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.
Donald Trump‘s 2024 election win over Kamala Harris was certified by a joint session of Congress today in just 28 minutes with Kamala Harris presiding over the process and formalizing her own defeat as the roll-call of Electoral College votes by states was read out.
A senior adviser told CNN that the president-elect was ready to watch today’s certification with a mindset of “pure vindication.”
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, in which supporters of Trump stormed Congress while then-vice president Mike Pence presided over the same session.
Meanwhile, Trump is attempting to stave off the sentencing for his criminal hush-money case conviction, currently scheduled for January 10, just ten days before his inauguration and the start of this second term in the White House.
The president-elect’s legal team filed a motion to stay the scheduled sentencing date with his spokesperson demanding “this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed.”
Finally, President Joe Biden has moved to ban new offshore oil and gas development along most US coastlines, a decision that Trump, who vowed to boost domestic energy production, may find difficult to reverse. The president-elect has accused Biden of complicating the transition process.
Full story: Giuliani held in contempt and hit with sanctions for defying court orders in defamation case
Rudy Giuliani has been found in contempt of court after repeatedly defying court orders and blowing deadlines as a pair of election workers he defamed seek to recover tens of millions of dollars he owes for his false claims in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
Alex Woodward reports from the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Biden signs RFK Stadium land bill into law, a step toward potential Commanders stadium in Washington
President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that transfers the land that includes the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to city control, the next step to potentially pave the way for the NFL‘s Washington Commanders to return to the nation’s capital.
Giving the District of Columbia control of the land for the next 99 years allows for the decaying husk of the old stadium to be torn down and the site redeveloped for any number of things. One of the possibilities is a football stadium and surrounding entertainment options at the franchise’s former home.
Read on…
Trump could pardon nearly 1,600 January 6 rioters — but will he?
But how quickly will the pardons begin, and how far will Trump go?
Nearly 1,600 people have been charged with or convicted of crimes linked to the riot, according to the Department of Justice.
Josh Marcus reports.
IN FOCUS: Trump has two years to cause real chaos and harm and only these people will be able to stop him
Alex Hannaford asks who, if anyone, can stop Donald Trump from wreaking serious havoc in his second term?
Journalist’s X account reportedly restricted after debunking Elon Musk sock puppet rumors
A reporter who ended online speculation that Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk was posing as an ardent fan has reportedly been temporarily banned from the social media site, and links to her story have been restricted.
In one of the latest dramas surrounding Musk, suspicions arose that a poster on X named Adrian Dittman, who sounds like Musk and regularly defends him, might have been the South African-born billionaire himself, using a so-called “sock-puppet” account.
However, Jacqueline Sweet, a reporter at the Spectator, determined that Dittman is actually a real person living in Fiji.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Why your social security payment is set to go up
“I’m proud to be the first president in more than 20 years to expand Social Security benefits. Workers who dedicated their lives to their communities deserve to retire with dignity and security,” Biden wrote on X on Sunday.
Read on…
Full story: Trump sues Judge Merchan to stop hush money sentencing as he tosses last-ditch request to delay
A separate filing from Manhattan prosecutors blamed the former president for his ongoing attempts to delay proceedings and postpone his sentencing, which was initially set for July — two months after a jury unanimously convicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Alex Woodward reports from New York.
Bidens pay their respects to victims of New Orleans attack
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have paid their respects to the victims of the New Year terror attack in New Orleans.
The Bidens are also scheduled to meet with the families of victims of the deadly truck-ramming attack that killed 14 people early on January 1.
Pelosi says her husband is still suffering from effects of hammer attack
House speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi discussed the ongoing threat of political violence and the dangers posed by Donald Trump’s 2020 misinformation campaign in an interview Sunday on Face the Nation.
The former top Democrat in the lower chamber said that her husband, Paul Pelosi, still faces medical issues resulting from a violent attack he suffered in 2022, when an intruder in their home attacked him with a hammer.
John Bowden has the story.
Before Trump’s return, Biden set to give two final speeches as he looks to secure legacy
President Joe Biden plans to deliver two final speeches as he seeks to underscore his legacy before leaving office and making way for President-elect Donald Trump, according to a report.
His first speech, which Biden intends to deliver after he comes back from Italy on January 12, will be dedicated to foreign policy, NBC News reported. His second and final speech as president will be a farewell address reflecting on his 50-plus years in public service.
Neither speech has been fully drafted, but the broad strokes of them have been established, sources told the outlet.
Kelly Rissman reports.
