INTERNACIONAL
GOP push to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, say going back would be a ‘dramatic’ change for many
Tax season is done.
And this year, Congressional Republicans converted tax season to «sales» season. Republicans and President Donald Trump are pushing to approve a bill to reauthorize his 2017 tax cut package. Otherwise, those taxes expire later this year.
«We absolutely have to make the tax cuts permanent,» said Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., on FOX Business.
«We’ve got to get the renewal of the President’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That’s absolutely essential,» said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on FOX Business.
Rates for nearly every American spike if Congress doesn’t act within the next few months.
CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRATS HITS ALL TIME LOW IN NEW POLL
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with the media after the House passed the budget resolution on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«We are trying to avoid tax increases on the most vulnerable populations in our country,» said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which determines tax policy. «I am trying to avoid a recession.»
If Congress stumbles, the non-partisan Tax Foundation estimates that a married couple with two children – earning $165,000 a year – is slapped with an extra $2,400 in taxes. A single parent with no kids making $75,000 annually could see a $1,700 upcharge on their tax bill. A single parent with two children bringing home $52,000 a year gets slapped with an additional $1,400 in taxes a year.
«Pretty significant. That’s an extra mortgage payment or extra rent payment,» said Daniel Bunn of the non-partisan Tax Foundation. «People have been kind of used to living with the policies that are currently in law for almost eight years now. And the shift back to the policy that was prior to the 2017 tax cuts would be a dramatic tax increase for many.»
But technically, Republicans aren’t cutting taxes.
«As simple as I can make this bill. It is about keeping tax rates the same,» said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, on Fox.
Congress had to write the 2017 tax reduction bill in a way so that the reductions would expire this year. That was for accounting purposes. Congress didn’t have to count the tax cuts against the deficit thanks to some tricky number-crunching mechanisms – so long as they expired within a multi-year window. But the consequence was that taxes could climb if lawmakers failed to renew the old reductions.
«It sunsets and so you just automatically go back to the tax levels prior to 2017,» said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
A recent Fox News poll found that 45% of those surveyed – and 44% of independents believe the rich don’t pay enough taxes.
Democrats hope to turn outrage about the perceived tax disparity against Trump.
«He wants his billionaire buddies to get an even bigger tax break. Is that disgraceful?» asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at a rally in New York.
«Disgrace!» shouted someone in the crowd.
«Disgraceful! Disgraceful!» followed up Schumer.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., (R) speaks alongside Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., (L) to reporters during a news conference on the impacts of the Republican budget proposal at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Some Republicans are now exploring raising rates on the wealthy or corporations. There’s been chatter on Capitol Hill and in the administration about exploring an additional set of tax brackets.
«I don’t believe the president has made a determination on whether he supports it or not,» said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
«We’re going to see where the President is» on this, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent while traveling in Argentina. «Everything is on the table.»
A Treasury spokesperson then clarified Bessent’s remarks.
«What’s off the table is a $4.4 trillion tax increase on the American people,» said the spokesperson. «Additionally, corporate tax cuts will set off a manufacturing boom and rapidly grow the U.S. economy again.»
Top Congressional GOP leaders dismissed the idea.
«I’m not a big fan of doing that,» said House Speaker Mike Johnson on Fox. «I mean we’re the Republican party and we’re for tax reduction for everyone.»
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«I don’t support that initiative,» said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., on FOX Business, before adding «everything’s on the table.»
But if you’re President Donald Trump and the GOP, consider the politics of creating a new corporate tax rate or hiking taxes on the well-to-do.
Sunrise light hits the U.S. Capitol dome on Thursday, January 2, 2025, as the 119th Congress is set to begin Friday. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The president has expanded the GOP base. Republicans are no longer the party of the «wealthy.» Manual laborers, shop and storekeepers and small business persons now comprise Trump’s GOP. So maintaining these tax cuts helps with that working-class core. Raising taxes on the wealthy would help Republicans pay for the tax cuts and reduce the hit on the deficit. And it would shield Republicans from the Democrats’ argument that the tax cuts are for the rich.
Congress is now in the middle of a two-week recess for Passover and Easter. GOP lawmakers and staff are working behind the scenes to actually write the bill. No one knows exactly what will be in the bill. Trump promised no taxes on tips for food service workers. There is also talk of no taxes on overtime.
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Republicans from high-tax states like New York and Pennsylvania want to see a reduction of «SALT.» That’s where taxpayers can write off «state and local taxes.» This provision is crucial to secure the support of Republicans like Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. But including the SALT reduction also increases the deficit.
So what will the bill look like?
«Minor adjustments within that are naturally on the table,» said Rounds. «The key though, [is] 218 in the House and 51 in the Senate.»
In other words, it’s about the math. Republicans need to develop the right legislative brew which commands just the right amount of votes in both chambers to pass. That could mean including certain provisions – or dumping others. It’s challenging. Especially with the slim House majority.
People attend a press conference and rally in support of fair taxation near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on April 10, 2025. (Bryan Dozier / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)
«There were trade-offs and offsets within that bill that many people are dissatisfied with,» said Bunn of the 2017 bill. «And it’s not clear how the package is going to come together with those various trade-offs.»
Johnson wants the bill complete by Memorial Day. Republicans know this enterprise can’t drag on too late into the year. Taxpayers would see a tax increase – even if it’s temporary – if working out the bill stretches into the fall when the IRS begins to prepare for the next tax season.
It’s also thought that finishing this sooner rather than later would provide some stability to the volatile stock markets. Establishing tax policy for next year would calm anxieties about the nation’s economic outlook.
«The big, beautiful bill,» Trump calls it, adding he wants the legislation done «soon.»
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And that’s why tax season is now sales season. Both to the lawmakers. And to the public.
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The Department of Justice has begun investigating nonprofit groups that the Trump administration says are involved in organizing or funding political violence and destructive protests, including those linked to Antifa, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
The effort involves the FBI and IRS, the sources said, and stemmed from directives by President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to probe political violence. The Trump administration has contended that the violence is often being perpetrated by self-described Antifa adherents and could be a result of organized and well-funded campaigns by nonprofits.
«These movements portray foundational American principles (e.g., support for law enforcement and border control) as ‘fascist’ to justify and encourage acts of violent revolution,» Trump wrote in his memorandum in September, days after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a man who authorities say wrote antifascist phrases on his bullet casings.
OVERSIGHT DEMANDS DOJ ANSWERS ON FOREIGN FUNDING OF AGITATOR GROUPS AS IRAN, ANTI-ICE PROTESTS CONTINUE
President Donald Trump during a roundtable on Antifa in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2025. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump’s directive came after a string of harrowing ideologically-inspired shootings that included Kirk’s killing, an attack on a Dallas ICE facility that killed one detainee and the murder of a health insurance CEO. The DOJ also recently secured convictions for nine members of a Texas Antifa cell for their roles in an attack on an ICE facility in Alvarado last year that involved weapons, explosives and a murder attempt.
Bondi, in a memorandum on Dec. 4, directed federal law enforcement to carry out Trump’s memorandum, coined NSPM-7, in part by looking into Antifa’s funding sources and investigating any tax crimes by «extremist groups.»
A spokesperson for the IRS Criminal Investigations unit confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency was working with the FBI on the matter.
«In accordance with National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is collaborating with federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to investigate individuals and entities that may be funding domestic terrorism or political violence,» the spokesperson said, calling it a «coordinated effort.»
Members of the Communist Party USA and other anti-fascist groups burn an American flag on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021, in Denver, Colorado. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Antifa, short for antifascist, is a broad term, and its members often promote a range of radical views closely aligned with anarchism, communism or socialism, according to the Congressional Research Center. Trump declared Antifa a «major terrorist organization» last year, drawing criticism from civil rights advocates who said the president was targeting people for their political views. Bondi’s memo carefully noted the DOJ would not investigate «solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the First Amendment.»
One of the sources familiar with the NSPM-7 probe told Fox News Digital that every U.S. attorney across the country was directed by the DOJ to designate a federal prosecutor in their office to serve as a «district coordinator» for the cases.
The DOJ has been urging prosecutors to focus on funding because nonprofits could be funding and coordinating instances of domestic terrorism, the person said.
TRUMP CALLS ANTIFA ‘TERRORIST GROUP,’ FUELING FIGHT OVER FREE SPEECH AND LIMITS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks as President Donald Trump looks on during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A DOJ spokesperson said in response to a request for comment on the effort that the department was pursuing a wide range of domestic terrorism crimes.
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«The Department of Justice is fully committed to preserving the rule of law, protecting law enforcement from coordinated attacks, ensuring everyone has the freedom to speak in the public square, participate freely in the electoral process, and practice their faith without fear of violence or harm, and bringing to justice the full range of criminal actors engaged in criminal conduct matching Congress’s definition of domestic terrorism,» the spokesperson said.
The FBI declined to comment.
justice department,fbi,antifa,politics
INTERNACIONAL
De Stranger Things a los museos: cómo la nostalgia se volvió una fuerza cultural poderosa
Nuestra percepción del pasado rara vez coincide con los hechos históricos. Está influida por la cultura, los medios y la memoria colectiva, que permiten construir versiones de la historia reconfortantes.
Según Historia Extra, el portal especializado en historia, el cine, la televisión, los videojuegos y la literatura facilitan el acceso a otras épocas, pero lo hacen a través de relatos ajustados a las expectativas y deseos del presente. En este proceso, la nostalgia juega un papel central, conectando emociones intensas con recuerdos o imágenes idealizadas.
La nostalgia es una vía emocional que trasciende la racionalidad y ofrece una forma de conexión con la historia a través del sentimiento. Esta emoción impregna la cultura contemporánea, desde productos mediáticos hasta la manera en que se recuerdan y reinterpretan hechos pasados.
El medio señala que la construcción de la memoria está profundamente marcada por la nostalgia, que actúa como un motor de interés por el pasado y refuerza identidades individuales y colectivas.
La nostalgia, alimentada por la cultura popular, aparece en diversos productos como series, películas y videojuegos que evocan épocas pasadas mediante tropos y clichés más que una reconstrucción fiel. Series como Stranger Things recrean una versión imaginaria de los años 80 para una audiencia que, en muchos casos, no vivió esa década. Según Historia Extra, esta evocación genera una experiencia compartida y comercializada.
Este fenómeno se manifiesta también en el cine, la música y los videojuegos, donde se explora y amplifica la nostalgia por épocas recientes o remotas. Obras como Mad Men ilustran cómo los relatos del pasado pueden utilizarse como herramientas de marketing, mostrando que la nostalgia se transforma en mercancía simbólica.
Al consumir relatos, imágenes y símbolos de otros tiempos, la memoria colectiva se nutre de ficciones y referencias que refuerzan emociones y lazos sociales, integrándose en la vida cotidiana y dotando de sentido al presente a través del pasado.
La nostalgia se presenta en distintas formas, adaptándose al contexto y la experiencia individual. Historia Extra distingue entre la nostalgia personal, ligada a recuerdos propios y vivencias íntimas, y la histórica, orientada a períodos no vividos y conocidos solo por relatos y cultura. La nostalgia personal suele asociarse a la infancia o a momentos significativos, mientras que la histórica surge del contacto con narrativas colectivas, imágenes y productos culturales.
La psicología reconoce que casi todas las personas experimentan nostalgia en algún momento, aunque varía en intensidad. Este sentimiento consolida la identidad, fortalece los vínculos sociales y aborda la incertidumbre en tiempos de cambio. La nostalgia histórica, en cambio, puede propiciar visiones idealizadas que dificultan una comprensión crítica del pasado, reforzando clichés y simplificaciones.
Los historiadores advierten sobre el riesgo de sustituir el análisis objetivo por la emoción, pero también reconocen la relevancia del tema en la motivación por el interés histórico y la creación de museos, documentales y recreaciones de época.
El auge de representaciones nostálgicas en el cine y los medios ha generado debates sobre su alcance y significado. La etiqueta de nostalgia se aplica con frecuencia a cualquier obra de época, independientemente de su género o intención, lo que puede derivar en una visión reduccionista de la relación entre el público y la historia.
Este fenómeno ha motivado estudios empíricos para analizar si la nostalgia refleja una relación auténtica con el pasado o responde principalmente a patrones de consumo y placer cultural. Incluso quienes sienten nostalgia intensa por ciertos tiempos suelen ser conscientes de que el presente ofrece comodidades y derechos que no cambiarían por épocas evocadas.
Además, en los últimos años, se ha producido una ola de historia pública accesible, desde recursos digitalizados hasta innovaciones en la televisión histórica, buscando equilibrar el entretenimiento con la fidelidad a los hechos y a las fuentes primarias.
Programas como ¿Quién te crees que eres? y series basadas en documentos históricos han actuado como contrapeso a las versiones idealizadas, promoviendo una aproximación más crítica al pasado y abriendo espacio para la reflexión colectiva.
La nostalgia es mucho más que un simple anhelo por el pasado; constituye una emoción compleja y cambiante. El término fue acuñado en el siglo XVII por un médico suizo para describir una dolencia: una añoranza patológica por un lugar perdido.
Solo en el siglo XX adquirió su sentido actual, el deseo de regresar a un tiempo pasado, más que a un espacio concreto. En la actualidad, la nostalgia puede verse tanto como un consuelo personal ante la incertidumbre como un motor cultural en la búsqueda de sentido histórico.
La historiadora médica Agnes Arnold-Forster, citada en el texto, advierte que existen “muchas nostalgias” y que este sentimiento puede ser beneficioso al reforzar los vínculos y la pertenencia, pero también riesgoso si idealiza el pasado y dificulta una comprensión crítica de la historia.
En su obra Nostalgia: una historia de una emoción peligrosa, insiste en la importancia de analizar con cuidado la nostalgia para evitar distorsiones o manipulaciones de la memoria colectiva. Así, la nostalgia puede funcionar como consuelo individual y motor cultural, pero siempre exige un análisis atento para no perder de vista la complejidad y las tensiones del pasado.
Morris Minor,automóvil clásico,calle adoquinada,bicicletas,casas de ladrillo,arquitectura,historia,vehículo,transporte
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Someone was playing possum — or stuffed animal.
Among plush kangaroos, dingoes and Tasmanian devils ready to be bought by parents of antsy children, a live brushtail possum waited in a gift shop at an Australian airport this week.
The wild animal was first noticed by a shopper in the store on Wednesday, retail manager Liam Bloomfield of Hobart Airport in the state of Tasmania said.
«A passenger reported it to …. one of the staff members on shift who couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing,» Bloomfield told The Associated Press. «She then called the (airport) management and said we’ve got a possum in the store.»
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A live Australian brushtail possum sits on the display shelf at a terminal shop at Hobart Airport in Hobart, Australia, on Wednesday. (Melissa Oddie via AP)
Staff at the airport were able to remove the animal without harming it.
«I’m imaging it saw some of the plush animals that were for sale on the shelf and it decided to make its home with those,» Bloomfield joked of why the possum was hiding with the stuffed toys. «It wanted to blend in.»
EXPERT SOUNDS ALARM AFTER STUDY FINDS POPULAR TRAVEL ITEM CARRIES FAR MORE BACTERIA THAN EXPECTED
The arrivals area at Hobart Airport in Australia. (Steve Bell/Getty Images)
«Can you spot the imposter?» the airport wrote in a Facebook post Thursday that showed the possum curled up in a cubby with its stuffed counterparts.
«This cheeky lost possum found a clever hiding place among the Aussie plushies in our retail store,» the airport continued. «Luckily it was safely relocated out of the terminal area and the space was cleaned.»
Passengers boarding a plane at Hobart Airport in Australia. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)
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Bloomfield said the possum not only found a way into the airport but also their hearts.
«We’ll have a little shrine to the possum,» he revealed, according to The Independent. «There will be a nice little photo; once it gets a name, we will put a nice little post in front of the store to make sure it’s remembered.»
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