What we learned from Donald Trump’s tax return The return is a case study for why the Alternative Minimum Tax, for all its flaws, serves a useful purpose. But it’s mostly strong evidence that the basic law desperately needs fixing. | View caption Hide caption It turns out that Donald Trump and I are members…
First Look Trump pleads not guilty to charges he tried to overturn 2020 election Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in court Thursday to four felony charges that he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss. The magistrate judge set the next hearing on this case for August 28. | View caption Hide…
To be the president of the United States is to exist under pressures virtually unimaginable to nearly everyone else on Earth; you control a vast arsenal of weapons capable of destroying the planet many times over; you sit at the top one of of the most powerful, complex economies in history; the lives and wellbeing…
America just saw its credit rating drop. The Associated Press reported that Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. debt rating from AAA to AA. That was “a move that spurred debate in Washington about spending and tax policies.” Fitch said the government’s rising debt burden and the country’s increasingly ugly political fights — including factors like…
You can no longer buy most types of incandescent light bulbs in U.S. stores, after an energy efficiency rule from 2007 went into effect on Tuesday, 16 years later. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, signed by former President George W. Bush, set up standards where light bulbs have to produce at least 45…
First Look Former President Trump indicted on charges tied to 2020 election A grand jury indictment focuses on alleged schemes by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to subvert the transfer of power after the 2020 election. | View caption Hide caption | Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on four felony counts that accuse him…
First Look Winner takes all? California Republicans modify electoral strategy. An overwhelming majority in California’s Republican Party voted in favor of a winner-takes-all electoral strategy for the 2024 election. The new rule is expected to help former President Trump and could disincentivize other GOP candidates from campaigning. | View caption Hide caption Donald Trump has…
In what is perhaps the definition of a literal grudge match, Twitter owner Elon Musk and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg have indicated their interest in fighting each other. The feud emerged when Musk, 51, tweeted his enthusiasm for a Las Vegas-held, MMA-style cage match between himself and Zuckerberg, 39. The latter replied to Musk’s challenge…
First Look No more TikTok? More US states ban video app over safety concerns. At least 24 U.S. states have banned TikTok from being downloaded on state-owned devices. Security concerns are rising that ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the app, can access user data such as browsing history and locations. | View caption Hide caption…
When Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) burst into the national consciousness during the run-up to the 2020 elections, the pair were frequently lumped together as dual avatars of the most extreme elements of former President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement; both have documented histories of overt antisemitism, hyper-militarization, casual Islamophobia, and Qanon-tinged conspiracy-mongering.…