Top Republican warns families of ‘largest tax hike in history’ next year if Trump budget fails
EXCLUSIVE: The chairman of the largest House GOP caucus is using Tax Day to send a warning about the financial strain American families could face next year if Republicans fail in their plans for a massive conservative policy overhaul. Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that millions of Americans could see their taxes increase by as much as one-fifth if Congress does not pass a budget reconciliation bill extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). “If Democrats get their way and let these tax cuts expire, Americans will be crushed by the largest tax hike in history – a 22% increase hitting 40 million families and 26 million small businesses,” Pfluger said. “It’s time to lock in these historic tax cuts permanently to boost job creation, fuel America’s economic engine, and protect family budgets from the Left’s tax-and-spend agenda.” MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The RSC acts as the House GOP’s de facto conservative think tank and has more than 175 members. Pfluger reiterated that the group is “fighting to make President Trump’s historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, so families can keep more of their hard-earned money instead of sending it to the IRS.” Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, chair of the RSC budget task force, said extending the TCJA and enacting Trump’s other tax policy initiatives would help the U.S. become “the most advantageous country in which to invest, relocate, or expand a business” as well as helping families and businesses domestically. “These vital, pro-growth tax reforms will work alongside our efforts to slash federal regulations and bureaucracy to empower economic expansion and financial security for the American people and our job creators,” she said. Tax reform is a cornerstone of Republicans’ efforts on reconciliation, a mechanism that allows the party controlling the major levers of government to enact sweeping fiscal and budgetary changes. It does so by lowering the Senate’s threshold for advancing legislation from 60 votes to 51, provided the matters in the bill deal with taxes, spending and the national debt. SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES In addition to extending the TCJA tax cuts, Trump also wants Republicans to eliminate taxes on tipped and overtime wages, as well as on Social Security benefits for retirees. House Republicans passed a framework last week to sync up with the Senate on its budget reconciliation bill, which now allows the relevant congressional committees to begin work filling out that framework with policy. But congressional Republicans have a long road ahead to get a bill passed in both the House and Senate, where their majorities are currently three seats each. The House version calls for at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, while the Senate’s baseline is $4 billion – though Republicans there vowed to strive for more. Extending TCJA alone would decrease federal revenues by $4.5 trillion, according to the Tax Foundation, and House conservatives are leading the charge in demanding steep government funding cuts to offset that. The RSC steering group, the group’s leadership arm, released an official position earlier this year calling for reconciliation legislation to be deficit-neutral. At the same time, however, failing to extend Trump’s tax cuts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections could have politically devastating consequences, while stoking fears of an economic downturn when compounded with the added cost of Trump’s sweeping tariffs. “If the tax cuts expire, the median family would lose about $1,000,” Kimberly Clausing, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Fox News Digital earlier this month, citing a model from the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. And if the recently unveiled tariffs continued unabated at the time, “that would generate an average per household consumer loss of $3,800,” she added, pointing to the Yale Budget Lab’s estimate. Trump has since walked back much of his reciprocal tariff policy. The House Ways and Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, released a memo late last year with a similar warning to Pfluger’s on a potential tax hike if TCJA is not extended. “Congress needs to act swiftly to take this threat of a tax hike off the table and give the American people assurances that the relief they have been demanding has arrived,” the December memo said.
Trump admin’s DOT announces deal for high-tech border checkpoint in crucial California sector
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation is set to announce on Tuesday a $150 million federal grant to construct a new road and Port of Entry near the existing Otay Mesa facility in the San Diego-Baja, California region. “These investments will enhance border security by providing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with state-of-the-art inspection facilities,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a release provided to Fox News Digital. “The new agreement also removed previous Green New Deal requirements, including a zero-emission vehicle charging provision, which was a waste of taxpayer funds and irrelevant to CBP’s national security mission.” FLORIDA’S LARGEST VENEZUELAN STRONGHOLD POISED TO JOIN FORCES WITH ICE: REPORT The new project will aim to build a “21st century border crossing” just east of the existing Otay Mesa facility, with the new facility featuring intelligent technologies to collect tolls, facilitate trade and increase inspection efficiency, the release notes. In addition to being a more secure checkpoint, the new facility is also projected to reduce traffic congestion and lead to economic benefits throughout Southern California, moving freight from thousands of trucks that will pass through the facility to warehouses and distribution centers throughout the region. BLUE STATE SHERIFFS COMBINE FORCES TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST SANCTUARY LAWS The release notes that the Trump administration has inherited over 3,000 grants promoted during the previous administration that were never filled, leading to an “unprecedented backlog of unobligated grants delayed critical investments in communities across the country.” “Thanks to the prior administration’s lack of focus, this critical project sat in limbo for two years. No more. We moved to finalize this deal so we can help protect our Southern border and crack down on drug trafficking while preventing tax dollars subsidizing pointless Green New Deal priorities,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy told Fox News Digital. “This department will continue to clear the previous administration’s unprecedented grant backlog and deliver results.”
Judge greenlights DOJ’s motion to drop gun case against Salvadoran, accused MS-13 leader
A Virginia-based judge has granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss its illegal firearm case against a Virginia-based Salvadoran national accused of being an MS-13 leader. The FBI announced the arrest of Henrry Jose Villatoro Santos on March 27 in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C., with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel describing him as the top MS-13 leader on the East Coast. Villatoro Santos was charged with an illegal firearm charge at the time of his arrest. DOJ ASKS TO DISMISS VIRGINIA CASE AGAINST SALVADORAN ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER SET TO BE DEPORTED Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick said he will stay his decision until Friday morning to allow for Villatoro Santos’ counsel to explore other avenues, including appealing the decision. The DOJ initially moved to drop the case on April 9, shortly after his arrest. Counsel for Villatoro Santos, Muhammad Elsayed, said during the April 15 hearing that the government had not clarified what would happen to his client once the case was dismissed, suggesting Villatoro Santos will likely be “summarily deported” without any due process. His counsel noted a similar case out of Maryland where Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, was erroneously deported to El Salvador last month for being an alleged MS-13 gang member. ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER NABBED BY PATEL’S FBI TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY FOR NOW, JUDGE RULES Elsayed also claimed during the hearing that the decision to dismiss the case came from high up in the Trump administration. “They have already determined the outcome, that he’ll go to the worst prison in the western hemisphere,” Elsayed said. Fitzpatrick said he has been cautious of not overstepping into the executive branch’s purview, saying, “It wouldn’t be appropriate [for me] to inquire about the deliberative process of prosecutors.” The judge noted Elsayed has been a good advocate for Villatoro Santos but said the case is straight-forward and the government has the authority to drop the case. Fitzpatrick proceeded to suggest the defense might want to bring a separate case with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a party, “where you can inquire what kind of treatment your client will get.” Villatoro Santos’ counsel responded in a court filing shortly after the DOJ filed to dismiss the case earlier this month that he understands “the Government now intends to pursue the deportation of Mr. Villatoro Santos in lieu of prosecution.” “The above is a fairly straightforward procedural history,” the filing read. “But in the background of this routine legal process, the United States government, at its highest levels, has been publicly and loudly propagating allegations that Mr. Villatoro Santos ‘is one of the top leaders of MS-13’ and ‘one of the leaders for the East Coast, one of the top in the entire country,’ claims made by Attorney General Pam Bondi at a high-level press conference on March 27, 2025.” “As a terrorist, he will now face the removal process,” Bondi told Fox News at the time. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Porter of the Eastern District of Virginia made an April 1 ruling to keep Villatoro Santos in custody. The defense was not seeking release at the time of the hearing. Fox News’ David Spunt and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
Ayodhya’s Ram Temple receives bomb threat email, security beefed up
Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir received a bomb threat over email on Tuesday, April 15. Authorities have tightened in the city and around it in the neighbouring areas.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta takes BIG decision, hikes minimum wage rates for all categories workers, it will be Rs…
These new rates will be applicable from April 1, 2025. The government says that this increase has been made keeping in mind inflation, which will provide financial relief to the workers.
After bomb threat in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, 4 km security wall to be erected around city
Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir received a bomb threat over email on Tuesday, April 15. Authorities have tightened in the city and around it in the neighbouring areas.
Biden to address disability advocates in first major speech since leaving White House
Former President Joe Biden is expected to deliver what is billed as his first public speech since leaving the Oval Office, delivering the keynote address on Tuesday before the national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD). “We are deeply honored President Biden is making his first public appearance at ACRD’s sold-out conference,” the group’s executive director, Rachel Buck, said in a press release provided to Fox Digital. The conference will be held in Chicago. “As bipartisan leaders have long agreed, Americans who retire after paying into Social Security their whole lives deserve the vital support and caring services they receive. As a result, we are thrilled the President will be joining us to discuss how we can work together for a stable and successful future for Social Security.” The event is billed as the 46th president’s first public speech since leaving the White House, with the former president expected to address the conference sometime after 5 p.m. ET, Fox Digital learned. Biden, however, has delivered other public remarks since Jan. 20, Fox Digital found, including speaking before the National High School Model United Nations in March, which received little media attention, as well as joining an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers event this month. ACRD is an advocacy organization that works to equip “disability professionals with the tools, technology, and training to lead the industry forward,” according to its website. “Our mission is to empower and educate disability representatives by providing comprehensive training, fostering leadership skills, promoting technological proficiency, and offering valuable networking opportunities.” BIDEN’S TEAM HID TRUTH ABOUT HIS HEALTH ALL ALONG: WH PRESS SEC Biden will headline the event, which will focus on strengthening Social Security, and will be joined by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and former Democrat Maryland Gov. and Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley, according to the press release. Blunt reported in comments provided in the press release that discussions on Tuesday will focus on bolstering the Social Security system so it can meet the needs of Americans by “reducing red tape, strengthening claims processing, and ensuring unnecessary spending is eliminated.” “Social Security is a sacred promise between generations,” O’Malley, who serves as chair of ACRD’s Advisory Board, added in the press release. “It’s a promise that ensures dignity in retirement, security after tragedy, and support for those with disabilities. We are deeply grateful to the President for joining us at ACRD to discuss how we can keep that promise for all Americans.” BIDEN AIDES ‘SCRIPTED’ EVERYTHING, ALLOWED HIS FACULTIES TO ‘ATROPHY,’ NEW BOOK CLAIMS Biden has been out of the public’s view since leaving the Oval Office on Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th commander in chief. Biden attended the inauguration and was seen chatting with his successor after offering five family members pardons in the final minutes of his tenure, including to his two brothers and his sister. BIDEN ENDS BID FOR SECOND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE AS HE DROPS OUT OF HIS 2024 REMATCH WITH TRUMP Biden was slated to face off against Trump for the second time during the 2024 presidential election cycle but dropped out of the running in July as concerns mounted over his mental acuity and age. Biden passed the torch to his then-vice president, Kamala Harris, who failed to rally enough support to defeat Trump after just over 100 days on the campaign trail. The Bidens have been spotted at various events since Trump’s Inauguration Day, including attending the opening night of “Othello” on Broadway last month in New York City and traveling to Santa Barbara County, California, immediately following the end of his administration. Biden has been spending his days in both Delaware and the nation’s capital since his Oval Office exit, with the 46th president working on his next memoir while meeting with various Democratic Party leaders such as DNC Chair Ken Martin, NBC News reported in March. Fox Digital reached out to Biden’s office for additional comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a reply.
India’s retail inflation dips to nearly 6-year low of 3.34 pc in March 2025
Last week, the Reserve Bank reduced the key short-term lending rate (repo) by 25 bps in the wake of easing inflation.
Federal judge weighs in on last undecided 2024 election
A federal judge has ordered the North Carolina Board of Elections to begin implementing a state Supreme Court decision in the last unresolved 2024 election in the country. The North Carolina Supreme Court issued a decision on Friday that partially overturned a ruling from a week earlier by a panel of the intermediate-level Court of Appeals that had favored Republican Jefferson Griffin. Griffin is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by a razor-thin margin of 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast last fall in the election for a seat on the state’s highest court. Griffin formally protested more than 65,000 ballots covering three categories. The largest category of challenged voters — roughly 60,000 — included ballots cast last fall by people who have been registered to vote since 2004, but their records lack a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Friday’s prevailing opinion said the Court of Appeals got it wrong by declaring these ballots shouldn’t have been counted. The opinion said the blame rests with the State Board of Elections for failing for years to properly collect those numerical identifiers, not the voters. These voters ultimately proved their identity by complying with the state’s new photo ID law, and longtime legal precedent says such mistakes by election officials cannot result in cast votes being voided, the order reads. FEDERAL JUDGE KICKS BATTLE OVER NC SUPREME COURT ELECTION BACK TO STATE COURT The state board of elections said in a statement on Monday that it will provide, “as soon as possible,” detailed instructions “to the affected counties and voters on how to comply with the decision.” “The Supreme Court decision removed from the protest voters whose voter registration forms did not include a driver’s license number or last four digits of a Social Security number (and didn’t check the box indicating they lacked these numbers). Those voters – the largest group of voters challenged by the protest – no longer must provide that information to their county boards of elections to ensure their votes for the supreme court contest count in the 2024 general election,” the state board said. But a majority of justices — all registered Republicans — let stand the lower court’s determination that additional ballots from two other categories that Griffin contested were wrongly allowed in the tally. Some of these voters, potentially thousands who serve in the military or live overseas, would still get a chance to turn in a photo identification or an ID exception form for their choice in the race to remain in the count, the court’s prevailing order says. The state Supreme Court also agreed to throw out votes from people who had never lived in North Carolina or the United States altogether. “The Supreme Court decision, however, would require challenged military and overseas-citizen voters who submitted an absentee ballot to provide a copy of their photo identification, or a Photo ID Exception Form, to ensure their votes for the supreme court contest count in the 2024 general election,” the state board of elections said Monday. “The decision would also require certain county boards of elections to identify and remove from the count – in the Supreme Court contest only – the votes from U.S. citizen voters who have never lived in the United States but have parental connections to North Carolina.” Riggs and the State Board of Elections, which had previously thrown out Griffin’s formal protests of the more than 65,000 ballots, had previously signaled plans to return to federal court if necessary, if the justices sided with Griffin to potentially plead violations of federal elections and voting rights laws. Riggs’ attorneys filed a motion late Friday in U.S. District Court in Raleigh asking a judge to issue an injunction preventing the state appeals court decisions from being carried out immediately. DEM TAKES AIM AT TRUMP IN 2026 SENATE LAUNCH VIDEO FOR ‘TANKING OUR ECONOMY’ U.S. Chief District Judge Richard Myers – who was nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term – on Saturday ordered the state board of elections to comply with the plan set forth by the Supreme Court to resolve the election dispute. Meyers set an April 15 deadline for the state board of elections to “provide notice to the court of the scope of its remedial efforts, including the number of potentially affected voters and the counties in which those voters cast ballots.” The judge also gave both parties until April 20 to submit opening briefs and until April 28 to submit final briefs in the case. Myers ordered the state Supreme Court not to certify the election results “pending further order of this court.” It’s unknown whether the outstanding ballots that could ultimately get taken out of the count could flip the result to Griffin, himself a current Court of Appeals judge. Griffin did not sit on the three-judge panel whose majority ruled for him last week, and Riggs did not participate in the Supreme Court deliberations. Riggs, meanwhile, hosted a “Protect Our Votes” rally in the state capital of Raleigh on Monday. “I will not give up on my fight to protect those fighting for us,” Riggs, whose father and brother served in the military, said, according to WRAL. “This presents a very real burden and threat to North Carolina voters in uniform, North Carolina voters who are missionaries serving on the mission field, foreign service officers, students studying abroad The threat is real, the burden is real, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that their vote counts.” Republican strategist Paul Schumaker issued a statement on behalf of Griffin saying Friday’s ruling “is consistent with our request, and clearly, the matter warrants a thorough review, which the Courts have set forth. “ “What is most disturbing is Justice Riggs’ desire to hold interviews and rallies to litigate this case outside of the Courts,” Schumaker said, according to WRAL. “Justice Riggs clearly is a judicial activist who believes judges should make new laws, not interpret
House Republican campaign arm touts ‘unstoppable momentum’ with record fundraising haul
As it aims to defend its razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is off to a fast fundraising start. The NRCC, which is the House GOP’s campaign arm, announced on Tuesday that it “shattered records” with a $21.5 million fundraising haul last month, which it says was the committee’s best month of an off-year and the best March in NRCC history. Last month’s fundraising fueled an overall $36.7 million haul during the January-March first quarter of 2025. The NRCC showcased that its fundraising in the past three months was its strongest off-year first quarter, outpacing by nearly $11 million what it brought in during the same period in the 2024 election cycle. The NRCC also highlighted that it had $23.9 million cash on hand heading into April and that it had paid down its debt to $4.5 million, which it said was ahead of its pace in the 2024 cycle. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS TARGETING THESE HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN 2026 MIDTERM BATTLE “The NRCC is on offense and fueled by unstoppable momentum and widespread support,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella emphasized. Marinella claimed that “while out of touch House Democrats are fighting amongst themselves, we’re charging toward 2026 with unmatched energy, ready to grow our House majority and continue delivering results for the American people.” The NRCC’s first-quarter haul does not include the eye-popping $35.2 million it says it brought in at a fundraiser earlier this month in the nation’s capital that was headlined by President Donald Trump. Those funds will be included in the committee’s second quarter figures. WERE THIS MONTH’S ELECTIONS IN WISCONSIN AND FLORIDA A CRYSTAL BALL FOR THINGS TO COME IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERMS? The rival Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) had yet to announce its first quarter fundraising at the time this report was posted. The DCCC outraised the NRCC $11.1 million to $9.2 million in February fundraising. Republicans currently control the House with a fragile 220-213 majority, with two blue-leaning vacant seats likely to be back in the hands of Democrats when special elections in those districts are held later this year. Fundraising is a crucial component to the GOP’s game plan to keep control. When asked what concerns him the most when it comes to defending the House majority, NRCC Chair Rep. Richard Hudson said in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this month that “Democrats have a structural advantage when it comes to fundraising. They always seem to have just mountains of money. So I think the amount of money the Democrats raise is probably the only thing that really concerns me.” “We have to raise enough money to keep up with the Democrats and make sure that our candidates can get their message out,” Hudson emphasized. POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS WITH AMERICANS 11 WEEKS INTO HIS SECOND TOUR OF DUTY IN THE WHITE HOUSE Hudson, a North Carolina Republican and 12-year veteran of the House, said that “the President understands that he’s got to keep the House majority in the midterm so that he has a four-year runway, instead of a two-year runway to get his agenda enacted.” Pointing to the House Democratic leader, Hudson added, “Speaker Hakeem Jeffries would fight President Trump on every front, and it would be really difficult for him to achieve his agenda. President Trump understands it’s important to hold the House and he’s, he’s been extremely helpful to us and we appreciate it.” The DCCC is taking aim at nearly three dozen Republican-held seats in the chamber as it aims to win back the majority. Earlier this month, the House Democrats’ campaign arm released its initial 2026 target list, which included 35 GOP-controlled seats, and launched an effort to fundraise for the party’s eventual nominees in each of the districts. The DCCC emphasized that their moves signal that “Democrats are on offense and poised to win the majority in 2026.”