US politics

US politics

Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil- and human-rights trailblazer who died on 17 February, imagined a version of America where the marginalized became the center. His was a much more progressive vision than what the Democratic party thought possible after the civil rights movement, and through Jackson's National Rainbow Coalition launched after his first presidential campaign in 1984 he laid the groundwork for a new era.

So I worked at General Electric's Finance and Accounting division in New York City for three years. And then I moved to GE Capital, which was their financial services arm, which was really booming at the time in the mid-'80s. So I moved there in 1985. I took a job in human resources and I thought that would be a little more congenial, but gradually I started to realize I'm in the wrong place.

The widows and widowers of deceased Social Security recipients are generally eligible for survivor benefits. In some cases, even ex-spouses can qualify. To qualify, you must: Be 60 years old or older (or 50 and older if you have a qualifying disability) Have been married for at least nine months before the recipient's death Have not remarried before age 60 (or 50 for those on disability)

State of play: As Axios previously reported,members are tailoring their approaches, though the common thread is to challenge Trump. Some plan to deliver direct addresses or attend counter-rallies, including Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Others, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), will likely skip the speech altogether. And some, like Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), might attend and cause distractions, defying House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' warning against disruptions.

The councilor's comments came a day after it was reported that she was drafting an ordinance that would allow councilors to openly carry weapons while at City Hall, as an extra layer of self defense. Portland city codes prohibit the possession of a loaded firearm in public spaces or vehicles, with exceptions for those with a concealed carry permit, law enforcement officers, and others designated in Oregon law.

OPB first reported on the councilor's comments and ordinance, and has confirmed Smith's decision to rescind the proposal. "To be clear, I denounce violence. I want to emphasize that violence is not the first and only solution to solving matters," Smith stated in a news release Friday. "And improving our security protocols is the best first action rather than an open carry ordinance."

"Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities," the statement continues. "Secretary [Kristi] Noem aims to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history."

Automakers are facing billions of dollars in additional costs from Trump's tariffs, particularly those levied on imported autos and car parts. Those tariffs, as well as levies targeting steel and aluminum, were implemented under a law that gives the president authority to impose import taxes on national security grounds. The duties were unaffected by the Supreme Court's ruling that struck down Trump's broader import taxes imposed on many countries.

The only interest he has in our parks is the money he can make from them. Case in point is how Socha, as an executive for the hospitality company Delaware North, sued the NPS for $51 million for the naming rights to Yosemite National Park, Ahwahnee, Wawona, etc., claiming they were the company's intellectual property. Twenty-two years as concessionaire entitles them to own and profit from the names? How absurd and disrespectful.

Trump previously said he was implementing the new baseline duty under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which grants the president unilateral ability to impose tariffs. But the untested legal provision puts a 150-day limit on how long the duties can remain in place. Congress would need to approve any extension. The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision handed down earlier Friday, ruled that Trump's use of a decades-old federal emergency-powers law to impose his so-called "reciprocal" tariffs was unlawful.

Steve Bannon, the former adviser to US president Donald Trump and one of the architects of the MAGA movement, recently caused a stir when he declared that he has been "spending a tonne of time" behind the scenes searching for an "Irish Trump".

When Karen Newton left home in late July 2025, she knew that international travellers were being locked up in immigration detention centres in the US. I was aware, she nods. But I never thought it would have any impact on my holiday. Karen, 65, had a British passport and a tourist visa. She hadn't been abroad for eight years, and was keen for some guaranteed sun. I really just wanted to get away from the house.

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. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

Donald Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, the White House has said, in what will be the first official visit to Beijing by a United States president since Trump's last trip there in 2017. The dates, confirmed by a White House official on Friday, come as Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have respectively described excellent and good communication between the two countries in recent months.

The reporting landed on the same day that a group of Senate Democrats launched an investigation into Chavez-De-Remer's policy moves at the Labor Department, accusing her agency of showing "disregard for workers' lives" by "rolling back protections that keep workers safe and hobbling the agency that is tasked with overseeing worker safety."

not worthy of being there.

Roughly 80% of career leadership at ICE has been fired or demoted under Noem's tenure, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The agency is under immense pressure to reach arrest and deportation goals. This includes the early demotion of the first acting agency director Caleb Vitello last February. Noem tried to replace Vitello with her political ally Madison Sheehan, who became deputy director before departing to run for Congress.

The lawmakers say the letter comes after reports that former assistant attorney general for antitrust Gail Slater wanted to undertake an extended review of the merger to consider any potential anticompetitive impacts. However, reports claimed that Compass and its attorneys appealed to Slater's superiors including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, telling his office that any antitrust concerns could be addressed without a full-scale investigation.

She's fearless, rooted in working-class communities, and unafraid to take on both MAGA extremism and corporate power.

Introduced on Friday, Feb. 13 by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., the AI Workforce Training Act would modify the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to support tax credits for companies providing AI training to employees equal to 30% of the qualified expense with a limit of $2,500 per employee. Eligible expenses are listed as accredited courses, workshops, certificate programs and in-house instruction covering areas like data literacy, machine learning fundamentals, prompt engineering, AI ethics education and more.

Over the past several decades, Staten Island has undergone a profound demographic transformation. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Black and Latino residents now make up nearly 30% of the borough's population, up from a bit more than 10% in 1980. These residents are raising families, building businesses, and contributing significantly to the social and economic life of the borough. Yet, when it comes to congressional representation, they are denied a meaningful voice.