Iowa entrance polls show MAGA fans turned out for caucus: Live updates
Donald Trump holds commanding lead over challengers Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The 2024 Republican candidates are eagerly awaiting the results of the Iowa caucuses on Monday – though if polling tells us anything, it’s that Donald Trump has a predictable commanding lead over the other candidates.
In a survey, conducted by The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Medicom, 48 per cent of potential voters said the former president was their first choice of Republican presidential candidates.
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley was behind Mr Trump with 20 per cent support followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 16 per cent.
Vivek Ramaswamy had just 8 per cent while only 5 per cent of potential voters said they were still unsure.
Of the survey respondents more than half said they had their minds made up regarding who they would cast their vote for.
But for the 32 per cent who could still be persuaded to support a candidate, the presidential candidates are fighting hard to convince them to join their teams.
McConnell to step down as Senate Republican leader
Senator Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in the upper chamber’s history, will stand aside from his leadership post after the November general election.
The Kentucky Republican, who has been the GOP’s leader since 2007, announced his decision from the Senate floor yesterday.
Speaking from the front-row desk traditionally allotted to the party floor leader, McConnell told his colleagues that the loss of his sister-in-law in recent weeks had led him to “a certain introspection”.
The Bluegrass State senator, who has in recent months had several public episodes in which he appeared to freeze for several seconds, leading to concerns over his health, also noted that at 82 years old, the “end of [my] contributions” were “closer than I prefer”.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
Mitch McConnell to step down as Senate Republican leader after 17 years leading GOP
The Kentucky Republican has led the GOP senators since January 2007, and is the longest-serving leader in the upper chamber’s history
Congress reaches deal to temporarily avert US government shutdown
Congressional leaders announced late on Wednesday that they have reached a tentative agreement to prevent a US government shutdown – for now.
The announcement comes just in time to meet an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some government departments.
Under the new plan, Congress will temporarily fund one set of federal agencies through to 8 March and another set through to 22 March.
In the meantime, lawmakers will try to draw up and pass packages of legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the budget year.
But there was no immediate plan to approve the $95bn emergency national security funds for Ukraine, Israel and other allies that was passed by the Senate earlier this month.
“We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” said a joint statement from House speaker Mike Johnson, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Appropriation Committee leaders.
Speaker Johnson said the lower chamber would vote on Thursday to approve the temporary funds – ahead of Friday’s deadline.
The Senate will then follow suit.
The deal comes together as negotiators in Congress have been working furiously to finish up a federal spending plan and Washington joined Ukraine and other American allies around the world in watching and waiting for Speaker Johnson’s next move.
The new Republican leader is facing the test of his career trying to keep the US government open by Friday’s midnight deadline for several federal departments.
At the same time, emergency funding for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies remains stubbornly stalled. President Joe Biden convened the top congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday in the hope of pushing them toward a deal.
Congress is in what has become a familiar cycle of threatened shutdowns and disruptions as hard-right Republicans in Speaker Johnson’s majority strive for steeper spending reductions than Democrats and even some other Republicans are willing to accept. This would be the fourth short-term funding extension in about five months.
Congressional leaders said they had reached an agreement on six bills that will adhere to spending levels previously agreed to last year.
Those bills involve veterans affairs and the departments of agriculture, transportation, the interior and others and will be voted on and enacted before 8 March.
The remaining six bills for the Pentagon, homeland security, health and human services and the state department still need to be finalised, voted on and enacted before 22 March.
Leaders said a short-term extension would be voted on this week so that funding would continue for agencies while lawmakers worked on the two packages.
Lawmakers would be given 72 hours to review the broader legislative packages, as is expected under House rules.
If the deal and the subsequent bills are approved, it would keep the federal government funded until the end of the budget year, on 30 September, and avoid more short-term measures.
In depth: The 2024 election will be the oldest presidential fight in history. How do young voters feel?
Ariana Baio reports on how Gen-Z feels about having two candidates running for president who are nearly 60 years older than them:
How young Democrats and young Republicans really feel about 2024
With two candidates nearly 60 years older than them, Gen Z voters tell Ariana Baio how they’re choosing to cast their ballot this election
Who is the running to replace Mitch McConnell?
There are seven Republican senators who could take over as Republican Party leader in the upper chamber:
Who will replace Mitch McConnell?
‘Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them,’ McConnell says
Watch: Mitch McConnell addresses Senate after announcing he will step down
Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history, has announced he will step down from the position in November. The 82-year-old confirmed his decision on Wednesday 28 February and addressed the chamber. “As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” he said. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.” Despite relinquishing the position of Senate leader, Mr McConnell intends to see out his term in the upper house, which ends in January 2027.
Alabama lawmakers put forward bills to protect IVF medical providers
Bevan Hurley reports:
Alabama lawmakers introduced two bills on Tuesday that would shield medical providers that offer in vitro fertilisation services from civil and criminal liability.
The state Senate and House put forward the proposed bills nearly two weeks after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are legally protected children, forcing hospitals and clinics to halt treatments.
Senate Bill 159, introduced by Republican state senator Tim Melson, would provide “civil and criminal immunity provided for in vitro fertilization goods and services in certain circumstances”, according to the document’s text.
Later on Tuesday, Republican representative introduced House Bill 237 that would provide the same legal protections for IVF goods and services “except acts of omission that are intentional and not arising from or related to IVF services”.
Neither bill addressed the Supreme Court’s ruling that defined frozen embryos as children.
Continue reading...
Alabama puts forward bills to protect IVF clinics after Supreme Court ruling
Twin bills in Alabama’s state Senate and House introduced on Tuesday would shield IVF providers from prosecution
This 26-year-old could be Biden’s secret weapon
North Carolina could flip blue this November, for the first time since Obama won the state in 2008. And who’s tasked with making that happen? A 26-year-old from rural Roxboro, North Carolina. Anderson Clayton, the youngest state chair in the country, could be the answer for the Biden-Harris campaign as they struggle to whip up enthusiasm among the 41 million Gen Z eligible to vote in 2024. As the Democrats began to roll out surrogates for the president, we travelled to North Carolina to see how young voters are feeling about voting in the oldest presidential election in history.
ICYMI: Trump beats Haley in Michigan primary
After today’s avalanche of news, this feels like it happened a long time ago...
Trump beats Haley in Michigan primary but underperforms expectations
Former president won yet another state – but relatively poor numbers in the suburbs left a path of attack open to his challenger
Analysis: Why Nikki Haley’s strategy still makes sense after Michigan and South Carolina
John Bowden writes:
he Republican primary now heads to Super Tuesday with one clear theme: Donald Trump is the party’s first choice for the 2024 general election, even if a majority of Americans look with dismay at the possibility of a rematch between him and Joe Biden.
So why is Nikki Haley, fresh off two latest defeats in Michigan and her home state of South Carolina, still in the race?
The answer can be found in this quote from her on Monday, when she appeared in Grand Rapids a day ahead of the state primary: “The Democrats, I fully believe, are going to have a younger candidate going into the general election.”
Continue reading...
Why Nikki Haley’s strategy still makes sense after Michigan and South Carolina
Haley is making an obvious gamble. If it pays off, she could be in a prime position to snatch the nomination away from Trump, writes John Bowden
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments