Special counsel Jack Smith is locked in at least eight secret court battles that aim to unearth some of the most closely held details about Donald Trump's actions after the 2020 election and handling of classified material, according to sources and court records reviewed by CNN.

The White House and Senate Democrats have calculated that Speaker Kevin McCarthy won't have enough votes to raise the national borrowing limit and will end up caving to their demands to avoid a first-ever debt default -- with no strings attached or any conditions whatsoever.