OnPolitics: Liz Cheney gets the boot

After all the back-and-forth, it's finally happened. Rep. Liz Cheney was ousted from her role as the chair of the House Republican Conference.

Her replacement could be chosen Friday when House Republicans reconvene. All signs point to Rep. Elise Stefanik as her successor.

It's Mabinty, with all the Cheney-GOP drama of the day.

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Cheney goes down swinging

Here's how it went down: House Republicans stripped Cheney of her leadership post Wednesday after GOP House members said her public sparring with former President Donald Trump became a distraction to the party hoping to regain the House in 2022.

The vote was cast by secret ballot and behind closed doors.

Before the vote, Cheney tore into Trump on Tuesday evening in a fiery speech on the House floor. "Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that," Cheney said. "I will not sit back and watch in silence, while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president's crusade to undermine our democracy."

After the vote, Cheney told reporters she was committed to opposing Trump should he seek office again.

So, why does this matter?

Cheney's banishment from leadership suggests Republicans who speak out against Trump's false claims about the 2020 election will be punished, despite concerns that those evidence-free allegations helped trigger the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, analysts said.

"There is no Republican Party – there's really just the Trump Party," said political scientist Samuel Popkin, author of "Crackup: The Republican Implosion and the Future of Presidential Politics."

• Timeline: Liz Cheney's falling out with House Republicans

About those unemployment checks

At least nine states have announced that they will be ending participation in unemployment assistance programs directed at alleviating problems produced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Among them: $300 unemployment checks, which for any state that doesn't opt out will be extended through Sept. 6.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will cut unemployment benefits because business leaders have complained that they can't find enough job applicants. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he came to the decision after several meetings with small business owners.

Studies have suggested the increased unemployment benefits have not affected job searches. And labor experts say the shortage is not just about the $300 payment. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on "Meet the Press" Sunday that the number one reason people are not going back to work is "fear, due to the virus."

What else is going on?

• Former chiefs of Pentagon, Justice Department defend response to Jan. 6 Capitol riot

• Biden names new federal judges, including a Bush nominee, with an emphasis on diversity

• Amid warnings of a 'full-scale war,' Biden administration dispatches envoy to the Middle East

• Is another stimulus check coming? Maybe if you live in California and make less than $75K

• What we know about the critical race theory controversy, impact on education

Congratulations to all the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees 🎸 — Mabinty

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liz Cheney terms ends as chair of House Republican Conference