. fires collides with civilian drone and Trump sentenced on hush money case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fifth Los Angeles fire, the Kenneth Fire, is inching closer to homes in the area after rapidly growing in just the last few hours. There are now 10 fire-related deaths across L.A. country and 10,000 structures destroyed. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr.Sanjay Gupta, explains how to stay safe in hazardous air conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Six major wildfires are burning across the Los Angeles area. All but one are 0% contained. The newest one, the Sunset Fire, has broken out in just the last few hours and is burning on the top of the iconic Hollywood Hills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An apocalyptic, hellish scene as a rapidly growing wildfire tears through the Palisades neighborhood and threatens other parts of the city. High winds are fueling the blaze, and it’s spreading extremely fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump is trying to block the release of the final report from Special Counsel Jack Smith. His lawyer sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, after they were able to review Smith’s draft report on the two dismissed federal cases against the President-elect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sentencing before the inauguration - the controversial move by a New York judge to formally make President-elect Donald Trump a convicted felon. Plus, forget all the what-ifs; the gavel still belongs to Speaker Johnson. And dramatic new revelations about the troubled veterans behind the separate attacks in Las Vegas and New Orleans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a series of videos, the man responsible for the deadly New Year’s attack in New Orleans discussed planning to kill his family and having dreams that helped inspire him to join ISIS, according to multiple officials briefed on the investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The latest plan would extend government funding into March and includes disaster relief and farming provisions, but does not include a suspension of the debt limit, which President-elect Donald Trump has been demanding that Republicans address. This was “Plan C” for GOP lawmakers. Trump torpedoed a bipartisan deal earlier this week, and then a Trump-backed plan that would have suspended the debt limit also failed in the House on Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House failed tonight to pass a new Donald Trump-backed GOP proposal to fund the government into March, intensifying the threat of a shutdown ahead of a Friday night deadline. The GOP inserted a 2-year suspension of the debt limit into the legislation after the president-elect on Wednesday demanded that any deal also address the looming debt limit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump delivered a missive to Capitol Hill that significantly ratcheted up the chances of a government shutdown just before Christmas, while sending the clearest signal yet that he is seeking a dramatic showdown with Democrats over spending. Trump and Vance slammed the bill for including what they see as Democratic priorities but also injected the politically fraught issue of the US debt limit, which the country is on track to hit after it is reinstated in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Manhattan grand jury indicted Luigi Mangione for murder as an act of terrorism in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to newly released court documents. Mangione faces 11 counts, including one of murder in the first-degree and two of murder in the second-degree in Thompson’s killing on December 4 in New York, along with other weapon and forgery charges, the indictment says. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The shooter who opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, was a 15-year-old female student, Police Chief Shon Barnes said Monday. She died of a self-inflicted gunshot, he said. The shooting left one student and one teacher dead and six injured, including two people who are facing life-threatening conditions, Barnes said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Federal agencies are facing intense pressure Friday to give the public more details on unexplained drone sightings in the New York City metropolitan area that have been going on for weeks over residential neighborhoods as well as restricted sites and critical infrastructure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weeks of unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey have left residents, politicians and public safety officials scratching their heads, prompting security concerns. With residents and multiple public officials calling for a response to the drone activity and experts working to uncover exactly what’s going on, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby on Thursday sought to assure the public there is no threat to public safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Corporations are scrambling to protect their senior executives as police warn of an elevated near-term threat against business leaders. Boards are reassessing security budgets. And CEOs are being told to delete their digital footprints. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is fighting his extradition to New York, where he faces a murder charge. He was denied bail during a court appearance in Pennsylvania. As he entered the courtroom Tuesday, the 26-year-old could be heard yelling, in part, “it’s completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people. It’s lived experience!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with murder in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, hours after he was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Plus, Daniel Penny, the former Marine charged in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway last year, was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide by a Manhattan jury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the investigation into the fatal shooting of a health care executive in Manhattan enters its fourth day, police are piecing together clues, including a backpack, photos, video, ammunition, DNA and more, to help zero in on a suspect they believe is no longer in the city. The shooting suspect, believed to have left New York City on an interstate bus, has not been identified or located NYPD officials told CNN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The suspected gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson traveled by Greyhound bus to New York before the shooting, a law enforcement source said. Authorities also said the suspect used a fake New Jersey driver’s license to check into an Upper West Side hostel. Smiling photos showing a man police consider a suspect may have provided a significant clue as he lowered his mask during a flirtatious moment with a New York hostel clerk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning in a “brazen, targeted attack” as he walked toward the hotel hosting the company’s annual investor conference, New York police said. The gunman is on the loose. But the assailant may have dropped some vital clues while fleeing, according to police officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth to run the Defense Department is in jeopardy amid questions from some key GOP senators over whether he’s fit for the job, forcing the president-elect’s team to maneuver behind the scenes to avoid a second Cabinet pick from collapsing amid a Republican revolt. No Republicans have said they will not support Hegseth, but even some of the GOP senators closest to Trump, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, are now wondering whether Hegseth can survive the tightrope walk to confirmation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son has left some Democrats fuming over his choice to repeatedly and unequivocally claim that he would never take that step, even though a pardon long appeared possible to Hunter Biden’s legal team. Multiple officials who recently worked for Joe Biden said they never believed the president or White House aides speaking on his behalf when they insisted in recent months that a pardon for Hunter Biden was off the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When President-elect Donald Trump said Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would recommend major cuts to the federal government in his administration, many public employees knew that their jobs could be on the line. Now they have a new fear: becoming the personal targets of the world’s richest man – and his legions of followers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Trump ramps up plans for mass deportations, he is also vowing new tariffs on his first day in office. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday promised massive hikes in tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, Canada, and China starting on the first day of his administration, a policy that could sharply increase costs for American businesses and consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special counsel Jack Smith is dropping the federal election subversion and the mishandling of classified documents cases against President-elect Donald Trump, seeking the cases’ dismissal in court filings Monday. Trump has said he would fire Smith once he retook the office, shattering previous norms around special counsel investigations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump named billionaire Scott Bessent as his pick to serve as the next secretary of the Department of the Treasury. Plus, Trump announced his picks for critical remaining public health roles in his incoming administration -- Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as US surgeon general; Dr. Marty Makary as US Food and Drug Administration commissioner; and Dr. Dave Weldon, a former congressman from Florida, as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hours after his first pick to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency dropped out, President-elect Donald Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new choice to run the Justice Department. Trump made the announcement in a post on social media Thursday evening – the same day that former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom the president-elect had selected for the role last week, withdrew from consideration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New York Times obtained a document assembled by federal investigators detailing the trail of payments to various women made by former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who President-elect Trump picked as his nominee for attorney general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Sean Duffy, a former US representative and Fox Business host, as his choice for Transportation secretary. Duffy is part of a growing list of loyalists to play key roles in Trump’s administration, some of whom have sparked controversy. Key positions Trump has yet to fill are secretaries of Treasury and Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was in the middle of announcing new Cabinet picks this week when they were informed of a sexual assault allegation about one of his previous selections, Pete Hegseth, stunning several members of Trump’s team who have since raised questions about the viability of his nomination, according to two people close to the situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, a choice that would add to Trump’s list of provocative picks whose confirmation processes will test the loyalty of Senate Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration. The announcement of Ramaswamy and particularly Musk, who leads companies with existing, lucrative government contracts, raises immediate questions about potential conflicts of interest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump is likely to pick Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, two people familiar with his thinking told CNN, as he rounds out his national security team in a second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested in an interview Friday that President Joe Biden’s late departure from the presidential race could have hampered Democrats’ ability to beat Donald Trump. “Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” Pelosi said during an interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost immediately after it became clear that Donald Trump was on his way to reelection Tuesday night, phones began pinging in the president-elect’s orbit and the conversation at several of the dining tables in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom turned to who would staff a second Trump term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is no disputing the sweep of Donald Trump’s White House victory. But, there are many unanswered questions about the road ahead and serious concerns about how he will lead the nation. Trump’s win of the popular vote for the first time is prompting Republicans to claim a mandate to carry out Mr. Trump’s most aggressive items on his America first agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All across the United States, from Arizona to Pennsylvania, Michigan to Georgia, and battlegrounds in between, the final hours are underway in one of the closest and most consequential presidential races ever. CNN can project Donald Trump will win the battleground state of North Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump said former Rep. Liz Cheney is a “war hawk” who should be fired upon, as he raged against one of his most prominent intra-party critics while campaigning Thursday night in Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump — who altered reality for tens of millions of Americans by claiming he was cheated out of power four years ago — is creating a sinister threat to the 2024 election and spinning a legacy of fractured trust that could taint presidential votes long after he’s left the stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harris said she “strongly” disagrees with criticizing anyone based on how they vote, after remarks from President Joe Biden sparked backlash from many who interpreted them as referring to Trump supporters as “garbage.” Trump and his allies quickly seized on them to accuse Harris, by extension, of looking down on Americans who back the Republican presidential nominee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kamala Harris on Tuesday night warned Americans that Donald Trump would open up a floodgate of vengeance against his political rivals, including ordinary Americans, while promising that she’d work for the American people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The violent and vulgar rhetoric at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Sunday has prompted finger-pointing within the former president’s inner circle and deep concern that his message was once again eclipsed by controversy. Several of Trump’s allies expressed dismay at the language used by speakers at the New York City event, particularly an off-color joke about Puerto Rico by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who opened the event and set the tone for an evening of disparaging and divisive remarks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices