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What’s in the House budget bill for tax relief?

Suzanne Downing
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What’s in the House budget bill for tax relief?

The first portion of a new tax cut proposal released Friday by House Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee marks the latest step in delivering on President Donald Trump’s call for more pro-growth tax relief.

The package builds on provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and includes income tax reductions, expanded deductions, and permanent extensions of prior tax benefits. Committee members say more provisions — including Trump’s proposed tax exemption for tips — will be introduced in the coming days.

Below is a summary of the key components unveiled so far, as analyzed by Americans for Tax Reform.

Income tax cuts

The proposal permanently extends the lower personal income tax brackets originally enacted in the 2017 tax reform law. Additionally, it provides a one-year inflation adjustment to further reduce income taxes in 2025 — a boost that applies to all brackets except the top 37% bracket.

Tax simplification

The current standard deduction, which was doubled in 2017 and is now claimed by 90% of taxpayers, would be made permanent. On top of that, the plan temporarily increases the standard deduction from 2025 through the end of 2028:

  • Individuals: from $15,000 to $16,000
  • Heads of household: from $22,500 to $24,000
  • Married couples: from $30,000 to $32,000

The temporary increase is set to expire on Jan. 1, 2029.

Child tax credit

The current $2,000 Child Tax Credit is made permanent, with a four-year temporary increase to $2,500 per child beginning in 2025. This enhancement will expire in 2029, at which point the credit returns to $2,000 with future inflation adjustments.

Small business relief

The popular Qualified Business Income deduction (Section 199A) for pass-through entities would rise from 20% to 22% and be made permanent. The plan also loosens phase-in limitations and indexes income thresholds to inflation beginning in 2026.

Estate and generation-skipping tax relief

The federal estate tax, referred to as the “death tax,” receives a revision. The exemption threshold is permanently increased to $15 million, indexed to inflation. The generation-skipping transfer tax exemption is also raised to the same level and made permanent.

Epic win: Congressman Begich bags historic 90/10 oil revenue split for Alaska

Sun is up for the season in Utqiagvik (Barrow)

Suzanne Downing
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Sun is up for the season in Utqiagvik (Barrow)

On Saturday morning, the sun set in Utqiaġvik for the last time until Aug.2, marking the beginning of the seasonal “midnight sun” period. The phenomenon is caused by the Earth’s axial tilt that results in continuous daylight for approximately 83 days in this northernmost city in Alaska.

Located about 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Utqiaġvik experiences extreme variations in daylight throughout the year. From mid-November to late January, the town undergoes a polar night, where the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. From mid-May to early August, the sun remains visible 24 hours a day.

Despite the continuous daylight, temperatures remain relatively cool (22 degrees at 9 pm) and it was overcast on Saturday.

Texas judge indicted for voter fraud, along with five others in vote harvesting scheme

Suzanne Downing
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Texas judge indicted for voter fraud, along with five others in vote harvesting scheme

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the indictments and arrests of six individuals, including multiple public officials, in connection with a vote harvesting scheme uncovered in Frio County, about 50 miles south of San Antonio.

The charges stem from a multi-year election integrity investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Criminal Investigation Division, which executed search warrants in Frio, Atascosa, and Bexar Counties in August 2024. On May 1, 2025, a grand jury in Frio County returned indictments against the suspects following the presentation of evidence by Frio County District Attorney Audrey Louis and Paxton’s Election Integrity Unit.

Among those indicted are:

  • Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho: 3 counts of Vote Harvesting
  • Former Frio County Elections Administrator Carlos Segura: 1 count of Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence
  • Pearsall City Council Member Ramiro Trevino: 1 count of Vote Harvesting
  • Pearsall City Council Member Racheal Garza: 1 count of Vote Harvesting
  • Pearsall ISD Trustee Adriann Ramirez: 3 counts of Vote Harvesting
  • Alleged Vote Harvester Rosa Rodriguez: 2 counts of Vote Harvesting

According to Paxton’s office, five of the six individuals were arrested on May 2. Judge Camacho has not yet been processed but is expected to be at a later date, Paxton’s office said.

“The people of Texas deserve fair and honest elections, not backroom deals and political insiders rigging the system. Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable. No one is above the law,” Attorney General Paxton said in a statement. “My office will continue to work with Frio County District Attorney Audrey Louis to protect the integrity of our elections.”

FBI, ICE arrest rogue judge for helping illegal alien criminal escape capture

Other recent arrests of judges include:

Judge Hannah Dugan – Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

On April 25, 2025, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI and charged with two federal felonies: obstructing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation by concealing an illegal alien to prevent his discovery and arrest. The charges are that she allowed an undocumented immigrant to exit her courtroom through a side door not used by the public, in order to help him evade ICE agents. Following her arrest, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended her from judicial duties pending trial.

Judge Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado – Hidalgo County, Texas

Former Texas state district Judge Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado was convicted in 2019 on multiple counts, including conspiracy, federal program bribery, and obstruction of justice, relating to accepting bribes in exchange for favorable judicial decisions. Delgado was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

Judge Allen Loughry – West Virginia Supreme Court

Allen Loughry, a former chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, was arrested in 2018 and convicted on 11 federal offenses, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and making false statements to federal investigators. He was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and released in December 2020.

Judge Shelley Joseph – Newton District Court, Massachusetts

In 2019, Judge Shelley Joseph was indicted on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury for allegedly assisting an undocumented immigrant in evading ICE agents by allowing him to exit the courthouse through a rear door. In 2022, the charges were dropped as part of an agreement requiring Joseph to refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct and make certain admissions. The Commission filed its own charges in late 2024, saying Joseph refused to cooperate honestly with disciplinary authorities and she brought disrepute to the judiciary. A public hearing is scheduled for June 9 in Suffolk County Superior Court, which will likely end with her removal from the bench.

David Blackmon: Chris Wright has a mess to clean up — Biden’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve mess

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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David Blackmon: Chris Wright has a mess to clean up — Biden’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve mess

By DAVID BLACKMON | DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION

Joe Biden and his appointees took an abundance of costly and damaging policy actions during his four-year term in office. Fortunately, that damaging agenda was limited to a single term presidency by voters last November who had grown weary of footing the massive bills for it all in the form of constantly increasing prices for all forms of energy.

Now the task of cleaning it all up and repairing the damage falls to President Donald Trump and his appointees. In another fortunate development for America, the President has chosen an eager and extremely talented array of energy-related appointees, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Power the Future calls for restocking Strategic Petroleum Reserve with low-cost oil

One of the costliest actions taken by ex-President Biden related to U.S. national security came when he decided to raid the Strategic Petroleum Reserve by using it as a campaign tool to influence the 2022 mid-term elections. Early that year, Biden invoked a program to rapidly deplete the contents of the SPR, pulling 1 million barrels per day from the underground salt caverns which hold the crude for 180 days in hopes of lowering gas prices at the pump.

In an interview this week with radio host Glenn Beck, Secretary Wright revealed that, by drawing the volumes down so rapidly, Biden caused damage to the integrity of those salt caverns so severe that his Energy Department will now have to spend a big piece of its budget repairing the infrastructure before the caverns can be refilled. “[Biden] flooded the market with oil, reduced the price of oil in the short term but at the cost of U.S. strategic positioning, and they damaged the facilities in the Strategic petroleum reserve by draining them so fast,” Wright told Beck, adding, “We have to spend over $100 million to repair the damage of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that wasn’t built for that.”

For readers who may not be aware, Congress and President Gerald Ford authorized the creation of the SPR in 1975 in the wake of the first Arab Oil Embargo of 1973-74 That embargo caused severe shortages of gasoline, along with price spikes across the United States. Congress intended the SPR as a tool whose careful deployment would enhance and protect national security in times of real emergencies, not one to be used for cynical political purposes.

“It’s for when a very bad day happens,” Wright put it to Beck. “The world literally runs on oil. If you don’t have oil, you’re screwed in everything you do – economics, defense, health care, anything.”

In March, Secretary Wright unveiled an aggressive plan to refill the SPR, estimating the cost of doing so at the $70 per barrel price that prevailed at the time to be about $20 billion. He also estimated it would take 4 to 6 years to complete the process due to the magnitude of Biden’s unwise withdrawals. Filling the reserve is not something that can be done all in a single transaction. Rather, it is a complex process governed by regulations which require DOE to solicit competitive bids for relatively small lots of crude.

“By design, it’s much slower to fill it than to drain it,” Wright told Beck. “It will take us, going flat out, four, five, six years to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We are dead set committed to do it, but we’ve compromised our national security for years to get a little bit of an electoral advantage in 2022.”

It should be noted here that Wright would love to take advantage of current low oil prices, which have dropped to around $60/bbl today. Obviously, the same “buy low, sell high” philosophy followed by smart stock investors applies to buying and selling crude oil, too.

But DOE’s buyback program cannot begin until the damage caused by Biden’s careless disregard for national security has been repaired. Doing that will require months, during which time oil prices could rise or drop significantly.

“Energy is the infrastructure of life,” Wright reminded Beck. “You can’t use it for politics.”

But unfortunately for U.S. national security, Joe Biden did just that. The mess he left behind is Wright’s to clean up.

David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. He spent 40 years in the oil and gas business, where he specialized in public policy and communications.

Epic win: Congressman Begich bags historic 90/10 oil revenue split for Alaska

Alaska acts to protect caribou herd after court declines to block bear culling plan

Suzanne Downing
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Alaska acts to protect caribou herd after court declines to block bear culling plan

The Alaska Department of Law filed more legal briefs in the ongoing court proceedings surrounding the intensive management of the Mulchatna caribou herd.

The filings come in response to a May 7 Superior Court order that addressed, but did not overturn, the state’s emergency bear removal regulation. The matter stems from a lawsuit by the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.

State’s predator control of brown bear loses in court to wildlife alliance

The emergency regulation, adopted by the Board of Game on March 27, was put in place to help reverse the decline of the Mulchatna caribou population. State biologists have identified high bear predation as a critical factor contributing to the herd’s continued low numbers, prompting the state to authorize targeted bear removal efforts in key areas.

The Mulchatna caribou herd is located in southwestern Alaska, encompassing parts of the Bristol Bay, Kuskokwim River, and Lake Clark regions. Historically, the herd’s range extended from Dillingham to Bethel and as far as Lake Iliamna.

In its ruling, the Superior Court clarified that does not have the jurisdiction to issue a temporary restraining order against the March 27 regulation. Because the emergency action was not part of the original case, the court determined it could not block its implementation. As a result, the State of Alaska is moving forward with the bear removal program.

The Board of Game has emphasized the importance of the Mulchatna caribou as a subsistence resource for many Alaskans. In adopting the emergency regulation, the Board was relying on the authority of Article VIII of the Alaska Constitution and the Intensive Management Act, which mandate the prioritization of wild game populations for human consumption when numbers are insufficient to meet demands.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in coordination with the Board of Game, also has a statutory responsibility to manage wildlife populations sustainably and in accordance with state law. The agencies maintain that the emergency measures are necessary to support the recovery of the caribou herd and to safeguard a critical food source for rural communities.

While the state plans to seek clarification on certain elements of the court’s order, officials have confirmed that the ruling does not prohibit bear-culling activities permitted under the emergency regulation. The Department of Law has reiterated the state’s intent to remain in full compliance with the decision while continuing essential wildlife management efforts.

Trump said the price of eggs would come down quickly. What actually happened?

Suzanne Downing
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32
Trump said the price of eggs would come down quickly. What actually happened?

The Left has obsessed about the price of eggs, which soared to record prices during President Joe Biden’s presidency and which became a stump speech topic of Donald Trump, the candidate, who said he would bring the price down.

Eggs across the United States have indeed decreased by $2.45 a wholesale dozen, or 42.25% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (derivative trading at TradingEconomics.com) that tracks the wholesale benchmark market.

But first the prices soared: US eggs had reached an all time high of $8.17 in March.

TradingEconomics.com

The national average retail price for a dozen large Grade A eggs in April 2025 was approximately $6.23, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. In some places around the country, the price has dropped to around $3.40 a dozen in late April.

At Carrs in Anchorage, a dozen eggs can now be found at $3.99 ($9.49 organic). Costco Anchorage has them at 18 for $6.07 and $9.58 for 24-count carton. Smaller communities and those off the road system, of course, see higher prices, which is why it is not uncommon to see someone boarding a jet in Anchorage and heading for Bethel, Nome, or Kotzebue, with a several dozen eggs as their carry-on luggage.

Try this delicious Sunny Dandelion Eggs recipe this weekend as you weed your garden beds this weekend, and combine those dandelions with some far-more-affordable eggs:

Foodies and foragers: Mother’s Day dandelions
Foodies and foragers: Bring on the eggs for Easter

Breaking: Dunleavy signs hiring freeze, travel restrictions

Suzanne Downing
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41
Breaking: Dunleavy signs hiring freeze, travel restrictions

In an administrative order signed Friday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a hiring freeze and travel restrictions across most state departments.

The order, effective immediately, freezes out-of-state travel, hiring, and the development of new regulations across all executive branch agencies.

The last time that Alaska state government had a hiring freeze was in March of 2020, implemented after a sharp drop in oil prices.

The fiscal directive comes as Alaska grapples with declining oil prices and production — factors that have significantly reduced one of the state’s primary source of revenue. According to Dunleavy’s order, oil prices averaged nearly $85 per barrel in fiscal year 2024, buoyed in part by geopolitical instability stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, recent decisions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase production have driven oil prices down. The Alaska Department of Revenue’s spring forecast projects a drop to $68 per barrel in FY 2026, translating to hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue for the state’s general fund.

In the 1980s, oil production funded nearly 90% of Alaska’s unrestricted general fund revenues. Today, it accounts for roughly 40%. Despite having reserve accounts, including a $2.8 billion Constitutional Budget Reserve, a $1 billion Power Cost Equalization Endowment Fund, and a $407 million Higher Education Investment Fund, the Governor’s Office stated that the combined value of these accounts would not sustain state operations for a full year.

“This order is a necessary step to preserve Alaska’s fiscal stability and ensure the continuity of essential government services,” the directive states. It outlines an effort to refocus agency operations on “core mission objectives” and streamline government expenditures.

  • Travel: All out-of-state travel by state employees is now prohibited, regardless of the funding source. Waivers may be granted by the Governor’s Office in cases where travel is essential to public safety or critical state responsibilities. In-state travel must be limited to essential business, with agencies encouraged to use remote communication tools.
  • Hiring: A freeze is now in place for all hiring across state agencies.
  • The hiring freeze applies to:
  • • All full-time, part-time, non-permanent, and seasonal positions in bargaining units and in the partially exempt and exempt service.
  • • Requests to establish new positions.
  • • Requests to extend non-permanent positions.
  • • Positions that provide administrative support and maintenance to the exempted agencies set forth below.
  • Exempted Agencies:
  • • The hiring freeze does not apply to positions essential to protect Alaska citizens. This category includes Alaska State Troopers, corrections and probation officers, airport police and fire officers, Office of Children Services, Division of Public Assistance, and employees that provide patient, resident, or food services at 24-hour institutions.
  • For purposes of this order, the following are considered 24-hour institutions:
  • • Correctional Facilities
  • • Juvenile Justice Facilities
  • • Alaska Military Youth Academy
  • • Pioneer Homes
  • • Alaska Psychiatric Institute
  • • Alaska Vocational Technical Center
  • • Mt. Edgecumbe High School
  • Regulations: Agencies are barred from introducing new regulations unless already posted for public comment. Waivers may be requested in cases where regulations are necessary for public safety or essential services.

The order applies to all executive branch agencies, including departments, boards, commissions, and public corporations. It will remain in effect until officially rescinded.

The order is a preventive measure to avoid deeper financial challenges in the future.

Murkowski gets onboard with Team Patel, the man she tried to block for FBI director

Suzanne Downing
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Murkowski gets onboard with Team Patel, the man she tried to block for FBI director

In a political pivot, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who previously voted against the confirmation of Kash Patel as FBI director, now says she is actively working with him — praising parts of his approach while pushing for concrete action on longstanding justice issues affecting Native communities and public safety in Alaska.

During a Senate committee hearing this week, Murkowski engaged in a substantive exchange with Director Patel, focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and Alaska’s worsening fentanyl epidemic.

“This is a week that a lot of Alaskans are paying attention to,” Murkowski began, referencing the national recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day. She commended past efforts like Operation Lady Justice under the Trump administration and noted Patel’s new initiative, Operation Not Forgotten, which she said must be more than a name—it must come with real resources.

“I need to be able to give folks back home the comfort that they need to know that these cases … will not be dropped,” Murkowski told Patel. “What can you share with me this morning?”

Patel, in response, highlighted his recent meetings with tribal leaders and families of victims, including the parents of 14-year-old Emily Pike, whose unsolved murder continues to haunt a reservation community in Arizona.

“Every crime in this country will be treated equally,” Patel said, adding that he is pushing for more FBI presence on reservations and direct engagement with tribal communities, including a liaison position at FBI headquarters.

While Alaska lacks the reservation system and formal tribal law enforcement structures found in the Lower 48, Murkowski emphasized the state’s unique challenges and criticized the FBI for inadequate communication with victims’ families.

“It’s radio silence out of the agency,” she said, urging Patel to fund more Victim Service Coordinators in Alaska’s FBI offices.

The discussion also touched on the rising tide of fentanyl deaths in the state, with Murkowski pointing to a 40% increase in overdose fatalities in 2023, making Alaska the only state where numbers are still climbing. “We ought to be able to intercept drugs more effectively,” she said, noting Alaska’s limited access points for trafficking.

Patel assured her that the FBI is increasing resources in Alaska and pledged to continue collaborating on both fentanyl interdiction and the MMIWG crisis.

“We will work with you and your office to make sure Alaska is not forgotten,” he said.

The public exchange, while cordial and constructive, marks a notable shift in Murkowski’s stance on Patel. Her initial opposition during his confirmation process centered on concerns about his political background and ties to former President Donald Trump’s inner circle. But now, with Patel in office and wielding significant influence over federal law enforcement priorities, Murkowski appears committed to engaging him directly to ensure Alaska’s needs are addressed.

Breaking: Murkowski votes no on Kash Patel for FBI, but Trump gets his nominee anyway

Governor Dunleavy asks Legislature to work with him on long-range fiscal strategy

Suzanne Downing
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Governor Dunleavy asks Legislature to work with him on long-range fiscal strategy

Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a formal message to both chambers of the Alaska Legislature on Friday, urging lawmakers from both parties to work with his administration on a comprehensive fiscal strategy aimed at addressing the state’s long-standing budgetary challenges.

In his letter to the House and Senate, read into the record, Dunleavy emphasized the urgency of developing a durable, long-term fiscal plan.

With Alaska facing ongoing revenue uncertainty, particularly from declining oil prices, and the 2026 election cycle on the horizon, the governor warned that the opportunity for bipartisan cooperation on a sustainable fiscal framework may be slipping away.

Several tax-related proposals have surfaced during the current legislative session. Dunleavy reiterated his stance on fiscal policy.

“As I have consistently stated since my first term, a truly durable fiscal plan must include revenues, but it also requires clear guardrails: spending limits, statutory and regulatory reviews, and policies that make Alaska the most competitive state in the nation for investment and new business growth,” he wrote.

“Equally important is the need to evaluate all current state spending and government functions-not only for efficiency, but for their relevance and long-term impact. Any serious effort to stabilize Alaska’s fiscal future must also focus on diversifying our economy and creating new industries, which in tum broadens the economic base for potential revenue,” Dunleavy wrote.

“As such, I cannot support standalone tax measures. I am issuing this message to reaffirm my long­ standing position as Governor: the Legislature and the Executive Branch must establish a joint team to develop a comprehensive, sustainable long-term fiscal plan that ensures stability and fosters economic growth,” he wrote.

Dunleavy called on legislative leaders to form a joint working group with the executive branch after the session to begin crafting legislation around what he described as the “core components” of a sound fiscal policy. “By transmittal of this message, I am formally requesting legislative leadership join me in convening a joint team to begin this process,” he wrote.

Dunleavy urges lawmakers to separate ‘needs from wants’ amid falling oil revenues
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