Author: Robert Jones

CNN  —  President Donald Trump rarely stops bragging about his “great relationship” with Vladimir Putin. A skeptical world will soon find out whether the supposed mind-meld counts for anything. The Russian president, author of an unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine, responded in time-honored Moscow fashion Thursday to the US plan for an immediate ceasefire that the administration forced Kyiv into supporting. Putin produced a long set of obfuscations and new demands that would be unacceptable to Ukraine. But they may have been designed to tempt a US president who is desperate for the kind of win a truce would…

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom 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…

President Donald Trump’s tax plan could give some Americans an extra $24,000 per year.U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Trump is looking to eliminate income tax for Americans earning less than $150,000, and at the higher end of that bracket, some would save up to the $24,000.Experts, however, are concerned with this massive endeavor and its potential long-term ramifications on the U.S. economy.Why It MattersDuring his campaign, Trump suggested that he could eliminate the federal income tax by implementing an all-tariff policy.This has garnered criticism from some who say adding tariffs instead of an income tax would hurt low- and…

As US President Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office on February 28 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an explosive meeting that would reveal deep fissures between Washington and Kyiv, he was also asked by a reporter about another world leader: Vladimir Putin. In the very setting in which he joined forces with Vice President JD Vance to berate Zelenskyy for not being grateful to the US for its military and financial aid, and for not backing his attempts at diplomacy with Moscow, Trump had more sympathetic words for the Russian president. “Let me tell you, Putin went through…

CNN  —  Veteran Democrats privately believed Chuck Schumer’s decision on the shutdown was inevitable. Others were ready for the top Senate Democrat to lead them into their first big battle against President Donald Trump — and instead have been left fuming. Schumer’s declaration Thursday night that he would vote for Republicans’ stopgap spending bill, backing down in the party’s first big leverage point in President Donald Trump’s second term has confirmed a dire political reality for his caucus: Democrats had no good options left to avert a government shutdown with just hours to go until the deadline. “If we go…

The Trump administration in a memo to the Pentagon requested “military options” to ensure continued and absolute access to the Panama Canal, according to reports.Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon and the Embassy of Panama in Washington, D.C., for comment by email on Thursday evening.Why It MattersPresident Donald Trump has made the Panama Canal one of his chief pieces of foreign policy. He surprised the world when he suggested that the U.S. would look to “demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question,” and he reiterated the issue during his Congressional address, saying he…

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that U.S. tariffs on Australian steel and aluminum were unjustified, but his government would not retaliate with its own tariffs.U.S. President Donald Trump said last month he was considering a tariff exemption for Australia, a free trade treaty partner that has traded with the United States at a deficit for decades.A former Australian government secured an exemption with the previous Trump administration in 2018 based on arguments including that Australian steelmaker BlueScope employs thousands of workers in the U.S.Albanese said he would continue to pursue an Australian exemption. The…

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom 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…

President Donald Trump’s polling numbers have been steadily declining, pollster Nate Silver said, a finding also backed by a new Quinnipiac poll.Newsweek previously reached out to the White House on Wednesday for comment regarding Trump’s polling numbers among Hispanic Americans.Why It MattersTrump has notably touted positive approval ratings in news conferences and campaign rallies throughout his political career.When he regained the Oval Office in January, Trump was coasting with positive numbers but in the last couple weeks has seen his approval ratings dropping across the polls.What To KnowIn a post to X, formerly Twitter, Silver posted about Trump’s approval numbers…

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Abortion rights and the influence of donations from billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros took center stage in a sometimes testy debate Wednesday between candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court less than three weeks before the election.The winner of the April 1 contest will determine whether conservative or liberal justices control Wisconsin’s highest court as it faces cases over abortion and reproductive rights, the strength of public sector unions, voting rules and congressional district boundaries.The race could be a litmus test early in President Donald Trump’s term in a key presidential swing state. The race pits…