Tax Blues: Puzzle #72
"Out during a scandal"
Taxpayers
U.S. Taxpayers Are Funding Police Brutality in Brazil
With U.S.-supplied weapons and training, Brazil’s militarized police fuel a cycle of violence that claims thousands of lives each year while destabilizing the region.
A Taxpocalypse of Rising Rates Is Coming For Americans if Congress Doesn't Act
Here's how expiring tax cuts could affect you.
Tampa Bay Rays Cancel New Stadium Plans After Local Government Stalls Funding
If funding were approved, St. Petersburg residents would have been on the hook for a new stadium for one of baseball’s least attended teams.
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk Could Cut $2 Trillion in Government Spending
If Musk is truly serious about fiscal discipline, he'll advise the president-elect to eschew many of the policies he promised on the campaign trail.
This Nebraska Man Almost Lost His Home and All of Its Equity Over a Small Tax Debt. He Just Won in Court.
Kevin Fair fell behind on his property taxes in 2014. The local government eventually gave a private investor the deed to his home.
J.D. Vance Wants To Control You With Taxes
People making the same income should be paying the same level of taxes no matter how they choose to live their lives.
Paris Spent $1.5 Billion Cleaning Poop Out of the Seine, and It's Still Too Dirty for Olympic Swimming
Athletes still can't swim in the Seine River after Paris wasted $1.5 billion trying to clean it for Olympic events.
Bad News for Universal Basic Income
Researchers found that giving people $1,000 every month for three years resulted in decreased productivity and earnings, and more leisure time.
The 'Pro-Worker' GOP Is Anti-Worker
The New Right talks a big populist game, but their policies hurt the people they're supposed to help.
Netflix's 'Don't Look Up' Got $46 Million From Massachusetts Taxpayers
According to recently updated figures, more than half of the state's film production credits for 2021 went to just one film, whose two stars collectively earned over $50 million.
Supreme Court Left the Door Open for a Wealth Tax. But It's Still a Terrible Idea.
Wealth taxes discourage investment, shrink wages, and don’t generate much revenue.
The 2024 GOP Platform Promises To 'Make America Affordable Again.' So Why Are They Embracing Fiscal Insanity?
Although former President Donald Trump's deregulatory agenda would make some positive changes, it's simply not enough.
It Is Illiberal To Charge Teens With Felonies for Vandalizing a Pride Crosswalk
You don't promote acceptance by locking people up for victimless crimes.
Trump Wants To Exempt Tips From Income Taxes. Why Stop There?
Reducing revenue without identifying offsetting spending cuts means Trump is merely promising to borrow more heavily.
The GOP Once Claimed To Be the Party of 'Fiscal Responsibility.' So Why Not Reform Social Security?
Reasonable options include gradually raising the minimum retirement age, adjusting benefits to reflect longer life expectancies, and implementing fair means-testing to ensure benefits flow where they're actually needed.
San Diego Is Cracking Down on Groups Exercising Outside Without a Permit
A revision to the municipal code made it illegal for groups of four or more people to convene in public spaces for commercial recreational activities without a government stamp of approval.
Brace for Big Tax Hikes in 2026 Unless Congress Acts
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires at the end of 2025, with a high price tag for most Americans.
No, Unions Aren't Having a Resurgence—and That's Good for Workers
Private unions have every right to exist, but that doesn't mean they're actually beneficial on net.
These New York Agencies Benefit From Giving Away Taxpayer Money
A report from Good Jobs First found that 80 percent of state development agency revenue comes from fees: The more tax money they give out, the more they get to keep.
This Tax Week, Remember That the Federal Income Tax Is Relatively New
There are many pervasive myths about the U.S. tax code. Here are a few.
Don't Forget To Claim Drug Dealing Income on Your Taxes
According to IRS guidance, any income derived from illegal activity is taxable, and there's no statute of limitations on when they can go after you.
The Real Tax Gap
Wealthier Americans pay a record share of federal taxes, but voters (and President Joe Biden) believe they're freeloading.
Poll: Americans Don't Think All This Government Is Worth What We Pay for It
The situation is more dire when you consider how much federal spending is financed by debt.
The White House Lied About Its IRS Funding Only Targeting the Rich
Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of left-leaning thinkers who also hold libertarian ideas.
Promise-Breaking IRS
Plus: Ethan Mollick on AI, Nancy Pelosi's kente cloth, hurricanes may destroy us all, and more...
Byzantine Tax Laws Threaten To Make Us All Tax Cheats
The Department of Justice is suing several tax preparers for filing fraudulent returns, but even honest filers risk running afoul of tax laws.
Biden's Proposed Corporate Tax Hike Will Punish the Average American
The president wants to raise the rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, despite it being well-established that this is the most economically-destructive method to raise government funds.
The State of the Union Is Shouty
Plus: A listener asks the editors a question about progressive taxation in the United States.
Rivian Pauses Construction at Factory That Costs Georgia Taxpayers $1.5 Billion
The company will now build everything in its existing Illinois factory, pausing construction on the Georgia plant until "later."
Here's Why Government Should Stop Throwing Money at Green Energy
In California, which has a slew of renewable energy regulations, the cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of the U.S.—and the state still doesn't even get reliable energy.
Georgia Lawmakers Propose Modest Changes to State Film Tax Credits
The credits cost the state over $1.3 billion per year with a 19 percent return on investment. Lawmakers' proposals will do little to change that.
Must Government Fund Science?
AEI's Tony Mills and British biochemist Terence Kealey debate whether science needs government funding.
Bipartisan Tax Credit Bonanza
Plus: California reparations bills drop, the Biden administration continues the war on gas stoves, and D.C.'s rising crime rate.
Should Government Fund Science? A Soho Forum Debate
AEI's Tony Mills and British biochemist Terence Kealey debate whether science needs government funding.
St. Louis Schools Lost $260 Million to Economic Development Subsidies
According to a report from Good Jobs First, St. Louis' public schools took the brunt of the loss at nearly 65 percent of the total.
20 Percent of Welfare Spending Goes to the Households Taxed To Fund It
It's not robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's more like robbing Peter to pay Peter.
The Feds Shouldn't Subsidize Fancy, Risky Beach Houses
Government is "promoting bad behavior," says Sen. Rand Paul. He's right.
Empire AI
Plus: Adult activists, Fani Willis' love life, Catholic crackdown, and more...
DeSantis Wants To 'Eliminate the IRS' and Implement a Flat Tax
DeSantis says the new, single tax rate would mean "lower taxes for everyone" but that only demonstrates that he hasn't thought too deeply about how a flat tax would work.
Here's Why Charity Is Better at Solving Problems Than Government
Big government has been ruinous for millions of people. Charities aren't perfect, but they are much more efficient and effective.
All I Want for Christmas Is for Congress To Exercise Fiscal Restraint
Lawmakers can take small steps that are uncontroversial and bipartisan to jumpstart the fiscal stability process.
Georgia Taxpayers Lose $160,000 for Every Job Created by Film Tax Credits
The program generates just 19 cents for every dollar spent.
WHO Calls for Punitive Booze and Soda Taxes on the Anniversary of Prohibition Repeal
Nannies never fall out of love with failed authoritarianism and curbs on freedom of choice.
Americans Are Still Fleeing High-Tax States
Lower taxes create opportunities that draw even those not consciously considering tax rates.
Here's One Way To Move Toward Responsible Government and Sane Fiscal Policy
The Copenhagen Consensus has long championed a cost-benefit approach for addressing the world's most critical environmental problems.
