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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.»
FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY RESTRICTS DOGE ACCESS TO PERSONALIZED SOCIAL SECURITY DATA
«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.
WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION
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.
Politics,Taxes,Congress,Donald Trump
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A progressive House candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is under fire for dodging in-person debates with her GOP opponent ahead of an April special election, prompting accusations that she is reluctant to defend her far-left platform before voters.
Republican candidate Joe Hathaway is ripping his Democratic opponent, Analilia Mejia, for agreeing to a virtual debate — after repeatedly declining a series of face-to-face opportunities. The candidates are scheduled to participate in a live virtual forum sponsored by the New Jersey Globe on Wednesday evening.
«Unfortunately, when my opponent dodges and lies about debates, it limits the opportunity for a head-to-head matchup with two weeks left in the election,» Hathaway said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «For now, she can hide behind a screen, but she cannot hide from her record.»
The special election winner will fill an open seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., who resigned after winning the state’s 2025 governor’s race. The outcome will be closely watched for its potential impact on House Republicans’ razor-thin majority.
Analilia Mejia, then a progressive activist, speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on April 19, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WHERE SANDERS AND AOC BACKED PROGRESSIVE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE ANALILIA MEJIA STANDS ON KEY ISSUES
Hathaway’s blistering criticism comes after Mejia repeatedly declined debate opportunities with Hathaway that he accepted, the Hathaway campaign told Fox News Digital.
Proposed debates sponsored by Montclair High School, On New Jersey, Fairleigh Dickinson University and New Jersey Spotlight News ultimately fell through after Mejia did not accept the invites, according to the Hathaway campaign.
Mejia, who narrowly upset a crowded field of challengers in February’s Democratic primary, has also faced backlash for appearing to misrepresent her rationale for backing out of a separate debate opportunity with local chapters of the left-leaning League of Women Voters.
The New Jersey Democrat said she rejected the debate invite — co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey — because the group was «unable to commit» to having a person of color as the moderator.
The woman-led group fired back in a statement accusing Mejia of lying, saying their intended moderator would have been a person of color. Mejia’s primary objection was not being able to control the selection process herself, according to the group.
Republican candidate Joe Hathaway has sharply criticized Democrat Analilia Mejia for dodging an in-person debate opportunity ahead of the April 16 special election. (Joe Hathaway Campaign; Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
BALLOT BOX SHOCKER: PROGRESSIVE BACKED BY SANDERS, AOC ON VERGE OF UPSET IN DEM CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY
«We were asked to provide a campaign with a list of potential moderators for approval,» Jennifer Howard, LWV president, said in a release. «This is a request that the League of Women Voters cannot accommodate. Our nonpartisan stance does not permit a candidate to influence the selection of the moderator.»
Hathaway, a Randolph Township councilmember who faces an uphill battle to win the Democratic-leaning district, slammed Mejia for backing out of the planned debate.
«If she is willing to lie about something as simple as a debate, what other lies can we expect to hear from her tomorrow?» Hathaway told Fox News Digital.
«We will show a clear contrast between the practical common-sense leadership that I am running on, and the dangerous, radical, and socialist policies of my opponent,» he added.
When asked to comment on Monday, a spokesperson for the Mejia campaign said, «All Joe Hathaway does is complain. We will see him tomorrow.»
Analilia Mejia has embraced the «Abolish ICE» movement during her run for Congress. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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The Mejia campaign previously told Fox News Digital that she accepted the New Jersey Globe debate because the outlet met her diversity requirements and was closely following the race.
Mejia, a staunch progressive who served in a senior role in Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is a vocal critic of Israel.
The winner of the special election will face voters again in November for a full two-year term.
democrats elections, new jersey, alexandria ocasio cortez, house of representatives, politics
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El hombre de más de 70 años que ‘autoeditó’ su primera novela y se convirtió en un fenómeno editorial: “una gran sorpresa” para The New York Times
Cuando Allen Levi, músico de larga trayectoria y escritor debutante, decidió dar forma a su primera novela, su intención inicial consistía únicamente en “probar si tenía el músculo” necesario para componer una obra de ficción extensa, tal como ha relatado él mismo a diversos medios estadounidenses.
Tras concluir el manuscrito, pensó en relegarlo a un cajón, hasta que un grupo de amigos le convenció para ‘autopublicarlo’. La novela surgida de ese reto, Theo of Golden, acabó por convertirse en un insólito fenómeno literario, definido como “la sorpresa del año” para The New York Times: en 2023 vendió 3.000 copias, cifra que se disparó hasta las 25.000 en 2024, y actualmente supera ya los 300.000 ejemplares vendidos. El ascenso se ha visto refrendado por la adquisición de los derechos editoriales, lo que ha potenciado aún más su trayectoria.
La trama de Theo de Golden, que ahora publica Grijalbo, se centra en la llegada a la ciudad de Golden, en Georgia, de un octogenario solitario, Theo, que adquiere los 92 retratos que decoran la pared de una cafetería local con la intención de devolverlos a sus retratados. El personaje, descrito como “un joven viejo con vigor” (incapaz de considerarse un “reliquia” o “débil”, y tan ágil que disfruta subiendo los tres pisos de su edificio) va entretejiendo una red de relaciones en la ciudad mediante la entrega de los retratos. En cada encuentro, Theo envía primero una carta manuscrita en la que se define como “un inofensivo anciano, viudo, padre, un león sin dientes con intenciones inocentes”.
Una vez entregado el dibujo a cada destinatario, comparte con ellos su impresión personal y les asegura que son “capaces de santidad”. Esta cadena de ‘bestowals’ genera una ola de simpatía y gratitud entre los habitantes de Golden, entre quienes figuran personajes como Tony, veterano de Vietnam y librero; Ellen, una mujer sin hogar con una enfermedad mental indeterminada; Simone, estudiante de música; o Kendrick, conserje universitario cuya hija permanece ingresada tras sufrir un accidente en el que falleció su madre.
En paralelo, Theo despliega una generosidad casi secreta que incluye procurar un tratamiento médico mejor para la hija de Kendrick, localizar a la hija de Ellen, facilitar que los padres de Simone asistan a su recital y gestionar regalos de Navidad inesperados. Solo hacia el final de la novela se desvelan las razones detrás de estas acciones y de la misteriosa fortuna de Theo.
A diferencia de otras obras que abordan la mediación de los mayores en la vida cotidiana, como Martes con mi viejo profesor, la novela de Levi se caracteriza por poseer una estructura narrativa potente y un marcado tono alegórico. El propio autor ha explicado que pretendía huir de un enfoque ingenuo y excesivamente ‘sentimentalista’, un propósito que se refleja en la presencia de un giro argumental final especialmente duro, sobre el que recibe preguntas habituales en los actos de promoción.
Cómo fue el proceso de ‘autopromoción’
No obstante, el relato apuesta por un mensaje perdurable que enfatiza la bondad, los encuentros fortuitos y las pequeñas acciones carentes de tecnología y mediación digital. Así, el público inicial del libro se concentró en el sur de los Estados Unidos y creció a través de Facebook, una red que es usada por personas mayores y que crea comunidad lectora.
El proceso de autopromoción, instrumentado por la sobrina del autor, Aron Ritchie, se basó en identificar contactos de diferentes etapas de la vida de Levi y llegar a clubes de lectura y grupos afines por medios directos. Su recorrido por colegios, eventos para jóvenes y asociaciones culminó con su implicación personal en encuentros con pequeños grupos de lectores.
La progresión de ventas fue sorprendentemente orgánica, sin apenas inversión en publicidad ni una presencia relevante en redes sociales distintas de Facebook. La posterior publicación tradicional de la novela vino acompañada de una irrupción en listas como la del The New York Times, donde ha figurado durante 15 semanas.
Con respecto a los referentes literarios y el tono general de la novela, el propio Levi cita habitualmente a Wendell Berry o David Brooks, aunque su estilo y ambientación evocan la obra de escritores como Paulo Coelho, Matt Haig o Mitch Albom, por el carácter luminoso y simbólico de su propuesta narrativa. De hecho, la abundancia de guiños a la belleza del arte, la música y la literatura (con menciones a Edward Albee, Eudora Welty, Pablo Casals, Aaron Copland o Antonin Dvorak) constituye un rasgo central en la atmósfera de la obra.
Sustrato espiritual de la obra
A pesar de haber rechazado ofertas de editoriales cristianas, Allen Levi no esconde el sustrato espiritual de Theo de Golden. El desenlace incorpora una ceremonia fúnebre cristiana plasmada íntegramente durante varias páginas, y el propio Levi ha explicado que su objetivo era que los lectores “experimentaran el amor de Dios y vieran la imagen de Dios en sí mismos, por eso los retratos”. Aun así, sostiene que la obra puede conmover a lectores ajenos a dicha perspectiva por su apelación universal a la bondad.
El ejercicio de la compasión ocupa un lugar central. Así lo demuestra la historia de Kendrick, quien, tras el accidente sufrido por su hija, opta por el perdón hacia el responsable, un inmigrante guatemalteco sin antecedentes penales que causó el siniestro al quedarse dormido al volante mientras intentaba regresar con su propia hija enferma de cáncer.
El mensaje concreto del libro se recoge en palabras de la abuela de Kendrick: “Si tienes que elegir entre justicia y misericordia, elige siempre el camino de la misericordia. Si te equivocas, que sea por misericordia… y recuerda que el ojo de Dios ve”. Este enfoque, refuerza la pulsión de cristianismo basado en las obras y no en las oraciones que impregna la narrativa, un planteamiento alejado de la actual hegemonía evangélica conservadora.
La cantante actúa por primera vez en Madrid con la gira de ‘LUX’ ante un público que clama por ella. / Grabación de pantalla de @rafacasah
El estilo de Levi ha suscitado también comentarios relativos a su carácter anticuado o poco sutil. Algunas críticas han subrayado tanto la “insistencia didáctica” de la obra como el empleo de recursos narrativos que evocan la tradición sentimental del siglo XIX, con paralelismos como el de Little Eva de La cabaña del tío Tom.
Este énfasis deliberado en la bondad y la generosidad, que según Levi desafía los códigos imperantes de la industria, ha resultado, no obstante, un potente motor de ventas y recomendación. Atraídos por ese mensaje y el carácter “puro” del proceso de publicación, muchos lectores continúan recomendando el libro y ampliando su éxito internacional. Allen Levi ha comenzado a trabajar en una secuela centrada en Ellen, uno de los personajes más singulares de la novela, enfrentándose ahora a la presión de cumplir unas expectativas muy superiores y a la dificultad de lidiar con una nueva tragedia narrativa.
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A Russian military plane crash in annexed Crimea has killed six crew and 23 passengers, Russian news agencies reported in the early hours of Wednesday, citing the Defense Ministry.
The An-26 military transport plane was carrying out a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, the reports said. The military lost contact with the plane around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
PLANE CRASH IN RUSSIA’S FAR EAST LEAVES 48 DEAD
An An-26 plane is pictured at a base in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 9, 2014. On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed in annexed Crimea, killing 29 people on board. (AP Photo/Na Son Nguyen, File)
The Soviet-designed military transport turboprop aircraft crashed into a cliff, sources at the scene told state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said a total of seven crew members and 23 passengers were on board. It wasn’t immediately clear from official statements if one crew member had survived.
TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is pictured during a meeting on March 30, 2026. Since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, accidents involving Russian military planes have been frequent. (Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
The Investigative Committee said it has launched a criminal probe in connection with flight regulations and a search is underway in a mountainous forested area in the Bakhchisarai district.
The Interfax news agency cited the Defense Ministry as saying a suspected technical malfunction may have caused the crash and that there was no «damaging interference» with the aircraft.
Accidents involving Russian military planes have been frequent since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine.
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Russian officials inspect a building after an Su-34 bomber military plane crashed into a residential area in Yeysk, Russia, in October 2022, killing 15 people. A military plane carrying crew and passengers crashed into a cliff in annexed Crimea on March 31, 2026, according to Russian officials. (Arkady Budnitsky/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In December, an An-22 military transport plane crashed in Russia’s Ivanovo region, killing seven crew. In October, a MiG-31 fighter jet crashed in the Lipetsk region, while a Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in the Siberian region of Irkutsk in April 2025.
In October 2022, a Su-34 bomber crashed into a residential area of Yeysk, a Russian city on the Azov sea, sparking a massive fire and killing 15 people.
russia, world, disasters, ukraine
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