Bernie Sanders’ plans may be expensive but inaction would cost much more | Robert Reich

Facing existential challenges, we must spend heavily on a Green New Deal, Medicare for All and similar plans

In Wednesday night’s Democratic debate, the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg charged that the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’ policy proposals would cost $50tn. Holy Indiana.

Larry Summers, formerly chief White House economic adviser for Barack Obama, puts the price tag at $60tn. “We are in a kind of new era of radical proposal,” he told CNN.

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Trump and Bloomberg trade insults ahead of Democratic debate – live

  • President had accused candidate violating campaign finance laws
  • ‘Gloves will be off’: Nevada debate could be pivotal for Democrats
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5.32pm GMT

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo condemned China for expelling three Wall Street Journal reporters over a critical op-ed published by the newspaper.

The United St...

Democrats go on the offensive ahead of New Hampshire primary – live

  • Sanders campaign to ask for ‘partial recanvass’ of Iowa results
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12.05pm GMT

President Donald Trump is due to present his $4.8 trillion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2021 later today which includes plans to slash spending on foreign aid, social safety net programs like Medicaid, housing assistance and disability insurance and provide billions of ...

Iowa caucus: Democratic race in shambles as results are delayed – live coverage

  • Full story: Democratic race off to disastrous start
  • Iowa caucuses results – live updates
  • What is the smartphone app at centre of Iowa debacle?
  • Analysis: Trump campaign jubilant as Dems’ big night implodes
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11.57am GMT

Donald Trump has given his verdict on the Iowa controversy, which he calls an “unmitigated disaster”.

Trump announces new visa restrictions and plan to extend travel ban

The president also showed a willingness to make cuts to social security and Medicare and will attend an anti-abortion event

As the impeachment trial gets into stride in Washington against Donald Trump, the president on Wednesday announced a plethora of new plans, policies and programs as he prepared to make his way back to the US from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Speaking with reporters in Davos, Trump announced that he intends to expand his controversial travel ban...

Joe Biden used to be a progressive Democrat. What happened? | Bhaskar Sunkara

Social security and Medicare are the two most popular programs ever developed by the Democratic party. But Biden joined Republicans to try to cripple them

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren supporters not looking forward to a potential Joe Biden nomination might want to time-travel back to 1972.

That year, Biden was an underdog Senate candidate running against a popular incumbent. With his sister, Valerie, as campaign manager and limited resources, he knocked on hundreds of do...

Donald Trump backs quick dismissal of impeachment by Senate – live updates

Nancy Pelosi has said she will send the articles of impeachment ‘soon’ but the president is no longer keen on a showy televised trial

3.14pm GMT

Former Vice President Joe Biden rolled out a set of endorsements Monday underscore two aspects of the Democratic primary Biden’s campaign is focusing on in the final days before the Iowa caucuses.

First, Biden’s team announced that Rep. Colin Allred had backed...

How did Democrats win Louisiana? With classic progressive populism | Chris Kromm

John Bel Edwards is conservative on abortion and guns, but he energized the base – and white moderates – with Medicaid

In the weeks running up to Louisiana’s closely watched governor’s race, President Trump and the White House went all-in to deliver a Republican victory. The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, headlined a rally for Republican candidate Eddie Rispone in early October, and Vice-President Mike Pence visited the state twice. President Trump himself made three trips to Loui...

House releases transcripts from key witnesses in Trump impeachment inquiry – live

Committees release depositions with Marie Yovanovitch and Michael McKinley and say Volker and Sondland transcripts will follow

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8.45pm GMT

Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director Kate Bedingfield has cast doubt over the feasibility of Elizabeth Warren’s payment plan for Medicare for all.

“At a...

Top Democrats criticize Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare for All plan – live

Biden campaign and others not sold on Warren’s $20tn proposal while Nancy Pelosi says any Trump impeachment case must be ‘ironclad’

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8.00pm GMT

Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said that it was “certainly possible” the House would vote to impeach Trump.

Speaking to reporters on the White House driveway, Conway went on to at...