One of the longest-running sagas in recent US political history has come to an end, with Republican George Santos finally being expelled from the US House of Representatives. The embattled Santos was ousted 311-114 in a bipartisan vote on the "overwhelming evidence" that he misused campaign donations. Remarkably, this is only the sixth time a Congressperson has been expelled from the House since it was formed in 1789. The 35-year-old, who has been accused of lying about numerous bizarre claims he has made, said after the vote was confirmed: "The people of the Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, you're going to have to go silence those people and go take the hard vote." In almost the immediate aftermath of Santos's expulsion memes about the disgraced politician began circulating across social media with many bidding farewell to the 'messy drama queen' who had a propensity for outlandish statements. Here are some of our favourites. It remains to be seen what Santos will do next but there is no doubt that we haven't heard the last of him. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter ruffled some feathers after filming her music video inside a Church, and she has the best response to the criticism. Carpenter, who has recently been opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour, filmed the music video for her song "Feather" inside the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in New York. The video shows Carpenter dancing around the church whilst wearing a tiny black tulle dress and veil. The church pastor who agreed to have the video filmed there has been stripped of his duties, and the church claimed it had to re-bless the establishment because it was so "appalled" at the video. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn said in a statement to the Catholic News Agency, "The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property which includes a review of the scenes and script." Speaking to Variety, about the backlash Carpenter had a cheeky response, saying "we got approval in advance," before adding, "and Jesus was a carpenter." Fans loved her witty response to the criticism. One wrote "you could never make me hate Sabrina Carpenter", whilst another said, "Sabrina Carpenter has a forever fan in me for this reply." Lauren Jauregui from Fifth Harmony also seemed to love Carpenter's response: Whilst many fans and non-fans alike just seemed to find the whole thing hilarious: Take a look at the music video here: Sabrina Carpenter - Feather (Official Video) youtu.be Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Fans are going crazy for Taylor Swift's co-collaborator and producer, Jack Antonoff's Instagram story, which many are saying gives new insight into Swift's relationship with ex Joe Alwyn. After Spotify made the announcement that Taylor Swift was the platform's most streamed artist of the year, Swift released her song "You're Losing Me" onto the platform, which was previously only available on a limited edition CD of her album Midnights. The song's original release on May 2023 made many already speculate it was about Swift's ex, Joe Alwyn, as their breakup had been publicly announced the month beforehand. As Midnights was only released at the end of 2022, fans speculated "You're Losing Me" was written in 2022. However, Antonoff's story suggests differently. At the announcement of the song going onto streaming services, Antonoff shared a photo of Swift eating raisins before recording the song. In the text accompanying the photo Antonoff wrote: "you're losing me is out today. a very special track from the midnights sessions that's finally streaming! written and recorded at home on 12/5/21 right after Taylor ate these raisins." The date mentioned threw fans into a frenzy, and on social media many are suggesting that Swift and Alwyn's relationship was on the rocks since December 2021. Take a look at some fan's reactions and theories: Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

People who were previously employed by MrBeast have spoken about their experience of working for the world’s most popular YouTuber, and made it clear that you always have to be prepared for absolutely anything. MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, is known for his larger-than-life videos, with bombastic stunts and huge set pieces. All of that takes a lot of work behind the scenes, and judging by the testimony of former employees, it’s far from your average 9-5 job. Speaking to Business Insider, five of the people who used to work with Donaldson spoke about their time with him. Britt Carter revealed that one day she got a call out of the blue telling her to drive to the Great Smoky Mountains straight away – a journey of six hours. Carter said: "You had to be prepared for anything. It was an all-hands-on-deck, all-the-time kind of thing." Carter went on to speak about the job, which she held for six months, saying: "You'd have days where everything was going wrong, working so hard and physically killing yourself to make something happen. But then, the next day, you'd pull off these incredible stunts and pieces of content, and you were on such a high that it makes you forget all those hard hours and days." She later said: "Everybody knew that the mission of the company was to create the best possible video. That came before everything else. That was always the goal. If there was something that could make the video better, you would always defer to what could create the better content." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

An artist on TikTok has faced strong backlash over a “slavery-themed bathroom” seen in a tour of her home. In a since-deleted post, artist and TikToker Hannah Polskin shared a video of her bathroom, showing various pieces of decoration that appeared to be influenced by African culture. Some of the wall decor included a picture of the African-American boxer Muhammad Ali, traditional African masks and a toilet roll holder made out of chains, raising many eyebrows due to its connotations with enslaved Africans and the Atlantic slave trade. Before it was deleted, the original video was shared by TikToker @jpgeez, who raised questions and concerns about the decor. He said: “So, I have questions. Is this your bathroom? Did someone ask you to style the bathroom like this? “I think the thing that I’m wondering about, and what I would imagine most people are wondering about, would be the toilet paper holder with the choice of the rest of the decor, you know.” @jpgeez #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo @Hannah Polskin just curious 😅 The TikToker reasoned that on their own, the pieces of art would be fine. But, when the chains are placed amongst African pieces, the connotations of slavery are hard to ignore. Responding to his video, one person wrote: “What in the Get Out bathroom.” Another wrote: “Living for the British Museum aesthetic.” Commenting on one of Polskin’s existing videos, someone asked the artist: “Btw what did you mean when you added the chain?” Another person said: “Are we gonna discuss the bathroom theme???” “The bathroom is actually diabolical,” one person commented. indy100 has contacted Hannah Polskin for comment. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A woman who was left soaked despite wearing what was supposed to be a waterproof jacket has gone viral. Walking in the rain is hardly fun at the best of times, but when you thought the waterproof jacket you were wearing would at least keep you dry, getting wet through just adds insult to injury. TikToker Jenn thought she would be safe wearing the waterproof jacket of the well-known brand North Face, but soon found a few issues with the outdoor brand’s clothing when she wore it on a rainy hike in New Zealand. In a viral video that has been viewed almost 11 million times, Jenn could be seen dripping with water as she walked and spoke into the camera. Jenn explained: “I’ve got a bone to pick with North Face. I bought this ‘rain jacket’ a couple of days ago because the tag in the advertising said that it was waterproof, as a rain jacket would be.” She laughed, before adding, “I’m 100 per cent sure that it’s raining outside and I’m soaking wet.” @fannypack310 @thenorthface i’m not mad i’m disappointed …and wet “Listen, I don't want a refund, I want you to redesign this raincoat to make it waterproof and express delivery it up to the top of Hooker Valley Lake in New Zealand,” she explained, before concluding, “Waterproof my a**”. In the comments, it appears she is not the first person to have an issue with North Face clothing. One person claimed: “North Face used to be necessary outdoor wear. EVERYONE wore them in Alaska. At some point their quality just wasn't there so we all switched to Patagonia.” Another said: “I’m a geoscience nerd who’s often in inclement weather in the field. North Face sold out. Get a GoreTex ArcTeryx jacket if you can.” In a follow-up video, Jenn revealed a pretty major update as it seems people from North Face noticed the viral clip. She explained that the marketing team saw the video and got in touch to fly Jenn in a helicopter to the top of a mountain in New Zealand and gave her brand new rain gear. @fannypack310 Replying to @rzamz @thenorthface made it out of my burn book People in the comments were dubious about whether the new products work as advertised. Someone asked, “But does the new rain gear work?”, to which Jenn responded, “We’ll see on my next rainy hike.” How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan died “peacefully” on the morning of November 30 with his wife Victoria and family at his side. A statement shared on behalf of his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, his sister Siobhan and father, Maurice, on The Pogues’ official Instagram said: “It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of SHANE MACGOWAN. “Shane died peacefully at 3am this morning (30 November, 2023) with his wife Victoria and family by his side. Prayers and the last rites were read which gave comfort to his family. “He is survived by his wife Victoria, his sister Siobhan and his father, Maurice, family and a large circle of friends. Further details will be announced shortly but the family ask for privacy at this very sad time”. Irish President Michael D Higgins said there was “particular poignancy” that the death of Shane MacGowan had followed closely that of Sinead O’Connor. He said: “Born on Christmas Day, there was perhaps some form of destiny which led Shane to writing Fairytale Of New York, the timeless quality of which will surely mean that it will be listened to every Christmas for the next century or more. “Likewise songs like Rainy Night In Soho, A Pair Of Brown Eyes, If I Should Fall From Grace With God and so many others will live on far into the years and decades to come. “I think too of Haunted, and the particular poignancy that both Shane and Sinead O’Connor have left us in such quick succession.” He added: “It was a great honour for me, as President of Ireland, to present Shane with a lifetime achievement award in the National Concert Hall in January 2018 as we marked his 60th birthday. A richly deserved honour.” Amongst those paying tribute include Nick Cave, Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar. One person unlikely to pay tribute is the outspoken actor and commentator Laurence Fox who was once called a 'herronvolk sh**e' by The Pogues Twitter/X account after he complained about the BBC censoring a version of 'Fairytale of New York.' Although Fox has since removed his tweet, the Pogues putdown is still live, leading many to reshare it in memory of MacGowan. Additional reporting by PA. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A woman has opened up about her decision to charge friends and family a staggering £150 a head for Christmas dinner. Carla Bellucci recently moved from her Hertfordshire home after receiving hate for her past financial moves, including splashing out £10,000 on her daughter's 18th birthday bash and admitting to getting a free nose job on the NHS during an appearance on This Morning in 2019. Speaking about her decision and being called a Scrooge by trolls, Carla simply responded: "Get stuffed, with all the trimmings." She explained how she's expecting nine people at her Christmas dinner this year, and that it's not cheap to put on a full spread. "It’s not cheap feeding people and it also takes a lot of time to put together a nice meal," she said. I’ll give them a glass of Champagne, but if they want any more booze, they can bring their own. Carla continued: "Everything I do is for profit and my family understands that. If you want quality, you have to pay for it." The former OnlyFans model, who made £40,000 and quit because she found the site "tacky," went on to say that while a carvery would be a cheaper option, her "dinner is going to be a lot more classy than that." "It wouldn’t be any cheaper if you went to a restaurant or hotel for a Christmas Day meal, so why should I be out of pocket? "I’ll have the telly on in the background so they can listen to the King at 3pm and watch whatever they like," she continued. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It's that time of year again, Spotify Wrapped is here! Music lovers have been sharing their 2023 in terms of their most streamed artists, songs and albums - all neatly presented with some cool visuals and graphics. But there's a new feature this year that reveals your own "Sound Town," which basically matches you to a city in the world that has the most similar music taste to yours from your streaming stats this year. "This year, your listening took you places and one place listened just like you," the slide reads as it then informs you which city you got. Of course, the latest feature has inspired memes, particularly those who have Berkeley in California, Burlington, in Vermont or Cambridge in Massachusetts based on their music taste which appeared to be popular places in people's Wrapped report. "spotify is trying to make a gay commune in berkeley, a lesbian commune in burlington, and a bisexual commune in cambridge," one Twitter/X joked. Another wrote: "Back in my day, you had to ask Google “am I gay?” Now Spotify wrapped just tells you by placing you in Burlington, Berkeley, or Cambridge." Meanwhile, Taylor Swift was the most-streamed artist on Spotify globally, with more than 26.1 billion streams since January 1, previously, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist for three years in a row. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The death of Henry Kissinger has brought to an end a long-running social media meme that tracked whether he was still alive. The controversial former US national security adviser and secretary of state died at the age of 100 on Wednesday 29 November. Playing an infamous role in the Vietnam War, and blamed for the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians, Kissinger drew strong criticism from the likes of Anthony Bourdain for his heinous actions, after the late chef brutally wrote about him in his 2001 book. As people have reacted to Kissinger’s death, one social media account that had a strong interest in the news was the “Is Henry Kissinger Dead Yet?” X/Twitter account. The account was set up in December 2021 and tweeted every few days tracking whether the controversial political figure was still around. According to the Washington Post, the account was created by an anonymous 26-year-old Peruvian law student. He told the publication: “I think Americans in particular are very susceptible to this very stupid idea that is bad to celebrate the death of an evil person.” In October 2022, a post from the account suggested the creator was growing slightly impatient waiting for him to die. They wrote: “No and I didn’t think this account would be such a long term commitment.” Upon the news that Kissinger has now passed away, a post from the account simply read, “YES”. It has been viewed 13 million times at the time of writing. In the replies, people didn’t hold back on their feelings. The creator of the account was true to their word, after telling the WaPo that when the day came they would tweet “Yes” and “enjoy the jubilation”. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Anthony Bourdain’s comments about Henry Kissinger in his 2001 book have resurfaced following the controversial politician’s death. The former United States Secretary of State died at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday 29 November. During his lifetime, some called for Kissinger to be charged with war crimes. And, it seems the beloved late chef Bourdain was not a fan of his after scathing comments from the book 'A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal' resurfaced. After a visit to Cambodia, Bourdain wrote, “You’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands”, because of his approval of a secret and illegal war there. Kissinger is believed to be responsible for the deaths of between 150,000 to 500,000 Cambodian civilians after ordering the secret carpet bombing of Cambodia and Laos over four years from 1969. 540,000 bombs were dropped by the US. Bourdain wrote: “You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking.” He continued: “Witness what Henry did in Cambodia ― the fruits of his genius for statesmanship ― and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to [Serbian President Slobodan] Milošević.” It was not the only time Boudain mentioned Kissinger’s name with disdain after Bourdain responded to comments that he had become a kind of “statesman” due to the way his work had brought awareness around global conflicts and struggles. Bourdain argued, “I’m not going to the White House Correspondents’ dinner. I don’t need to be laughing it up with Henry Kissinger”. “Any journalist who has ever been polite to Henry Kissinger, you know, f*** that person,” Bourdain said. “I’m a big believer in moral grey areas, but, when it comes to that guy, in my view he should not be able to eat at a restaurant in New York.” There's been plenty of takes on social media to the news. As people around the world have reacted to the news of his death, an X/Twitter account called “Is Henry Kissinger Dead Yet?” simply wrote “YES” in a post. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Young Thug's attorney said his moniker actually stands for "Truly Humble Under God" whilst defending him in his RICO trial. "Most people think about a thug as a criminal, but to Jeffery, 'thug' had a different meaning," said lawyer Brian Steel in an Atlanta court on Thursday. Steel said that Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, wanted to break his community out of poverty and an "endless cycle of hopelessness," and that if he achieved his goal, he would be "Truly Humble Under God." "That's what 'thug' means," said Steel, who also alluded to Tupac Shakir saying "Thug Life" was an acronym for denouncing hate. Williams has been charged with cofounding and running an Atlanta street gang called Young Slime Life by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Young Slime Life shares an acronym with Williams' record label Young Stoner Life. Other claims made during his opening statement included Steel saying that the gang call themselves YSL "because the pants, tight-fitting pants, the women's pants that they're wearing it says YSL, Yves Saint Laurent. That's where it comes from." Another argument made by Steel was that 'pushing P', the title of a song featuring Young Thug, was short for "pushing positivity." Prosecutors had accused Williams of flashing a gang sign in a photo online, but Steel claimed he was simply forming a 'P' with his fingers. "It means, in any circumstance you're in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through. You're pushing positivity," said Steel. Steel's main argument is that prosecutors had misrepresented evidence, and that it makes no sense for Williams to be running a street gang whilst already being a successful rapper." "He's not sitting there telling people to kill people. He doesn't need their money," Steel said. Prosecutors are accusing Williams and 27 other individuals of racketeering, murder, assault, theft, and drug possession. Alleging, Williams to be at the centre of it, with gang members seeking his permission to kill another rapper. Steel has said Williams was wrongly charged on all accounts. A RICO conviction can lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel