Politics

A collection of 1635 posts

Politics

Prosecutors seek death penalty for ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol

Independent.co reported that South Korean prosecutors have requested the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Mr Yoon was accused of plotting with senior aides to provoke an armed aggression from North Korea to

Politics

House Republican Majority Falls to Bare Minimum After Two Vacancies

A surprise resignation and a sudden death have reduced the House Republican majority to the bare minimum of 218 seats, leaving Speaker Mike Johnson with almost no margin for leading the chamber. After the 2024 elections Republicans held 220 seats to the Democrats' 215 and could afford only two

Politics

María Corina Machado meets Pope Leo XIV at Vatican to seek prisoners' release

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado held a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, Independent.co reported. During the meeting she appealed to the Pontiff to intercede for the release of hundreds of political prisoners currently held in Venezuela. The encounter was

Politics

U.S. naval campaign in Venezuela unlikely to cut American overdose deaths

Time reports that a U.S. naval task force was assembled in the Caribbean in mid‑August 2025 and by December included the largest U.S. aircraft carrier, 10 other warships, 70 aircraft, a nuclear submarine and about 15,000 service members. By December the force destroyed 35 small Venezuelan

Politics

Trump explores housing measures to curb rising costs ahead of Davos

President Trump and White House officials have been exploring a wide range of proposals to address rising housing costs as he prepares speeches in Detroit and at an economic conference in Davos later this month. Over the past weeks aides have considered ideas to boost construction, reduce some mortgage fees,

Politics

Seniors pare back identity details in college essays amid Trump administration crackdown

High school seniors this admissions cycle are omitting or downplaying details about race, gender and immigration in their college essays as the Trump administration has intensified actions targeting diversity initiatives, according to interviews with students, parents and counselors. The shift follows the 2023 Supreme Court decision limiting affirmative action and

Politics

Morning staff seeks readers' questions on ICE deportations after Minneapolis shooting

Immigration agents have deported people from across the U.S. over the past year, and officials in Democratic-led states have tried to block a campaign they say sows chaos and fear among residents. Protests have spread nationwide after the killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot by

Politics

MPs debate million-signature petition calling for immediate general election

Members of Parliament debated a petition calling for an immediate general election that garnered over one million signatures, Independent.co reported. Conservative former minister John Lamont said voters feel "utterly betrayed" by the Labour government, which has been in power for 18 months. Labour MP Patrick Hurley described

Politics

Democrats weigh business partnerships amid fight over state wealth tax

Time reports that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi confidentially predicted Democrats will regain control of Congress, even as the party remains divided over its economic direction — most recently in a fight in California over a proposed state wealth tax and Governor Gavin Newsom’s vow that “Wealth taxes are going nowhere.

Politics

Supreme Court to Hear Two Cases on Transgender Athletes; 15-Year-Old Plaintiff Speaks

On Tuesday the Supreme Court will hear two cases about transgender athletes and their participation in women’s sports; one of the plaintiffs is 15-year-old track athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson. Pepper-Jackson spoke to reporter Ann E. Marimow ahead of the hearing, according to the source material. The arguments are scheduled for

Politics

Supreme Court to hear challenges to state bans on transgender girls in sports

The Supreme Court is hearing back-to-back cases on Tuesday from two transgender athletes that will test the constitutionality of state laws barring their participation on girls’ and women’s sports teams. Becky Pepper-Jackson, a high school sophomore from West Virginia, and Lindsay Hecox, a college senior in Idaho, sued over

Politics

Jon Stewart mocks Trump after Truth Social post listing him as 'Acting President of Venezuela'

Jon Stewart mocked President Trump on Monday after Mr. Trump posted a screenshot on Truth Social showing his Wikipedia entry listed him as the "Acting President of Venezuela." On "The Daily Show," Stewart asked, "Doesn't your oath of office to America have a

Politics

F.B.I. probes possible activist ties in Renee Good shooting in Minneapolis

Federal investigators assigned to the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman, Renee Nicole Good, are examining her possible connections to activist groups that have protested the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement, people familiar with the inquiry said. Officials said the review includes analysis of the actions of the Immigration

Politics

Labor secretary’s chief and deputy placed on leave as watchdog probes complaint

The Labor Department placed Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff, Jihun Han, and deputy chief of staff, Rebecca Wright, on administrative leave on Monday as the department’s watchdog began investigating a complaint alleging professional misconduct by the secretary, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The personnel

Politics

Trump says Renee Good’s ‘disrespectful’ conduct factored in fatal ICE shooting

President Trump said on Air Force One that Renee Good’s “highly disrespectful” attitude toward law enforcement played a role in her fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota. In the days after Ms. Good, 37, was shot and killed by Jonathan Ross, administration officials have urged a range

Politics

Four migrants die in US immigration custody in first 10 days of 2026

Independent.co reports that four migrants died in US immigration custody during the first 10 days of 2026, according to government press releases. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the fatalities occurred between 3 and 9 January and involved two people from Honduras, one from Cuba and one from

Politics

Trump questions his promise to send $2,000 tariff rebate checks

According to People, President Donald Trump appeared to draw a blank when asked about his earlier promise to send Americans $2,000 rebate checks funded by tariff revenues during an Oval Office interview with The New York Times. The New York Times reporters Katie Rogers and Tyler Pager asked when

Politics

Senate report alleges UnitedHealth used tactics to inflate Medicare Advantage payments

Independent.co reports a Senate Judiciary Committee staff assessment released Monday alleges UnitedHealth and its UnitedHealthcare unit used "aggressive strategies" to diagnose Medicare patients with as many conditions as possible to increase federal payments. The 105-page report, produced for the Republican majority, says the firm turned federal Medicare

Politics

Trump says tech giants must cover data center power costs

US President Donald Trump pledged to make major tech companies “pick up the tab” for their power usage so everyday Americans do not face higher electricity bills, he said on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump blamed Democrats for surging household electricity bills and said he would work with

Politics

Labour MP Damien Egan's Bristol school visit postponed after pro-Palestine campaign

Independent.co reports that Labour MP Damien Egan's planned visit to Bristol Brunel Academy was postponed after a campaign by the Bristol branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign claimed “victory”, citing concerns over Mr Egan's recent visits to Israel and his role

Politics

Trump's bid for Venezuelan oil meets corporate reluctance and market realities

President Trump has pushed to take control of Venezuelan oil as part of a White House drive for “energy dominance,” hosting oil executives and declaring “We are open for business” after the U.S. operation that seized Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, on Jan. 3, the Times reported. Administration officials

Politics

Trump weighs military and nonmilitary responses as Iran protests grow

As nationwide protests shake Iran and security forces respond with lethal force, U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of American intervention, Time reports. The White House has kept its options deliberately broad, saying diplomacy remains the preferred path while officials acknowledge the president has been briefed on

Politics

E.P.A. Will Stop Assigning Dollar Value to Lives Saved from Air Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency, under President Trump, plans to stop assigning a monetary value to lives saved by reducing two common air pollutants — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone — when setting industry rules, according to internal agency emails and documents reviewed by The New York Times. For decades the

Politics

Trump calls economy “unbelievable” as reporters press him on cost-of-living worries

When New York Times reporters pressed President Trump about Americans’ economic anxieties, he insisted the economy was “unbelievable,” blamed his predecessor for high prices, dismissed the polls and pointed to his popularity on TikTok. He told reporters that “the greatest beneficiaries of my economy in my first term were low-income

Politics

MPs clash in Westminster Hall over petition calling for immediate general election

Independent.co reports MPs clashed in Westminster Hall as they debated a petition titled Call an Immediate General Election that closed last month with 1,059,231 signatures and the line “We think the majority need and want change.” Leading the debate, Conservative former minister John Lamont said voters felt