US condemns attack in Moscow calling ISIS ‘a common terrorist enemy’: Latest updates
White House statement offers deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones
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 US has condemned Friday’s terror attack on a concert in Moscow. A statement from the White House called perpetrators ISIS “a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere”.
Meanwhile, a US government shutdown has been averted after the Senate passed a $1.2trn spending package in a 2am vote 74-24. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Saturday. It will keep the federal government open until the end of fiscal year 2024 on 30 September.
The House of Representatives passed the spending package 286 to 134, surpassing the two-thirds majority needed. Calling it a “betrayal of Republican voters”, a furious Marjorie Taylor Greene initiated the process to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson.
In 2024 election news, the Biden campaign is mocking Donald Trump as “Broke Don” after the latest Federal Election Commission filings revealed the president’s fundraising is far outstripping his Republican rival and he faces hundreds of millions of dollars in civil judgments in New York.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris toured the blood-stained classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre occurred. Accompanied by some victims’ family members, she spoke about gun violence prevention efforts.
Trump promises to ‘put up the cash’ as former president granted more time to produce bond
Donald Trump said he would “put up the cash” as he was granted more time to pay part of the $464m bond in his New York civil fraud case on Monday, 25 March.
An appeals court granted the former president a 10-day extension to pay $175m in a reprieve on the day the full amount against him had been due.
In rambling remarks at 40 Wall Street after appearing in Manhattan criminal court, Mr Trump said: “This is all about election interference. This is all Biden-run things.
“We’ll put up securities, cash, or bond, whatever it is, very quickly.”
‘Don Poorleone’: Trump memes explode as deadline approaches for $464m bond payment
As Donald Trump approaches his $464m bond payment deadline on Monday, social media users have come together to coin yet another nickname for the former president: “Don Poorleone.”
The meme uses an image of the iconic Marlon Brando character, Vito Corleone, from “The Godfather“ and adapts his famous line.
While Vito Corleone vowed to “make him an offer he can’t refuse”, the Trump meme states: “I made an offer everyone refused.”
Kamala Harris roasted after she claps along to protest song – before realising they’re protesting against her
Kamala Harris is being roasted on social media after she was seen clapping along to a protest song – before awkwardly realising that they were protesting against her.
The vice president visited Puerto Rico on Friday to highlight the Biden administration’s actions in supporting the island nation’s recovery and renewal efforts.
During the visit, she stopped by the Goyoco community centre in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan.
In video footage from her visit to the community centre, Ms Harris is seen gleefully clapping and smiling as Puerto Rican protesters banged on drums and sang in Spanish.
VIDEO: 16 Republican AGs Sue Biden Administration for Pausing Liquid Natural Gas Exports
Biden mocks Trump for boasting about winning two golf awards at his own club hours before bond deadline
President Joe Biden ridiculed his 2024 election rival Donal Trump on social media after the Republican boasted about winning two amateur golf trophies at his own club’s awards.
The former president announced in a post on Truth Social that he had been awarded the club championship trophy and the senior club championship trophy at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
“I WON BOTH,” Mr Trump wrote. “A large and golfing talented membership, a GREAT and difficult course, made the play very exciting.
“The qualifying and match play was amazing. A large and distinguished group will be there tonight. Very exciting, thank you,” the 45th president added.
Mr Biden on Monday shared a screengrab of Mr Trump’s post on X, adding: “Congratulations, Donald. Quite the accomplishment.”
Chuck Todd admonishes his bosses on-air over NBC hiring Ronna McDaniel
NBC News political director isn’t ready to defend his network’s hiring of former GOP chief Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst.
On Sunday, he made sure his bosses — and everybody else — knew it.
Ms McDaniel’s hiring as a paid contributor at NBC News this past week was reported to have made a number of journalists at the network uncomfortable. As Meet the Press turned to its panel segment on Sunday morning, Todd vocalised those objections in a fiery admonition of NBC brass, whom he said owed moderator Kristen Welker an apology for booking Ms McDaniel as one of her interviews for Sunday’s programme.
Welker’s interview with Ms McDaniel touched on several topics including her leadership of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Her tenure as RNC chair came to an end this year after Donald Trump endorsed her removal following the South Carolina primary.
McCarthy claims Gaetz ousted him as speaker when he refused to ‘do something illegal’ to stop ethics probe
Kevin McCarthy has claimed that Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz ousted him as speaker because he refused to “do something illegal” to stop an ethics probe into the congressman.
The former California Republican congressman and House speaker appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, pointing to the motion to vacate filed against his successor, Speaker Mike Johnson, by Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene after Mr Johnson made a deal with Democrats to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year until 30 September.
Mr McCarthy was ousted after just nine months as speaker in October after Mr Gatez filed a motion to vacate after Mr McCarthy also compromised with Democrats on government funding.
“The one advice I would give to the conference and to the speaker is do not be fearful of a motion to vacate,” he said on CBS. “I do not think they could do it again. That was surely based on Matt Gaetz trying to stop an ethics complaint.
“It was purely Matt coming to me trying ... [to get] me to do something illegal to stop the Ethics Committee from moving forward in an investigation that was started long before I became speaker,” Mr McCarthy said.
Lauren Boebert defends taking credit for money in spending bill despite voting against it
Republican Representative Lauren Boebert defended bragging about bringing home $20m for water and infrastructure projects to her Colorado district in the recent spending bill that passed – despite having voted against the bill’s final passage.
The right-wing Republican put out a press release last week touting the funding for projects in her state’s 3rd district.
“These include important federal resources for new water storage, improving water quality, funding water treatment plants, building new water supply lines, reducing congestion on I-70, and building roads and bridges,” Ms Boebert said in a press release.
“I’m grateful to all the local stakeholders who brought these important projects to my attention and that worked with my team and I throughout this process to ensure that 10 out of 10 of our requests were successfully funded in public law. Can’t wait for the ribbon cuttings and to see these priorities come to fruition.”
But Ms Boebert voted against the spending bill on 8 March. The legislation was the first of six spending bills that passed this month to fund the government through the end of the current fiscal year, which expires on 30 September. Last week, the House and Senate passed the second round of spending bills to keep the government open.
Ms Boebert bragged about bringing the money back to Colorado last week to The Independent.
“Sure did, I fought to get it in there, did I not,” she said. “If I wasn’t working on it, then it wouldn’t have been in there.”
But when asked about why she voted against its final passage, she said she disliked the process.
“I didn’t agree to the swampy way it came to the floor but I fought to get the stuff in the bills and it’s there,” she said. “And Colorado is going to benefit from it.”
Trump handed lifeline as appeals court slashes fraud trial bond and grants 10-day reprieve
A New York appeals court has granted Donald Trump a 10-day extension to secure a portion of the $464m bond after the former president signalled he was struggling to come up with the money.
On Monday, the five-panel court said that the former president could have more than a week to secure just $175m while he awaits a ruling in his appeal of the judgement made by Justice Arthur Engoron in the civil fraud case.
The ruling is a win for Mr Trump who initially had until Monday to come up with the means to post the $464m bond to prevent New York Attorney General Letitia James from seizing his properties. Though the former president often boasts about his net worth, he seemed to be struggling to find a way to post the bond.
Justice Engoron imposed a $454m penalty on Mr Trump, his adult sons and former executives of the Trump Organization after finding them liable for conspiring to inflate his net worth to obtain favourable terms from insurers and banks on his properties.
But Justice Engoron also implemented several restrictions on the former president and his co-defendants including barring him from running a New York company and obtaining loans from New York banks among other penalties.
Mr Trump appealed the decision, a tactic he has used in nearly all of his criminal and civil trials, and asked the court to reduce the bond to $100m while the appeal is ongoing.
Monday’s order will satisfy Mr Trump’s request and allow the former president and his adult sons, to run businesses in New York and obtain loans from financial institutions.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
0Comments