Where is Alex Acosta: Why House GOP Won't Demand He Testify About Epstein File

 

Alex Acosta is #1 on my list of loyalists

(In reference to "Creep" Epstein Case)

Trump's former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta (2017-2019) was not one of the former government officials subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee over the Jeffrey Epstein probe but he should have been as the #1 witness overall.

This very long and detailed article has a lot of information and facts and details thus far unknown. It is dated November 12, 2020 and is from THE AP (and as usual edited and formatted to fit blog).

Why does it matter: As a federal prosecutor in 2008, Acosta approved a highly controversial non-prosecution agreement that allowed Epstein to serve minimal time in prison and shut down the federal investigation into his alleged sex trafficking ring. The so-called sweetheart plea deal, which Acosta negotiated without consulting the victims, also shielded co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, at least according to her and her lawyers, for any future prosecution related to the sex crimes.

So, Maxwell has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her sex trafficking conviction, citing that sweet heart deal in her court filing which she doesn't want the government to unseal grand jury testimony related to the Epstein case.

Driver of the news: House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) announced that he had issued subpoenas to a number of prominent figures to appear for depositions in the following weeks and months. Those individuals included President Bill Clinton, his wife and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller.

A House panel approved a motion by Rep. Perry (R-PA) directing Comer to subpoena those very same individuals. Acosta wasn't among those subpoenaed, which raised eyebrows from those following the case re: What was Acosta's role in negotiating the Epstein deal at the heart of the scandal. 

Note: Former AG Alberto Gonzales, who was 

included in the subpoena list, was Acosta's boss during the time Acosta was was serving in South Florida.

BACKGROUND: Acosta gets "sweetheart deal" with Epstein avoiding a life prison sentence got a deal that saw him entirely freed from prison after 13 months. Because of the deal, Epstein had to make payments to victims and he was registered as a sex offender, but he was allowed to continue traveling and conducting business as usual.

Then a FL judge ruled in February 2019 that prosecutors broke the law in reaching the deal because they did not notify Epstein victims. Then Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) ordered an investigation into the plea agreement conduct days before Epstein died by suicide in his prison cell (which now is also questionable).

 

Acosta has defended his handling of the Epstein deal saying in 2019: "The goal was to put Epstein behind bars, ensure he registered as a sexual offender, provide victims with a means to seek restitution, and protect the public by putting them on notice that a sexual predator was within their midst and freed from jail."

Acosta resigned from his labor secretary position in 2019 after the backlash became a distraction for the Trump administration and then in 2020 the DOJ concluded in a report that Acosta demonstrated "poor judgment" when he signed off on the deal.

Where is Alex Acosta now? (Acosta was named to Newsmax Inc.'s board of directors in June 2025).

A DOJ report found Alex Acosta exercised “poor judgment” in handling the Epstein investigation, but that he did not engage in misconduct. The 350-page report marks the culmination of an investigation by the DOJ's OPR into Acosta’s handling of a secret plea deal with Epstein, who had been accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. As stated above, though the report faulted Acosta for his judgment, it concluded that his actions in arranging the deal did not constitute misconduct, and none of the prosecutors involved committed misconduct in their interactions with the victims.

The victims have hoped the internal investigation would hold officials accountable for actions they say allowed Epstein to escape justice. In a statement, Acosta expressed vindication at the report’s conclusion that he had not committed misconduct saying it “fully debunks” allegations that he had cut a sweetheart deal for Epstein. He said the report confirmed that his decision to open an investigation into Epstein had resulted in a jail sentence and a sex offender registration for Epstein.

Acosta said: “OPR’s report and public records document that without federal involvement, Epstein would have walked free.”

NOTEWORTHY: The OPR probe also concluded that Acosta’s decision to resolve the federal investigation through the non-prosecution agreement constituted poor judgment. Investigators found that although it was within his broad discretion and did not result from “improper factors,” the agreement was nonetheless “a flawed mechanism for satisfying the federal interest that

caused government to open an investigation of Epstein.”

Under the 2008 non-prosecution agreement (NPA) Epstein pleaded guilty to FL state soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender. Epstein was later charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations in 2019, but he took his own life while in federal custody as he awaited trial. 

Acosta said the “Epstein affair was vastly more lurid and sweeping” when he first found an allusion to some of the high-profile names referenced in media reports as friends or associates of Epstein, and the fact that more evidence has now been assembled as additional victims have come forward.

In a separate statement, Marie Villafana, who was a lead prosecutor in Florida said she was pleased OPR had completed the report but, “I am disappointed that it has not released the full report so the victims and the public can have a fuller accounting of the depth of interference that led to the patently unjust outcome in the Epstein case. That injustice, I believe, was the result of deep, implicit institutional biases that prevented me and the FBI agents who worked diligently on this case from holding Mr. Epstein accountable for his crimes.” 

Brad Edwards, attorney for several of Epstein’s victims said: “The report is a disappointing sidestep of the issue, and appears to have backed in to a desired result that is difficult to reconcile with the facts. We left still wondering why Epstein

got the sweetheart deal he did and who exactly made the decision to transform a lengthy sex trafficking indictment into a non-prosecution agreement.” 

The report was condemned by then Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) who at the time questioned DOJ officials about the plea deal repeatedly saying: “Letting a well-connected billionaire get away with child rape and international sex trafficking isn’t just ‘poor judgment’ – it is a disgusting failure. Americans ought to be enraged. Jeffrey Epstein should be rotting behind bars today, but the DOJ failed Epstein’s victims at every turn.”

The OPR investigation centered on two aspects (1) whether prosecutors committed misconduct by  resolving the allegations through a non-prosecution agreement, and (2) whether they failed to keep victims adequately in the loop on developments in the case. 

The report concluded that prosecutors did not commit misconduct in their interactions with the victims because there was no “clear and unambiguous duty” to consult with them before entering into the non-prosecution agreement. 

But it says the lack of consultation reflected poorly on the DOJ and “is contradictory to DOJ's mission to minimize the frustration and confusion that victims of a crime endure.”

Still, the report concluded that Acosta had the authority as U.S. attorney “To resolve the case as he deemed necessary and appropriate, as long as his decision was not motivated or influenced by improper factors.”

The office found no evidence that Acosta was swayed by “impermissible considerations, such

as Epstein’s wealth, status, or associations and in fact had resisted efforts by defense lawyers to return the case to the state for whatever outcome the state wanted.”

The report also did not find that a well-publicized 2007 breakfast meeting with one of Epstein’s attorneys led to the non-prosecution agreement, signed weeks earlier, “nor to any other significant decision that benefited Epstein.” 

Records reviewed by the OPR show that prosecutors weighed concerns about witness 

credibility and the impact of a trial on victims, as well as Acosta’s concerns about the DOJ's proper role in prosecuting solicitation crimes. 

The report concluded: “OPR does not find that Acosta engaged in professional misconduct by

resolving the federal investigation of Epstein in the way he did or the other subjects committed professional misconduct through their implementation of Acosta’s decisions.”

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My 2 Cents: A lot to unload and absorb as seen above and in the documents available as we now wait for House Oversight Committee action and results. It's gonna be a barn-burner for sure, and that in my view is why Trump and those around him are nervous wrecks.

So, stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard in La La Land: Update on her totally insane Obama claims

                     Should be “Director of National Instability”

Update on the following post - from part two - here from THE HILL (as always edited to fit the blog). 

THE ORGINAL POST IS HERE: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s document releases about the Obama administration’s review of the 2016 election are leading President Trump to call for prosecution of former officials, including his predecessor. But many Republicans in Congress aren’t ready to go quite that far.

While Trump’s GOP supporters in Congress have united in expressing outrage, they have varying ideas of what accountability looks like. Dems say the Trump administration is misrepresenting the facts while abusing intelligence and the DOJ. They see it as a bid to distract from growing pressure on the White House for more information about the  Jeffrey Epstein file, etc.

The files reveal little new information about Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election, but Republicans have nonetheless claimed the reviews were designed to cast doubt on Trump’s victory. 

But note: The documents do not undercut a central conclusion: “Russia lunched a massive campaign with the hopes of influencing a win for Trump.”

House GOP leaders are vowing Congress will investigate, but are stopping short of calling for prosecutions, as Trump has, or proposing any tangible consequences for those named in the newly released documents even as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) called Gabbard’s disclosures “pretty earth-shattering.”

The original Gabbard charges seen in the post here with this reference: 

My 2 Cents: This Gabbard update does not end here - but should rest with the GOP, but will it? Seems doubtful right now so as always stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Donald Trump & Jim Jones: MAGA today vs. "Jonestown People's Temple" in 1978

Trump today and Jim Jones in 1978

Two great articles first from ALTERNET here:

Second article from THE GUARDIAN here:

Trump didn’t need to lure his MAGA followers into a remote jungle, like Jim Jones did in Guyana where 900 killed themselves in 1978. 

Trump didn’t need to physically isolate them from the rest of the world like Jones did. Instead, Trump built his Jonestown right here at home, within the U.S. boundaries brick by brick. He did it using over 30,000 documented lies, fear, rage, revenge, and an intoxicating promise to his MAGA cultists of his national change for them to join. Now, today, tens of millions of Americans are trapped inside Trump’s reality-warping cult. 

Just as the Jones’ followers drank poisoned cyanide-laced Kool Aid believing it and he was their salvation and he would meet them in heaven, Trump’s followers have swallowed his Big Lies "Kool aid" laced with false statements and failed promises and tons built on tons of lies. The are all now willing to sacrifice our Constitution, our democracy, and our future on the altar of his lies, and insatiable ego.

Jones wasn’t always a madman. In the beginning, he offered something people desperately wanted: community, belonging, and equality. 

He drew on them as lonely, marginalized, and disillusioned. He offered them meaning, dignity, and the hope of a better world. 

But slowly, he twisted that hope into a tool of control, weaponizing his followers’ trust for his own wealth, power, and self-aggrandizement. 

Trump like Jones didn’t invent grievances -  both exploited them. For decades, America’s middle class was gutted by (1) Reaganomics and (2) Neo-liberal trade policies; (3) U.S. jobs shipped off shore; (4) Unions crushed; (5) Their was stagnated; and (6) billionaires amassed obscene wealth.

Trump didn’t cause that pain, but he channeled it. He told working-class Americans that he alone could restore their lost greatness. 

At the 2016 RNC Convention, Trump bellowed: “I alone can fix it.” That wasn’t a campaign promise. It was a cult leader’s declaration. 

Like Jones, Trump positioned himself not as a servant of the people, but as their savior, the one indispensable man without whom all their hope would be lost.

Cults, whether religious or political, thrive on division and a sense of victimhood. Jim Jones taught his followers that outsiders were out to destroy them, that they were surrounded by enemies, traitors, and saboteurs. He warned that the CIA, the media, and shadowy conspirators would annihilate Jonestown unless his people followed him without question.

Trump's enemies list is long: The so-called "Deep State" of the Federal civil and Elected personnel; basically all Immigrants; Black voters; Mostly women; Most if not all Democrats; Most also if not Journalists; most Doctors and Scientists; nearly all State election officials; Many members of his own party who dare to tell the truth, or  show zero  loyalty to him about anything he promises or says he will do.

Trump has spent years feeding his followers a steady diet of paranoia, victimhood, grievances, and tons of lies convincing them that the only thing standing between them and ruin is him.

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My 2 Cents: The two articles cited above fit into a scary part of our history as shown side-by-side and outlined above.

A good read and lesson in history to see what we as a nation face right now under Trump and MAGA.

A lesson in the making as it were and one not to be forgotten or ignored.

Thanks for stopping by

New DHS Counter Terrorism Chief: A 22-year old Former Gardener and Grocery Clerk

22-year old appointed as DHS Counter-Terrorism Chief 

The main story follows from the DAILY MAIL here with this headline: The headline and details: "Trump puts a 22 year-old former gardener and grocery clerk as DHS top anti-terrorism chief following the Iran bombing."  Thomas Fugate earned the counter-terror role after graduating from a Texas college.

Specifics: A 22-year-old counterterrorism official's ability to help defend the U.S. amid heightened tensions with Iran has sparked new worries about the Trump administration's personnel decisions.

Fugate is a former gardener and grocery clerk who just graduated from college last year, is reportedly overseeing a main U.S. counterterrorism hub.

He now holds title of special assistant, effectively running the DHS Center for Prevention Programs Partnerships (commonly referred to as CP3).

And as federal officials warn about the increased likelihood of a terror attack on the U.S. homeland after American strikes in Iran, Fugate's role is coming under scrutiny. 

Connecticut Dem Sen. Chris Murphy raised the Trump official's sparse resume in terrorism prevention, saying: "Fugate recently worked as a landscaper and grocery clerk. He never worked a single day in any government or counter-terrorism position. But he’s BIG Trump fan. So he got the job." 

Close-up of Thomas Fugate:

More from the article: Trump didn’t appoint Thomas Fugate to protect Americans from Iran or terrorism. He appointed him to ensure his loyalty. This 22-year-old has no qualifications. No expertise. But he does have one thing Trump prizes above all else: obedience. A spokesperson for DHS dodged the Daily Mail's questions about Fugate and declined to make him available for interview arguing that his hiring is part of broader personnel reforms within the DHS counterterrorism program.

"Unfortunately, under the Biden administration, CP3​ was weaponized against political opponents and its main purpose was to funnel money to progressive groups," the DHS spokesperson said. 

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My 2 Cents: You want totally to see disgusting and insanity at work within this administration - well, this is probably it.

Hands down this is a horrible choice for this high-level key and critical anti-terrorism position at DHS.

Thanks for stopping by

HHS Secretary RFK Jr: Needs to be Replaced ASAP as Threat to Public Health & Safety

HHS Secretary Kennedy at war with NIH and CDC 

Subject of highest concern for the entire country & world: RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee. Key points in AP ARTICLE here: 

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the CDC on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. 

Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the HHS Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy, who was one of the nation’s leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation’s top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta. 

NOTE: Although it’s typically not viewed as a partisan board, the entire current roster of committee members were Joe Biden appointees. 

Kennedy said about that: “Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028. A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine

science.”

FYI: The laid-off scientists include Richard Youle who has served at NIH since 1978, carries the title of distinguished investigator, a designation reserved for the agency's most preeminent researchers. He was the winner of the $3 million real break through Prize in Life Sciences in 2021 for his research into Parkinson's disease. 

A scientist familiar with Youle's work, who spoke anonymously fearing retaliation, praised Youle's research as a "fundamentally important breakthrough for the field." 

Youle's results had paved the way for researchers to find new treatments for Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders NIH said in its news release. 

Ten other senior investigators: Miguel Holmgren, Steve Jacobson, Dorian McGavern, Joseph Mindell, Katherine Roche, Zu-Hang Sheng, David R. Sibley, Kenton Swartz, Susan Wray, and Ling-Gang Wu – were also laid off according to records shared with CBS News. 

A senior associate scientist, Silvina Horowitz, got a layoff notice as well, the records show. Among the scientists who have received major recognition for their work in recent years include Wu, who was selected for a prestigious award in February from the Biophysical Society for his ongoing research on how neurons communicate & function.

Sibley was recognized in 2023 by a pharmacology society for seminal contributions to understanding dopamine receptors in the brain.

Note: Kennedy told a Senate health committee at a hearing on May 14 that the only cuts they had made to date were "administrative cuts." 

He then added: "As far as I know, we have not fired any working scientists, the working scientists, the people who are actually doing science. There are some people who were scientists that were doing IT or administration, who did lose their jobs. But in terms of working scientists, our policy was to make sure none of them were lost that that research continues."

NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and senior leaders within the department were made aware weeks ago about the layoffs, multiple sources told CBS News. Bhattacharya and others previously said that they were mistakes and would be reversed soon.

Now, weeks have passed since those assurances were made to the scientists. Multiple sources said the scientists have yet to receive any letters revoking their "reduction in force or RIF notices, or an explanation for why moves to reverse their layoffs never occurred."

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My 2 Cents: Kennedy is a horrible choice for HHS in any official authority, period, non-stop. He must be removed, and  the sooner highlighted the above article as stated. 

He is useless and worthless in this key health related position and quite frankly, he is a danger to the nation's public health.

That's about all I can say - he has be go and ASAP would be best for the country. But, under Trump and this GOP government grip that seems highly unlikely, and sadly. 

Thanks for stopping by

AG at DOJ & FBI Director: Two Biggest Lying Turncoats in Our Political History

Two liars during confirmation & far worse today

(AG Pam Bondi & FBI Director Kashyap Patel)

Article highlights below are from ABC NEWS here (edited and formatted to fit the blog). 

AG Pam Bondi rejected that Trump's pardons for 1,500 rioters who assaulted police during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol creates a double standard with the administration's aggressive response to violence at immigration

protests in Los Angeles. Bondi said in part: "Well, this is very different. These are people out in California hurting people right now. This is ongoing."

Dem Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed the Trump administration for its actions against his wishes and cited inconsistency in the president's actions, saying: "Trump is not opposed to lawlessness and violence, as long as it serves him. What more evidence do we need than January 6?"

Trump's and other officials' attempts to stoke outrage over videos showing attacks on law enforcement in Los Angeles has been the subject of some mockery on social media with Dems and other critics of the administration posting comparisons to the assaults law enforcement were subject to on January 6, when a pro-Trump mob descended on the US Capitol.

More than 140 police officers suffered injuries during that riot as they were beaten by objects ranging from baseball bats and hockey sticks to rocks and even an American flag. Trump then has since pardoned nearly all of the 1,500 people charged in connection with that assault on the Capitol extended to more than 450 charged with assaulting or impeding officers; 

300 of whom still had not had their cases fully adjudicated.

During Bondi's Senate confirmation hearing prior to Inauguration Day, she said she believed any pardons for defendants should be evaluated on a "case-to-case basis" and suggested that she would be opposed to pardons for those accused of assaulting law enforcement officers, saying: "Let me be very clear in speaking to you: I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country."

Bondi has not publicly commented on Trump's pardons since then.

She now says: "Right now in California, we're at a good point. We're not scared to go further. We're not frightened to do something else if we need to."

FBI Director Kash Patel did notably distance himself during his confirmation hearing from Trump's pardons for the violence on January 6 and the offenders, saying: "I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement. And I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”

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My 2 Cents: Pretty clear where those two are today: right in line with whatever Trump says, wants, does, or intends to do.

Case closed now as we wait to see what else leads to the end of our American way of life by those two plus whatever new comes from Dictator Don too. 

Just that simple to say in my view for what we see Trump, et al of his MAGA lackeys in tow doing that day is very close to day zero. 

Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

"Art of Con" Just Blinded Us: Trump Latest Gimmick is Most Dangerous to All of Us

 

We the People under Trump: A Huge Con

ARTICLE HEADLINE FROM NEWSWEEK:

Trump's Reported Database Move Sparks Alarm as "Dystopian"

Trump allegedly plans on developing a database of Americans' private information, according to The New York Times.  

The Times reported that the White House had contracted Colorado-based data analytics and technology firm Palantir, co-founded by longtime Trump backer and billionaire, Peter Thiel, for assistance in compiling a database of all American citizens. 

Citing unnamed government officials and Palantir employees, the newspaper said the company had been in talks with various government agencies regarding the project, that included the SSA and the Education Department.

When approached by Newsweek for comment on the Times report, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said without confirming the report: "President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate information silos and streamline data collection across all agencies to increase government efficiency and save hard-earned taxpayer dollars."

Palantir has partnered with the government in the past, but the reported expansion of its work with Trump's team has has raised concerns that this could be the precursor to surveillance of Americans on a massive scale, and accusations online that the plan mimics the actions of authoritarian states and China's "Social Credit System."

Palantir has been deepening its partnership with the government in recent years, its software being employed by the Army and, last year, through a co-partnership with Microsoft delivering its AI-powered data analytics capabilities to the intelligence community. 

The company saw its government revenue grow 45% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025 for a total of $373 million. 

The company's stock price is up over 80% since Trump took office in January, and was trading at $131.78 ahead of markets opening on Monday.

As The New York Times reported, the company's software is already being employed within the DHS; HHS: and other Agencies.

Both WIRED and CNN have reported previously that Palantir had been enlisted by DOGE to craft a database of undocumented immigrants and to expedite their deportations.

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My 2 Cents: So, who is next on the list to be snatched and grabbed, cuffed, and locked up and then shipped to God knows where. Maybe, El Salvador, or even to Siberia (if Putin were asked and approves - just my hunch). 

The bottom line is simple enough: Trump, and those around him, are totally out of control with their DHS ICE gang - just that simple. Outcome - hell who knows since this gang still has 3 years left in power or less if the Midterm election next year were to wing Democrat control (fingers crossed).

Hope for America - I honestly have to say it's in the hands of the 2026 voters - believe me and trust them.

Thanks for stopping by.

The "Big Beautiful Bill" Passes House: Label Aside It's Ugly, Nasty, and Mean-Spirited

 

Simple Message to the GOP Congress

WASHINGTON – There's good news for the nation's wealthiest, car buyers, parents, waiters and waitresses in legislation that passed the House early in the morning on May 22. There's bad news for people making less than $50,000, recipients of Medicaid and food stamps and anyone still saddled with student loan debt. But no one should take it to the bank quite yet.

The bill passed to enact Trump's agenda still has a long road to becoming law. It will now go to the Senate, where it may be changed and then voted on yet again before heading to the president's desk for his signature.

HIGHLIGHTS (EDITED & FORMATTED TO FIT THE BLOG) full article here from USA TODAY:

Medicaid & SNAP cuts: House Republicans have approved big changes that would save at least $625 billion from Medicaid, the program that provides health insurance to more than 71 million low-income Americans. Those changes are expected to cause 7.6 million Americans to lose their health insurance over the next 10 years (initial estimate by the nonpartisan CBO). The legislation would implement work requirements for adults enrolled in Medicaid expansion and increase the frequency of eligibility checks to ensure people still qualify for the program.

What to expect when you're expecting a GOP trifecta win: The GOP bill cuts Medicaid for the unemployed and undocumented children.

It would also bar Medicaid from funding services at clinics that also perform abortions, such as Planned Parenthood, and discourages states from using their own funds to provide Medicaid coverage to all undocumented children.

SNAP Food Program: It would also implement new work requirements for people ages 55 to 64 in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as SNAP or food stamps), which provides food assistance to around 42 million Americans. That would save up to $300 billion over the next ten years and shift more of the cost of the program to states for the first time. It would also limit SNAP eligibility to citizens, lawful residents and it would prevent future presidential administrations from increasing benefits without Congressional approval.

Big tax breaks: The tax cuts implemented through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by Trump during his first term expire at the end of the year. If they are not extended, income tax rates will go up for all but two income brackets next year. This bill would make those cuts permanent. While the policy keeps tax rates lower for all income groups, they disproportionately benefit wealthier Americans. Families could benefit from an increased child tax credit of $2,500 through 2028, which would drop to $2,000 after that. People over age 65 could also an additional $4,000 from their taxes if they make less than $75,000 or $150,000 filing jointly.

(Note: If the bill doesn't pass, the child tax credit would drop back to $1,000 at the end of this year).

No tax on tips, or overtime work: Tipped employees like waiters and hairstylists would be able to claim a new tax deduction for tips through 2028, as could workers who are paid overtime wages. The bill would also allow people to temporarily deduct up to $10,000 in car loan interest payments if they buy an American-made vehicle.

SALT benefits (State and Local Taxes): Republicans from primarily Democratic states like California, New York, and New Jersey pushed for an increased cap on state and local tax deductions, known as SALT, which allows people to write off a portion of their local taxes from what they owe the federal government. The 2017 tax law capped that deduction at $10,000. The new bill would raise that cap to $40,000 for people who make less than $500,000 per year.

Green energy roll-backs from Biden's plan in November 29, 2023: The bill would cut off many green energy tax credits for projects beginning 60 days after the bill passes – a major priority and last-minute change for fiscal conservatives who were hoping to shave more off. And this bill would rescind several other climate change-related provisions of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles. It would pull back unspent money for several grant and loan programs at the Energy Department and the EPA, delay methane fees for gas and oil companies, repeal additional rules encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles, and accelerate permitting for fossil fuel projects.

Trump savings accounts: Children under 8 years old would be given $1,000 each for their parents to open savings accounts that the GOP dubbed as the

"Trump accounts." Parents, other relatives and non-profits could contribute $5,000 annually to the account tax free until the child is 18, when a portion of the funds can be used for higher education, training programs, buying a home, or starting a small business until age 30, when the funds would become unrestricted.

Taxing universities, boosting private schools: Trump on April 24, 2025, bashed Harvard as an "Anti-Semitic, Far Left Institution." The bill would increase taxes on private university endowments. The rate would jump significantly for schools with higher rates for larger endowments, like those held by elite schools such as Harvard University. The bill would also allow the federal government to spend $5 billion per year for the next four years on vouchers that could be used to subsidize education outside of public schools. Families who earn less than three times their local median income and who receive the federal scholarships created by the program could choose to spend the estimated $5,000 they receive on tuition or other schooling needs at private, parochial. or homeschooling. 

Student loan changes: Student loan relief regulations enacted by Biden's administration would be repealed, and the number of repayment plans for federally held loans would shrink to just two programs. The bill would also impose significant caps on loans for parents and undergraduate students, while eliminating a lending program for future graduate students.

UPDATE:  SCOTUS BLOCKS PRIVATE. CHARTER, AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUNDING (Ruling reported here).

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My 2 Cents: Now it's up to GOP run senate to stop this Trump nonsense and work for a common sense bill... we shall see. So, stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping  by.

AG Bondi Insider: Report Says Deal Worth Millions Before Trump Announcement

 

AG Pam Bondi possible insider trader criminal

Story headline story says: AG Pam Bondi sold millions of dollars in Truth Media stock the day before Trump announced his tariffs.

It’s unclear from the public record whether Bondi would have known or not whether in advance about any nonpublic details about the tariffs Trump was announcing that very same day or not. 

Trump, of course, publicly announced his plans to institute dramatic tariffs during the election, 

But during the first weeks of his term, the market seemed to assume his campaign promises were just more Trump bluster.

The problem is that what may look like obvious insider trading may be difficult to prosecute and impossible to prove. 

Additionally, who would prosecute the AG since she serves under Trump and acts as his personal attorney at times? 

So, the government under Trump won’t and even if it were insider trading, any potential crime might be impossible to prosecute, but let’s pull back and take a look at the bigger picture in the article seen below.

Full story is here from THE DAILY.

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My 2 Cents: Not much to say except the case may or may not be open since the investigation route many not be open per se as discussed above. 

Clever isn't it? Yep, it is - the Trump escape door is always either open for him or closed for allies.

Thanks for stopping by.

Trump-DOGE Hits VA & Now Vets: Targets Vet's Safe Biden Era Mortgage Program

          Trump Hits Vets Hard in their Wallets

From the MORNING STAR this Veterans Related story headline article: 

A VA program helped thousands of struggling veterans keep their homes. Trump is ending it.

One Vet like Bob Johnson said: "You're going to have a lot of veterans who are going to be on the street."   

BACKGROUND: A year and half after Robert Johnson bought his four-bedroom home in Texas in 2022, he lost his job. The 49-year-old military veteran and father of four was in a senior management role at a technology company until February 2024. 

Finding another role at the same level and pay was tough. At first, he was able to make his mortgage payments. 

But after seven or eight months, when his severance package ran out, he couldn't do it anymore. Johnson asked his mortgage servicer for a three-month forbearance while he was looking for a job. He eventually found another role, but with less pay, he had to find a way to make his monthly payments a lot more manageable.

Luckily, he found one through the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) loan program, signed into law and implemented by President Joe Biden. 

It offer VA mortgage holders a last-resort option to avoid losing their homes. Since May 31 of last year, the Veterans Affairs has helped more than 17,000 struggling veterans with their mortgages by buying up their loans through the special foreclosure-prevention program.

For Robert Johnson, the program has been a lifeline. Having his mortgage rate lowered from 5.5% to 2.5% will save him $1,500 a month, he told MarketWatch in an interview last month. 

He said: "If VASP were eliminated, you're going to have a lot of veterans who are going to be living on the streets."

VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said: "The program will stop accepting new enrollees on May 1. VASP "was unilaterally created by the Biden administration and lacks congressional authority. This change is necessary because VA is not set up or intended to be a mortgage-loan restructuring service. The end of VASP will not impact any homeowners currently on the program or those who enroll in it before May 1."

The announcement comes at a time when tens of thousands of veterans across the U.S. continue to struggle with their mortgage payments. 

Many with VA-backed loans have missed multiple payments and are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure, according to recent data from the  Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). 

Foreclosure starts, which refer to the start of the foreclosure process, were up 34% in February compared with the same month a year earlier, according to ICE, stemming in part from defaults on VA-backed mortgages.

Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association said: "Against this backdrop, halting the VASP program will increase the number of veterans facing foreclosure unless the VA and Congress implement a permanent partial-claim option as soon as possible." 

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My 2 Cents: Key points: Republican lawmakers who had sought to end VASP called its shuttering the "Right move by VA Secretary Doug Collins and the Trump administration to protect the integrity of the VA home-loan program."

This program was implemented by President Biden and that is why Trump hates it. 

The program offers VA mortgage holders a last-resort option to avoid losing their homes. Since May 31 of last year, the VA has helped more than 17,000 struggling veterans with their mortgages by buying up their loans through this foreclosure-prevention program.

For Vets like Bob Johnson, the program has been a lifeline. Having his mortgage rate lowered from 5.5% to 2.5% will save him $1,500 a month.

Retribution from Trump at play bigtime is the name of this game.

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Trump & MAGA Aim at Dual Citizens: The Inmates are Now Running the Insane Asylum

Wacky GOP-MAGA Trump sycophants flipped

NEWSWEEK startling article headline

"Dual Citizenship Targeted by Republicans in New Bill: What to Know"

From the article (edited and formatted to fit the blog):

Republican lawmakers are pushing for restrictions on dual citizenship for members of Congress.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said in a statement: "Dual citizens elected to the United States Congress should renounce citizenship in all other countries."

Why It Matters: Republicans are looking to reshape U.S. citizenship laws to align with their agenda, with several lawmakers supporting changes to how dual citizenship is handled in Congress. 

At the same time, ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants has emerged as a central focus of the administration's hardline immigration agenda, especially after Trump's EO is aimed at challenging the long-established legal and Constitutional precedent.

Massie said in a statement FOX news that he does not believe individuals holding citizenship in foreign countries should serve in the legislature. 

Massie introduced the "Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act," along with GOP Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Rep. Clay Higgins R-LA) serving as original co-sponsors. 

Massie said in a press release: "That dual citizens elected to serve in Congress should consider renouncing their foreign citizenship. At a minimum, they should disclose their citizenship in other countries, and abstain from votes specifically benefitting those countries. If we are going to continue to allow Members of Congress to acquire and retain citizenship in other countries, they should at least be required to disclose to voters all countries of which they consider themselves to be citizens." 

It's part of a wider effort by the GOP to roll back citizenship laws for immigrants across the country.  

For example, Trump's executive order would

revoke citizenship for children born on U.S. soil to undocumented immigrants. or for individuals with temporary immigration status. The administration argued in court that birthright citizenship creates a significant incentive for illegal immigration.

Trump's administration has requested that the Supreme Court narrow the scope of nationwide injunctions issued by three federal judges that 

are blocking his EO redefining U.S. birthright citizenship (granted by 14th Amendment since 1868).

The emergency applications urge SCOTUS justices to take a "modest step in lifting the judges restrictions on Trump's Day 1 order," allowing 

federal agencies to proceed with drafting guidance and preparing for implementation, should the president ultimately prevail in the litigation.

What People Are Saying: Rep. Massie told Fox News Digital: "Personally, I don't think dual citizens should serve in Congress, but I ultimately decided to introduce a transparency bill requiring full disclosure of citizenship. Voters can then make the decision."

What Happens Next: It remains to be seen if the bill will progress in the GOP-controlled house with a razor-thin majority.

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My 2 Cents: This is lousy stunt... BTW: Elon Musk has dual citizenship as does Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and some others - do a Google search and find out.

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Mar-a-Lago Doc Case: Dismissed Awaiting S/C Smith's Report to AG Garland

Trump and defendants Carlos De Oliveira & Walt Nauta 

Major story from USA TODAY with this ongoing battle over the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case with this headline:

“Trump seeks to prevent release of Jack Smith's special counsel report”

WASHINGTON – Trump and his two co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, are trying to block DOJ’s special counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report before Inauguration Day about his investigation that led to criminal charges that have now been dismissed.

The report is expected to provide the fullest description yet about the investigation that led to two federal indictments against Trump, one for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and the other for allegedly mishandling 100's of classified documents after leaving the White House.

A public release of the potential bombshell report could come within days. But a court battle over whether to release the report will play out over the remaining two weeks before Trump returns to the White House on January 20.

Judges dismissed both cases at Smith’s request under longstanding DOJ policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Neither case could be concluded before Trump starts his second term as president.

But special counsels typically write reports explaining their investigations and the decisions about whether to bring charges. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report released in April 2019 about the investigation into Russian interference caused another firestorm because of his decision not to even consider charges against Trump as a sitting president.

Smith acknowledged in a court filing Monday that he has prepared a two-volume report, one for each of Trump’s two federal indictments. The report is being “finalized” and AG General Merrick Garland would not release the report before Friday at 10 a.m., and  Smith wrote he could transmit the report to Garland after 1 p.m. Tuesday. 

Trump meanwhile asked Garland on Monday to halt Smith’s preparation and release of the report.

Trump's two co-defendants in the classified-documents case asked the same of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and sought a public hearing to debate the issues. 

Smith said he would reply formally to the request by 7 p.m. Tuesday. Nauta and De Oliveira, who were staffers at Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, where they were charged with conspiring to hide the classified records, argued they could still face charges after Trump’s dismissal of the case.

Nauta and De Oliveira argued that Smith’s report: “Promises to be a one-sided, slanted report that has a single purpose: convincing the public that everyone Smith charged is guilty of the crimes charged.”

In a letter to Garland, Trump’s lawyers argued that the dismissal of the cases represented: “Trump’s complete exoneration, but that Smith’s report would perpetuate false and discredited accusations. The release of the report would be both imprudent and unlawful.” 

AG Garland declined to comment.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who helped lead the congressional investigation of the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, said: “Garland has a duty to release the report and “prevent its evidence from being destroyed.” Smith's team obtained testimony and evidence from Trump's advisers including former VP Mike Pence, and Cheney wrote on X: “The truth must prevail.” 

Trump was indicted in federal court in Washington on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election with baseless claims of widespread fraud.

He was also charged with obstructing Congress form counting Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021, when a riot of his supporters at the Capitol temporarily halted the count.

Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed the case at Smith’s request after Trump won the November election.

Trump was also indicted in Florida on charges he unlawfully retained national defense documents after leaving the White House at the end of his first administration. FBI agents found more than 100 classified documents during a search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022.

Cannon dismissed the charges by ruling that Smith was appointed and funded illegitimately, despite special counsel regulations being upheld in previous cases. 

Smith appealed to the 11^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals but the court dismissed the appeal at his request after Trump’s election. 

Nauta and De Oliveira asked the appeals court to return jurisdiction over the case to Cannon so she can hear their arguments.

My 2 Cents: The worse possible outcome of the classified docs case against Trump and his two charged Mar-a-Lago co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira is a crying shame against equal justice for all and still is a threat to national security.

For example what leverage remains with any missing docs that Trump holds for various reasons (e.g., favors, threats, blackmail, etc.) over those nations mentioned in the docs – at least in my professional view. 

We shall see later as developments in fact are uncovered and developed. I'm sure they will be forthcoming over time.

All in all this was an awful decision and remains harmful to the nation.

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