Tag: taxes

California Orders NGO Serving As “Financial Backbone” For Singham-Linked Marxism Causes To Cease Operations

Foreign policy investigator Adam Kredo of The Washington Free Beacon revealed on Monday that California regulators ordered Arc of Justice, a nonprofit operated by left-wing Code Pink cofounder Medea Benjamin, to cease charitable operations after years of missing tax filings and unanswered questions about what happened to $51 million in reported assets. 

The state attorney general revoked the foundation’s charitable registration in January 2025, barring it from distributing assets without prior approval. A June 19 warning letter went further, directing Arc of Justice to stop soliciting, holding or spending charitable funds in California and warning that board members could face personal liability for unauthorized distributions.

Kredo cited an investigation by the watchdog group Intelligent Advocacy Network (IAN) that said since California first revoked the foundation’s charitable registration 18 months ago and ordered it to provide a full accounting of $51,445,599 in outstanding assets it held as of 2023, “no public document establishes what has happened to the money, where it is held, or whether any of it has moved.” 

The California Franchise Tax Board subsequently confirmed that the foundation was no longer in good standing or certified as tax-exempt. At the same time, the Secretary of State listed the organization as suspended.

“The silence from Arc of Justice raises unanswered questions about a foundation that has long served as the financial backbone for a network of radical advocacy groups tied to Benjamin and her Code Pink cofounder, Jodie Evans,” Kredo wrote in the report. 


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Wuhan’s ‘Bat Woman’ Runs A New Lab Creating Coronaviruses That Can Infect Humans. U.S. Tax Dollars Are Still Supporting Her Work.

Shi Zhengli is recruiting researchers for “pathogen discovery/coronavirus” and “cross-species infection risk” work. NIH-backed scientists continued collaborating with her after COVID, including on research using materials she supplied from her new Chinese laboratory.

Shi Zhengli, the Chinese virologist whose years of bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology made her one of the most scrutinized scientists in the world after COVID-19, did not disappear.

She moved on to another powerful Chinese state laboratory, where she is now helping train a new generation of coronavirus researchers.

Chinese-language records reviewed for this report show Shi is currently affiliated with Guangzhou Laboratory, a national laboratory established in 2021 that describes itself as part of China’s strategic scientific and technological apparatus for combating respiratory diseases. Her current research profile focuses on discovering new viruses in bats and other wildlife, studying their biological characteristics, and investigating the mechanisms that allow viruses to jump between species.

Even more striking is what Guangzhou Laboratory is recruiting scientists to do under Shi today.

A 2026 doctoral recruitment notice lists Shi as an adviser in pathogen biology with a research concentration explicitly described as “pathogen discovery/coronavirus.”

Another 2026 doctoral program, jointly operated by Guangzhou Laboratory and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, lists Shi as an adviser for “pathogen discovery and cross-species infection risk research.” Students in the program conduct their coursework primarily through the Wuhan Institute of Virology before carrying out most of their scientific research and dissertation work at Guangzhou Laboratory.

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Woman Who Defrauded USAID-Funded Nonprofit Avoids Prison, Settles Civil Claims For $160,000

A Maryland woman has agreed to pay the U.S. government $160,000 to resolve civil allegations that she submitted false claims for payment, following her earlier criminal conviction for defrauding a nonprofit that received USAID funding.

Carleena Graham, 59, formerly served as vice president of human resources at World Learning, a nonprofit that received millions of dollars in grants and contracts from both the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department. According to the USAID Office of Inspector General, she orchestrated a scheme that drained roughly $425,000 from the organization between about 2016 and mid-2022. Of that total, approximately $272,500 came directly or partially from U.S. government funds.

Graham arranged for goods and services to be delivered to Washington-area nonprofits where she held positions or had relationships, then directed World Learning to pay for them through electronic transfers from its accounts. She falsified vendor invoices to create the appearance that World Learning itself had received the items. She also used the organization’s credit cards to cover expenses for those outside entities.

Federal authorities charged her with one count of wire fraud in May 2023. She pleaded guilty and, in March 2024, received a sentence of four years’ probation, an order to pay $425,000 in restitution, and a three-year debarment from receiving U.S. government funds. Her plea agreement estimated an advisory sentencing range of 27 to 33 months’ imprisonment.

In July 2026 she entered a separate civil settlement with the Department of Justice under the False Claims Act, agreeing to the $160,000 payment. That agreement closes a joint investigation by the USAID and State Department Offices of Inspector General. The government’s announcement notes that the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only and that there has been no determination of liability.

Graham’s is not the only USAID-linked fraud case to reach resolution. As we reported in June of last year, former USAID contracting officer Roderick Watson and three corporate executives pleaded guilty over a decade-long bribery scheme spanning at least 14 prime contracts worth more than $550 million. Prosecutors said Watson accepted bribes valued at more than $1 million, including cash, laptops, tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, and down payments on two residential mortgages. He faced a maximum of 15 years. The two contractors involved, Apprio and Vistant, admitted criminal liability and entered deferred prosecution agreements. In a separate case, a British national who worked on a USAID-funded power distribution program in Pakistan was extradited after more than two years, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to time served for a kickback scheme that cost the program almost $100,000.

The settlement lands amid broader scrutiny of USAID’s oversight of foreign-aid spending. Inspector general memoranda issued in 2025 flagged weaknesses, including limited visibility into sub-recipients, resistance from some international partners in sharing misconduct information, and incomplete reporting of potential fraud by organizations that received agency funds. World Learning was among the recipients of USAID programming during the period of the scheme.

USAID was formally dissolved on July 1, 2025, with its remaining functions absorbed into the State Department.

Also, the DNC is oddly out of money.

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Report: Democrats Spent $20M on Healthcare Program for Just 173 Migrants

Democrats in Washington state rushed through the approval for a new $20 million program for healthcare for migrants, but a look at the program’s expenditures finds that the fund only covered 173 migrants instead of the initial 300 of 1,200 the program was eventually meant to help.

Democrats and their NGO migrant advocates pushed the healthcare bill to cover 1,200 noncitizen residents in the Evergreen State. And the Democrat-controlled legislature was quick to vote to fund the program.

But according to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 775, which pushed hard to get the program approved, the money is only enough to cover 173 noncitizens, a fact that the union’s secretary-treasurer, Adam Glickman, called “disappointing and frustrating,” the Washington State Standard reported.

Lawmakers are now saying that to actually cover the entire 1,200 group of noncitizens, the program will have to be refunded to the tune of tens of millions more dollars.

The initial $20 million investment was meant to cover 300 noncitizens in the 2026-27 fiscal year. But the money quickly ran out before even reaching 200. To fund the entire initial 300 migrant target, at least $100 million or more will be required. And to fund the full 1,200 migrants it will cost $100 million every year, Democrat Rep. Nicole Macri said.

Washington Democrats launched the program due to the cuts in Medicaid instituted by the Trump administration, which ended coverage for noncitizens. State Democrats say that 14,000 noncitizens will be cut off from Medicaid by October.

The failure of the state program to fund healthcare for the migrants losing federal funding has sent activists back to the drawing board and is spurring them to push state Democrats for millions more in state tax dollars to fund medical care for migrants.

SEIU 775 leaders are ramping up the pressure on state Democrats to throw tens of millions more at the program, their excuse being that unionized home healthcare workers could lose jobs after federal funding is cut.

But union official Glickman thinks it may be an uphill battle thanks to wild budget overreach and deficits already plaguing the state. “Getting the entire thing seems pretty challenging, given this budget situation. We are pushing for them to do as much as they can,” he said.

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Judge Blocks Mamdani’s Pied-à-Terre Tax After Homeowners File Lawsuit

A New York judge on Monday temporarily blocked NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new pied-à-terre tax, which hits New Yorkers who own a valuable second home.

Last month, Mamdani implemented a so-called luxury property tax on second homes valued at $5 million or more. The property tax also affected certain co-ops valued over $1 million.

Mamdani doxxed the homeowners after his Department of Finance published a database listing the names and addresses of the 960,000 properties.

“As per State law, a property roll was released for public inspection. From this list, DOF will identify properties that may be subject to the new non-primary residence property surcharge,” a Mamdani spox previously told Fox News.

Affluent homeowners said the database and doxxing could lead to harassment and violence.

Homeowners filed a lawsuit in New York’s Supreme Court to stop Mamdani’s property tax

The lawsuit argues that New York City bungled the execution of the new tax by “arbitrarily and capriciously” forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to prove they do not owe the tax.

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IN CHARTS: A visual breakdown of the Smithsonian’s billion-dollar taxpayer-funded budget

The Smithsonian has relied on more than $1 billion a year in taxpayer funding in recent years, even as its leadership and exhibits face mounting scrutiny over DEI priorities and ideological portrayals of American history.

The sprawling institution oversees 21 museums, the National Zoo and nearly 157 million objects and specimens, making it the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget reductions have made its federal funding a central pressure point in the administration’s broader effort to reshape the taxpayer-supported institution.

Since the White House released a July 2026 report accusing the Smithsonian Institution of advancing DEI and left-wing agendas, Fox News Digital has documented multiple examples. Most recently, the Smithsonian’s America 250 exhibit featured roughly three times as many items highlighting liberal figures and causes as conservative ones, prompting criticism that it presented an ideologically imbalanced account of American history.

Other examples included the Smithsonian’s promotion of a museum training guide that linked concepts such as objectivity and merit to “white dominant culture,” a program the institution later apologized for after public backlash.

Meanwhile, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III has faced scrutiny after saying DEI “must be at the center” of museum institutions, while receiving more than $4.4 million in salary and benefits from 2020 through 2024.

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NANNY STATE: Zohran Mamdani Launching City Government Babysitting Service so Parents Can Have a Date Night

Conservatives used to joke that the left was trying to turn the government into a nanny state. Now, Zohran Mamdani is taking it literally.

The New York City mayor is launching a service where people in the city can drop their kids off at the park to be looked after by government officials while the parents can have a date night. What could possibly go wrong?

Would you be comfortable dropping your kids off at a New York City park and then going out to dinner?

ABC News in New York reports:

Date night, anyone? NYC launching free babysitting program for parents

New York City is giving parents a chance for a night off through a new pilot program that will provide free child care for hundreds of families next month.

Mayor Mamdani announced the launch of “Parents’ Night Out,” a city-sponsored program that will offer free babysitting for up to 500 children on Aug. 16 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. Monday and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Every parent knows that a few hours to yourself can feel like a luxury,” said Mayor Mamdani in prepared remarks. “It shouldn’t be. That’s why we’re launching New York City’s first-ever Parents’ Night Out, so that parents can get a little time on their own to catch a movie, run errands or go on a date without worrying about who will take care of the kids – or how much it will cost.”

The program is open to families with children ages 6 to 13 and will provide free child care at designated city recreation centers.

City officials say the initiative is designed to give parents and caregivers a break while children participate in supervised activities.

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Justice Watch: Justice Timothy Keene gives community sentence to immigration fraudster who charged migrants up to $40K

A Saskatchewan man who charged foreign nationals as much as $40,000 for immigration sponsorship while using fake businesses and forged documents to obtain work and residency permits will serve his sentence in the community.

Balvir Singh, 58, pleaded guilty in April to counselling misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Last month, Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench Justice Timothy Keene sentenced him to a conditional sentence of two years less a day and imposed a $10,000 fine.

The conditional sentence allows Singh to avoid serving his custodial sentence behind bars. He must instead live at an approved residence, obey a curfew and cannot leave Saskatchewan without permission.

According to the sentencing decision, Singh submitted false documents to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, including forged corporate tax documents and payroll records connected to businesses that did not actually exist.

The SINP allows eligible Saskatchewan employers to nominate foreign nationals for jobs where workers are needed, potentially providing those workers with a pathway to permanent residency.

The Canada Border Services Agency began investigating Singh in 2018 after authorities noticed an unusually large number of immigration applications connected to entities associated with him. Search warrants were executed at Singh’s home and a Saskatoon restaurant in June 2021.

Investigators determined Singh was charging foreign nationals up to $40,000 for immigration sponsorship.

One victim identified in the court decision met Singh through a gurdwara and was offered employment. After Singh provided him with a work permit, Singh demanded $10,000, forcing the worker to borrow the money.

Singh later told the man he would have to pay more to obtain permanent residency. The worker paid another $16,000, followed by additional payments that ultimately brought the total to approximately $40,000.

“[The victim] was a vulnerable person victimized both financially and emotionally by the actions of the accused,” the court found, noting the victim was also required to perform unpaid work.

The decision further stated that anyone who worked for, or had a permanent residency application connected to, one of Singh’s companies had paid him money.

The victim worked at two restaurants Singh actually operated, Taste of Indian and Broadway Pizza. Although both operated from the same kitchen, they were represented as separate businesses for SINP purposes.

The worker also helped Singh erect a sign advertising a purported construction company so Singh could photograph it.

“The sign was only up to take the photos, then it came down. Balvir made the company up for SINP,” the sentencing decision states.

Singh’s defence sought either a conditional discharge or a suspended sentence, but Keene rejected those options.

The judge said a custodial sentence was required to meet the objectives of “denunciation and deterrence,” finding those goals would not be “satisfied by probation.”

However, Keene allowed that custodial sentence to be served in the community, concluding Singh “does not pose a risk and can be managed by the terms of a conditional sentence order.”

A pre-sentence report found Singh had no previous criminal convictions, had a stable home and employment history and presented a “medium” risk of reoffending.

The report also found Singh minimized his responsibility, suggesting his primary failing was not paying enough attention to how others were operating businesses he owned.

Keene agreed with that assessment and wrote that Singh appeared to retain “a degree of resentment” toward immigration authorities.

Singh came to Canada in 1993 and has four children.

The case follows a CBSA investigation that began roughly eight years before Singh was ultimately sentenced.

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The Fourth Turning Global War Has Already Bankrupted America — And Nobody’s Counting the Bodies

The numbers came in just after dawn on the East Coast, and they told a story that no amount of White House spin could obscure. Oil futures had stabilized at $86 per barrel overnight—a figure that would have seemed catastrophic eighteen months ago but now represented a temporary reprieve from the $119 spike that had crippled global markets in April. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, that emergency backstop established after the 1973 crisis, had fallen to 305 million barrels, its lowest level since 1983. The Congressional Budget Office quietly released its revised deficit projections: $2.3 trillion for fiscal year 2026, with another $1.8 trillion locked in for 2027 before accounting for the war’s accelerating costs, currently running at $1 billion per day with no exit strategy visible on any horizon.

This is not a recession. This is not a “period of heightened geopolitical tension.” This is the systematic dismantling of the global economic architecture that has sustained Western prosperity for eighty years, compressed into a timeframe too brief for institutional adaptation. We are witnessing, in real-time, the transition from a unipolar American-led order to a fragmented multipolar system, and the violence of that transition is being measured not just in body counts—though those are mounting in ways the Pentagon refuses to fully disclose—but in the erosion of strategic leverage that cannot be recovered once spent.

The Fourth Turning Global War has entered its terminal phase, and the metrics suggest we are only beginning to comprehend the depth of the strategic trap into which American policy has walked.

To understand the present crisis, one must first abandon the comforting narrative of accidental drift—the notion that policy errors and miscalculation have led to the current impasse. The data suggests something more troubling: a decoupling of strategic decision-making from national interest calculation, producing outcomes that serve no identifiable American objective while advancing the interests of regional actors with disproportionate influence over U.S. policy formation.

Consider the timeline with the precision of a military after-action report. On February 27, 2026, the United States initiated a surprise decapitation strike against Iranian leadership while Israeli envoys maintained ostensible negotiations in Geneva. The strike eliminated Iran’s military command structure and political leadership in a forty-eight-hour bombardment that the White House initially projected would conclude within “four to five weeks.” That projection, made on March 1, has now stretched to month five with no conclusion visible. The Strait of Hormuz, through which twenty percent of global petroleum flows, has been effectively closed since mid-March. Iranian ballistic missile strikes, utilizing Chinese targeting data and Russian satellite intelligence, have damaged or destroyed every major U.S. installation in the Persian Gulf, including Al Udeid in Qatar, Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia, and the naval facilities at Bahrain.

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The Countries That Will Pay for the UN Tax Experiment

A United Nations proposal would replace the current system of taxing each multinational subsidiary separately with a global unitary tax system. A corporation’s worldwide profits would first be combined into one total and then divided among countries according to a formula measuring where it employs workers and where its customers purchase goods and services. Each country would apply its own corporate tax rate to the portion assigned to it, regardless of where the company legally reported the profit.

Tax Justice Network estimates that this reallocation would produce an additional $500 billion in annual corporate tax revenue worldwide. It would be redistributed among governments, creating major winners while stripping revenue from countries whose economies currently benefit from corporate headquarters, intellectual property, financial services, or low-tax structures.

Ireland would suffer one of the largest losses, surrendering an estimated $11.15 billion annually, or 81.9% of the multinational corporate tax revenue measured by the study. Hong Kong would lose $9.37 billion, or 75.7%; Singapore $8 billion, or 69.2%; Switzerland $5.43 billion, or 42%; the Netherlands $3.16 billion, or 28.4%; and Malta $3.04 billion. Bermuda would lose $489 million, the British Virgin Islands $496 million, Puerto Rico $547 million, Jersey $510 million, and Mauritius $152 million.

These jurisdictions currently tax profits that multinational corporations book within their borders despite having relatively little employment or customer activity there. The UN formula would disregard where those profits are legally reported and redistribute them toward countries where the company’s workers and customers are located.

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