Tag: taxes

Tennessee man jailed for Charlie Kirk meme wins $835,000 settlement

Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, was arrested in September after sharing memes on Facebook about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Tennessee officials have now agreed to pay $835,000 to settle the lawsuit filed by Bushart against Perry County, its sheriff, and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant.

Bushart’s case drew national attention because, while many people across the U.S. reportedly lost jobs over social media posts about Kirk’s death, his was a rare case where online speech led to criminal prosecution. Authorities later dropped the felony charge against him in October.

The post that prompted Bushart’s arrest featured President Donald Trump and the words “We have to get over it,” referencing a remark made in 2024 after a school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa. AP reported that the meme was posted with the caption: “This seems relevant today…”

Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems said last year that most of Bushart’s posts were lawful free speech, but claimed residents were alarmed by the school shooting reference because there is also a Perry County High School in Tennessee. However, Weems also said he knew the meme referred to the Iowa school shooting.

“Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community,” Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean last year.

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Trump Details White House Construction Beyond a Ballroom: Military Hospital, Research Facilities

President Donald Trump’s White House construction goes beyond a ballroom, the commander-in-chief told reporters on Tuesday as he stood outside the construction site detailing the complexities of the massive addition.

“You might want to take a look at the complexity,” Trump said as he gestured toward the construction site on the premises. He explained that the ballroom is only part of the story. In fact, he described the ballroom itself as a “shield” of sorts, protecting all of the space currently being built underneath. That includes a military hospital, meeting rooms, and much more.

“These are all different rooms out here,” Trump said. “They’re building a hospital. They’re building a military hospital. They’re building all sorts of research facilities — also meeting rooms and rooms that go hand in hand for the military, using the ballroom, and the ballroom is really a shield and protecting all of the things that are built here.”

Trump explained that the construction already goes “very deep” — six stories deep.

“This is down because we’ve already done these floors, but these are already down two floors. That is down about six stories deep. That’s fixed up normally,” he said, walking through other features and complexities of this design.

“It’s all knit together between the drone proofing [and] the missile proofing. We have had the drone capacity upstairs. We can have all sorts of military up, whether — I hate to use the word snipers, but we have great sniper capacity,” the president said, revealing that it is “built for our snipers, not the enemy snipers.”

“And because of the height, we get a very clear view of everything all over Washington,” Trump said.

Trump’s brief tour followed the Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determining that a plan drafted by Republican lawmakers to provide $1 billion in funding for the White House ballroom project did not follow the rules, although Republicans say they have a fix underway.

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Report: Randi Weingarten Used at Least $1.4M in Teachers Union Resources to Write ‘Manifesto’ Book

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten used hundreds of thousands of dollars in union resources to help her write a book suggesting President Donald Trump is a fascist, and her team made more than $1.4 million from the labor group, a new report found. 

The Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank whose mission is to challenge “entrenched power of left-wing government union bosses who represent a permanent lobby for bigger government, higher taxes, and radical social agendas,” released a report claiming Weingarten used union resources for her book Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy, and then kept part of the proceeds.

The report, first obtained by the New York Post, alleges that Weingarten’s team included an attorney who earned $977,000 for various work with the union, despite supposedly working on the book pro bono. The report also alleges that a “ghost writer” earned $400,000 from the union, and two people who “fact-checked” the book earned $11,000 each.

“Most AFT members pay dues in exchange for workplace representation, not to fund the union president’s literary pursuits,” said Maxford Nelsen, the Freedom Foundation’s director of research and government affairs.

“However, AFT appears to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in members’ dues on top-tier consultants, lawyers, and agents to get WFFT published,” Nelson continued. “Indeed, the wide range of expenses borne by AFT suggests that Weingarten may not have contributed anything at all financially to the enterprise.”

The book was pitched by the publisher as “a manifesto for our time,” and made headlines for appearing to suggest President Donald Trump is a fascist, according to the report. Weingarten specifically made a Hitler comparison in the book.

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Multiple States Begin Ejecting Illegal Immigrants From Subsidized Healthcare

The political left often betrays their true agenda in the legislation they choose to oppose.  The SAVE Act, for example, would require proof of citizenship to vote in US elections; a law which the majority of countries around the world enforce.  It’s widely supported by around 80% of the public, yet, Democrats stubbornly refuse to pass it.  

Why?  Because they know there are illegal immigrants voting in their favor, and they know that mail-in ballot fraud exists and often benefits them. 

By extension, Democrats aggressively attempted to block Trump Administration efforts to ensure that illegal immigrants could not receive healthcare subsidies.  Their argument was that “no illegals actually access those subsidies”.  Of course, if this was true, then it should not matter if Trump adds such restrictions – According to Dems, nothing would change.

In reality, progressive politicians know that around 1.4 million “asylum seekers” (illegal immigrants who entered the country under Biden’s open border policies and then took advantage of the system) were on the healthcare rolls at the end of 2024.  They also know that by offering welfare programs to illegals, they are buying the future loyalty of those migrants (as well as keeping them in the country to rig the census in favor of blue states).   

Today, this loophole is being rectified by a number of states that are now requiring proof of citizenship in order to qualify for public healthcare programs.  You would think this is common sense, but Democrats and some medical institutions are not happy with the changes. 

Hospitals across the state of Tennessee say they are receiving notice from the Department of Health requiring them to verify the citizenship status of everyone enrolled in public benefit programs. 

Opponents to the reforms say this includes Children’s Special Services, which provides access to care for children from birth to 21 years of age.  The process for disenrolling kids 18 to 21 has already begun, and there is a process underway to disenroll kids zero to 17. 

It is a typical Democrat tactic to target and isolate a single “vulnerable” group and use them to justify the existence of welfare benefits for all foreigners.  You don’t want to steal that wheelchair away from little Pedro or snatch life saving medicine away from poor innocent Gabriela, right?  It is also the case than many of these healthcare providers stand to lose millions in government subsidized payments if migrants are kicked off the rolls. 

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Reckoning for Newsom: GOP Rep. Introduces Bill to Force CA to Repay Past Due COVID-Era Unemployment Loans

On Tuesday, Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) introduced the California Accountability and Loan Repayment Act (the CAL Repayment Act), which requires California to repay its outstanding $21 billion loan to the federal government before spending federal money on other programs.

Gavin Newsom’s state is the only state that has yet to repay its COVID-era unemployment loans (UI).

The bill would require California to prioritize repayment of its federal UI debt before spending any eligible federal funds on other programs and would require the state to direct available federal funds toward the loan within 5 business days of receipt.

Additionally, if the state diverts funds, it must repay the full misused amount to the federal government.

Newsom’s failure to repay the loans has placed the burden directly on the backs of employers in the state. The debt has led to automatic federal tax penalties on California employers via reduced FUTA tax credits, costing businesses roughly $84 per worker in 2025, with costs expected to rise.

In January, Rep. Fong shared details about the “hidden jobs tax” that Newsom pushed onto the backs of the business owners.

California employers are about to get hit with a massive tax increase — one they never voted on, one lawmakers and the governor never debated, but one Sacramento knew was coming.

At the very moment families and employers should be seeing relief from the Working Families Tax Cuts, which are in effect this year, California is moving in the opposite direction by raising taxes on employees and worsening the cost-of-living crisis already plaguing the state.

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DEAD PEOPLE, ‘GHOST STUDENTS,’ AND BOTS? Trump Education Sec. McMahon Says Biden-Era Student Aid System Was a Fraud Magnet — Taxpayers Already Saved $1 BILLION

The federal student aid system was apparently a feeding trough for fraudsters and according to President Trump’s Education Secretary Linda McMahon, some of the “students” cashing in weren’t even alive.

In a jaw-dropping interview on Fox News, McMahon revealed that the Department of Education uncovered widespread abuse in the federal student aid application system, including bot-driven applications, so-called “ghost students,” and even dead individuals allegedly receiving federal student aid.

Secretary McMahon laid it all out: the Trump administration has completely revamped the FAFSA program with ironclad real-time identity verification and they’re already saving taxpayers billions.

According to the Department of Education website:

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) launched a new, real-time fraud detection capability for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, marking the largest and most comprehensive, nationwide fraud prevention effort in the agency’s history.

Effective immediately, fraud detection is built directly into the FAFSA itself, with every applicant evaluated in real-time using risk-based identity screening. Applicants who display a certain level of fraud risk will now be required to present government-issued identification before accessing federal student aid funds such as Pell Grants and federal student loans.

The Department also recently began conducting a one-time review of all previously submitted 2026-27 FAFSA forms using the new screening technology, ensuring that all federal student aid program dollars are supporting students and families, not fraudsters. The Department estimates that its efforts to identify and deny federal student aid to fraudulent students will save taxpayers over $1 billion during this year’s FAFSA cycle.

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Acting AG Todd Blanche SHUTS DOWN Crying Democrats – Says Even Hunter Biden Can Apply For $1.7B Anti-Weaponization Fund

The corrupt mainstream media and the unhinged Left are having an absolute, grade-A meltdown.

On Monday, the Trump administration dropped a massive truth bomb on Washington by establishing a landmark $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund.

Created as part of a settlement over the deep state’s illegal leaking of President Trump’s tax returns, the fund is a direct weapon against the horrific “lawfare” and weaponized justice that defined the Biden regime.

Immediately, Democrats like Representative Jamie Raskin ran to the cameras, hyperventilating and claiming this is a “taxpayer-funded slush fund” exclusively meant to line the pockets of President Trump’s allies and January 6th patriots.

“The View” co-host Ana Navarro appeared on CNN Monday night to air her grievances against the new fund, calling it a “slush fund” to pay off his supporters and “J6 insurrectionists.”

But during a Capitol Hill appearance, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche completely dismantled their entire narrative with one hilarious, jaw-dropping truth bomb.

Blanche flat-out STUNNED the leftists by pointing out that the fund has zero partisan requirements. In fact, he noted that even Hunter Biden could apply for the money if he wanted to!

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Ottawa spent more than $1 million on Yukon ‘Indigenous food systems’ project

A federal agency handed more than $1 million to a small Yukon school board to promote “Indigenous food systems,” according to records tabled before the Senate agriculture committee.

According to a story broken by Blacklock’s, the funding came through the federal government’s Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund, a program that costs taxpayers roughly $6 million annually and is set to run until 2027.

According to the records, the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate received a total of $1,015,646 from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

The largest portion of the funding, $845,000, went toward planning a “traditional processing kitchen” in Whitehorse.

“This one-year project focused on completing architectural and detailed design plans for a centralized traditional and local foods commercial kitchen,” the agency told senators.

According to the agency, the proposed facility would support the processing and storage of wild game in an urban setting and help promote traditional food-processing knowledge in First Nations curriculum.

Another $170,646 was spent on the Directorate’s urban nutrition program, including the purchase of a temperature-controlled delivery van.

Federal officials defended the spending as part of Ottawa’s broader push to address food security in remote northern communities.

“The fund plays a targeted role in advancing food initiatives that build local capacity,” agency managers wrote.

The Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund was launched in 2019 and bankrolls projects ranging from greenhouse operations and farming initiatives to traditional harvesting, food distribution systems and “food innovation” programs.

Records show taxpayers also funded:

  • $800,000 for an egg farmer in Hay River;
  • $600,000 for a grocery store in Wekweeti, Northwest Territories, population roughly 130;
  • $250,000 for a grocer in Arctic Bay;
  • $710,000 for fish freezers in Cumberland Sound.

“These examples show how the Agency supports food security, infrastructure and economic growth across the North in line with community needs and regional priorities,” managers wrote.

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Seattle Democrat Who Welcomed New ‘Socialist’ Mayor Now ‘Gravely Concerned’ About Businesses Fleeing the City

Seattle’s new socialist Mayor Katie Wilson made headlines a few weeks ago as she laughed off the idea of millionaires fleeing the city over new and higher taxes.

Now some people in the city, including other Democrats, are starting to realize just who they put into this position of power.

One city council member who reportedly ‘welcomed’ the change the new mayor was bringing to the city is now ‘gravely concerned’ about the parade of wealth that is going to march out of the area.

FOX News reports:

Dem who welcomed socialist mayor’s ‘change’ now sounding alarm over billionaire exodus: ‘Gravely concerned’

A Democratic city council member who once welcomed the “change” from socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now admitting he is “gravely concerned” about the business exodus affecting the major American city.

This comes as blue states like Washington and New York face a business exodus in favor of more market-friendly red states. Starbucks, a major player in Seattle’s business scene, recently announced a major expansion into Nashville while simultaneously cutting Seattle-based corporate jobs, a move that has intensified concerns about Seattle’s business climate and economic competitiveness.

Wilson, a self-proclaimed socialist, recently went viral for laughing off the exodus of billionaires and business leaders from her city, saying, “I think the claims that millionaires are going to leave our state are super overblown,” and adding, “the ones that leave? Like, bye.”

Now, less than five months into Wilson’s term, Seattle Democratic Councilmember Rob Saka admitted to the New York Times, “I am gravely concerned,” telling the outlet, “This is real.”

Saka previously welcomed Wilson after she defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell, saying in a statement, “The voters have spoken, calling for change and a renewed focus on affordability, community, and fighting back against a resurgent Trump agenda.”

Who is going to fund the new socialist utopia when all of the wealthy people leave Seattle?

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Democrat NY Congressional Candidate Backed by Radical Mamdani Pushing “Trans Bill of Rights”- Wants Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for Surgeries, Housing and More

Radical New York State Assemblymember Claire Valdez, a longtime leader in NYC-DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) and backed by Marxist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani,  is running in the Democratic primary for New York’s 7th congressional district.

Valdez is making sure that ‘trans rights’ are front and center in her campaign.

In an interview released on Friday, Valdez told podcast host Mike from PA, “When we talk about trans rights and bodily autonomy and we talk about universal programs like social housing, like Medicare for all, like all of these programs, you know, we know that trans people, and trans youth especially, are often the highest at risk for homelessness, retaliation at their jobs.”

“So we have to be focused, really enshrining their rights within universal programs and making sure that Medicare for All includes gender-affirming care and health care for trans folks.”

“We need to make sure that we’re enshrining their rights in a Trans Bill of Rights and in workplaces.”

“And making sure that there’s real housing that is available, you know, for everyone, but especially trans people who are most at risk of being homeless or kicked out of their homes.”

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