Tag: taxes

NYT Admits Trump’s Tariffs Are Generating ‘Significant’ Federal Income — Already Generated $150 Billion in Revenue

The New York Times has admitted that President Trump’s policy of tariffs is already generating a lot of income for the federal government.

In an article published on Sunday, the Times acknowledged that the federal government may soon become dependent on this revenue because of the ballooning fiscal deficit.

The Times explains:

President Trump’s extensive tariffs have already started to generate a significant amount of money for the federal government, a new source of revenue for a heavily indebted nation that American policymakers may start to rely on.

As part of his quest to reorder the global trading system, Mr. Trump has imposed steep tariffs on America’s trading partners, with the bulk of those set to go into effect on Aug. 7.

Even before the latest tariffs kick in, revenue from taxes collected on imported goods has grown dramatically so far this year.

Customs duties, along with some excise taxes, generated $152 billion through July, roughly double the $78 billion netted over the same time period last fiscal year, according to Treasury data.

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Mamdani Already Owes New Yorkers $1.3 BILLION

New York City is crumbling under failing schools, surging homelessness, and unsafe streets. But Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, in his time as a state legislator, decided to sink the state even deeper—by wasting another $1.3 billion on ideological vanity projects with no measurable benefit for ordinary New Yorkers.

As a co-author of the so-called “People’s Budget” proposed by the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus, Mamdani has backed spending proposals that read more like activist wish lists than responsible fiscal policy. Every dollar demanded in the name of “equity” is a dollar stripped from basic needs—needs that millions of New Yorkers, especially working-class families, continue to go without.

Take, for example, Mamdani’s push for an $8 million recruitment and training initiative to make New York’s teachers “more diverse.” 

The irony here is hard to miss. In New York City’s public schools—the largest district in the country—Black teachers already make up roughly 42% of the workforce, despite the city’s Black population being only 22%. The goalpost for “representation” has shifted away from proportionality and toward performative politics. 

What Mamdani labels as reform is, in practice, just another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy driven by race-based metrics instead of educational ones.

Mamdani’s caucus also proposed spending $250,000 to promote “racial and cultural inclusivity” in K–12 classrooms—without ever explaining how this helps students learn to read, write, or do math. Another $351,500 was allocated for conventions supposedly designed to help “underrepresented” educators, which is another way of saying the funds will go toward political networking events with no tangible classroom results.

Mamdani also supports an additional $8 million for a Fair Housing Testing Program—money that would go toward “paired testing” for housing discrimination that is already illegal under both state and federal law. 

New York already invests billions in housing and tenant protection. If discrimination occurs, there are legal pathways for enforcement. This new testing program is redundant and unnecessary. 

Meanwhile, New York City continues to face a staggering homelessness crisis. That $8 million would be far better spent building shelters or expanding emergency housing than funding an academic experiment in bureaucratic redundancy.

One of the largest items in Mamdani’s wish list is the $1 billion proposal for climate mitigation and adaptation over five years. This includes $75 million for electric school buses and another $80 million for centralized procurement of zero-emission buses and infrastructure. 

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Cloward-Piven Strategy: How Mamdani and Other Socialists Could Overload the Welfare System Until the Country Collapses

During her failed bid for the U.S. presidency, Kamala Harris made free-market economists and freedom-loving Americans cringe when she said, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” This fundamental Marxist slogan openly signals that if Kamala or her socialist-leaning allies were elected, those who work harder or earn more would be forced to subsidize those who refuse to work, or people who spend their days protesting, or make unsustainable life choices.

Kamala is gone, but Zohran Mamdani and several others in government are taking up the socialist banner. Among the self-proclaimed democratic socialists currently in Congress are Bernie Sanders, who serves in the U.S. Senate; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former DSA; Summer Lee, a DSA member serving in the House; and Greg Casar, also a DSA member in the House.

Some recent changes in the landscape include Jamaal Bowman losing his Democratic primary in June 2024, and Cori Bush losing hers in August 2024. Rashida Tlaib continues to serve, though her DSA membership status is currently unclear. Meanwhile, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani openly pushes socialist policies, with what appears to be the intent of destroying New York City through economic collapse, following a strategy reminiscent of Cloward-Piven.

Policies like state-owned grocery stores, government seizure of rental properties, rent control, universal basic income, debt forgiveness, and arbitrary wealth taxes are classic tools of socialism that ultimately break the economy. These and similar proposals have been pushed by various DSA politicians, including Mamdani.

All of these tools are part of the Cloward-Piven strategy, a Marxist framework designed to trigger economic collapse and usher in radical political change and authoritarian control. The concept originated in the 1960s with sociologists Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven, who advocated for expanding the welfare state by lowering eligibility criteria to enroll more people. They believed that overwhelming the system would force a crisis, ultimately leading to reforms like guaranteed income and a universal social safety net.

This idea of dismantling the current system, rather than encouraging individuals to thrive within a free-market society, is rooted in Marxism, which centers on the conflict between the working class (proletariat) and the owning class (bourgeoisie). Marx believed capitalism would inevitably exploit workers to such a degree that they would revolt, overthrow the ruling class, and establish a classless society.

While Marxists claim their goal is to improve life for citizens, the real outcome of the Cloward-Piven strategy is to flood entitlement programs, welfare, unemployment, and more, until the system becomes financially unsustainable. The resulting collapse would spark widespread chaos, including violence and unrest, creating an opportunity for radical leftists to seize power and impose authoritarian rule under the pretext of “martial law.”

Open border policies can be used to accelerate systemic collapse by overwhelming public services. The system is further strained by the influx of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers who receive government-funded benefits without paying income taxes. At the same time, the creation of a large illegal workforce drives down wages and reduces job opportunities for Americans, pushing more citizens onto welfare rolls and increasing the burden on public assistance programs.

Socialism, supported by propaganda, often gains ground by identifying real problems and offering government solutions. For example, high rents are a genuine concern for many, making proposals like rent control or government-owned housing appear attractive. However, imposing rent control reduces the supply of available apartments while increasing demand, worsening the housing shortage.

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Origins of Medical Harm

The level of compensation doctors receive from Medicare is currently under renewed scrutiny; these standards are mirrored by health insurers. The quantity of reimbursement weighted to specialists is likely to shift towards primary care physicians. Reconfiguration of doctors’ fees is overdue, although they are determined by a secretive American Medical Association committee. 

Analysis and debate about the ongoing healthcare crisis emphasize misdirected funding rather than considering how to revitalize the ethics of medicine. The Hippocratic Oath clarifies the priorities essential for the mindset of a physician. Despite its primary warning, first, do no harm, damage done to patients is rampant. Resolution of this tragic dynamic appears insoluble. 

When decisions are made by any medical organization with financial interests, the primary impetus of the Oath is lost; the AMA’s control over payment schedules reinforces and exemplifies a corrupt institutional flaw. The harm done by the business of medicine needs to be evaluated and controlled.

The seemingly intractable conflict of interest undermining medical care is directly tied to a profit-oriented model in mitigating human suffering. Dispensing treatments with earnings in mind is a form of profitable planned obsolescence and ultimately a methodology that degrades patient autonomy and vitality. 

Although there is often consensus among critics of the healthcare system about its numerous faults, approaching the central issue of profiting from illness is virtually avoided. 

In an attempt to broach the topic of money and medicine, the AMA’s Journal of Ethics presents a self-justifying analysis. The following excerpt exposes how this inherently conflicted view of healthcare depends on the illness of the nation. 

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Corporation For Public Broadcasting Begins “Winding Down” As Taxpayer-Funded Propaganda Machine Crumbles

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced Friday afternoon that it will begin winding down operations after Congress stripped its funding from the Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, the first time in over half a century of operations. Recall lawmakers passed sweeping cuts, and President Trump signed off on slashing funding for the public broadcaster network, which has been infected with far-left misinformation and disinformation propaganda. 

“For nearly 60 years, CPB has carried out its Congressional mission to build and sustain a trusted public media system that informs, educates, and serves communities across the country. Through partnerships with local stations and producers, CPB has supported educational content, locally relevant journalism, emergency communications, cultural programming, and essential services for Americans in every community,” CPB wrote in a statement. 

What’s laughable is that CPB claimed above that its mission is to “build and sustain a trusted public media system that informs, educates, and serves communities across the country.” That was abandoned years ago as taxpayer dollars increasingly funded biased news coverage. There’s no reason for the public to foot the bill for leftist PR operations masquerading as “news” or other media content. 

For context, CPB is a nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 under the Public Broadcasting Act. It serves as the primary federal funding vehicle for public broadcasting networks nationwide. Congress’ rescinding of $1.1 billion in CPB funding marks a significant blow to the left-leaning public broadcaster network, namely PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) and NPR (National Public Radio)

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Trump’s Russia Sanctions Ultimatum Will Blow Up In America’s Face: Jeffrey Sachs

Economist and longtime adviser to the UN Jeffrey Sachs has issued a scathing critique of President Trump’s decision to unleash yet more anti-Russia sanctions, giving Moscow just ten days to negotiate for peace with Ukraine or else the new punitive measures will go into effect.

Sachs called the new policy “dangerous” and a sign that the Trump administration is plagued by contradictions and lack of a coherent strategy for ending the war, despite constant early boasting that Trump would rapidly achieve peace. The ‘secondary sanctions’ aimed primarily at those nations still trading with Russia are doomed to be ineffective anyway, the Colombia University professor pointed out.

“If the sanctions are actually applied, they are an escalation of the conflict, and therefore very dangerous. I do not believe that they will be effective,” he said in an interview with Russian media.

“For example, I do not believe they will stop Russia from selling oil, gas, and other commodities to Asian markets. Yet, provocations and escalation often have unpredictable negative effects, and that could be true here as well,” he added.

The new restrictions are likely to backfire regardless, as they “could expose” the “incompetence” or even “accelerate the breakup” of US-led geopolitical and economic blocs.

“This is, in short, the wrong approach. We need diplomacy and negotiation to get to the root causes of the conflict, and solve them, not unworkable ultimatums based on the idea of an unconditional ceasefire,” Sachs added.

He further highlighted the West’s inability to acknowledge and come to terms with the real underlying causes of Ukraine war, such as historic NATO expansion east, the sham Minsk accords, or the coup events of 2014.

“Instead, the Western powers now demand an unconditional ceasefire. Russia will not agree to this, nor will a new round of US sanctions compel Russia to agree to this,” Sachs emphasized.

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Louisiana ‘Medicaid millionaire’ bought Lamborghini while claiming government benefits for years

A Louisiana woman who purchased a Lamborghini while fraudulently obtaining Medicaid benefits is facing a fraud charge, authorities said this week. 

Candace Taylor, 35, of Slidell, dubbed the “Medicaid millionaire” by the office of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, was arrested Monday. The state Bureau of Investigation began looking into Taylor after receiving a complaint from the Louisiana Health Department saying she underreported her income to qualify for Medicaid benefits.

“From 2021 through 2024, Ms. Taylor continued to transfer tens of thousands of dollars between her personal and business accounts, with personal inflows consistently exceeding the eligibility thresholds for Medicaid,” the affidavit directly states.

Medicaid provides health insurance for low-income adults and children. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by state governments. The federal government establishes parameters for states to follow. However, each state administers their Medicaid program differently.

Taylor initially applied for Medicaid in May 2019 under the alias Candace Sailor, listing a bi-weekly income of $1,900 and no dependents, authorities said. That application was denied.

Less than a year later, she re-applied under the same misspelled name, prosecutors said. She was allegedly inconsistent with the years she reported having a dependent. 

Investigators eventually discovered she owned six different businesses that generated more than $9.5 million between January 2020 and December 2024, according to court documents.

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EPA Chief Lee Zeldin to Rescind ‘Holy Grail of the Climate Change Religion’ That Led to $1 Trillion in Regulations

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday released the agency’s proposal to rescind what he has described as the “holy grail of the climate change religion,” which has led to over a trillion dollars in regulatory impact.

Zeldin made the announcement to repeal the Obama-era Endangerment Finding at an auto dealer in Indiana alongside U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Gov. Mike Braun (R-IN), Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and American Trucking Association President and CEO Chris Spear.

The EPA has said the Endangerment Finding has been used to justify over $1 trillion in regulations, including the Biden-Harris administration’s electric vehicle mandate. Scrapping the so-called Endangerment Finding would repeal all of the greenhouse emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines and give Americans consumer choice.

The Endangerment Finding created the legal basis for the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, believing that the emissions serve as an alleged threat to public health and welfare.

Zeldin explained in a Breitbart Fight Club Roundtable that the Endangerment Finding never made a “straight-line conclusion” that carbon dioxide from motor vehicle engines caused “endangerment.” He described this finding as the “holy grail of the climate change religion.”

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EU plans $30 billion investment in gigawatt AI data centers — multiple sites to host 100,000 AI GPUs each as bloc plays catch-up to US and China

The European Union is the world’s second-largest economy in terms of GDP, but when it comes to its place on the AI market, its position is by far not as strong. To catch up with the U.S. and China, the bloc is launching a $30 billion initiative to build a network of high-capacity data centers that can host millions of AI GPUs, reports CNBC. If successful, the EU will have gigawatt-class datacenters with performance akin to that owned by leading U.S. companies.

To date, the European Union has allocated €10 billion (approximately $11.8 billion) to establish 13 AI data centers, alongside an additional €20 billion earmarked as initial funding for a network of gigawatt-class AI facilities. So far, the project has attracted 76 expressions of interest from 16 member states, covering a total of 60 potential locations, according to CNBC. Initial launches are underway, with the first AI factory expected to go live in the coming weeks and a large-scale project in Munich planned for early September.

Each gigawatt datacenter is expected to require €3 to €5 billion and deliver a level of computational power far greater than existing AI data centers, potentially supporting over 100,000 advanced AI GPUs per site, according to estimates by UBS cited by CNBC. xAI’s Colossus cuper cluster consumes about 150 MW of power when equipped with 100,000 H100 GPUs, so a gigawatt facility will probably be able to host many more GPUs. Perhaps, 300,000 Blackwell Ultra processors.

The EU’s effort, if realized, is probably one of the world’s largest publicly funded initiatives in artificial intelligence, probably well below what Chinese authorities (both federal and local) have invested in AI data centers, but well ahead of what other big economies invest in their AI efforts.

Henna Virkkunen, European Commission executive vice president for technology policy, told CNBC that while Europe has a strong talent base — reportedly 30% more AI researchers per capita than the U.S. — their limited access to computing has held back development. Building massive AI data centers is designed to solve this problem and kick-start the AI sector across the EU.

Despite strong public interest, the scale and sustainability of the project remain in question. Bertin Martens of Bruegel noted that while the EU has committed taxpayer funding, it is unclear how much the public sector will invest in the project. Also, the specifications of the upcoming data centers are unclear. While the EU has access to Nvidia GPUs and other advanced AI accelerators developed in America through a trade agreement with the U.S., Martens pointed out that acquiring hardware is only the beginning.

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Entire Board of CA English School for Afghan Migrants Resigns After $180 Million Fraud Report

The entire school board for a Sacramento school that teaches English to adult migrants resigned after a state audit revealed mismanagement, fraud, and illegal use of education funding.

The entire board of directors for Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools (HCCTS) resigned on Monday after a 171-page audit alleging massive fraud was released by the California State Auditor’s office.

The report found that the school took some $180 million in state education funding that it either never qualified for, or qualified for but misspent.

The school opened in 2014 to help adult migrants, especially Afghans, return to school to earn equivalent high school diplomas to allow better employment opportunities in the U.S., the Sacrament Bee reported

During Monday’s board meeting, the trustees first voted to remove board member Sonja Cameron for hiring her unqualified daughter to serve as Highlands’ Director of Attendance and Admissions, a position that pays a $145,860 annual salary, according to KXTV-TV.

However, on the tail of that vote, the remaining six board members immediately tendered their own resignations, with three of the six vowing to stay on until replacements can be arranged.

The auditor’s report alleged that the school board engaged in nepotism in hiring Cameron’s daughter, inflated the number of students to get more funding, purposefully avoided providing financial transparency reports to the state, spent money on repair bills for cars owned by board members, paid for luxury items such as food and travel, approved consulting contracts to friends and family members, modified test results, and committed a slew of other violations.

Some of the fraud concerned admissions to the school. The state charter only allows the school to admit migrants aged 22 and up and who don’t already have high school diplomas. However, the audit found that it was admitting students younger than the target age and also students who already had high school diplomas.

State officials allege these violations occurred to grow the school’s attendance numbers to boost the school’s state funding which was based on average daily attendance and the total number of students enrolled, the Sacrament Bee reported.

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