Tag: taxes

Air Force Special Operations Wants Backpack-Sized Kamikaze Drones

The U.S. Air Force is seeking small, backpack-portable one-way attack drones for its special operations forces, according to a request for information (RFI) posted this week.

“Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Special Tactics units currently lack a purpose-built First-Person View (FPV) unmanned capability,” the RFI notes. “This deficit restricts the force’s ability to employ FPV systems in specialized mission sets and limits the development of standardized Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures essential for modern, high-intensity conflict.”

According to the RFI, AFSOC wants the drones to be capable of striking targets up to 12 miles away with a fragmentation warhead weighing 3 to 6.5 pounds. The system must be launch-ready in under three minutes and able to operate in GPS-denied environments.

“This system needs to integrate Global Positioning System (GPS), 4G/LTE/5G cellular connectivity, true frequency hopping between bands, and an optional repeater to extend operational range to over 20 kilometers,” the RFI said.

The systems are expected to integrate with handheld controllers and the Android Team Awareness Kit, or ATAK, used by small military units for battlefield awareness and targeting.

Companies have until April 17 to respond to the RFI. 

The Pentagon plans to spend $1.1 billion over the next 18 months on its Drone Dominance program, an initiative launched in December aimed at testing and purchasing more than 200,000 drones of various sizes by January 2028, Owen West, the Pentagon’s senior adviser on the program, said during a March 5 congressional hearing.

The program is intended in part to build a domestic industry around small drones to enable higher production volumes at lower costs.

In its initial phase, the Pentagon is paying about $5,000 for each “Group 1” drone, Drone Dominance program manager Travis Metz said during the hearing. He added that by the end of the program the goal is to “get down to less than $2,000 for a one-way kamikaze attack drone.”

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Is “Taxation Without Representation” Occurring in 2026? Massive School District Bond Fraud Uncovered Across the US

Perhaps no phrase is used more to describe the grievances of the colonists in the lead-up to the American Revolution than “No taxation without representation!”

Mark Maloy, a historian wrote “While the exact phrase did not appear until 1768, the principle of having consent from the people on issues of taxation can be traced all the way back to the Magna Carta in 1215.

The Magna Carta was one of the first steps in limiting the power of the king and transferring that power to the legislative body in England, the Parliament. Parliament had the power to levy taxes. When King Charles I attempted to impose taxes on the English people by himself in 1627, the Parliament passed the Petition of Right the following year, which stated that the subjects of the king “should not be compelled to contribute to any tax, tallage, aid, or other like charge not set by common consent, in parliament.”

The Magna Carta, the Petition of Right and the English Bill of Rights from 1689 helped to form the basis of the British constitution (which is not a single document, but a combination of written and unwritten agreements). The British constitution protected the rights of Englishmen. English colonists in North America believed that they had the same rights as Englishmen. In North America, colonists formed their own colonial governments under charters from the king and regulated their own forms of taxation through their colonial legislatures. For many decades, these colonies enjoyed an extended period of benign neglect as the English parliament let them handle taxation on their own.

In Great Britain in the eighteenth century, there were no income taxes because it was viewed as too much of a government intrusion into the lives of the people. Instead, taxes were placed on property and on imported and exported goods. Money from these taxes helped to pay for public goods and services and supported the government’s military for defense.

In North America, the British colonies regulated their own tax system in each individual colony. These taxes, though, were exceedingly low, and the colonies did not have a professional military to support. Instead, they used a volunteer militia system to defend their towns and homes from attacks along the frontier.

In 1754, the French and Indian War broke out in North America. During the war, the British sent their military to help defend the colonies. The war spread across the globe and became known as the Seven Years’ War. Following Britain’s victory in 1763, the British national debt greatly increased. They now had a larger empire that needed to be defended. In light of this tenuous situation, and since the North American colonists benefited directly from the British military during the war, Great Britain looked to levy taxes on the colonists to raise revenue for the Crown.

In Massachusetts in 1764, James Otis published a pamphlet titled “The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved,” which argued that man’s rights come from God and that governments should only exist to protect those natural rights. He believed that any attempt to tax the colonists without their consent violated the British constitution. Here, Otis made a compelling argument for the need for representation in any taxation on the colonies: “no parts of His Majesty’s dominions can be taxed without their consent; that every part has a right to be represented in the supreme or some subordinate legislature; that the refusal of this would seem to be a contradiction in practice to the theory of the constitution.”

Colonists wrote pamphlets protesting taxes and explaining their views. Daniel Dulaney the Younger from Maryland wrote this one in 1765.

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Minnesota Audit: State Agency ‘Accidentally’ Blocked Kickback Investigation Into Autism Services

A state agency erred when it blocked autism-services kickbacks from being investigated—a decision based on the agency’s flawed, decades-old definition of “fraud,” according to a Minnesota audit released March 17.

That was the key finding of the state’s Office of Legislative Auditor, a state watchdog that conducted a two-year special review. The autism-services program that auditors examined is among many health and welfare benefits that Minnesota’s Department of Human Services runs or oversees.

For months, Minnesota has been a focal point for government-program fraud that could total billions of dollars, with dozens of people, mostly Somalis, having been charged and convicted since 2022. Additional schemes emerged late last year and remain under investigation, with more charges expected, prosecutors have said.

Concerns about fraud have recently expanded nationwide. On March 16, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating an anti-fraud task force. Saying that other states such as California and New York may have fraud problems that are worse than Minnesota’s, the president directed Vice President JD Vance and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson to root out fraud in federally funded social services and welfare programs.

During the Minnesota audit, investigators told auditors that they believed they lacked “authority to investigate allegations of kickbacks” in the autism program without additional claims of “fraud, theft, abuse, or error.”

The department’s fraud definition, set in 1995, failed to specifically include “kickbacks.” Those are payments or “anything of value” to induce referrals to providers of federally funded health care—a practice that is illegal under federal law, the report noted.

Auditors opined that the department had misapplied or misinterpreted a rule that includes that fraud definition. The agency had the power to amend the rule and correct an erroneous federal-law citation “without any legislative action,” the report stated.

“Had [the department] done so at any point since 1995, it would have had clear authority to suspend payments” to providers who were strongly suspected in kickback schemes, according to the report.

Auditors recommended that the agency amend its fraud definition “to clearly include kickbacks”—or lawmakers should do so, the report says.

James Clark, inspector general for the state Department of Human Services, said the department agrees with that recommendation.

However, in his written response appended to the report, Clark said the standard rulemaking process could take a year or two to complete, unless officials or lawmakers agree to fast-track it.

The autism-services program, which has operated in Minnesota since 2013, aims to provide “early intervention” for autism-diagnosed patients who are under age 21.

Under the program, providers receive reimbursement for services rendered.

Federal prosecutors have brought charges against at least two people for alleged autism-services fraud in Minnesota.

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US Fast-Tracks Billions In ‘Emergency’ Arms Sales To Gulf, Bypassing Congress

On the one hand President Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth have declared that America is ‘winning’ against Iran, having destroyed its navy and air defenses, and having seriously degraded its missiles – but on the other the admin has put in for a more than $200 billion supplemental request to Congress to fund the war.

It seems Congress will likely eventually sign off on this gargantuan figure – for an ‘excursion’ which should end ‘soon’ we are told by Trump – given that even the effort to pass so much as a War Powers resolution gets repeatedly stymied. 

Still, the US administration is busy bypassing standard congressional review requirements, on Thursday approving a series of emergency arms sales across the Middle East, at a moment US regional allies are being pummeled by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.

The argument is that Washington’s allies are in imminent danger, and given that indeed vital Gulf infrastructure is getting hit quite seriously – new arms have to be rushed over there on an emergency basis.

According to details in Saudi-owned Al Arabiya:

The largest package was approved for the United Arab Emirates, totaling more than $8 billion. It includes the $4.5 billion sale of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), $2.10 billion for FS-LIDS counter-drone systems, $1.22 billion in Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), and $644 million in F-16 munitions, including GBU-39 small diameter bombs and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs).

In parallel, Washington approved an $8 billion deal for Kuwait to buy Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor Radars, significantly enhancing the country’s missile detection and tracking capabilities.

Jordan was also included in the emergency approvals, with a $70.5 million package covering aircraft support and munitions to sustain operational readiness.

Notably, a US base all the way over in Jordan, the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, was struck by Iran in the opening days of the war, satellite imagery showed.

This development of all these newly approved ’emergency’ arms and weapons shipments begs the question: is this more evidence that Washington is settling in for a ‘long war’?

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Pentagon seeks $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, AP source says

The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, a sizable amount that is certain to be met with questions from Congress, which would need to approve any new money.

The department sent the request to the White House, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information. Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change.

“It takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth said.

But he said “we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded.”

It’s an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of extra funding the Defense Department already received last year in President Donald Trump’s big tax cuts bill. Such a request would need to be approved by Congress, and it is not at all clear such spending would have political support. The nation’s debt has surged past a record $39 trillion.

Congress has been bracing for a new spending request but it is not clear the White House has transmitted the request for consideration. Lawmakers have not authorized the war, and Congress is showing growing unease with the military operation’s scope and strategy.

The new funding request was first reported by The Washington Post.

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Outrage as Texas town official spends $5,000 of taxpayers’ cash on OZEMPIC

A tiny Texas town has been rocked by a bizarre spending scandal after thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds were used to purchase weight-loss drugs and items from TikTok Shop.

Mayor Ken Padilla of Campbell, a small city in Hunt County with fewer than 1,000 residents, confirmed that roughly 150 unauthorized credit card charges were made between 2024 and 2025 that totaled more than $28,000.

Eyebrow-raising purchases include over $5,000 spent on GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, along with another $5,000 on items from TikTok Shop, Fox 4 reports.

The spending spree amounts to about 3.5 percent of the city’s annual budget, raising serious concerns about oversight and accountability in the tight-knit community.

City Secretary Trisha Lowery, who was hired after the transactions occurred, told a tense city council meeting on Monday that officials still cannot determine who made the charges.

‘I cannot tell you one way or the other who made these transactions. Obviously, we all have our own opinion on who did them and how they transpired,’ Lowery said. 

‘There has to be some sort of individual identifying information that says this person used this card.’

Padilla refused to comment further due to the pending investigation. 

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Newsom Implies Investigative Journalist Nick Shirley is a Pedophile for Exposing Daycare Fraud

California’s Democrat Governor is attacking a journalist for exposing daycare fraud.

Governor Gavin Newsom implied investigative journalist Nick Shirley is a pedophile for exposing rampant daycare fraud in California and Minnesota.

On Monday evening, Nick Shirley released his latest video uncovering $170 million in fraud in California.

“We uncovered over $170,000,000 in fraud as these fraudsters live in luxury with no consequences,” Nick Shirley said.

“California’s version of Medicaid called ‘Medi-Cal’ has more than doubled since 2022 from $108 billion to a proposed $222 billion in 2026. Their population, however, has not grown exponentially. However, their spending has,” Nick Shirley said.

“There has been a 1,000 percent increase in hospice care in Los Angeles County,” Nick Shirley said. It’s estimated that the fraud in California could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.”

Nick Shirley visited ‘hospices’ in Los Angeles and ‘daycares’ in San Diego.

The Somali ‘daycare’ owner/operator screamed at Nick Shirley and called the police after he asked her why there weren’t any children in the facility.

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Why Is America Bankrolling NATO? Trump Says It’s Time to Rethink the Deal

President Donald Trump on Tuesday sharply criticized NATO allies after several European countries declined his request to assist in maintaining open shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy transport.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump raised the possibility of taking further action against the alliance when asked whether he would consider withdrawing the United States from NATO.

“It’s certainly something that we should think about,” he said.

“I don’t need Congress for that decision, as you probably know, I can make that decision myself.”

The comments followed reports that key European allies, including France and the United Kingdom, declined to provide military support for operations aimed at securing the strait.

The administration has been seeking additional naval assets, including minesweepers to detect explosive devices and destroyers to protect commercial vessels moving through the narrow passage.

Trump has long expressed concerns about NATO’s structure and financial commitments, arguing that member nations rely too heavily on the United States.

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NY Governor Kathy Hochul Now Basically Begging Wealthy People Who Fled the State to Come Back and Help Fund Welfare Programs

During a recent public appearance, New York’s Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul admitted that the state is in dire straits due to the fact that so many wealthy people have fled to other places. She is begging them to come back and help fund the state’s ‘generous’ welfare programs.

One of the main points of separating the country into states was to inspire competition. The idea was that states that delivered more for less would benefit from increased population and the tax dollars that went with it.

Hochul is admitting that New York is losing this race. Red states like Texas and Florida do not need to beg people to move there. People do it voluntarily because it’s a better deal for their hard work and tax dollars.

Politico reports:

A state budget fight over raising taxes on rich people and corporations is becoming a litmus test for how power is wielded in the Empire State’s capital — and pitting Gov. Kathy Hochul against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Democratic state lawmakers this week formally proposed tax hikes that Hochul does not want, but are central to the democratic socialist mayor’s costly agenda…

The governor on Wednesday told POLITICO she wants “a system in place where it’s not just taxing for the sake of taxing” and to avoid further erosion of New York’s wealthy tax base.

“I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs that we have in our state,” she said.

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Nick Shirley Explains Exactly How the California Hospice Fraud Scheme Works

Independent journalist Nick Shirley has helped expose massive fraud in Minnesota, and now he’s set his sights on California, where the fraud is far worse.

Governor Gavin Newsom attacked him for his work, of course, because Newsom has aided and abetted the fraud. But Shirley isn’t alone. Dr. Oz, CBS, and Fox News have all shone a spotlight on the fraud, too. It’s likely to make Minnesota’s fraud look like pocket change.

Shirley also explained how the fraud works, and how the scammers are getting away with millions.

Shirley points out that one hospice, All Day Hospice Care, has billed for $3.1 million, or about $6,000 per patient, since 2023. It rented a small suite inside of an unmarked office building, where they close up shop when questions about their business arise.

Newsom was warned in 2022 about the fraud.

He ignored it. Or, more accurately, he paused hospice licensing, but didn’t address the 1,500 percent increase in agencies.

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