Ghislaine Maxwell to seek commutation from Trump after several pardons

Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, is reportedly planning to seek a commutation of her federal prison sentence, which is set to end in 2037.

A document obtained by the House Judiciary Committee Democrats, and viewed by Politico, revealed the 63-year-old’s plan, which, if approved by President Donald Trump, could see her 20-year sentence reduced.

In a letter to her lawyer, Maxwell wrote that she would send application details through the prison warden.

“I am struggling to keep it all together as it is big and there are so many attachments,” she wrote in a message with the subject line: “RE: Commutation Application,” per Politico.

She added, “More coming to replace others… hopefully it will all make sense.”

The Supreme Court last month denied an appeal from Maxwell, who was handed the lengthy sentence after she was found guilty in 2021 of recruiting and grooming young women and girls for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Given the rejection, a pardon from Trump could be Maxwell’s only escape. The president has not ruled out pardoning Maxwell; however, he said he had not given it much thought when he was asked about it in July.

A letter to Trump from Judiciary Democrats alleges that Maxwell has been receiving preferential and lenient treatment at the minimum-security Bryan Federal Prison Camp in Texas, to which she was transferred in August.

In the letter, the committee notes having received information that suggests that “Maxwell’s meals have been customized and prepared by federal prison camp staff,” according to Politico.

Maxwell was also given special time to play with a service dog in training, per the report.

A section of the letter, viewed by CBS News, states that the committee has reportedly received information that the prison staff “has heaped favorable concierge-style treatment on Ms. Maxwell.”

The letter also claimed that when Maxwell wanted to meet with visitors, the warden would arrange for the meetings to be held in a special, cordoned-off area.

She was transferred to the prison, known for its relatively relaxed environment, after meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July. During that meeting, Maxwell claimed she had never seen Trump in an inappropriate setting.

She also said she had “never ever [seen] any man doing something inappropriate with a woman of any age,” despite evidence pointing to her role in Epstein’s sex-trafficking schemes. Epstein, a wealthy financier, died in an apparent suicide in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019.

In the letter to Trump, the committee urged the president not to grant Maxwell any form of clemency.

“You should not grant any form of clemency to this convicted and unrepentant sex offender,” Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to Trump. “Your Administration should not be providing her with room service, with puppies to play with, with federal law enforcement officials waiting on her every need, or with any special treatment or institutional privilege at all.”

Raskin also asked Trump in the letter if he had previously discussed commutation with his staff, and whether he had ordered that Maxwell receive special treatment behind bars.

Maxwell recently said she’s “much happier” at the cushy Texas prison camp, to which she was transferred after meeting with Trump officials.

“I feel like I have dropped through Alice in Wonderland’s looking glass,” she wrote in an email obtained by NBC News. “I am much much happier here and more importantly safe.”

The prison camp is dubbed “Club Fed” for its comparatively relaxed conditions. It boasts dormitory-style cells, no barbed wire, and opportunities to take classes outside of work. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah are also housed there.

At least eight dead after massive explosion near Red Fort in New Delhi

At least eight people were killed in an explosion near Red Fort in a densely populated district of New Delhi, city police said.

The blast occurred in a car near the Red Fort, but the exact cause was not immediately known.

City police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi said the cause of the blast is being investigated. At least 11 people were injured, TV channels said.

Police tried to clear crowds that gathered around the site of the incident.

A witness told NDTV they heard a “big sound” and that their windows “shook”.

The Red Fort, known in India as the Lal Qila, is a 17th-century, Mughal-era fort located in the old city and visited by tourists through the year.

Follow the latest updates below

Rachel Reeves gives biggest hint yet that manifesto pledge on taxes will be broken at Budget

Rachel Reeves has given her biggest hint yet that the government could break its manifesto promises on tax at the Budget.

The chancellor has said that it would be “possible” for ministers to stick with their election pledges, but warned that doing so would mean “deep cuts” in other areas of spending.

Speculation has been rampant in recent days that the chancellor is preparing to increase income tax in the Budget at the end of this month as she looks to balance the country’s books.

Labour’s manifesto for the 2024 general election campaign pledged that the party would not raise income tax, VAT or national insurance.

In the same interview on Monday, Rachel Reeves also said she does not think it is right that children are “penalised” for being part of large families, suggesting she is open to ending the two-child benefit cap.

The chancellor said it was important not to let the “costs to our economy in allowing child poverty to go unchecked”, adding: “In the end, a child should not be penalised because their parents don’t have very much money. Now, in many cases you might have a mum and a dad who were both in work, but perhaps one of them has developed a chronic illness, perhaps one of them has passed away.

“There are plenty of reasons why people make decisions to have three, four children, but then find themselves in difficult times.”

She added: “So, we will take action on child poverty. The last Labour government proudly reduced child poverty and we will reduce child poverty as well.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Ms Reeves said that when Labour composed their manifesto “it had in it our spending commitments and then the tax changes that would be needed to pay for those [….] the truth is, what we inherited is significantly worse.”

Pushed on the party’s commitment to the manifesto, the chancellor told the station: “I will set out the choices in the Budget.

“It would of course be possible to stick with the manifesto commitments, but that would require things like deep cuts in capital spending.

“And the reason why our productivity and our growth has been so poor these last few years is because governments have always taken the easy option to cut investment in rail and road projects, in energy projects, in digital infrastructure.

“And as a result we’ve never managed to get our productivity back to where it was before the financial crisis.

“So we’ve always got choices to make, and what I promised during the election campaign was to bring stability back to our economy. What I can promise now is I will always do what I think is right for our country.”

There have been warnings that Number 10 could face a backlash from ministers if the manifesto promise is broken.

The Budget comes several months after the government backed down in the face of a revolt from its own MPs on welfare reform.

Amid the disquiet, MPs have been pushing for ministers to lift the two-child benefit cap, and Ms Reeves said on Monday that “child poverty should not be tolerated”.

She later added: “I don’t think we can lose sight as well, of the costs to our economy in allowing child poverty to go unchecked.

“And in the end, a child should not be penalised because their parents don’t have very much money.”

She pledged that the government would “take action on child poverty”.

Are you depressed, or are you just ‘accidentally lonely’, like me?

I hadn’t meant to get lonely. It just sort of just happened. It was a bit like looking round one day and realising all your house plants had died, or that you’d been living in the same gym leggings for three days. It was the summer of 2017 and I’d recently moved to the buzzy city of Bristol. On paper, my life looked great. I had lots of friends, a family I was close to and a busy working life as a freelance writer. I lived in a city centre apartment a stone’s throw from bustling pubs, restaurants and yoga studios. What wasn’t to love?

Yet something was wrong. I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was like a yearning for something. Maybe you’ve felt it too – a low-level “offness” that you can’t quite name. You might put it down to stress, tiredness or a seasonal bug. Depression, or anxiety even. I went through all of these. But after a while, I realised it was none of these things. I had accidentally become very lonely.

My wake-up call came when I went into my coffee shop and realised that the barista was the first person I’d spoken to in three days. By that, I mean talking out loud (this was a time before voice notes). I went and sat down with a growing feeling of dismay. Bloody hell, I thought, I’m really lonely.

Loneliness was something that happened to other people, the stereotype of an elderly person pushing a tartan shopping trolley down the street. It didn’t happen to a socially confident, mid-forties woman with everything going for her. How had I become so, well, alone?

It turns out that this feeling is more common than any of us might like to think. In 2022, 50 per cent of UK adults reported feelings of loneliness. Young people aged from 16 to 24 are the loneliest demographic. Loneliness levels rose 6 per cent during the pandemic and have not dropped since. The 18-34-year-old age group are twice as likely to say they feel lonelier since then, compared to the over-55s.

My coffee shop moment made me realise there was a deeper problem with how I was leading my life. No matter how busy or connected I had convinced myself I was, the reality was that as a single, self-employed freelancer, I was spending 90 per cent of my week alone. I worked from home, shopped from home, worked out from home, watched movies from home, and socialised online from home.

The thing about loneliness is that it can stack up quietly on the sidelines and become a trap. The less you see people, the less you feel like seeing people. When the phone did ring and the invites came in, I started to avoid them. I felt overwhelmed and anxious and started to push away the one thing that would have helped.

I ended up telling a close friend how I felt, which in turn helped me start talking more openly about it. It was then that I realised others felt the same way too. It made me feel better about myself, but also sad, about how modern life is set up against connection.

It’s easy to internalise loneliness and make it something “wrong” with us, but it’s actually a very normal and healthy reaction to living in slightly abnormal times. WhatsApp chats have replaced real-life ones. We work from home with the kettle and radio replacing chats, and in connection in the kitchen with colleagues.

At home, we sit in separate rooms on our screens. Sometimes the same room but on different screens. We’re constantly distracted, never fully engaged. Cut off from each other, we mindlessly scroll and fall into bigger pits of despair when we compare ourselves with those who did get a table at the swanky restaurant and the gulf widens. The pandemic has passed but many of us are still self-isolating without even knowing it.

But loneliness doesn’t just mean being cut off by tech, or being physically alone. We can feel accidentally lonely in relationships, family, friendships or at work, which in a way can feel even more taboo and confusing. “I went through a period where I was surrounded by lots of people but felt unseen by most and it was very lonely,” says life coach Emma Jeffreys. “It’s about the quality of connections and not the quantity.”

Suzy Reading is a chartered psychologist and author of several books on self-care. She says we can often feel lonely when we put others before ourselves, something that affects women in particular. “We can feel lonely when we lose ourselves in all the people pleasing, hyper-responsibility and hyper-independence,” she says. “We feel like we can’t rely on others, let them in or even accept kind offers of support.”

What’s the remedy for those of us managing the midlife juggle? “We need to advocate for ourselves, so other people understand our feelings and needs,” Reading says. “Loneliness isn’t just disconnection from others. It’s estrangement from self.”

Slowly, I started to emerge from my isolation bubble. I forced myself to turn up to things, and found myself having a good time and remembering what being in company felt like. And this is because socialising has a physiological effect, as well as a psychological one.

When humans connect, be it through eye contact, laughter, conversation, or shared emotion, multiple brain systems “light up” simultaneously, creating a chemical and neurological feedback loop that’s essential for wellbeing. Human connection triggers the release of oxytocin, especially during physical touch (like hugging) or emotional intimacy, and this reduces stress hormones (like cortisol), lowers blood pressure, and increases feelings of trust and empathy. There is a natural “high” to shared experiences too, as group belonging feeds the reward system as the brain also releases dopamine too. By contrast, chronic loneliness increases inflammatory responses and weakens immunity.

Regular social interaction has also been shown to sharpen memory and slow cognitive decline. People who maintain rich social networks tend to have stronger neural connectivity in regions linked to emotion regulation, decision-making, and empathy. So, getting out there isn’t just a nice-to-have – it can literally be life-enhancing and life-saving.

My experiences led me to volunteering at UK loneliness charity Marmalade Trust, which completely normalised the experience of feeling lonely for me and removed the stigma. “Loneliness is nothing to be ashamed of,” says founder Amy Perrin. “It’s just a sign we’re not getting our social needs met.”

My lonely radar is quite good these days but it can still happen. I’d been spending quite a bit of time by myself recently and woke up one morning feeling a bit doom-and-gloom about everything. But this time, I recognised it for what it was – I was feeling a bit lonely. So instead of heaping shame and blame, I was intentional about doing something about it. A bit of fresh air and a quick coffee with a friend put me right again. If I’d sat on it and done nothing, it could have gone the other way and I would have started spiralling.

If you’re reading this and can relate, know that it’s perfectly normal. Sometimes the remedy is simpler than you think: a walk, a phone call, a drink with someone who gets it. Loneliness isn’t a life sentence; it’s just a reminder that we are physically and emotionally wired for meaningful human connection. The antidote might just be a friendly face and a flat white. Why not try it and see what happens?

Jo Carnegie is a writer and life coach at jocarnegie.com

It’s official: Boozing in my twenties set me up for career success

Battered. Leathered. Twatted. Pissed. Sloshed. Bladdered. Plastered. Mullered. Wrecked. Hammered. Smashed.

The sheer number of words for “drunk” in the British lexicon gives some indication of what a national pastime binge-drinking is.

Or, should I say, used to be. As a millennial who came of age in the Noughties, I’m fully equipped with the booze-fuelled war stories that so many of my cohort boast with a befuddled mixture of pride and shame now we’re all grown up. But times change, and the status quo changes with them. The new normal for young people is a world away from my early days of hedonism: going to the gym is the new going to the pub, and the sober curious movement has seen plenty of people swap sambuca for CBD.

Witnessing this cultural shift, I always presumed that my messy generation were the ones who had got it wrong. After all, other than an alarmingly large cache of drunken night out anecdotes, hideous Facebook photos and possible liver damage, what did any of us have to show for those wasted years of being, well, wasted? As it turns out, potentially our entire careers and future successes.

As strange as it may sound, a sociology professor from Norway believes that boozing when we’re young has tangible, real-world benefits. Willy Pedersen of the University of Oslo has published research that links engaging in communal binging to better career outcomes for young adults.

After tracking the drinking habits of more than 3,000 Norwegians for 18 years, from the age of 13 to 31, Pedersen and his team found a curiously strong correlation between those who’d had heavy drinking sessions in their teenage years and twenties and those who’d gone on to achieve higher levels of education and income than people who’d abstained or drank very little.

Writing in his book The Beauty and Pain of Drugs, Pedersen argues that alcohol acts as a social lubricant, helping young people network and smoothing early career paths. “It’s obviously not the fact that you drink alcohol, that it sort of comes into your body and does something with your brain,” he said. “The most likely explanation is that all alcohol is a kind of marker of sociality and that habit comes with some types of benefits.” He added: “The statistical findings are quite strong, so clearly significant.”

I don’t want to sound too smug, but as a reformed binge drinker who grew up on a diet of swigging White Lightning in parks and brightly coloured alcopops at house parties – which at least made the vomit a more interesting colour on the return journey – it is undeniably gratifying to have some vindication.

Under-age clubbing with fake IDs while still at school gave way to legal nights out at university – three, four, sometimes five nights a week spent in sticky-floored clubs with names like “Liquid” and “Riva”, downing worryingly cheap vodka Red Bulls and pints of snakebite. That was after the ubiquitous “pre-lash” in halls, of course – getting drunk before you went out being the prudent choice when sticking within a limited student budget. Ginger wine, vermouth, Advocaat, Vodkat (a spirit that couldn’t legally be called vodka for reasons best not dwelt on): if it was on the bottom shelf of the supermarket alcohol aisle, chances are we’d drink it.

Though as a society we’re now much more aware of the health harms caused by alcohol, I don’t regret that ridiculous time of life. Alcohol was the cheat code for a confidence you were yet to cultivate, a way to try it on for size and practice moving through the world with ease. It was the magic potion that lowered inhibitions enough to talk to people you fancied, dance like no one was watching and, crucially, make a bit of a fool of yourself.

That was the real benefit of boozy nights out, the unexpected element that paved the way for future life as an adult: you learned to let go, lose control and look stupid sometimes. And you learned you wouldn’t die if you did. This was resilience-building in its purest sense.

Of course, in a modern world of perfectly curated social media feeds, constant documentation and instant online judgement, drunken mistakes on a night out are a far riskier business than they were 20 years ago. But it also means that it’s hard not to worry that young people have lost that early proving ground in which to experiment and mess things up.

Yes, the next gen might well tut and roll their eyes at the endless roster of tedious tales spouted by their grizzled elders with a misty-eyed nostalgia: adorning statues with stolen traffic cones in amusing configurations; “sharking” your crushes on dancefloors and doing ungodly things with chilli sauce in a kebab shop at 3am.

But it turns out this unholy rite of passage could just be the secret of our success.

From cuisine and culture to history and nature, find the ideal cruise

If you want to see the world from a fresh perspective, then taking to the water is a great way to do it. Not only can travelling by ship  take you to far flung corners of the globe, it can also show you a different side of your favourite destinations and provide some unique experiences, from spotting rare wildlife and glancing remote landscapes to seeing iconic sights from a whole new viewpoint. From epic adventures exploring Antarctica or uninhabited archipelagos in the South Pacific, to itineraries taking the cultural capitals of Europe or sampling the cuisine of South East Asia, there’s a trip for everyone, whatever your passion or wherever you’d like to go.

Combining a cruise with carefully curated time on land gives you the best of both worlds. Audley cruise offerings are tailor made, with the land and water elements of your trip meticulously planned to create a bespoke itinerary that’s as relaxing or as adventure packed as you wish. Audley’s cruise experts will listen to what your dream trip looks like and help you pick the best route, ship and experiences to bring it to life. They work with a range of cruise partners, hand picking vessels for their facilities, service, onboard activities and the experiences they offer in port, so you’ll enjoy the journey just as much as the destination.

Each Audley trip is tailor-made to the traveller – but if you need some inspiration, here’s a taste of the adventures you can experience.

A cruise can offer immersive cultural experiences, from learning about a country’s centuries old traditions to touring cities with world-class galleries and museums. One of the benefits of a cruise is that you can explore multiple stops, giving you plenty of time to take in each destination and tailor the trip to your specific interests.

“For example, a 24 day cruise around Japan visits 10 different ports,” says Audley cruise specialist Caroline. “In the city of Sakaiminato, you can explore the artistry of Japan with a guided visit that takes in both the Adachi Museum of Art and the Yushien Garden. The museum provides a deep dive into Japan’s contemporary art before you head to a nearby island to explore the exuberant peony beds at Yushien. The garden is most spectacular in the spring, but carefully timed plantings mean you’ll always see many of the 250 types of peonies in gloriously full bloom.”

Or how about exploring the art cities of Italy in the largest five-masted, full-rigged sailing ship in the world – a romantic call-back to the golden age of sailing? You’ll enjoy personal tours of the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel in Rome, explore Florence’s Renaissance heritage and discover hidden haunts in Venice.

Audley can make sure your time at sea is just as enriching, with ships that include a variety of experiences and activities to choose from – from expert talks and lectures on subjects like art history, archaeology and local wildlife to art classes like watercolour painting to glassblowing.

With cruises covering all seven continents, and many featuring unique culinary experiences, there’s plenty of trips to tickle the tastebuds of foodies. Wine lovers will enjoy a river cruise of Portugal’s Douro region that takes in port houses in the vibrant city of Porto and stops at vineyards along the picturesque Douro Valley. You’ll enjoy a traditional home cooked meal at a quinta (country house), visit Mateus Palace and Gardens — home of the famous rosé wine – and finish the trip in Madrid, sampling the local tapas.

On a Bali to Bangkok trip you can check out the Indonesian street-food scene, trying delicacies such as Java’s rawon (a black beef soup) and Bangkok’s drunken noodles. In Singapore, watch locals haggle for seafood and spices in the markets and try a Singapore Sling in the very place they were invented: Raffles’ Long Bar.

Wherever you’re heading, the options are just as tasty on board the ship. “The larger and medium-sized cruises we’ve chosen to work with always offer a variety of dining options,” explains  Audley cruise specialist Franki. “With usually at least one buffet-style restaurant, and also usually at least a couple of specialty restaurants, such as trattorias or steakhouses. Audley hand-picks the best vessels with some also offering cooking demonstrations and wine tasting.

From experiencing the world’s wildest and most remote landscapes to spotting rare species, travelling by water offers one-of-a-kind adventures for nature lovers. “No other type of voyage gets you as close to unpeopled landscapes or feeds your curiosity about the world’s wildlife and habitats as expedition cruises,” says Audley cruise specialist Caroline, “Wherever you are, expedition leaders will help root you in your destination, pointing out intriguing features and what to look for.”

There’s also plenty of expert knowledge you can tap into onboard, as Audley cruise specialist Jon explains. “Many of our polar expedition cruises are accompanied by leading researchers who can enlighten you on the icy formations and distinctive wildlife you sail past. Some ships also feature onboard helicopters, offering you the chance to follow the flight paths of Arctic birds and get a rare glimpse of this pristine landscape from the air.”

In the Galapagos Islands, for example, Audley’s Luxury Ecuador and Galapagos tour includes a seven night expedition around the islands where you’ll come face to face with countless incredible species from iguanas, penguins and albatross to sea lions, sea turtles and sharks. The trip also includes a stay in a luxury lodge in the Ecuadorian cloudforest, surrounded by 400 types of wildlife.

A cruise is also the ideal way to discover the landscapes of Alaska. You’ll sail down through fjords, past glaciers and waterfalls – with the option to kayak to the places your cruise ship can’t reach. You might spot otters, seals, sea lions, porpoises, and even orca whales in the water or, on shore, moose, mountain goats and wolves. At the end of the cruise, there’s a stay in Great Bear Rainforest on Berry Island, a haven for bears, whales, marine mammals and birds.

With knowledgeable local experts on hand across the globe, Audley cruises allow you to delve into the history of a destination. A cruise of Croatia’s cities and coasts offers all the spectacular scenery you’d expect – but also give you the chance to walk Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-protected walled city with an expert guide, explore the medieval streets of Šibenik and visit a working 13th century monastery on the island of Visovak.

If you like your history to be ancient, try a luxury river cruise along the Nile, with an exclusive private tour of the pyramids of Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur, and visits to other significant sites including ancient tombs in the Luxor Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Horus, all with an expert local guide ensuring you get the most out of the experience.

With Audley, experiences on land are carefully planned to fit seamlessly with your cruise. “As your trip takes shape, I’ll take care of every aspect of your voyage.” says Audley cruise specialist Steph. “If I need to, I’ll call on the expertise of our most experienced destination-specific specialists to help you make the most of your time – wherever you’d like to go.”

Fellow Audley cruise specialist Jon adds: “Some trips span vast geographical routes, jumping between a myriad of countries that are often challenging to link in one trip. That involves a lot of moving parts, but your specialist will take care of all the logistics so you can focus on getting the most out of your time on land and water.”

With all the organising in hand, you’ll have plenty of time to soak everything in before you set sail again to continue your dream journey.

Audley offer bespoke land-and-sea cruises that you can tailor to your personal travel passions. To find out more and start planning your trip, visit Audley

Democrats rage after vote to end shutdown: ‘Senseless surrender’

House Democrats and progressive activists are fuming over the deal a handful of breakaway Senate Democrats brokered with Republicans to end the government shutdown, The Independent has learned.

Eight Democratic senators defected from the caucus to pass a continuing resolution to kick it back to the House of Representatives for a vote to reopen the government.

According to a section-by-section breakdown of the agreement, the deal brokered by a handful of moderates and Senate Republicans would reopen the government until January 2026, ensure backpay for federal workers who did not receive a check and undo the reductions in force that the Trump administration put in place during the shutdown.

But it would not address a key plank for Democratic leaders who have opposed a stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution — an extension of Covid-era enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace.

“We’re three weeks out from the largest protest in American history, less than one week out from a stunningly successful election nationwide,” Greenberg told The Independent via text message, making reference to the “No Kings” rallies across the country.

“What on Earth does the base have to do to convince Dems they need to fight?”

The deal brokered Sunday night reportedly guarantees that Republicans would allow for a vote on extending the Obamacare tax credits in the future. Still, that does not mean that the House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, would be guaranteed to hold a vote, given many of his Republican members, swayed by President Donald Trump, have opposed the tax credits.

But many Democratic activists repudiated the deal almost immediately. Leah Greenberg, a cofounder of the group Indivisible, called it a “senseless surrender.”

The agreement comes less than a week after Democrats blew out Republicans in races as small as the Georgia public service commission elections to the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey.

But in the days that followed, photos and videos abounded of people stuck at airports during travel as the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight schedules ahead of the busiest days of travel in the year for Thanksgiving.

In addition, the Trump administration has aggressively fought efforts in court to make it resume funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

But even some members of the Democratic National Committee lambasted the agreement Sunday.

“This ‘deal’ doesn’t come close to meeting the seriousness of this moment. I mean, it’s not even in the same Zip code,” DNC Vice Chairman Malcolm Kenyatta told The Independent.

“Healthcare costs are exploding in ways that will make it completely out of reach for many of my neighbors. I have a job to speak up with and for them. This shutdown has always been the sole property of Donald Trump and Republicans. They should own the pain they are gleefully inflicting on the American people.”

A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.

In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.

But despite Durbin voting for the agreement, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted the agreement.

“This is not a deal — it’s an empty promise,” Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, said on X. “Trump and his Republican Congress are making healthcare more expensive for the middle class and ending it for working families.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom, another candidate for president, also criticized the measure.

“Pathetic.,” he said on X. “This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!”

Their words proved useless as the measure opassed by a 60-40 vote.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) lambasted the agreement on the floor on Sunday evening and said the ability to have a vote on health care was a sham.

“As everybody here knows, that is a totally meaningless gesture,” he said. You can get 100 votes here in the Senate, won’t mean anything, because the House is not going to take it up, and the president of the United States certainly will not sign it.”

Avast majority of Democratic senators opposed the agreement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized it after he spent most of the shutdown holding the line. Democrats harshly criticized him in March after he voted for a Republican continuing resolution and his approval ratings in New York plummeted.

“So, in conclusion, the contrast between the two parties is clear: Republicans are the party hell-bent on taking people’s healthcare away, all to bow to the billionaire elite and special interests. Democrats are united as the party of lower healthcare costs and improving our healthcare system,” Schumer said.

But House Democrats were not as generous.

“If people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you,” Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee that handles SNAP, tweeted. “I’m not going to put 24 million Americans at risk of losing their health care. I’m a no.”

Other moderates like Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) also criticized the agreement.

“That’s not a deal,” he said. “It’s an unconditional surrender that abandons the 24 million Americans whose health care premiums are about to double.”

It wasn’t just Torres. Some of the most steadfast Democratic activists and fundraisers criticized the agreement. Others said that Democrats were not level with their voters about what could happen during the government shutdown.

“There were always only two options: Democrats cave or Republicans nuke the filibuster,” Shannon Watts, who founded Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, texted The Independent. Watts faulted Schumer for not being transparent with activists about what would happen.

“If Schumer were better at messaging and organizing we would have all understood this going into today,” she said. “Instead of being angry at our own party, we’d be going to war with Republicans and preparing to hold them accountable over the next year. It’s exhausting.”

Watts criticized the lack of communication with activists and voters. She said how Republicans had resorted to talking about health savings accounts while Democrats were talking about ending the shutdown when nobody understood why.

“The days of leaders going into back rooms and hammering out deals without explaining their strategy with the public is over, but our leaders don’t realize that yet,” she said.

But the biggest obstacle to voting on the health care subsidies remains the House of Representatives. Johnson so far has kept the House out of session since September largely pushing for the Senate to pass the continuing resolution it passed that month.

Second migrant deported under ‘one in, one out’ scheme returns to UK

Another migrant deported to France under the government’s “one in, one out” deal has returned to the UK and will be sent back to France “as quickly as possible”, the Home Office has said.

It comes after a migrant who returned to the UK by small boat less than a month after being removed to France under the scheme was removed again in early November.

The Home Office have said the second migrant to return has been detained and will have their removal “expedited”.

The man was detected by his biometrics and detained immediately on arrival in the UK, the government said.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Anyone looking to return to the UK after being removed under the UK-France agreement is wasting their time and money. The message is clear: if you try to return to the UK you will be sent back.”

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said the case was “evidence of the system working”, adding: “He was immediately detected at the front door, thanks to those biometrics being taken.

“Indeed, you’ll have seen reporting over the last few days, you’re starting to hear testimony from migrants who don’t want to risk their lives again on these dangerous crossings, and our new returns agreement sends a clear warning for those wanting to enter this country illegally who come here by small boats – ‘You’re wasting your time, your money, and you are risking your life’.”

As of last week, 94 migrants had been removed from the UK to France under the UK-France treaty.

57 people also have been brought to the UK under the deal, which sees small boat migrants deported back to France in exchange for others who are granted sanctuary.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, Max Wilkinson MP, said that the news of another migrant’s return to the UK under the deal demonstrated “staggering levels of incompetence” from the Home Office.

He added: “Labour – and the Conservatives before them – have failed to break the grip of the gangs and bring the numbers down. Failures like this show just how broken our system is.”

The news comes after a number of small boats arrived in the UK over the weekend. 621 people made the journey across the Channel last Thursday, 648 on Friday and 503 on Saturday, according to government statistics.

More than 36,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since the start of 2025, an increase on the same period in 2024. However rates are lower than in 2022, the highest year on record.