Biden and Trump score decisive wins in Louisiana primaries: Latest updates

President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump scored decisive wins in Louisiana’s primary on Saturday, in a contest that promised little upset.

Both candidates collected more delegates but already have enough to secure their party nominations.

Meanwhile, a US government shutdown has been averted after the Senate passed a $1.2trn spending package in a 2am vote 74-24. President Biden signed the bill into law on Saturday. It will keep the federal government open until the end of fiscal year 2024 on 30 September.

The House of Representatives passed the spending package 286 to 134, surpassing the two-thirds majority needed. Calling it a “betrayal of Republican voters”, a furious Marjorie Taylor Greene initiated the process to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The US also condemned Friday’s terror attack on a concert hall in Moscow. A statement from the White House called perpetrators ISIS “a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere”.

Vice President Kamala Harris toured Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Saturday, the scene of the 2018 Parkland massacre. Accompanied by some victims’ family members, she spoke about gun violence prevention efforts.

Key Points

Biden and Trump win Louisiana’s presidential primary
Biden signs bipartisan government funding bill
Congress passes $1.2trn spending package as Rep Greene files motion to oust Mike Johnson
Biden taunts ‘Broke Don’ over fundraising woes
President extends donations lead over Trump but poll sees him losing key swing states
Parnas dishes dirt on Giuliani and escaping the ‘Trump cult’ in madcap Biden impeachment hearing

Trump promises to ‘put up the cash’ as former president granted more time to produce bond

18:55 , Holly Patrick

Donald Trump said he would “put up the cash” as he was granted more time to pay part of the $464m bond in his New York civil fraud case on Monday, 25 March.

An appeals court granted the former president a 10-day extension to pay $175m in a reprieve on the day the full amount against him had been due.

In rambling remarks at 40 Wall Street after appearing in Manhattan criminal court, Mr Trump said: “This is all about election interference. This is all Biden-run things.

“We’ll put up securities, cash, or bond, whatever it is, very quickly.”

Lisa Murkowski says she’s considering quitting Republican Party because of Trump

18:54 , John Bowden

Lisa Murkowski’s future in the Republican Party is now publicly in question as the Alaska senator says she is grappling with the reality that her party is set to nominate the twice-impeached former president who faces 91 criminal charges for the presidency.

Donald Trump’s continued control of the GOP and the dominance of his Maga faction is not sitting well with the centrist Republican who has broken with her party’s base several times in recent years, including in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump and the 2017 failed vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Ms Murkowski was interviewed by CNN’s Manu Raju on Capitol Hill and said that she wouldn’t be endorsing Mr Trump for president — as most other Republicans on Capitol Hill have already done — in 2024. She further added that she was “independently minded”, and was asked whether that meant she was considering dropping her party affiliation.

“I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that,” she responded.

VIDEO: Former SCOTUS justice Stephen Breyer on term limits

18:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump claims he has $454m fine amount ‘in his bank account’ but plans to spend it running for president

18:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Donald Trump claims he has nearly half a billion dollars in his bank account and that he intends to use it for his presidential election campaign, as he faces a Monday deadline to prevent his properties from being seized.

Justice Arthur Engoron in February ruled that the 45th president and his adult sons must pay in excess of $464m for grossly inflating his net worth and the value of his assets for more than a decade to obtain favourable conditions on loans.

Mr Trump must either find the cash or post a bond to prevent the state’s authorities from seizing his properties while he appeals the ruling.

Will Letitia James seize Trump Tower? Ex-president is running out of time to pay $464m bond

17:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Lawyers for Donald Trump notified an appeals court this week that their client has failed to secure a bond to satisfy the $464m civil fraud judgment levelled against him by a New York court, saying finding a company to back such a large amount of money was proving a “practical impossibility”.

Mr Trump has hotly objected to a “fire sale” of his property empire – selling off assets to generate cash to meet the bond – but failing to do so risks allowing such prized properties as Trump Tower in Manhattan, so integral to his brand, to fall into the hands of New York attorney general Letitia James, who has already said she is more than happy to repossess his holdings.

VIDEO: Trump Calls On Israel To ‘Finish Up’ The War In Gaza

17:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Judge sets rescheduled trial date for Trump’s hush money case

17:23 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump will go on trial next month for allegedly falsifying business records that covered up hush money payments to an adult film star, what New York prosecutors have called a criminal scheme to bury embarrassing stories of his affairs in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election.

The trial, which was initially set to begin with jury selection on Monday, will mark the first of four criminal trials against him, and the first-ever criminal trial against any current or former American president.

Mr Trump arrived for yet another pretrial hearing in the case inside a 15th floor courtroom in Manhattan on Monday as his attorneys prepared to argue allegations of misconduct from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in front of New York Justice Juan Merchan.

The judge rejected the accusations and set a trial date for 15 April.

Trump handed lifeline as appeals court slashes fraud trial bond and grants 10-day reprieve

17:16 , Ariana Baio

A New York appeals court has granted Donald Trump a 10-day extension to secure a portion of the $464m bond after the former president signalled he was struggling to come up with the money.

On Monday, the five-panel court said that the former president could have more than a week to secure just $175m while he awaits a ruling in his appeal of the judgement made by Justice Arthur Engoron in the civil fraud case.

The ruling is a win for Mr Trump who initially had until Monday to come up with the means to post the $464m bond to prevent New York Attorney General Letitia James from seizing his properties. Though the former president often boasts about his net worth, he seemed to be struggling to find a way to post the bond.

Justice Engoron imposed a $454m penalty on Mr Trump, his adult sons and former executives of the Trump Organization after finding them liable for conspiring to inflate his net worth to obtain favourable terms from insurers and banks on his properties.

But Justice Engoron also implemented several restrictions on the former president and his co-defendants including barring him from running a New York company and obtaining loans from New York banks among other penalties.

Mr Trump appealed the decision, a tactic he has used in nearly all of his criminal and civil trials, and asked the court to reduce the bond to $100m while the appeal is ongoing.

Monday’s order will satisfy Mr Trump’s request and allow the former president and his adult sons, to run businesses in New York and obtain loans from financial institutions.

Watch live: White House holds briefing after Netanyahu cancels visit

17:07 , Holly Patrick

Watch live as Karine Jean-Pierre holds Monday’s (25 March) White House briefing after Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a high-level delegation’s planned visit to Washington.

The Israeli prime minister’s decision came after the US abstained from a United Nations (UN) vote demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“It’s disappointing. We’re very disappointed that they won’t be coming to Washington, DC to allow us to have a fulsome conversation with them about viable alternatives to them going in on the ground in Rafah,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

The UN Security Council passed the resolution, which was backed by 14 nations of the council, demanding an immediate cease-fire during the month of Ramadan and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

The US’s rare decision to withhold its veto on the matter represents a major shift in US policy, which has used its permanent member status on the Security Council to veto three previous resolutions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, even as the death toll reached tens of thousands.

Former Obama official Neal Katyal calls Donald Trump ‘Don Poorleone’

17:00 , Lucy Leeson

Former Obama official and lawyer Neal Katyal branded Donald Trump “Don Poorleone, while discussing the former US president’s financial woes.

Mr Katyal appeared on the Inside with Jen Psaki political show on Sunday (24 March) and explained why people are referring to Trump as the iconic Marlon Brando character Vito Corleone from The Godfather.

Mr Katyal said: “There is a reason why I think some people are calling Donald Trump ‘Don Poorleone’ right now, and it’s because he’s kind of talking out of both sides of his mouth.”

Today (25 March), the former president must post a $464m bond payment to comply with a New York civil court ruling that found him guilty of fraud earlier this year.

Linda Bean, an entrepreneur, GOP activist and granddaughter of outdoor retailer LL Bean, has died

16:30 , Gene Johnson

Linda L. Bean, a granddaughter of famed outdoor retailer L.L. Bean who became an entrepreneur, philanthropist and conservative activist, has died at age 82.

Bean died Saturday, her business manager, Veronika Carlson, confirmed in a written statement Sunday. No cause was given.

“Linda was known for her amazing work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit as well as her pride and dedication to her home state of Maine and L.L.Bean, the company her grandfather founded,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to her family and friends.”

Bean’s grandfather, Leon Leonwood Bean, founded the company in 1912. It grew through its popular catalogue, offering durable products such as rubber-bottomed boots that came with a lifetime guarantee.

Linda Bean served on the company’s board for nearly half a century. She also bought lobster dealerships, founded the Perfect Maine Lobster brand in 2007, and owned general stores, inns and vacation rentals on Maine’s central coast, where she lived in Port Clyde.

VIDEO: Ronna McDaniel defends silence over January 6 and supports convictions for violence

16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Marjorie Taylor Greene insists she doesn’t want ‘chaos’ after second threat to oust House Speaker

15:30 , John Bowden

Marjorie Taylor Greene has defended her bid to oust Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson - after threatening to do so in January - and insisted that she was not seeking to throw the government into “chaos”.

The Georgia representative and other far right members of the House opposed the $1.2trn federal spending package that passed Congress this past week, and claimed that it was full of wasteful spending.

She denounced Mr Johnson as “willing to do the bidding of [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer”.

“Republican voters want fighters in the House of Representatives to fight like President Trump, and that is exactly what I’m doing,” Ms Greene said.

Lauren Boebert defends taking credit for money in spending bill despite voting against it

15:15 , Eric Garcia

Republican Representative Lauren Boebert defended bragging about bringing home $20m for water and infrastructure projects to her Colorado district in the recent spending bill that passed – despite having voted against the bill’s final passage.

The right-wing Republican put out a press release last week touting the funding for projects in her state’s 3rd district.

“These include important federal resources for new water storage, improving water quality, funding water treatment plants, building new water supply lines, reducing congestion on I-70, and building roads and bridges,” Ms Boebert said in a press release.

“I’m grateful to all the local stakeholders who brought these important projects to my attention and that worked with my team and I throughout this process to ensure that 10 out of 10 of our requests were successfully funded in public law. Can’t wait for the ribbon cuttings and to see these priorities come to fruition.”

But Ms Boebert voted against the spending bill on 8 March. The legislation was the first of six spending bills that passed this month to fund the government through the end of the current fiscal year, which expires on 30 September. Last week, the House and Senate passed the second round of spending bills to keep the government open.

Ms Boebert bragged about bringing the money back to Colorado last week to The Independent.

“Sure did, I fought to get it in there, did I not,” she said. “If I wasn’t working on it, then it wouldn’t have been in there.”

But when asked about why she voted against its final passage, she said she disliked the process.

“I didn’t agree to the swampy way it came to the floor but I fought to get the stuff in the bills and it’s there,” she said. “And Colorado is going to benefit from it.”

D-Day for Donald: Trump faces deadline today to pay $464m fraud bond. Here’s what you need to know

15:01 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump is facing a potentially huge day of legal drama today as the deadline to post bond for his $464m fraud judgment looms and an important hearing is held regarding his imminent hush money trial.

Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last month that the Republican presidential candidate must pay $354m in fines and a further $110m plus in interest ($464m, all in) over a decade-long scheme where he inflated the value of Trump Organization assets in order to obtain favourable loans from banks and insurers.

With interest ticking ever-upwards at 9 per cent or $120,000 a day, the exact total he owes as of deadline day is now closer to $468.1m – but his lawyers have argued that he has been unable to find a bond company willing to stump up the cash.

Fail to make the bond today and New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing the former president’s assets, including some of his prized property empire.

Here’s what could happen today.

What happens if Trump can’t secure $464m bond in civil fraud case? Here’s what to know

15:00 , Alex Woodward

The Republican Party’s nominee to face President Joe Biden could be facing a financial crisis on top of a mountain of legal obligations, including 88 criminal charges, with at least one criminal trial and verdict expected before Election Day.

In a revealing court filing on 18 March, lawyers for Donald Trump said that he has tried to get help from at least 30 companies who can post a bond in excess of $464m after he lost a civil fraud trial in New York earlier this year.

But none of them could, and now he faces the “practical impossibility” of coming up with the money before the state’s imminent deadline to enforce the judgment against him on Monday, 25 March, according to his attorneys.

Donald Trump lashes out as clock runs down on his $464m bond payment

14:30 , Oliver O’Connell

The clock is ticking.

On Monday, Donald Trump will face a reckoning with the legal system as he never has before.

Alongside his four criminal cases - totalling 88 charges - the civil fraud case against the former president, his adult sons Don Jr and Eric, the Trump Organization and two of its executives, seems somewhat underplayed.

It does, however, go someway to undoing two of the greatest myths about Mr Trump which helped propel him into the public eye as a real estate mogul, reality TV star, and finally US president: that he is immensely wealthy and a great businessman, skilled in the art of the deal.

VIDEO: Donald Trump appears in New York court for hearing in hush money case

14:24 , Natalie Chinn

Chuck Todd admonishes his bosses on-air over NBC hiring Ronna McDaniel

14:23 , John Bowden

NBC News political director isn’t ready to defend his network’s hiring of former GOP chief Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst.

On Sunday, he made sure his bosses — and everybody else — knew it.

Ms McDaniel’s hiring as a paid contributor at NBC News this past week was reported to have made a number of journalists at the network uncomfortable. As Meet the Press turned to its panel segment on Sunday morning, Todd vocalised those objections in a fiery admonition of NBC brass, whom he said owed moderator Kristen Welker an apology for booking Ms McDaniel as one of her interviews for Sunday’s programme.

Welker’s interview with Ms McDaniel touched on several topics including her leadership of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Her tenure as RNC chair came to an end this year after Donald Trump endorsed her removal following the South Carolina primary.

Supreme Court again confronts the issue of abortion, this time over access to widely used medication

14:00 , Mark Sherman

The Supreme Court will again wade into the fractious issue of abortion this week when it hears arguments over a medication used in the most common way to end a pregnancy, a case with profound implications for millions of women no matter where they live in America and, perhaps, for the race for the White House.

Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for bans or severe restrictions on abortion in many Republican-led states, abortion opponents on Tuesday will ask the high court to ratify a ruling from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to the medication mifepristone, which was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year.

That decision to reverse Roe had immediate political consequences, with Democrats making the case that the court had taken away a right that women held for half a century and winning elections as a result. Even conservative-leaning states like Kansas and Ohio voted against abortion restrictions. If the court were to uphold restrictions on medication abortions it could roil the election landscape in races for Congress and the presidency.

Watch live: Trump expected in court for trial date hearing in New York hush money case

13:30 , Oliver Browning

Watch live from New York ahead of Monday’s latest hearing in the hush money case facing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The former president is expected to attend court in Manhattan for what is set to be the final hearing before the criminal case goes to trial.

Mr Trump will ask to delay or dismiss the proceedings on charges stemming from hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, citing thousands of pages of potential evidence about witness Michael Cohen that prosecutors only turned over a matter of weeks ago.

The case, which was initially scheduled to begin jury selection on Monday, has already been adjourned for 30 days by Judge Juan Merchan to allow for time to respond to those filings.

Mr Cohen, Mr Trump’s one-time lawyer and fixer, made payments to Ms Daniels and Ms McDougal to buy their silence ahead of the 2016 presidential election about sexual encounters they said they had with the candidate a decade earlier – affairs Mr Trump denies.

Judge Merchan’s decision will set the course for what could be the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president.

Mr Trump, the Republican candidate expected to challenge Joe Biden in the November election, has pleaded not guilty and has called the case a politically-motivated “witch hunt” against him.

Biden and Trump win Louisiana’s presidential primary

13:00 , AP

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won Louisiana’s primary on Saturday, collecting more delegates after they already clinched their party nominations.

Biden also appeared in Missouri’s Democratic primary, with results not expected to be reported until next week.

None of the races were in suspense. Biden and Trump have already beaten their major competitors. But the primary races are still closely watched by insiders for turnout and signs of protest voters.

For Biden, some liberals are registering their anger with Israel’s war against Hamas following the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack. More than 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, have been reported killed by Gaza authorities since Israel launched its offensive. A protest movement launched by Arab American communities in Michigan has spread to several other states.

Trump is his party’s dominant figure and has locked up a third straight Republican nomination. But he faces dissent from people worried about the immense legal jeopardy he faces or critical of his White House term, which ended shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection mounted by his supporters and fueled by his false theories of election fraud.

Saturday’s primary was the Missouri Democratic Party’s first party-run presidential contest since a new law took effect in August 2022. Louisiana’s primaries, meanwhile, come almost four years after the state was the first to postpone its primaries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ICYMI: Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package

12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A partial government shutdown was averted on Saturday when President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion federal spending package, just hours after Congress passed the long overdue legislation.

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” the president said, in a statement. “But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my Administration successfully fought to include. That’s good news for the American people.”

The White House said that Biden signed the legislation at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he is spending the weekend.

Read more...

Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package after Senate’s 2am vote

Watch: New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy ends Senate run

11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A Message from Tammy pic.twitter.com/dfl7kPUUej
— Tammy Murphy (@TammyMurphyNJ) March 24, 2024

Bipartisan resolution introduced in support of dissident Iranian exiles

10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

While much attention was focused on the Senate working into the wee hours of the morning to pass a spending bill in a last-minute bid to avert a partial government shutdown on Friday, a group of senators found a little bipartisan comity around rebuking the Iranian government.

John Bowden reports:

Senators introduce bipartisan resolution in support of dissident Iranian exiles

George Santos will run as independent because he finds GOP ‘too embarrassing’

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Ex-congressman George Santos says that he will run for his old seat in the House of Representatives again — but not as a Republican.

On Friday, the former representative for northern Nassau County, New York, posted on Twitter that he would “no longer be part of the Republican Party” after the GOP’s “embarrassing showing in the [H]ouse”.

Mr Santos was referring to the GOP majority passing legislation to avert a partial government shutdown without deep spending cuts that conservatives had called for.

Continue reading...

George Santos says he will run as independent because he finds GOP ‘too embarrassing’

Breyer signals support for term limits on Supreme Court

08:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer appeared to endorse ending lifetime appointments to the bench in an interview aired on Sunday.

Mr Breyer retired in 2022 after serving on the nation’s highest court for 28 years. His seat was filled by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be appointed to the court.

In a pre-recorded interview, which aired on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Mr Breyer was asked by Kristen Welker about imposing a term limit, or age limit, on Supreme Court justices.

“I don’t think that’s harmful,” he responded.

John Bowden reports:

Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer signals support for term limits

Kamala Harris tours site of 2018 Parkland school shooting

06:30 , AP

Vice President Kamala Harris toured the bloodstained classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre happened on Saturday, then announced a program to assist states that have laws allowing police to temporarily seize guns from people judges have found to be dangerous.

Harris saw bullet-pocked walls and floors still covered in dried blood and broken glass left behind from the 14 February 2018 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 14 students and three staff members and wounded 17.

The halls and classrooms inside the three-story structure remain strewn with shoes left behind by fleeing students and wilted Valentine’s Day flowers and balloons. Textbooks, laptop computers, snacks and papers remain on desks. She was told about each victim who died.

Read more...

Kamala Harris tours bloodstained school of 2018 Parkland massacre

Voices: Republicans are in a death spiral

04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

On Friday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene pulled off her most audacious stunt yet when she filed a motion to vacate to stage a no-confidence vote for Speaker Mike Johnson. The reason for filing that motion? Johnson did what he is supposed to do: pass spending bills to keep the government open.

The move went perfectly for Greene, who has shown little desire to legislate but an eagerness for attention. It turned out to be the perfect spectacle in Congress. Greene even brought her boyfriend, right-wing media provacateur Brian Glenn, along for the action. As soon as she exited the floor, reporters, including myself, swarmed her with questions — but she waited to speak until she descended the Capitol steps so she could have her moment in front of the cameras.

Greene and other hardline conservatives hate that, despite the fact Republicans control one half of one branch of the government, they did not get everything they want and get President Joe Biden to sign it. It’s an unrealistic desire, but the far-right side of the Republican Party doesn’t seem to care.

Continue reading:

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s stunt shows Republicans are in a death spiral

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza

02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives on Friday, US Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned of imminent, weaponised famine in Gaza and the “unfolding genocide” against Palestinians by Israel, urging Congress to suspend the transfer of US weapons in an effort to “prevent further atrocity.”

The Democratic congresswoman from New York amplified warnings from humanitarian aid groups as more than one million people in Gaza “are at famine’s door,” a crisis that she said is “being intentionally precipitated through the blocking of food and global humanitarian assistance by leaders in the Israeli government.”

Alex Woodward reports:

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza in House speech

Maryland lawmaker apologises for using racist slur

00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A Maryland Democratic congressman has been forced to apologise after he used a racist slur during a speech he made on Capitol Hill.

Rep David Trone made the apology after he dropped a disparaging term for Black people while speaking during a House Budget Committee hearing about tax policy in which the director of the Office of Budget and Management, Shalanda Young, was testifying. Ms Young is Black.

Martha McHardy reports:

Maryland lawmaker apologises for using racist slur in floor speech

Menendez announces he won’t run again

Sunday 24 March 2024 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Bob Menendez, the New Jersey Democratic Senator being accused of accepting lavish bribes in exchange for political favours, announced he will not seek re-election.

In a nine-minute-long video posted on Thursday, Mr Menendez said he would not run again due to the accusations he faces related to a years-long bribery scheme. However, he did not rule out the possibility of running as an independent candidate after his federal trial.

Continue reading...

Corruption-charged Senator Bob Menendez announces he won’t run again

‘Were you better off 4 years ago?’

Sunday 24 March 2024 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Biden has launched a brutal campaign advert in response to a post made by Donald Trump which asked voters if they were “better off” before his political rival took office.

The former president took to his social media platform earlier this week, writing, in his typical style of all capital letters: “ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS AGO?”

On Thursday the Biden campaign posted a short clip to X, captioned: “Donald, I’m glad you asked.”

Biden launches ad answering Trump’s question: ‘Were you better off 4 years ago?’

Watch: New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy ends Senate run

Sunday 24 March 2024 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A Message from Tammy pic.twitter.com/dfl7kPUUej
— Tammy Murphy (@TammyMurphyNJ) March 24, 2024

Biden and Trump win Louisiana’s presidential primary

Sunday 24 March 2024 20:15 , AP

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won Louisiana’s primary on Saturday, collecting more delegates after they already clinched their party nominations.

Biden also appeared in Missouri’s Democratic primary, with results not expected to be reported until next week.

None of the races were in suspense. Biden and Trump have already beaten their major competitors. But the primary races are still closely watched by insiders for turnout and signs of protest voters.

Watch: Kamala Harris doesn’t rule out ‘consequences' if Israel moves in on Rafah

Sunday 24 March 2024 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When pressed by @rachelvscott on whether there will be “consequences from the United States” if Israel moves forward with a planned invasion of Rafah in pursuit of Hamas fighters despite opposition, Vice Pres. Harris says, “I am ruling out nothing.” https://t.co/5xzrRdwwdg pic.twitter.com/QpwW8QtkJW
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 24, 2024

Breyer signals support for term limits on Supreme Court

Sunday 24 March 2024 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden reports:

Former US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer appeared to endorse ending lifetime appointments to the bench in an interview aired on Sunday.

Mr Breyer retired in 2022 after serving on the nation’s highest court for 28 years. His seat was filled by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be appointed to the court.

In a pre-recorded interview, which aired on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Mr Breyer was asked by Kristen Welker about imposing a term limit, or age limit, on Supreme Court justices.

“I don’t think that’s harmful,” he responded.

Read on...

Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer signals support for term limits

Watch: Chuck Todd addresses ‘elephant in the room’ of NBC’s Ronna McDaniel interview

Sunday 24 March 2024 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Quite a moment on Meet the Press this morning. pic.twitter.com/1RKvAq7mj2
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) March 24, 2024

Kamala Harris tours Parkland school shooting building

Sunday 24 March 2024 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

“Frozen in time,” Harris said repeatedly about what she saw. She was accompanied on the tour by victims’ family members, some of them pushing for more spending on school safety and others for stronger gun laws.

Kamala Harris tours bloodstained school of 2018 Parkland massacre

Watch: McCaul says Johnson committed to bringing Ukraine aid vote after Easter

Sunday 24 March 2024 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaker Johnson has committed to bringing Ukraine aid to a floor vote after Easter, Foreign Affairs Chair @RepMcCaul says, adding that Johnson "is in a very difficult spot," but that he "knows how important this is." pic.twitter.com/F84KjRCShH
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 24, 2024

ICYMI: Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package

Sunday 24 March 2024 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A partial government shutdown was averted on Saturday when President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion federal spending package, just hours after Congress passed the long overdue legislation.

The White House said that Biden signed the legislation at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he is spending the weekend.

Read on...

Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package after Senate’s 2am vote

Explained: What happens if Trump can’t secure $464m bond in civil fraud case?

Sunday 24 March 2024 16:45 , Alex Woodward

In a revealing court filing on 18 March, lawyers for Donald Trump said that he has tried to get help from at least 30 companies who can post a bond in excess of $454m after he lost a civil fraud trial in New York earlier this year.

But none of them could, and now he faces the “practical impossibility” of coming up with the money before the state’s imminent deadline to enforce the judgment against him, according to his attorneys.

The extraordinary circumstances also raise the prospect of the GOP’s presidential nominee being a convicted felon on the hook for tens of millions of dollars he doesn’t have when voters cast their ballots in November.

Mr Trump also cannot get rid of debts obtained by fraud by filing for bankruptcy.

Continue reading...

What happens if Trump can’t afford bond to appeal $464m fraud ruling?

Watch: Liz Cheney slams Ronna McDaniel’s claim she was ‘taking one for the team’

Sunday 24 March 2024 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ronna facilitated Trump’s corrupt fake elector plot & his effort to pressure MI officials not to certify the legitimate election outcome.She spread his lies & called 1/6 “legitimate political discourse.” That’s not “taking one for the team.” It’s enabling criminality & depravity. https://t.co/NAMXgqWZJT
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 24, 2024

In pictures: Kamala Harris makes emotional visit to site of Parkland massacre

Sunday 24 March 2024 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris toured on Saturday the bloodstained classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre happened, then announced a program to assist states that have laws allowing police to temporarily seize guns from people judges have found to be dangerous.

Harris saw bullet-pocked walls and floors still covered in dried blood and broken glass left behind from the Feb. 14, 2018, attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 14 students and three staff members and wounded 17.

Harris, who leads the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, said there are lessons to be learned from Parkland, both for stopping school shootings before they happen and mitigating them with measures such as making sure classroom doors don’t lock from the outside as they did at Stoneman Douglas. She pointed out that shootings are a leading cause of death for children and teenagers.

“We must be willing to have the courage to say that on every level, whether you talk about changing laws or changing practices and protocols, that we must do better,” Harris said.

Vice President Kamala Harris pays her respects to the victims of the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (REUTERS)

Family members hold portraits of the victims of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (AFP via Getty Images)

George Santos says he will run as independent because he finds GOP ‘too embarrassing’

Sunday 24 March 2024 15:33 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:

Ex-congressman George Santos says that he will run for his old seat in the House of Representatives again — but not as a Republican.

Mr Santos was referring to the GOP majority passing legislation to avert a partial government shutdown without deep spending cuts that conservatives had called for.

Read on...

George Santos says he will run as independent because he finds GOP ‘too embarrassing’

What happens if Trump can’t secure $464m bond in civil fraud case?

Sunday 24 March 2024 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

And no, filing for bankruptcy is not a way out...

Alex Woodward explains:

What happens if Trump can’t afford bond to appeal $464m fraud ruling?

Rep Moskowitz ratchets up his trolling of GOP impeachment probe

Sunday 24 March 2024 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic lawmaker Jared Moskowitz is increasingly working to turn the GOP’s impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden into a spectacle as the evidence gathered by his committee appears to still lack the votes to pass even the hardline Republican-held House of Representatives.

John Bowden reports:

Democrat Jared Moskowitz ratchets up his trolling of GOP impeachment probe

Watch: Rubio would be ‘honoured’ to serve as Trump’s VP

Sunday 24 March 2024 14:25 , Oliver O'Connell

No, really. Vice president to the man who called him “Little Marco”...

Sen. Marco Rubio says anyone would be “honored” to serve as VP, but tells @JonKarl that he has not spoken with former Pres. Trump about being his running mate.

“That's the decision he's going to make. He has plenty of really good people to pick from.” https://t.co/MFPmHskhoN pic.twitter.com/B2BVL9W4S6
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 24, 2024

Watch: Ronna McDaniel defends record as RNC chair

Sunday 24 March 2024 14:22 , Oliver O'Connell

WELKER: One RNC member says 'you're a failed chair.' Did you deserve to stay on with that track record?

McDANIEL: I push back on that very hard. The fact that under my time as chair we've had more women in Congress ever than in the history of our party ... pic.twitter.com/6YNL6aloaE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 24, 2024

‘Grifter’ Trump will lean on the RNC for his legal bills

Sunday 24 March 2024 14:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Despite promises that the Republican National Committee would not be paying Donald Trump’s long list of legal bills, the GOP’s chief fundraising arm appears ready to do just that.

An invitation to a fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida next month shows that the Save America political action committee – largely serving as the bank for the former president’s legal team – will get a big chunk of the proceeds.

Alex Woodward explains:

Cash-strapped ‘grifter’ Trump will lean on the RNC for his legal bills

Watch: Time Kaine calls out use of word ‘invasion’ to describe border crisis

Sunday 24 March 2024 14:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Kaine on the border: "I don't think it's an 'invasion' ... you gotta be careful throwing out words like 'invasion.' It was that kind of wording that led the deranged guy to go shoot up the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh ... I think that kind of rhetoric is irresponsible." pic.twitter.com/8hqv2ty1ST
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 24, 2024

Watch: AOC says Trump criminal cases not about party but about ‘criminality’

Sunday 24 March 2024 13:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Tapper: What do you say to a voter who says it doesn't look like he's being treated equally before the law…

AOC: This is about corruption and criminality. We're talking about an individual who ordered essentially a terrorist attack on the Capitol in order to retain power. pic.twitter.com/h4PE9ZUaZO
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 24, 2024

Sunday 24 March 2024 13:51 , Oliver O'Connell

I'm determined to make things in this country again.

To build American manufacturing capacity.

And to make sure we’re never again in a position like we were during the pandemic where we’re relying on other countries to make things that we need at home.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 24, 2024

In pictures: Jill Biden and daughter Ashley address Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles

Sunday 24 March 2024 13:44 , Oliver O'Connell

First Lady Jill Biden speaks on stage during the Human Rights Campaign's 2024 Los Angeles dinner at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles (AFP via Getty Images)

Dr Jill Biden and Kelley Robinson, President, Human Rights Campaign speak onstage (Getty Images for Human Rights Ca)

Ashley Biden speaks at the HRC dinner (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package after Senate’s 2am vote

Sunday 24 March 2024 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A partial government shutdown was averted on Saturday when President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion federal spending package, just hours after Congress passed the long overdue legislation.

The White House said that Biden signed the legislation at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he is spending the weekend.

Continue reading...

Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package after Senate’s 2am vote

Senators introduce bipartisan resolution in support of dissident Iranian exiles

Sunday 24 March 2024 12:30 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:

A resolution introduced this week by Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, is the latest effort by members of Congress to extend political recognition to members of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq, or MEK — a group of dissident Iranian refugees living in Europe and primarily centred in Ashraf-3, a political enclave in Albania.

Continue reading...

Senators introduce bipartisan resolution in support of dissident Iranian exiles

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza

Sunday 24 March 2024 11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza in House speech

Sunday 24 March 2024 10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

George Santos to run as independent as GOP too ‘embarrassing’

Sunday 24 March 2024 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced former congressman George Santos will run as an independent when he seeks to re-enter the House of Representatives by attempting to oust New York Republican Rep Nick LaLota.

In an announcement on X, Mr Santos — who was booted out of Congress after a scathing Ethics Committee report — said: “After today’s embarrassing showing in the house I have reflected and decided that I can no longer be part of the Republican Party…

“The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base. I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything.

“I am officially suspending my petitioning in #NY01 to access the ballot as a Republican and will be filing to run as an independent…

“I will take my Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent.

“@nicklalota and @JohnAvlon [I’ll] see you boys in November! ð

“God bless the USA ðºð¸”

Axios notes that Mr Santos will need to secure 3,500 signatures to get on the ballot in a district that he has never represented. If he were to get on the ballot as an independent, the result would likely be to siphon votes away from Rep LaLota potentially handing another seat to the Democrats.

“George Santos’ expulsion from Congress was good for the nation and his resignation from the Republican Party is good for commonsense conservatives,” Rep LaLota said in a statement.

🚨Announcement🚨

After today’s embarrassing showing in the house I have reflected and decided that I can no longer be part of the Republican Party…

The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base. I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that…
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) March 22, 2024

Arrests for illegal border crossings nudge up in February but still among lowest of Biden presidency

Sunday 24 March 2024 07:30 , AP

The number of arrests for illegally crossing the U.S. southern border with Mexico nudged upward in February over the previous month. But at a time when immigration is increasingly a concern for voters, the numbers were still among the lowest of Joe Biden‘s presidency.

According to figures from Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents made 140,644 arrests of people attempting to enter the country between the legal border crossing points during February.

The figures are part of a range of data related to immigration, trade and fentanyl seizures that is released monthly by CBP.

Continue reading...

Arrests for illegal border crossings nudge up in February but still among lowest of Biden presidency

ICYMI: Biden signs bipartisan government funding bill

Sunday 24 March 2024 05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has signed into law the bipartisan government funding bill passed by the Senate in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,” provides funding through 30 September 2024 for projects and activities of departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The White House released the following statement from the president:

But I want to be clear: Congress’s work isn’t finished. The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests. And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement—the toughest and fairest reforms in decades—to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border. It’s time to get this done.

House Republicans angered over funding for new FBI headquarters

Sunday 24 March 2024 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

After the passing of the $1.2 trillion federal funding package, House Republicans are angry that included in its 1,012 pages is a line appropriating $200m for the General Services Administration to build a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Some on the right wing of the party claim there is political bias in the bureau as it goes about enforcing laws and tracking down criminals.

Texas lawmaker Chip Roy tweeted: “The $1.2 trillion, 1000-page swamp-bus released in the dead of night includes $200 MILLION for a new FBI Headquarters.”

“So much for those ‘cuts’ to FBI,” he added.

The $1.2 trillion, 1000-page swamp-bus released in the dead of night includes $200 MILLION for a new FBI Headquarters

So much for those "cuts" to FBI pic.twitter.com/kj1pLUW6MI
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) March 21, 2024

Rep Scott Perry of Pennsylvania included the funds for the new HQ in his list of “sellouts and failures” within the spending deal.

$190+ million to FinCEN, even after it was weaponized against law-abiding Americans shopping at sporting goods and gun stores.

Fails to block the government from creating a Central Bank Digital Currency.

$200 million for FBI Headquarter construction and acquisition.
— RepScottPerry (@RepScottPerry) March 21, 2024

Survey finds Republicans who don’t watch Fox News less likely to back Trump

Sunday 24 March 2024 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A new poll by The New York Times and Siena College has found that Republicans who get their news from non-conservative mainstream media outlets are less likely to support Donald Trump.

Further, a sizable number believe the former president acted criminally.

Of those surveyed who get their news from conservative outlets such as Fox News, 100 per cent said they intended to vote for Mr Trump, whereas of those who consumed other mainstream media 79 per cent said they would vote for him. Of that second group, 13 per cent said they would vote for Joe Biden.

The poll underlines the potential difficulty the former president may face in the general election in November. While he stormed home in the primaries which are dominated by the party’s base, he might struggle to win over the general electorate.

Check out the full survey results here.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s stunt shows Republicans are in a death spiral

Sunday 24 March 2024 01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The move went perfectly for Greene, who has shown little desire to legislate but an eagerness for attention. It turned out to be the perfect spectacle in Congress. Greene even brought her boyfriend, right-wing media provocateur Brian Glenn, along for the action. As soon as she exited the floor, reporters, including myself, swarmed her with questions — but she waited to speak until she descended the Capitol steps so she could have her moment in front of the cameras.

Continue reading...

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s stunt shows Republicans are in a death spiral

Sunday 24 March 2024 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Gingrich says ‘Freedom Caucus has been a disaster’

Gingrich: The hardliners on the right have done nothing but make it worse. The Freedom Caucus has been a disaster in public policy terms. pic.twitter.com/4CdI4kXnem
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 22, 2024

Congress passes $1.2trn spending package as Marjorie Taylor Greene files motion to oust Mike Johnson

Saturday 23 March 2024 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia and Gustaf Kilander report from Washington, DC:

Marjorie Taylor Greene initiated the process to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson as the US House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to avoid a government shutdown despite the objections of conservatives like the Georgia Republican who support former president Donald Trump.

Ms Greene filed a motion to vacate the speaker as the House was still voting on the spending agreement.

A two-thirds majority was reached to pass the spending package – 286 voted in favour and 134 voted against.

“This is a betrayal of Republican voters,” Ms Greene told reporters on Friday. “The bill ... forced Republicans to choose between funding to pay our soldiers and in doing so, funding late-term abortion – this bill was basically a dream and a wish list for Democrats and for the White House.”

The Senate voted to 74-24 early Saturday morning, allowing the government to stay open and sending the bill to President Joe Biden, who said he would sign the legislation immediately once it reaches his desk. The bill will keep the government open until the end of Fiscal Year 2024 on 30 September.

Continue reading...

House passes $1.2trn spending bill to avert shutdown

White House marks 14 years of Affordable Care Act

Saturday 23 March 2024 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The results of the Affordable Care Act are clear – and so is President Biden.

He will always protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. pic.twitter.com/53KA3vcbQ6
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2024

US condemns attack in Moscow calling ISIS ‘a common terrorist enemy’

Saturday 23 March 2024 21:33 , Oliver O'Connell

The US has condemned the terrorist attack in Moscow on Friday, calling ISIS “a common terrorist enemy”.

A statement from the White House reads:

The United States strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. We extend our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones and to those who were injured or affected by these unconscionable attacks against innocent civilians. ISIS is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The United States strongly condemns the March 22 terrorist attack in Moscow. We stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life after this horrific event.”

The United States strongly condemns the March 22 terrorist attack in Moscow. We stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life after this horrific event.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 23, 2024

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza

Saturday 23 March 2024 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza in House speech

Saturday 23 March 2024 21:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Families hold portraits of the victims of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about gun safety measures (AFP via Getty Images)

Rep Jared Moskowitz ratchets up his trolling of GOP impeachment probe

Saturday 23 March 2024 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:

Mr Moskowitz was spotted on Capitol Hill on Wednesday wearing a mask bearing the likeness of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, an apparent reference to the testimony of Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas wherein Mr Parnas claimed that the allegations against the Biden family were a Russian propaganda op.

Continue reading...

Democrat Jared Moskowitz ratchets up his trolling of GOP impeachment probe

Watch LIVE: Vice President Harris delivers remarks highlighting historic gun safety measures

Saturday 23 March 2024 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Saturday 23 March 2024 20:15 , AP

Prospects for a short-term government shutdown had appeared to grow Friday evening after Republicans and Democrats battled over proposed amendments to the bill. But shortly before midnight, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced a breakthrough.

“It is good for the country that we have reached this bipartisan deal. It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it,” Schumer said.

The House passed the legislation Friday morning by a vote of 286-134, narrowly gaining the two-thirds majority needed for approval.

The vote tally in the House reflected anger among Republicans over the content of the package and the speed with which it was brought to a vote. Johnson brought the measure to the floor even though a majority of Republicans ended up voting against it. He said afterward that the bill “represents the best achievable outcome in a divided government.”

In sign of the conservative frustration, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., initiated an effort to oust Johnson as the House began the vote but held off on further action until the House returns in two weeks. It’s the same tool that was used last year to remove McCarthy.

The vote breakdown showed 101 Republicans voting for the bill and 112 voting against it. Meanwhile, 185 Democrats voted for the bill and 22 against.

Saturday 23 March 2024 20:09 , AP

A bipartisan border package collapsed last month when Republicans senators scuttled months of negotiations with Democrats on legislation intended to cut back record numbers of illegal border crossings.

To win over support from Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pointed to some of the spending increases secured for about 8,000 more detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country. That’s about a 24% increase from current levels. Also, GOP leadership highlighted more money to hire about 2,000 Border Patrol agents.

Democrats are boasting of a $1 billion increase for Head Start programs and new child care centers for military families. They also played up a $120 million increase in funding for cancer research and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s research.

The spending package largely tracks with an agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California worked out with the White House in May 2023, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.

Saturday 23 March 2024 20:05 , AP

The first package of full-year spending bills, which funded the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and the Interior, among others, cleared Congress two weeks ago with just hours to spare before funding expired for those agencies. The second covered the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, as well as other aspects of general government.

When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion. That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, or financing the country’s rising debt.

On Ukraine aid, which Biden and his administration have argued was critical and necessary to help stop Russia’s invasion, the package provided $300 million under the defense spending umbrella. That funding is separate from a large assistance package for Ukraine and Israel that is bogged down on Capitol Hill.

Biden, in his statement, again pressed Congress to pass additional aid.

“The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests. And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement — the toughest and fairest reforms in decades — to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border. It’s time to get this done.”

Full story: Biden signs $1.2 trillion funding package after Senate ends shutdown threat

Saturday 23 March 2024 20:01 , AP

President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills after Congress had passed the long overdue legislation just hours earlier, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown.

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Biden said in a statement. “But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border. ... That’s good news for the American people.”

It took lawmakers six months into the current budget year to get near the finish line on government funding, the process slowed by conservatives who pushed for more policy mandates and steeper spending cuts than a Democratic-led Senate or White House would consider. The impasse required several short-term spending bills to keep agencies funded.

The White House said Biden signed the legislation at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was spending the weekend. It had cleared the Senate by a 74-24 vote shortly after funding had expired for the agencies at midnight.

But the White House had sent out a notice shortly after the deadline announcing that the Office of Management and Budget had ceased shutdown preparations because there was a high degree of confidence that Congress would pass the legislation and the Democratic president would sign it Saturday.

White House offers condolences to loved ones of those lost in Moscow attack

Saturday 23 March 2024 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Terrorist Attack in Moscow

Watch LIVE: Vice President Harris delivers remarks on preventing gun violence

Saturday 23 March 2024 19:04 , Oliver O'Connell

George Santos to run as independent as GOP too ‘embarrassing'

Saturday 23 March 2024 18:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced former congressman George Santos will run as an independent when he seeks to re-enter the House of Representatives by attempting to oust New York Republican Rep Nick LaLota.

“The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base. I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything.

“I am officially suspending my petitioning in #NY01 to access the ballot as a Republican and will be filing to run as an independent…

“I will take my Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent.

“@nicklalota and @JohnAvlon [I’ll] see you boys in November! ð

“God bless the USA ðºð¸”

“George Santos’ expulsion from Congress was good for the nation and his resignation from the Republican Party is good for commonsense conservatives,” Rep LaLota said in a statement.

🚨Announcement🚨

After today’s embarrassing showing in the house I have reflected and decided that I can no longer be part of the Republican Party…

The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base. I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that…
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) March 22, 2024

Arrests for illegal border crossings nudge up in February but still among lowest of Biden presidency

Saturday 23 March 2024 18:30 , AP

According to figures from Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents made 140,644 arrests of people attempting to enter the country between the legal border crossing points during February.

The figures are part of a range of data related to immigration, trade and fentanyl seizures that is released monthly by CBP.

Continue reading...

Arrests for illegal border crossings nudge up in February but still among lowest of Biden presidency

White House: Harris to make two gun violence prevention announcements

Saturday 23 March 2024 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

During her visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida today, Vice President Kamala Harris will make two announcements on gun violence prevention:

The launch of the first-ever National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, which will support the effective implementation of state red flag laws. This innovative Resource Center will provide training and technical assistance to support states and localities in the implementation of their red flag programs. The Resource Center is funded by a DOJ grant that was made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and is run by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

An official call to action for states across the nation to pass red flag laws and use the historic federal funding President Biden and Vice President Harris fought to enact to help implement laws that already exist. The Biden-Harris Administration made $750 million available to implement state crisis intervention programs, including red flag programs, through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. However, only six of the 21 states with red flag laws are currently accessing this funding to implement their red flag laws. The remaining 15 states with red flag laws are strongly encouraged to use BSCA’s funding to implement their red flags laws, and the 29 states that do not currently have red flag laws should pass them and use this money for implementation.

Survey finds Republicans who don’t watch Fox News less likely to back Trump

Saturday 23 March 2024 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A new poll by The New York Times and Siena College has found that Republicans who get their news from non-conservative mainstream media outlets are less likely to support Donald Trump.

Further, a sizable number believe the former president acted criminally.

Check out the full survey results here.

Biden signs bipartisan government funding bill

Saturday 23 March 2024 17:08 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has signed into law the bipartisan government funding bill passed by the Senate in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,” provides funding through 30 September 2024 for projects and activities of departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The White House released the following statement from the president:

The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security. This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted. But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my Administration successfully fought to include. That’s good news for the American people. But I want to be clear: Congress’s work isn’t finished. The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests. And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement—the toughest and fairest reforms in decades—to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border. It’s time to get this done.

House Republicans angered over funding for new FBI headquarters

Saturday 23 March 2024 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Some on the right wing of the party claim there is political bias in the bureau as it goes about enforcing laws and tracking down criminals.

Texas lawmaker Chip Roy tweeted: “The $1.2 trillion, 1000-page swamp-bus released in the dead of night includes $200 MILLION for a new FBI Headquarters.”

“So much for those ‘cuts’ to FBI,” he added.

The $1.2 trillion, 1000-page swamp-bus released in the dead of night includes $200 MILLION for a new FBI Headquarters

So much for those "cuts" to FBI pic.twitter.com/kj1pLUW6MI
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) March 21, 2024

Rep Scott Perry of Pennsylvania included the funds for the new HQ in his list of “sellouts and failures” within the spending deal.

$190+ million to FinCEN, even after it was weaponized against law-abiding Americans shopping at sporting goods and gun stores.

Fails to block the government from creating a Central Bank Digital Currency.

$200 million for FBI Headquarter construction and acquisition.
— RepScottPerry (@RepScottPerry) March 21, 2024

US stands ‘in solidarity vafter terror attack, says Blinken

Saturday 23 March 2024 16:42 , Oliver O'Connell

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US stands “in solidarity with the people of Russia” following the terrorist attack on a concert theatre in Moscow on Friday.

The United States strongly condemns the March 22 terrorist attack in Moscow. We stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life after this horrific event.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 23, 2024

White House marks 14 years of Affordable Care Act

Saturday 23 March 2024 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The results of the Affordable Care Act are clear – and so is President Biden.

He will always protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. pic.twitter.com/53KA3vcbQ6
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2024

Kamala Harris marks first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, riling some in the US territory

Saturday 23 March 2024 16:00 , AP

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Puerto Rico on Friday as part of a whirlwind trip to tout the federal aid the U.S. territory has received following deadly hurricanes and attend a Democratic fundraiser.

Her visit comes days after U.S. President Joe Biden launched a campaign targeting Latino voters ahead of the November general elections. While those in Puerto Rico cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections despite being U.S. citizens, more than 5 million Puerto Ricans live in the U.S. mainland.

Accompanying Harris for the roughly five-hour visit to the island was U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. Welcoming them was Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat whose New Progressive Party has long pushed for statehood.

Hours before Harris’ arrival, a couple dozen protesters gathered in Puerto Rico’s capital to decry the island’s territorial status and demand a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

“We find her presence disrespectful,” said Joselyn Velázquez, protest spokeswoman, as a group around her waved Palestinian flags.

Nearby, one demonstrator stood on a U.S. flag while others gathered additional U.S. flags and set them on fire.

“She is not welcome here,” said one protester.

Harris was scheduled to visit a home in the northern municipality of Canovanas, located near the capital, as well as visit a community center in San Juan. She also is slated to address a campaign reception before flying back to the U.S. mainland Friday evening.

It is Harris’ first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, having visited as a U.S. senator in 2017 after devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria pummeled the island.

Watch: Gingrich says ‘Freedom Caucus has been a disaster'

Saturday 23 March 2024 15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Gingrich: The hardliners on the right have done nothing but make it worse. The Freedom Caucus has been a disaster in public policy terms. pic.twitter.com/4CdI4kXnem
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 22, 2024

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s stunt shows Republicans are in a death spiral

Saturday 23 March 2024 15:00 , Eric Garcia

Harris to announce gun control measures at site of mass shooting

Saturday 23 March 2024 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris will make two announcements on gun violence prevention efforts today during a visit to Parkland, Florida, where 14 students and three staff members were killed in a 2018 school shooting.

Ms Harris will meet with families of those killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, along with Rep Jared Moskowitz and state officials.

She will then deliver remarks on gun safety measures at 2.45pm, according to the White House.

The Hill reports that the vice president will announce the launch of the first-ever National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, which will aim to help states effectively implement red-flag laws through training and technical assistance. The centre will be funded through a Department of Justice grant stemming from the bipartisan gun control bill that President Biden signed into law in 2022.

Ms Harris also will announce an official call to action for states to pass red-flag laws and to use the resources from the bipartisan gun control bill to implement them. Red-flag laws allow a judge to take away a firearm from someone based on the suspicion that the owner could use it to harm themselves or others.

Congress passes $1.2trn spending package as Marjorie Taylor Greene files motion to oust Mike Johnson

Saturday 23 March 2024 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia and Gustaf Kilander report from Washington, DC:

Ms Greene filed a motion to vacate the speaker as the House was still voting on the spending agreement.

A two-thirds majority was reached to pass the spending package – 286 voted in favour and 134 voted against.

Continue reading...

House passes $1.2trn spending bill to avert shutdown

VIDEO: White House reacts to shooting and blast at concert hall near Moscow

Saturday 23 March 2024 13:00 , Natalie Chinn

Outrage as Oklahoma authorities refuse to bring charges in death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict

Saturday 23 March 2024 12:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar, Mike Bedigan

Advocacy groups in Oklahoma have criticised a statement from authorities over the death of non-binary teenager Nex Benedict, saying that the set of facts put out is “violently in opposition” to the experiences of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

On Thursday the Tulsa County district attorney announced that no charges would be brought against the other students involved in the altercation with Benedict, and that the incident was a case of “mutual combat”.

The teenager was beaten by other students inside a bathroom on 7 February, at the Owasso High School in Oklahoma. They died the following day, with the coroner later the death to be by suicide.

In his statement, Tulsa County DA Steve Kunzweiler said: “When I review a report and make a decision to file a charge I must be convinced – as is every prosecutor – that a crime was committed and that I have reasonable belief that a judge or jury would be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed.

“From all the evidence gathered, this fight was an instance of mutual combat.”

AOC warns of imminent famine and ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza in House speech

Saturday 23 March 2024 11:00 , Alex Woodward

“This is a mass starvation of people, engineered and orchestrated, following the killing of another 30,000, 70 per cent of whom were women and children,” she said. “There is hardly a single hospital left. And this was all accomplished, much of this accomplished, with US resources and weapons.”

“If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes,” she added.

“It looks like the forced famine of 1.1 million innocents. It looks like thousands of children eating grass as their bodies consume themselves while trucks of food are slowed and halted just miles away. It looks like good and decent people who do nothing or too little too late.”

Earlier this week, progressive House members condemned a bipartisan spending bill that blocked US funding for the primary humanitarian agency operating in Gaza until 2025.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent that cutting critical funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees would be “unconscionable.” Israel has accused the agency of having ties to Hamas, prompting a wave of cuts to the UN agency among Western countries, even as Israel and investigative bodies have yet to produce evidence.

Russia and China veto US resolution on ‘immediate’ Gaza ceasefire at UN

Saturday 23 March 2024 10:00 , Richard Hall, Andrew Feinberg

A US resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has been vetoed by both China and Russia at the UN Security Council as the death toll in the besieged territory reached 32,000 people.

It is the latest in a line of ceasefire resolutions to have been voted down in recent months, with the US having exercised its own veto three times. The US resolution, which had undergone several drafts before the vote, declared the “imperative” of an “immediate and sustained ceasefire,” but did not make it a legally binding demand as previous resolutions had.

It did, however, mark the first time the US had backed any UN resolution urging an immediate ceasefire.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said ahead of the vote that Moscow would not be satisfied “with anything that doesn’t call for an immediate ceasefire”.

Maryland lawmaker apologises for using racist slur in floor speech

Saturday 23 March 2024 09:00 , Martha McHardy

A Maryland Democratic congressman has been forced to apologise after he used a racist slur during a speech he made on Capitol Hill.

“So this Republican jigaboo that it’s the tax rate that’s stopping business investment, it’s just completely faulty by people who have never run a business. They’ve never been there. They don’t have a clue what they’re talking about,” he said.

The slur is a derogatory and offensive term for a Black person. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its origins can be traced back to a song from 1909, with the word being used throughout the early 20th century in association with the mockery of stereotypical African-American physical features.

Mr Trone apologised for his remarks in a statement to The Washington Post, claiming he misspoke and meant to use a different word.

“While attempting to use the word ‘bugaboo’ in a hearing, I misspoke and mistakenly used a phrase that is offensive,” he said.

Merriam-Webster defines “bugaboo” as “an imaginary object of fear”.

Marco Rubio breaks silence over Trump vice president rumours

Saturday 23 March 2024 08:00 , Andrew Feinberg

Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who once suggested the size of Donald Trump’s hands indicated smaller-than-average reproductive anatomy when he and the future president both ran for president eight years ago, has indicated a willingness to serve as Mr Trump’s vice president should the 45th president succeed in becoming the 47th after the November presidential election.

The Sunshine State’s junior senator said on Thursday that it would be “an honour” for Mr Trump to choose him as his 2024 running-mate after NBC News reported that he is under consideration, citing sources close to the ex-president.

“I think anybody who would be offered that should be honored, but I’ve never spoken to anybody in the Trump world about it,” he said.

Because the US Constitution doesn’t allow the president and vice president to be residents of the same state, selecting Mr Rubio as his running mate would require the former president to change his primary residence from Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach, Florida social club and the site where he allegedly stored hundreds of classified documents after he left the White House following his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

In such an instance, Mr Trump could re-establish residency in New York, where he lived from birth until he moved to Washington at the start of his term in 2017.

Selecting the Florida senator as his vice president would represent a significant rapprochement between the two men, who attacked each other in vulgar terms when they squared off for the GOP nomination during the 2016 election cycle.

Speaker Johnson ‘is getting rolled in every single meeting’

Saturday 23 March 2024 07:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Greene: The current Speaker of the House we have right now is getting rolled in every single meeting. He is negotiating from weakness and we have lost full confidence pic.twitter.com/RUejzlyY4H
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 22, 2024

VIDEO: House passes government spending package ahead of shutdown deadline

Saturday 23 March 2024 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

‘Democrats have once again defeated the worst impulses of this Maga Majority,’ Clark says

Saturday 23 March 2024 05:00 , Gustaf Kilander and Eric Garcia

The spending bill is part of an agreement by House and Senate leadership as well as the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Earlier this month, Congress passed six spending bills and a stopgap spending bill to allow for negotiations to continue for some of the more contentious pieces of legislation.

Conservatives objected to the fact that the legislation did not make steep enough spending cuts and the House Freedom Caucus had called for Mr Johnson to put in place more measures to restrict immigration at the US-Mexico border.

Conversely, progressives objected to cuts in funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called “unconscionable”.

At the same time, the legislation also includes 12,000 special immigrant visas for Afghans who assisted US servicemembers during the war in Afghanistan.

The so-called minibus spending bill contains six of the twelve spending bills including legislation to fund the State Department; the Pentagon; the Department of Homeland Security; Congress; the Department of Health and Human Services; the Department of Education; financial services and the general government.

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said in a statement after the vote that “Democrats have once again defeated the worst impulses of this Maga Majority. We have prevented Republican extremists from inflicting the chaos of a needless government shutdown while safeguarding vital programs from devastating cuts”.

“This compromise doesn’t have everything we need, and it isn’t what a Democratic House Majority would deliver. But it excludes harmful attacks on reproductive freedom and the LGBTQIA+ community,” she added.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website