CNN

The Biden administration managed to rack up a long list of major legislative wins in its first two years despite facing one of the most closely-divided Congresses in history.
From bipartisan action on infrastructure, gun safety and same-sex marriage to party-line bills tackling climate change and expanding health care coverage, it’s a record President Joe Biden and Democrats on the ballot were all eager to tout on the campaign trail during the midterms.

Donald Trump is facing a flurry of criticism on Capitol Hill, with Republican fury growing over their failure to take back the Senate and GOP leaders at odds over their strategy with the former president still maintaining a dominant hold on the party.

Americans’ views of the state of the nation have bounced back slightly since earlier this year, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, but public perception of the economy remains grim. Nearly half of Americans say they’re financially worse off than they were a year ago, the survey finds, with more than 90% expressing concerns about the cost of living and the majority cutting expenses in response.

Only 35% of US adults say that things are going well in the country today, with 65% saying things are going badly. That, however, marks a modest improvement from surveys this summer and fall, when fewer than 3 in 10 said things were going well. The share who now say things are going very badly is 19%, down from 34% in CNN’s polling this summer and 26% in October. The positive shift in mood is most evident among Democrats, 58% of whom now say things are going well, up from 47% in October.

The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection is considering criminal referrals for at least four individuals in addition to former President Donald Trump, multiple sources told CNN.

President Joe Biden had already personally informed Cherelle Griner that her wife was being released from Russian detention when aides arrived with more news: Brittney Griner was now securely out of Russia — and on the telephone.

Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and WNBA star, has spent her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury and won the league’s championship in 2014. She was named to the WNBA All-Star team six times. During Griner’s collegiate career at Baylor University, she became one of the first women basketball players to consistently dunk in the college game, and she helped the team beat Notre Dame to become the NCAA women’s national champions in 2012.

Brittney Griner’s freedom ultimately hinged on the release of a convicted Russian arms dealer whose life story inspired a Hollywood film.

As White House officials reflected on the final Democratic victory of a history-defying midterm election cycle, one constant has been a sense of validation.