Taxes
Appeals court rules IRS broke privacy laws in turning over records to ICE
The IRS broke a Watergate-era privacy law when it gave information on 47,000 people to ICE for use in immigration enforcement, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Trump administration awards $2.7 million contract for Reflecting Pool repairs
The Trump administration is paying $2.7 million to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool again, 10 weeks after the more than its $16 million renovation was completed.
IRS says it will deny tax-exempt status to private schools that practice affirmative action
The IRS opened a new front against affirmative action Thursday, proposing a regulation that would allow the agency to strip private schools of their tax-exempt status if they use race-based preferences in their admissions or financial assistance decisions.
States must report known illegal immigrants to feds as condition of getting welfare, DOJ rules
The Justice Department announced a new legal opinion Wednesday finding that states that take federal money to finance their cash welfare programs must report unauthorized immigrants to the Department of Homeland Security -- a move that could potentially defang states' sanctuary policies.
Health and Human Services Department agency pushes states to ditch ‘orphan tax’
Alex J. Adams, head of the federal government's Administration for Children and Families, has spent the last year on a mission to get states to stop imposing an "orphan tax" on kids who end up in foster families.
House sends Trump spending bill to push next shutdown showdown past midterms
A majority of House Republicans and Democrats joined forces Tuesday to clear a Senate-passed stopgap appropriations bill ensuring the government will remain open through Dec. 11, punting a potential shutdown fight until after the midterm elections.
Trump’s tariffs shrank the trade deficit. They also raised your prices
President Trump's aggressive tariff policies have shrunk the U.S. trade deficit but also helped push up consumer prices - a mixed economic record that threatens to come at a high political cost for Mr. Trump and his Republican Party.
How to avoid a Social Security cut? Lawmakers are floating ideas for what to do
With the few months they have left as senators, Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Bill Cassidy have embarked on a mission to save tens of millions of Social Security beneficiaries from a projected 22% cut in their benefits, starting in just six years.
Canada answers with tariffs against U.S., unveils $7.5B loan for industries targeted by Trump
Defiant Canadian leaders announced tariffs against nearly $28 billion in U.S. products on Tuesday, saying President Trump's levies required a "dollar for dollar" response as they refused to relent to his demands.
The cost of socialism: Democrats offer lots of freebies, and it will cost taxpayers trillions
Democrats running under the socialist banner are dreaming up a massively expanded welfare state in America aimed at appealing to the working class. It comes with an equally massive price tag.
U.S. expands sanctions on Iran as economic pressure campaign accelerates
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced secondary sanctions Monday targeting businesses that maintain relationships with Iran as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to economically isolate the Islamic regime.
Canada retaliates against U.S. tariffs with dollar-for-dollar levies
Canada is retaliating against President Trump's 50% tariffs on Canadian products, threatening a dollar-for-dollar counterattack beginning Sept. 8.
U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on $20B worth of Canadian products, and Canada says it will retaliate
The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products early Saturday, and Canada immediately said it would retaliate, after last-ditch negotiations failed to resolve the latest strain in already tense relations between the historic allies.
DHS can’t make cities ditch DEI to get disaster relief, judge rules
A federal judge dealt a new blow to the Trump administration's attempt to reel in diversity, equity and inclusion policies, blocking the Department of Homeland Security from conditioning disaster relief on states ditching DEI.
Supreme Court blew a nearly trillion-dollar hole in budget by striking down Trump tariffs
The Supreme Court's decision striking down President Trump's broad tariffs on imports will cost the U.S. Treasury dearly, blowing a net $900 billion hole in the budget over the next decade after accounting for interest and replacement tariffs, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Pentagon officially opens program to loan government money to private investment funds
The Pentagon late Thursday officially opened a new program to give government loans, potentially worth billions of dollars, to private investment funds.
States pour taxpayer dollars into college sports as athlete pay, soaring costs squeeze budgets
Win or lose, the North Carolina Tar Heels already will be in elite company when they kick off the college football season against Texas Christian University in a game played in Dublin. They will be among a small but growing number of athletic programs receiving taxpayer funding from their home states.
Federal government sets record for red ink, warning sign for Washington
The federal government has topped $40 trillion in total debt for the first time in history, setting a record for red ink.
Trump signs marble slab as part of new White House helipad
President Trump on Wednesday signed a marble piece that will be part of the new South Lawn helipad he says will be operational this month.
Retail sales unexpectedly fall in July as government tax refunds fade
Shoppers unexpectedly cut their spending in July as a boost from government tax refunds faded.
