
‘Shame!’: McCarthy booed and heckled on House floor after ‘phony’ censure against Democrat Adam Schiff
Democrats booed and heckled Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday as the GOP voted to censure California representative Adam Schiff for his efforts to investigate the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. On cameras of the House floor, Democrats could be seen rallying near the lectern and chanting, “Shame!” as the Speaker announced the result of the vote, which he said was punishment for “misleading the American public.” On Wednesday, the House voted 213-to-209 largely on party lines to censure Mr Schiff. In a speech from the floor, the California Democrat remained defiant, saying he was being punished for pursuing the truth by a party that’s attached itself to conspiratorial thinking about the election. “You who are the authors of the big lie about the last election must condemn the truth tellers and I stand proudly before you,” Mr Schiff said. “No matter how many false justifications or slanders you level against me, you but indict yourselves,” he added. “As Liz Cheney said, there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain.” New York Democrat Dan Goldman agreed, calling the censure vote a “phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power” in a floor speech of his own. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
1970-01-01 08:00

Biden rolls out the red carpet for Modi for a visit fraught with trade-offs
Welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House this week for a state visit -- the most elevated form of American diplomacy -- will require President Joe Biden to make certain trade-offs.
1970-01-01 08:00

The Best Gaming Desktops for 2023
Despite the allure and simplicity of gaming consoles and handheld devices, PC gaming has never
1970-01-01 08:00

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Lauren Boebert a ‘little b****’ on House floor, report says
Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly tore into her fellow conservative Lauren Boebert on the House floor on Wednesday, calling the Colorado rep a “little b****” and accusing her of copying articles of impeachment against Joe Biden. C-SPAN cameras captured the two MAGA Republicans having what appeared to be a heated conversation on Wednesday after Ms Boebert lay the groundwork to force a procedural vote on her impeachment articles in the coming days. Multiple people witnessed or were apprised of the exchange, including an anonymous GOP lawmaker, and reported its alleged contents to The Daily Beast. The argument reportedly began when Rep Boebert approached Rep Greene and was upset about “statements you made about me publicly.” The Georgia representative then allegedly called her counterpart a “little b****” and accused her of piggypacking on the idea to impeach Joe Biden, though Ms Boebert reportedly denied ever reading Ms Greene’s impachment resolution. “I’ve donated to you, I’ve defended you. But you’ve been nothing but a little b**** to me,” Ms Greene reportedly said. “And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them.” “OK, Marjorie, we’re through,” Ms Boebert allegedly responded, to which Ms Greene reportedly said, “We were never together.” The Colorado Republican didn’t deny the heated exchange when contacted by The Daily Beast. “Marjorie is not my enemy. I came here to protect our children and their posterity. Joe Biden and the Democrats are destroying our country,” she told the outlet. “My priorities are to correct their bad policies and save America.” The Independent has contacted Ms Greene’s office for comment. On the same day as the alleged argument, Ms Greene appeared to publicly criticise Ms Boebert’s impeachment plan. “I’m different than what Lauren Boebert did,” Ms Greene said, CBS News reports. “She just went and did it. I just addressed the conference about impeachment and said that it is the right thing to do.” Ms Boebert has attempted to impeach Joe Biden multiple times. “I am bringing my articles of impeachment against Joe Biden to the House Floor in a privileged motion, meaning that every Member of Congress must vote on holding Joe Biden accountable,” she tweeted on Tuesday evening. The far-right Colorado rep has said she wants to impeach Mr Biden because of his “dereliction of duty” at the southern border. Read More AOC implores Greene and Boebert to not waste time with Biden impeachment: ‘We should actually be working’ Exclusive: Marjorie Taylor Greene names her price for McCarthy – impeach Joe Biden Boebert’s latest attempt to impeach Biden had Republicans ‘rolling eyes’, says Democrat AOC implores Greene and Boebert to not waste time with Biden impeachment Marjorie Taylor Greene names her price for McCarthy: Impeach Joe Biden Boebert’s latest attempt to impeach Biden had Republicans ‘rolling eyes’
1970-01-01 08:00

Iowa governor settles open records lawsuit filed by media groups
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by journalists and open government advocates who sought to require her office to respond to public record requests, and a state panel agreed Wednesday to pay more than $100,000 in attorney fees. Reynolds settled the lawsuit about two months after the Iowa Supreme Court refused to dismiss the case filed by two media organizations and a nonprofit advocacy group. The court unanimously rejected the governor's argument that her office wasn't required to respond in a timely manner to record requests and that she could bypass the state's open records law by simply ignoring the requests. The organizations filed the lawsuit in 2021, claiming the governor had violated Iowa’s open records law by ignoring government record requests. The reporters had emailed the governor’s office with eight different open-record requests between April 2020 and April 2021 and renewed each request at least once. In each case, they received no response until filing a lawsuit in December 2021. In a statement, the governor's office acknowledged the settlement but said problems stemmed from demands during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The COVID-19 response put unprecedented demands on the governor’s team to meet the immediate needs of Iowans," Kollin Crompton, the governor's deputy communications director, said in a statement. "As a result, responses to requests were unintentionally delayed, which is not acceptable. Our office has assessed our internal processes and we continue to reevaluate the process to improve timeliness.” Earlier Wednesday, the State Appeal Board approved $135,000 to cover legal fees for the organizations, though the one Democrat on the three-member board objected. Auditor Rob Sand said state law intends that those who violate the open records law should pay fees related to the violation and a fine. The settlement, he noted, pays the fees with public money and doesn't include a fine. “These insiders have no shame," Sand said in a statement. “They abuse your rights, and then want to use your money to pay for having abused you.” The organization are the liberal-leaning Bleeding Heartland blog, Iowa Capital Dispatch and Iowa Freedom of Information Council, which focuses on open government issues. The ACLU of Iowa, which represented the organizations, said the settlement will be official later this month when the court accepts the agreement. The ACLU said the agreement also required a year of judicial oversight over the governor's office's compliance with the state open records law as well as court fees. The governor also settled separate lawsuits filed by an attorney who sued after not receiving records about COVID-19 testing contracts. The State Appeal Board approved about $40,000 to settle that case. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
1970-01-01 08:00

It's censure and impeachment season again
Americans' competing political realities are colliding fantastically on Capitol Hill this week in a public punishment, an ill-fated impeachment effort and the dissection of another special counsel's report.
1970-01-01 08:00

Fact check: Biden makes 5 false claims about guns, plus some about other subjects
President Joe Biden made false claims about a variety of topics, notably including gun policy, during a series of official speeches and campaign remarks over the last two weeks.
1970-01-01 08:00

John Eastman agreed Clarence Thomas wouldn't back theory to block Biden win, Pence aide says
Eastman is facing disbarment in California for his role in Trump's bid to overturn the 2020 results.
1970-01-01 08:00

US hostage envoy quietly traveled to Venezuela this week
US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
1970-01-01 08:00

Biden administration looks to reinstate protections for endangered species curbed by Trump
The Biden administration announced a proposal Wednesday to strengthen the Endangered Species Act, including repealing Trump-era rules that loosened protections for vulnerable species.
1970-01-01 08:00

Results from Virginia's primaries set up test of Youngkin's influence and abortion's salience with voters
The stage is now set in Virginia for the most important down-ballot election of 2023 -- a battle for control of the split legislature that will offer an important window into the mood of swing-state voters as next year's presidential race kicks off.
1970-01-01 08:00

NBA trade grades: Wizards shipping Kristaps Porzingis to Boston in 3-team deal
The Washington Wizards are nearing a three-team trade which will send Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics.The trade, which has yet to be finalized, involves the Los Angeles Clippers as well and will involve draft picks.Washington, with a new front office in place, is clearly in sell mod...
1970-01-01 08:00