Tag: taxes

Trump Punishes India with 50 Percent Tariffs for Buying Russian Oil

President Donald Trump imposed a crushing 50% tariff on Indian goods to punish the country for buying Russian oil, upending a decades-long push by Washington to forge closer ties with New Delhi.

The new tariffs, the highest in Asia, took effect at 12:01 a.m. in Washington on Wednesday, doubling the existing 25% duty on Indian exports. The levies will hit more than 55% of goods shipped to the US — India’s biggest market — and hurt labor-intensive industries like textiles and jewelry the most. Key exports like electronics and pharmaceuticals are exempt, sparing Apple Inc.’s massive new factory investments in India for now.

“This is going to be a very big impact on Indian exporters because 50% tariffs are not workable for the clients,” said Israr Ahmed, managing director of Farida Shoes Pvt. Ltd., which depends on the US for 60% of its business. 

New Delhi has argued the purchases stabilize energy markets, and has said it will keep buying Russian oil “depending on the financial benefit.”

China, Russia Ties

The fraying relationship has pushed India to edge away from the US and forge deeper ties with fellow members of the BRICS bloc.

At the same time, India and Russia have pledged to increase their annual trade by 50% to $100 billion over the next five years. India has ramped up oil imports from Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, and now accounts for about 37% of Russia’s oil exports, according to Moscow-based Kasatkin Consulting.

Citigroup Inc. estimates that the combined 50% tariff poses a 0.6-0.8 percentage point downside risk to annual gross domestic product growth.

The economic impact may be cushioned by the fact that India’s economy is largely driven by domestic demand, rather than exports, so shoring up consumer and business sentiment is key to faster growth. Private consumption makes up about 60% of India’s GDP — and although the US is India’s biggest export market, with shipments of $87.4 billion in 2024, that still amounts to only 2% of India’s total GDP.

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Report: LAPD ends Harris’ police protection 

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has reportedly ended former Vice President Kamla Harris’ protection. 

According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, Harris will no longer receive special protection from the LAPD, which had been temporarily arranged by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D-Calif.).

“Pulling police officers from protecting everyday Angelenos to protect a failed presidential candidate who also happens to be a multi-millionaire … and who can easily afford to pay for her own security, is nuts,” the Los Angeles Police Protective League’s board said to the outlet.

Bass had directed LAPD to assist the California Highway Patrol in the wake of President Donald Trump’s move to remove Harris’ Secret Service protection, which she called an act of “political retaliation.”

Following Trump’s move, a senior White House official verified the reports, noting that a vice president’s security detail typically only continues for six months after leaving office. That period would have ended July 21st, when Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, lost his personal detail under the standard provisions.

Trump’s office issued a note titled “Memorandum for the Secretary of Homeland Security” notifying the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the removal of Harris’ detail.

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Judge Orders Trump Admin To Release Billions In Frozen Foreign Aid Funding

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold billions of dollars in foreign assistance approved by Congress, including aid that the White House recently said it would not spend.

The Trump administration must release $11.5 billion in foreign aid that is set to expire at the end of the month, said U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in a Sept. 3 decision.

“There is not a plausible interpretation of the statutes that would justify the billions of dollars they plan to withhold,” Ali wrote in his ruling.

“To be clear, no one disputes that Defendants have significant discretion in how to spend the funds at issue, and the Court is not directing Defendants to make payments to any particular recipients. But Defendants do not have any discretion as to whether to spend the funds.”

The Trump administration last week requested that Congress rescind $4.9 billion in foreign aid. The $11.5 billion figure includes the $4.9 billion.

In accordance with the Impoundment Control Act, a rescission is when the White House requests Congress to reverse government funding that has been appropriated by Congress. Typically, it must be approved within 45 days of the request being sent to Congress, or else the money must be spent.

Given that this request was made within 45 days of the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, the cancellation could take effect without Congress approving it. This maneuver is known as a pocket rescission.

Ali wrote that the funding is to be spent since Congress appropriated it.

“It is undisputed the relevant appropriations acts have been valid law from the time they were enacted to today. For almost all that period, Defendants did not even dispute that the laws were mandatory and required them to spend the funds,” he wrote. “The President never asked Congress to rescind the funds at issue even though he successfully sought rescission of analogous funds in May 2025.”

The Trump administration filed a notice of appeal on Sept. 4.

“President Trump has the executive authority to ensure that all foreign aid is accountable to taxpayers and aligns with the America First priorities people voted for,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.

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‘Coalition of the Willing’ Ready to Deliver Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine — What Could Go Wrong?

Members of the “Coalition of the Willing” have expressed their readiness to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles, the Downing Street said on Thursday.

The meeting took place in Paris earlier on Thursday in a hybrid format, chaired by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

“The Prime Minister also welcomed announcements from Coalition of the Willing partners to supply long range missiles to Ukraine to further bolster the country’s supplies,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that Ukrainian forces could only carry out such operations with NATO personnel involved, signaling direct Western participation in the conflict. This could fundamentally change the nature of the confrontation, with NATO members effectively fighting against Russia.

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Pentagon-Funded Research Supported Chinese Military Projects, House Report Finds

A congressional investigation has revealed the Chinese regime exploited U.S. universities to collaborate on hundreds of defense projects funded by American taxpayers, including some blacklisted by the U.S. government due to ties to the Chinese military.

The report, released on Sept. 5 by House Republicans on the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), builds on a 2024 investigation by Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and former House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.).

It found that hundreds of millions in U.S. federal research funding over the past decade have aided China’s technological and military advancements.

“American taxpayer dollars should be used to defend the nation—not strengthen its foremost strategic competitor,” the report said.

The report identified over 1,400 research publications linked to Department of Defense (DOD)-funded projects with Chinese partners, valued at more than $2.5 billion in taxpayer funds. Approximately 800—over half—involved direct collaboration with defense entities of the Chinese state.

It urges limiting U.S. research collaboration with China and supports new legislation by Moolenaar to block DOD funding for projects involving Chinese entities flagged as security risks by the U.S. government.

The report highlighted several case studies posing significant national security risks.

One project—funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Army Research Office (ARO), and NASA—involved researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, Arizona State University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Beihang University.

Shanghai Jiao Tong is overseen by China’s State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND), the agency managing the defense industry. Beihang, part of China’s “Seven Sons of National Defence” linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was added to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Entity List in 2001 for its involvement in rocket systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, deemed a threat to U.S. national security.

Another project on thin film research, funded by the DOD’s Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship, involved Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University of Arkansas, the University of Science and Technology of China, and Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). HIT, also a “Seven Sons of National Defence” university, operates a SASTIND-overseen lab researching advanced materials and welding for military applications, including spaceflight, aircraft carriers, and nuclear submarines, in collaboration with the state-owned Ansteel Group.

The Select Committee’s report reveals major issues with DOD Research & Engineering (R&E). For example, it failed to update its risk framework or enforcement, listing only a few of China’s known talent programs and defense labs on the 1286 List, despite many more being identified. Additionally, there have been no follow-ups to ensure that grants comply with safety rules, even when risks are flagged.

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California To Spend $239 Million Turning San Quentin Into “Scandinavian-Style Rehab Center”

California is spending $239 million to transform San Quentin State Prison into what Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office once called the state’s “most notorious prison” into a Scandinavian-style rehabilitation center. Construction is set to finish in January 2026, with the first incarcerated people moving in soon after, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Chronicle writes that the plan dates back to Newsom’s 2018 election, when he halted executions, began dismantling Death Row, and ordered transfers of San Quentin inmates. In 2023, he unveiled a full-scale conversion into a Nordic-inspired campus aimed at preparing prisoners for life outside.

Modeled after systems in Norway, Denmark, and other Nordic countries, the project emphasizes rehabilitation through work, education, and “normalizing spaces” such as a self-service grocery store, café, farmers market, and podcast studio. Prisoners will have single rooms, reducing San Quentin’s population from 3,400 to about 2,400.

“The holistic initiative leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons,” said Todd Javernick, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He added the goal is “creating safer communities and a better life for all Californians, by breaking cycles of crime for the incarcerated population, while improving workplace conditions for institution staff.”

The state hired Danish architecture firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen and convened an advisory council of reform advocates, which recommended measures like making “good nutrition foundational to the San Quentin experience.”

Supporters hope the California Model will serve as a national blueprint, but critics argue the money should instead go to crime victims. Families of incarcerated people also worry transfers will send loved ones far from spouses and children.

San Quentin has already shifted from maximum to medium security, allowing in prisoners deemed lower-risk. Officials also note that closing Death Row reduces costs, as housing death-sentenced inmates can be twice as expensive.

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REVEALED: Secret Service Spent $81,000 on Kamala Harris’ Trip to Australia Where She Was Paid $500,000 to Bash Elon Musk and Trump

The Secret Service spent a whopping $81,000 on Kamala Harris’ trip to Australia earlier this year, where she was paid $500,000 to bash Elon Musk and Trump at a real estate conference.

President Trump has since yanked Harris’ Secret Service protection.

“The Center to Advance Security in America commends President Trump’s decision to remove Secret Service protection for former Vice President and failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris,” Fitzpatrick said.

“CASA recently obtained records showing that the Secret Service spent $81,000 to protect Harris on her trip to the Australian Real Estate Conference in May, where she engaged in political attacks on the Trump administration and its allies, and was paid $500,000,” Fitzpatrick added. “This is a waste of taxpayer dollars, and the American people should not be expected to fund the protection of Harris as she travels the world in an attempt to line her pockets.”

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HHS splurged more than $22B on grants for migrants — including cash for cars, home loans and startups

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ramped up grants for migrants from 2020 to 2024 — which included cash assistance to buy cars, homes and even build credit for startup businesses, according to a shocking watchdog report that found taxpayers were left on the hook for $22.6 billion.

HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) — which came under fire last year for having lost track of 32,000 migrant kids in the US — handed out the high sum to a host of nonprofits, effectively acting as a “giant magnet” for those crossing the US border and claiming asylum, auditors from the money monitor OpenTheBooks revealed exclusively to The Post.

Tasked with settling migrants, asylum seekers and other refugees in America, ORR drastically increased the number of noncitizens eligible to receive funding over the bulk of President Joe Biden’s term, with more than $10 billion shelled out to grant-receiving organizations just in fiscal year 2023.

That coincided with all-time records being set for southern border crossings into the US, with 2.4 million apprehensions by Customs and Border Protection over the same period.

Non-governmental groups bilked taxpayers for up to $1.7 billion in services including dollar-for-dollar matching savings plans for cars, homes, college educations or startups; small-business loans of up to $15,000; loans to repair credit history of up to $1,500; “cultural orientation,” “emergency housing support,” legal assistance and Medicaid care.

Some programs were only available to migrants or refugees who had been living in the US for several years, who were employed or who were making around double the federal poverty level or less, among other stipulations.

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DOUBLE DIPPING: Son of Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Wants to Keep Six-Figure City Government Job While He’s Away at Harvard

Jeremiah Ellison is the son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. He earns a six-figure salary as a member of the Minneapolis City Council.

The younger Ellison has now been awarded a fellowship at Harvard University in Massachusetts, a paid position, but he does not want to give up that sweet gig as a city councilor, naturally.

Even though he claims he is going to travel back to Minneapolis for some meetings, this situation is not sitting well with some of his fellow councilors.

FOX News reports:

Keith Ellison’s son to keep 6-figure Minneapolis councilmember salary during fellowship at Harvard

Minneapolis City Councilman Jeremiah Ellison says he will continue receiving his six-figure salary despite accepting a full-time fellowship at Harvard, he announced Wednesday.

Ellison, the son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, is now facing criticism from his fellow councilmembers, who note that he will not be able to attend meetings and fully carry out his role. Ellison currently receives a roughly $110,000 salary for his role on the council, and his fellowship at Harvard is a paid position.

“I am extremely disappointed in this, and I hope that my colleagues don’t allow this to happen — something to happen to North Minneapolis that is not good for them just once again,” council member LaTrisha Vetaw said during a press conference last month.

“Without Council member Ellison sitting on those committees, we have zero North Minneapolis representation on those committees. That’s not acceptable to the only other North side council member up here,” she added…

Council rules mandate that members must be physically present both to attend meetings and vote.

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Rep. Yassamin Ansari Had to Google ‘Constituent,’ Defends Using Tax Dollars for Illegals

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) defended her use of the word “constituent” to describe illegal aliens during a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday, saying she googled the word after criticism and found it to include “somebody who is part of a community.”

Ansari was asked by a reporter whether she views “those with absolutely no form of legal status at all” as her constituents.

She responded:

So I didn’t realize this was such a controversy until the right wing media started attacking me for using the word so I googled the word constituent. The definition of constituent is somebody who is part of a community. Doesn’t matter what their legal status is. If somebody is an asylum seeker, if somebody has a green card, if somebody is a U.S. citizen, if somebody lives in the community, I represent them. Constituent does not mean voter. I don’t care if none of these individuals can vote for me, I don’t give a sh*t.

She continued, “I care about making sure that the United States government, with our taxpayer dollars, is treating human beings with dignity and respect.”

The comments followed backlash Ansari faced earlier this week when she referred to illegal aliens in ICE detention as her “constituents” during a visit to a facility in Eloy, Arizona. On Saturday, she told reporters she had been contacted by detainees and characterized the conditions inside as “dehumanizing, racist, unacceptable,” adding that she met a woman with leukemia who had lost 55 pounds without access to a specialist.

“Constituents include citizens, green card holders, DACA recipients, asylum seekers, refugees — and yes, people in ICE detention in Arizona,” Ansari wrote in a follow-up post after the visit. “Members of Congress shouldn’t pick and choose who matters or who deserves help.”

The Arizona Democrat’s position on immigration has attracted attention throughout her freshman term. In April, Ansari traveled to El Salvador with Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Robert Garcia (D-CA), and Maxine Dexter (D-OR) to press for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national identified by the Department of Homeland Security as an alleged MS-13 gang member and accused domestic abuser. The group joined Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who had already traveled to El Salvador on a taxpayer-funded trip to advocate for Abrego Garcia.

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