US politics

US politics

An elected city councilman here has been effectively cut off from City Hall barred from contacting the city manager or staff, stripped of access to his government email and routed through the city attorney for nearly all official business following an investigation whose most critical findings the city has not made public.

King's intuition was that white people with lower incomes would support this type of policy because they could also benefit from it. In 1967, King argued, "It seems to me that the Civil Rights Movement must now begin to organize for the guaranteed annual income . . . which I believe will go a long, long way toward dealing with the Negro's economic problem and the economic problem with many other poor people confronting our nation."

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Markets reacted with speed and force. Gold jumped as much as 2.1% to a record $4,690 per troy ounce, while silver surged 4.4% as investors rush into havens. European equities opened sharply lower, with the Stoxx Europe 600 down 1.5%. Read more related news: Trump warns Norway he will not 'think exclusively about peace' US futures tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 fell 0.9% and 1.2% respectively, even with US cash markets closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day.

I'm fairly confident that this column will get me banned from CNN's airwaves. CNN once sold itself as the grown-up in the room. It was the network you turned to when the stakes got real. That reputation earned over decades was built on restraint, seriousness, and a basic respect for viewers, she wrote. Which is why CNN's continued reliance on Scott Jennings is not just baffling, but corrosive to its brand.

The US dollar weakened at the open on Monday, pulling back from multi-week highs and underperforming against other major currencies. The move followed renewed geopolitical and trade tensions after President Donald Trump threatened several European countries with new tariffs in an effort to gain control over Greenland. Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland were identified as potential targets, facing a proposed 10% tariff from February 1, which could rise to 25% in June unless an agreement is reached.

Zoom in: Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom stumbled when conservative influencer Ben Shapiro pressed him on the topic on Newsom's podcast. "The question that you're not wanting to answer ... is whether boys can become girls," Shapiro said. "Yeah, I just, well, I think, uh, for the grace of God," Newsom replied.

Zoom out: After a bitter falling out with President Trump last year and threatening to start a third party, Musk is now firmly back in the GOP camp. Those donations followed a November dinner Musk had with Vice President Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich. Musk has indicated privately to Republican operatives that he plans to give more.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday is scheduled to hear arguments over President Donald Trump's attempts to fire a sitting Federal Reserve board member. Lisa Cook, whom Trump tried to remove in August, has asked the high court to ensure she can keep her job. She's argued that the "cause" Trump cited, which involves allegations of mortgage irregularities, is a pretext. The efforts to fire her are based on politics, not economic data or job performance, her lawyers say.

was not an editorial decision, it was a political one.

is now at risk of being pushed aside by more College Playoff Games, and Big TV Money

60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi said the Department of Homeland Security deflected all questions about abuses at the notorious El Salvadoran CECOT prison, even after having an extra month to respond after CBS News chief Bari Weiss originally spiked the story. Weiss pulled the story right before it was set to air on Dec. 21 because she said, we do not present the administration's argument for why it sent 252 Venezuelans to CECOT.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said he was offended by Kamala Harris's team asking if he was a double agent for Israel while he was being vetted to be her running mate during the 2024 presidential race. Shapiro revealed he was irritated by the question in his upcoming book titled Where We Keep the Light. The New York Times published some excerpts from his memoir on Sunday evening.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

President Trump campaigned in 2024 on promises to end inflation, bring back manufacturing jobs and deliver an economic boom. A year after he returned to the White House, he has yet to deliver on those pledges. Still, there has been progress in some areas, and the economy has proved surprisingly resilient. Here are eight of the promises Mr. Trump made as a candidate, and where things stand after his first year back in office.

A year ago just a year ago the Kennedy Center in Washington DC was a world-class centre for the performing arts. It had a resident opera company, respected artistic teams, and a run of the acclaimed musical Hamilton to look forward to. It had a bipartisan board that upheld the dignity of an organisation that, since it was conceived of in the mid-20th century, had been treated with courtesy and supported by governments of both stripes.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was already irritated by what he describes as "unnecessarily contentious" questions from the team vetting him to be Kamala Harris's running-mate, when a senior aide made one final inquiry: "Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?" The question came from President Biden's former White House counsel, Dana Remus, who was a key member of Harris's vice presidential search team.