Treasury Proposes New Eligibility Rules for Four Tax Credits, Limiting Refunds to Citizens and Legal Residents
The Trump administration is proposing tighter eligibility rules for four refundable federal tax credits, estimating the changes would make nearly one million people ineligible for refundable portions of the programs and save taxpayers approximately $3 billion.
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service are moving to tighten eligibility for four major refundable tax credits, with the Trump administration saying the new rules will prevent people who are not legally eligible for federal benefits from receiving taxpayer-funded refunds.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the initiative Wednesday, saying the proposed regulations would apply to the adoption tax credit, child tax credit, American opportunity tax credit and earned income tax credit.
According to a New York Post report, the administration estimates the changes will save taxpayers approximately $3 billion and restrict eligibility so the affected benefits are available only to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and qualified aliens.
“Under President Trump, the days of illegal aliens collecting taxpayer-funded benefits are over. The federal law is clear, and Treasury is enforcing it,” Bessent said in a Treasury Department statement.
Bessent also publicized the policy through an X post.
“American taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for benefits going to those who are barred by law from receiving them. These proposed regulations end the abuse, protect the integrity of the tax system, and put Americans first,” Bessent said.
The four programs affected by the proposed rules are refundable tax credits.
Unlike a nonrefundable credit, which generally can reduce a taxpayer’s liability to zero, a refundable credit can result in a payment to a taxpayer when the amount of the credit exceeds the taxes owed.
That feature makes eligibility rules particularly important because some recipients can receive money from the federal government even when their tax liability is lower than the value of the credit.
IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said refundable credits were created to provide financial assistance to qualifying American workers and families.
“Refundable tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), were enacted to help low-to-middle income American families and workers receive critical financial support,” Bisignano said.
“Today’s proposed regulations ensure that federally funded benefits are reserved for eligible taxpayers and protect the integrity of every taxpayer dollar.”
The administration estimates that nearly one million people would become ineligible for the “refunded portion of the affected refundable individual income tax credits” under the proposed changes, according to the New York Post.
The regulations would affect eligibility for four separate programs that serve different purposes. …
Primary upsets reach near-record level in 2026
A wave of 2026 primary upsets has knocked out 14 incumbents so far, with scandals, redistricting and Trump-backed challenges reshaping both parties.
📌Key Takeaways
- Fourteen congressional incumbents have lost 2026 renomination bids so far.
- The defeats include 12 House members and two senators.
- Scandals, Redistricting, Trump-backed challenges and party shifts all played a role.
- Cory Mills lost his Florida GOP primary to Ryan Elijah after facing ethics and misconduct-related scrutiny.
Primary upsets in the 2026 midterms are piling up at a pace that election analysts say is near historic. Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida is the latest incumbent to fall, bringing the total to 14 congressional lawmakers — 12 House members and two senators — who have been ousted as they sought renomination.
Kyle Kondik, communications director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said the count is among the highest seen in decades outside a full redistricting cycle.
He noted that the only years with higher totals were those ending in the number two, when nationwide map redraws were taking place. This year included a partial redistricting push, but Kondik said the total is still unusually high by historical standards.
The defeats have come from several directions. Some incumbents have been hurt by scandal. Others were pushed out by President Donald Trump’s interventions in Republican primaries.
On the Democratic side, party voters and left-wing activists have pressed for younger, more ideologically aligned nominees, while redistricting has forced some members into direct showdowns with former colleagues or political rivals.
Among the Democratic losses, Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan was beaten earlier this month by state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
In New York, Rep. Dan Goldman lost his June primary to Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller backed by socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Another New York Democrat, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, lost to community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier, also a DSA member who had Mamdani’s support.
Age also played a role in that race, with the 32-year-old Chevalier defeating the 71-year-old Espaillat.
Generational change was also central in other contests.
In Colorado, DSA member Melat Kiros defeated longtime Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who has served in the House for nearly three decades.
In a special House election, 38-year-old Democrat Christian Menefee beat fellow Democrat Al Green, who turns 79 next month.
In Connecticut, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 47, defeated Rep. John Larson, a 30-year congressional veteran who is 78.
Redistricting in Texas also forced Rep. Julie Johnson into a race against her predecessor, former Rep. Colin Allred, who won the runoff.
Talarico Backs Karmelo Anthony in Divisive Murder Case: Says Black Teen’s Conviction for Stabbing White Football Star Shows ‘System Is Not Working for Black Texans’
James Talarico has waded into the racially charged case of the murder of teenage football standout Austin Metcalf, with the Texas Democratic Senate nominee throwing his support behind Metcalf’s convicted killer, Karmelo Anthony, now 19.
Anthony’s attorneys are back in a Texas courtroom on Thursday, seeking a new trial, and on Wednesday succeeded—in a significant win—in having the judge from the original trial removed.
Talarico, in an interview on a black radio show earlier this month, said the conviction of Anthony, a black teenager who fatally stabbed Metcalf, who was white, at a high school track meet in Frisco, is proof that the criminal justice system “is not working for black Texans.”
“Right now we’ve got a system that doesn’t serve all Americans equally, and, and we know that black Texans have been, um, have not gotten the justice they deserve,” said Talarico, a member of the Texas House of Representatives.
Talarico offered that controversial take during an August 5 interview on The Breakfast Club, a popular New York City talk radio show that has been a proving ground of sorts for white Democrats who seek to woo black voters.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton proclaimed on the show that she carries around hot sauce in her purse, a claim that host Charlamagne tha God said sounded like she was “pandering to black voters.” In 2020, Joe Biden said on the show that “if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
In his interview, Talarico was asked to respond to a viral clip from last month that showed him emphatically nodding along as a woman at a town hall called the Anthony conviction a “tragedy.”
A Texas jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison on June 9, 2026, for stabbing Metcalf, 17, at a track meet outside Dallas on April 2, 2025.
Metcalf, a star linebacker on his high school football team, died in the arms of his twin brother Hunter. Witnesses testified that Anthony, who was 17 at the time, threatened Austin Metcalf and other students before brandishing a large knife and stabbing Metcalf in the heart….
Those views could reinforce concerns that Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who has declared that “God is non-binary,” is too far-left to win a general election in Texas, a conservative stronghold.
The defense succeeded in having the judge, who is white, removed in part because he said the jury “got it right” in handing down a conviction.
Talarico’s campaign did not respond to questions about whether he supports a new trial for Anthony and whether he believes Anthony is innocent of the murder charges.
Talarico appeared on The Breakfast Club as he struggles to woo black voters following a bitter primary fight against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a black Democrat from Dallas (and a regular on The Breakfast Club).
Crockett, who has likewise defended Anthony, accused Talarico of running “a racist race” in the primary. Talarico came under fire for allegedly referring to former Senate candidate Colin Allred as a “mediocre black man.”
Exclusive—Tom Fitton: When It Comes to Election Integrity, the States Can Fix What the Courts Broke
Election Day is supposed to mean what it says: a single, nationwide day when Americans cast their ballots.
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Watson v. Republican National Committee, allowing Mississippi to count certain ballots received as late as five days after Election Day, makes that principle harder to enforce.
Congress should respond by passing the SAVE America Act, which would establish needed national safeguards. But the Court’s failure does not leave states powerless.
State officials can act now by conducting regular voter roll maintenance, removing ineligible and long-inactive registrations as the law allows, strengthening voter identification and absentee-ballot verification, and applying clear, uniform election rules.
Justice Samuel Alito’s dissent, joined by Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, warned that this approach “risks further undermining Americans’ confidence in election integrity” and that allowing late‑arriving ballots to decide outcomes after Election Day invites serious trouble.
Judicial Watch’s Supreme Court filings made the same case, arguing that federal law forbids counting ballots received after Election Day and that the uniform Election Day requirement reflects longstanding practice.
The Court refused to adopt that clear rule and left responsibility on Congress and the states.
Read more here…
California Senate Passes Bill Critics Dub ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’
Last updated 18 minutes ago
The California Senate approved AB 2624, which expands address privacy protections to immigration service providers facing threats, but opponents argue it lets them demand removal of public videos with $4,000 fines plus legal costs. Authored by Bonta, wife of Attorney General Rob Bonta, the bill passed along party lines with all 30 Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed, following Shirley’s footage of her avoiding questions. Shirley vows to keep documenting alleged waste in state-funded programs like hospices and daycares, as the measure heads back to the Assembly.
This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time. Grok can make mistakes, verify its outputs.
Lindsay Clancy Defenders Are Just As Sick As She Is | Ep. 1825
The Lindsay Clancy case continues to attract lunatics on TikTok who will say anything to defend an alleged child killer
Israel warns Syria over Turkish buildup; Syria keeps seized nuclear material TV7 Israel News 19 Aug.
1) Israel warns Damascus not to allow Turkey to entrench militarily in Syria.
2) Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announces his country intends to keep tons of nuclear material found in an undisclosed location.
3) The United Arab Emirates voices hope for a prompt resolution to Iran’s ongoing attacks against freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
US-South Korea joint military exercises end 6 days early on Trump’s order
The 11-day drills typically prepare soldiers for a North Korean attack. They’ll now end earlier than planned, per Trump’s order.
Year After Deadly Crash, 21 Blue States Move To Block Trump Commercial Driver’s License Data Request
Democrat attorneys general have sued to block the Trump administration from accessing records on commercial driver’s licenses.
The Trump Department of Transportation has stepped up enforcement of commercial driver’s licensing rules, seeking more information from states to find unqualified truck drivers, including illegal immigrants.
It has threatened to withhold about $10 million in funding if states don’t hand over the records.
However, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a group of 21 Democrat-leaning states and the District of Columbia in filing two lawsuits in the Eastern District of Virginia, just over a year after an illegal immigrant truck driver caused a Florida Turnpike collision that killed three people.
“Yet again, the Trump administration has threatened to hold federal funding hostage in order to obtain personally identifiable information of millions of Americans for improper purposes,” Raoul said.
“This database was created 40 years ago so states could share information with each other to stop unsafe drivers from operating commercial vehicles, and the federal government’s decision to ransack that database puts the whole system in jeopardy,” he added. “I will continue to push back on the unnecessary and unlawful attempts of the Trump administration to misuse Americans’ most personal information.”
The state’s commercial licensing data is stored centrally with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, an organization that represents state DMV officials.
The federal agencies gave the association a deadline of Aug. 17 to share the information; when the association said it could not meet the deadline, the Department of Homeland Security subpoenaed the records.
The Department of Transportation contends the association operates the commercial driver’s license database under a federal government contract.
“Every administration since 1988 has had access to this basic database, so let’s be clear on what this ridiculous lawsuit is really all about,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.
“These radical state AGs want to make it harder for my Department to enforce the rules of the road and easier for dangerous illegal immigrant truck drivers to operate a big rig,” Duffy added. “They may not care about keeping you and your family safe, but President [Donald] Trump and I do. We will fight this lawsuit tooth and nail to prevent more senseless crashes by unqualified drivers.”
Since Trump signed an executive order to restore integrity to the trucking industry in April 2025, the Department of Transportation says it has revoked 30,000 illegally issued commercial driver’s licenses across noncompliant states.
It also removed about 10,000 fraudulent or unqualified commercial driver’s license training providers from the federal registry….
8 takeaways and surprises from Florida, Wyoming and Alaska primaries
Many of the highest-profile elections on Tuesday night went just as expected. But across the country and down the ballot in four states, there were some surprises.
In a onetime battleground state that has shifted firmly to the right, FloridaDemocrats took dueling approaches as they attemptto win statewide for the first time since 2018. They picked a democratic socialist to run for Senate and a former Republican to run for governor.
GOP voters picked one House incumbent to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as governor and ousted another mired in scandal whom DeSantis declined to support.
A Democrat is locked in a tight race for a special election for a heavily RepublicanPennsylvania state House district, and President Donald Trump’s pick for Wyoming governor lost to a state lawmaker.
Here’s a rundown from Tuesday’s elections.
Scandal in Washington topples a GOP incumbent in Florida
Of eight Florida House incumbents who faced primary challenges, only one lost: Cory Mills (R).
Mills, a two-term lawmaker from the Daytona Beach area, faces mounting allegations of sexual misconduct, domestic abuse and campaign finance violations.
The House Ethics Committee said it authorized more than 20 subpoenas as it investigates him.
As DeSantis stayed out of the race, Trump stopped publicly backing Mills, and some of Mills’s House GOP colleagues endorsed a challenger. Primary voters in his district followed suit:
They picked former news anchor Ryan Elijah by a margin of 13 percentage points, signaling voter distaste for incumbents’ scandals.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, Trump endorsed Elijah.
“I told Congressman Cory Mills of Florida, a friend of mine, to get out of the Race, but he wouldn’t listen,” Trump wrote. “He thought he could win, so who can blame him? We now have a great candidate, Ryan Elijah, running in his place! Ryan stands for EVERYTHING MAGA, and is respected by ALL.”..
Florida Democrats Hand Republicans a November Gift
Far-left State Rep. Angie Nixon handed the progressive movement a surprise win against deep-pocketed Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night.
With nearly all precincts reporting, Nixon had handily defeated Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and a top witness in President Trump’s 2019 impeachment, by 12 points, 56% to 44%.
Nixon’s victory over Vindman despite his name recognition and being vastly overspent in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary came as surprise precisely because of where it happened.
Progressives or those aligned with the democratic socialist movement have racked up primary victories elsewhere this cycle, but almost all of them came in blue or purple states.
Florida is neither.
The once swing state has turned red over the last several years, which is exactly why Republicans are already treating Nixon’s win as a gift: a weak candidate that gives them the advantage of tying Democrats across the ballot to the party’s left flank heading into November.
Vindman had amassed a $16 million war chest for the campaign while Nixon raised a paltry $974,000 by comparison.
Shortly after the race was called, Trump celebrated Vindman’s defeat.
“SleazeBag Vindman loses tonight to a Radical Left Lunatic. How cool is that???” the president wrote on Truth Social…
Teacher unions funnel funds to Democratic lawmakers
The nation’s two largest teachers’ unions directed thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to Democratic members of key congressional education committees, according to federal campaign finance records reviewed by The Center Square.
The congressional members whose campaigns received the money supported legislation favoring schools and teachers.
The National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers represent millions of educators nationwide and are among the most politically active labor organizations in the country.
The NEA has about 3 million members, while the AFT represents roughly 1.8 million.
Lance Izumi of the Pasadena, Calif.-based Pacific Research Institute said teacher unions’ political spending can influence education policy at the federal, state and local levels.
Izumi described the national teachers’ unions as an “800-pound gorilla” in education politics and pointed to issues including charter schools and school choice as examples of areas where unions have sought to shape policy.
“They don’t want the competition,” Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, told The Center Square during an exclusive interview.
Unions are funded with dues taken out of teacher paychecks, so critics say the taxpayers are basically funding the lobbying and campaign contributions.
The Center Square reached out to both the NEA and AFT multiple times for comments, but union officials did not respond.
Millions on politics, lobbying
The NEA spent more than $51 million on political activities and lobbying in 2025. The AFT spent more than $41 million. That’s according to data The Center Square obtained from Union Facts, a nonprofit that stresses accountability and transparency.
Federal Election Commission records reviewed by The Center Square show the NEA contributed about $5,000 to each of the 16 Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor.
The AFT contributed about $10,000 to each member during 2025 and 2026.
The election cycle for the U.S. House of Representatives is split into two separate elections: the primary and general elections.
The maximum amount a PAC can contribute is $10,000 per candidate: $5,000 for the primary and $5,000 for the general election.
The Center Square did not find a single contribution from either the NEA or AFT toward any Republican member of a congressional education committee.
The combined contributions totaled about $192,000 for the Democratic members of the committee during the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to the records reviewed.
The lawmakers on the education committee include U.S. Reps. Robert Scott, D-Virginia; Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut; Frederica S. Wilson, D-Florida; Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon; Mark Takano, D-California; Alma S. Adams, D-North Carolina; Mark DeSaulnier, D-California; Donald Norcross, D-New Jersey; Lucy McBath, D-Georgia; Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut; Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota; Haley M. Stevens, D-Michigan; Greg Casar, D-Texas; Summer Lee, D-Pennsylvania; John Mannion, D-New York; and Adelita Grijalva, D-Arizona.
Each Democratic member of the Education Committee has received support from teacher unions because of their positions on issues such as higher teacher salaries and increased federal funding for public schools, according to Republican members of Congress and other critics of unions. …
The foods linked to the latest outbreaks of parasitic and bacterial illnesses in the US
Outbreaks of severe foodborne illnesses, causing symptoms including “explosive diarrhea,” have soared across the country this summer.
With health officials working to address continually growing outbreaks of the parasitic illness cyclosporiasis, Trump administration health officials have insisted that the U.S. food supply remains safe and that fresh produce is safe for consumers.
But the Food and Drug Administration is simultaneously responding to tens of thousands of cyclosporiasis cases, which can also cause sickness and nausea, as well as outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella, both caused by bacteria.
Two deaths have been tied to outbreaks of the illness. None have been linked to E. coli orsalmonella, according to public health officials.
However, all of the illnesses, which are mainly caused by eating contaminated food, have forced recalls across the country.
Brown and white eggs
Last month’s salmonella recall related to white and brown eggs from Midwest Poultry Services was designated a “class 1 recall” by the FDA.
Class 1 refers to the agency’s highest-risk designation meant to show “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
The eggs were sold in six states, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and New Mexico.
The recalled eggs can be identified by a code number – P-1950 or 0840962 with a Julian Date between 157 and 184 – printed in date-coding ink on the left or right sides of the carton.
Texas was most impacted by the illness, with 73 of the 98 cases reported. There have been 26 hospitalizations tied to cases nationwide.
Salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections in the U.S. every year, with contaminated food as the source of most of these illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jalapeños in appetizers and entrées
Eggs haven’t been the only salmonella threat this summer….
DSA Leader Calls Constitution Obstacle to Socialist Revolution
Last updated 49 minutes ago
In a 2025 podcast clip that resurfaced this week, DSA steering committee member Cliff Connolly described the group’s program as a ‘roadmap to revolution’ and voiced its ‘hatred of the United States Constitution,’ which he called the core obstacle to overhaul. This echoes the DSA’s 2026 ‘Workers Deserve More’ platform, which demands a new constitution, abolishing the Senate, and replacing the president and Supreme Court with Congress-led bodies to empower workers. Conservatives highlighted the remarks, warning of radical aims, while the DSA sees them as steps toward democracy against corporate power, fueling calls to reject DSA candidates ahead of midterms.
This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time. Grok can make mistakes, verify its outputs.
IRAN TENSIONS EXPLODE: Trump draws red line, Russia gets involved
Heritage Foundation Vice President Victoria Coates joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss escalating Iran tensions,
Russia’s reported support for Tehran, Ukraine’s massive drone attack and foreign partnerships at U.S. universities.
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