Several immigrant business owners are preparing to sue New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his plan for city-owned grocery stores, Fox News Digital confirmed on Wednesday.
The New York Post first reported on Tuesday that the Multicultural Business Coalition's (MBC) board voted to file a lawsuit against the city over Mamdani's plan to open five taxpayer-funded grocery stores that will sell food at prices up to 30% below traditional retailers.
According to MBC Chairman Frank Garcia, the MBC is now planning to send a letter to Mamdani's office in the coming days detailing its upcoming legal plans to protect competing stores, bodegas and other small businesses. If Mamdani does not respond or meet with the organization within the next three weeks, the group plans to take further legal action.
Mamdani Confronted On Failed City-run Grocery Store Attempt In Kansas City, Claims His Plan Will Work
The Multicultural Business Coalition announced efforts to take legal action against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's taxpayer-funded grocery stores.

#mamdani #business #zohran

(NewsNation) — Canadian taxpayers are furious they had to fork out hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect Prince Harry while he was wooing Meghan Markle and during his time promoting Invictus.
Even worse, they also found out they spent more to cover the ginger prince over five years than any other internationally protected person over the same period.
According to a document obtained by CBC News (which it received under Canada's access to information law), "the RCMP spent at least $539,575 to provide security between 2014/15 and 2019/20 when Prince Harry travelled to Canada for events like the Invictus Games and to date his future wife, Meghan Markle."
Rosie O'Donnell avoided weight loss drug side effects by taking it slowly
These costs were much higher than the $334,337 initially revealed by the RCMP in 2021, which "accounted for around 10% of the over $5.2 million spent during that period to provide security to more than 100 internationally protected persons who visited Canada."

#prince

The Internal Revenue Service is making it a bit less onerous for some people who are late paying their taxes.
The IRS will automatically waive fines tied to late filing or payment of taxes for taxpayers who have a history of being on time. The policy, called the Automatic Exemption from Penalty (AEP), streamlines the process of penalty relief.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

#making #wealth

Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.
The U.S. government has invested billions of taxpayer dollars over the past year to acquire stakes in companies it believes are strategically important to competing with China. The investments span industries including semiconductors, rare earths, lithium and quantum computing, and represent a departure from traditional industrial policy, with Washington increasingly taking direct ownership stakes instead of relying primarily on grants, loans and tax incentives.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained the administration's reasoning during a CNBC interview (1) last year.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority Gold

#Gold #year #finance #China

The race to become America's next economic heavyweight may already have a frontrunner.
The latest Internal Revenue Service (IRS) migration data show billions of dollars in taxpayer wealth flowing into Texas, while Census figures show the state's largest metropolitan areas continue to outpace much of the country in population growth, strengthening a decades-long shift in America's economic center of gravity.
What's more, Texas isn't relying on a single boomtown. Dallas-Fort Worth added more residents than any metropolitan area in the country over the past year, while Houston, Austin and San Antonio also ranked among the nation's fastest-growing metros.
That unusual breadth gives Texas multiple engines of economic growth, providing businesses with larger labor pools, diversified industries and a broader customer base than states anchored by a single dominant city.
Billions In Taxpayer Income Are Leaving Two Iconic States — As A New Economic Map Emerges

#taxpayer

The director of the country's premier American history museum said she has no regrets about any of the museum's exhibits during her tenure after an expert confronted her with a "shocking" display that he said smeared Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig faced intense questioning from lawmakers during two Capitol Hill hearings this week. The hearings followed a White House Domestic Policy Council report accusing the museum of using taxpayer dollars and its status as a world-renowned institution to advance a "radical activist ideology."
During a House hearing Tuesday, Heritage Foundation expert Mike Gonzalez testified that a multiyear special exhibit, "The Electric Dr. Franklin," included a display that "pondered whether he had ever done experiments, electrical electroshock on indentured servants or slaves."
Watch: Smithsonian Director Pressed On Woke Exhibits: 'Is Mickey Mouse Racist?'
Gonzalez testified that the display included this suggestion "without producing any evidence whatsoever," which he called "shocking."

#director #american #franklin #exhibits

The president of Commonwealth Sport, Dr. Donald Rukare, told AFP the Commonwealth Games remains a stage "where champions are made" as Glasgow prepares to host a slimmed down version of the event.
The Games were plunged into crisis when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as hosts in July 2023, citing rising costs.
Glasgow also played host 12 years ago and was therefore in position to offer the solution of a condensed format using existing venues to minimise taxpayer costs.
A 10-sport and six para-sport event -- down from a 19-sport and eight para-sport programme four years ago in Birmingham -- begins on Thursday with King Charles set to attend the opening ceremony and declare the Games open.
"We had that dark cloud over us in terms of having no Games, but Glasgow stepped in. Scotland the brave as we say," said Rukare.

#down #Event

Republican Sen. Deb Fischer (Neb.) on Wednesday objected to a request from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) for unanimous consent to prohibit President Trump from using taxpayer money to further retrofit a luxury Boeing 747 gifted to the president from Qatar.
The GOP senator blocked Schumer's request to pass his Presidential Airlift Security Act, which would stop the Pentagon from spending more taxpayer money to modify Trump's new jet.
Schumer said Trump's decision to accept the jet to serve as the new Air Force One was another example of what he called "corruption" in the administration.
"Now he wants the taxpayers to fund his palace in the sky as well. Trump's $400 million foreign jet, the biggest gift a president has received from a foreign government ever, is anything but free. Taxpayers will have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to outfit Trump's luxury jet with the security upgrades it needs to serve as Air Force One," Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Fischer rose to object and pointed out that that Schumer's proposal had already been considered and voted down by the Senate earlier this year.

#president #fischer

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese company that formerly owned British Steel demanded Sunday compensation from the U.K. government for investment losses following the nationalization of the manufacturer last week.
The British government took operational control of the company last year after Jingye Group said that it was considering closing the blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant in northern England, the last in the United Kingdom to make "virgin steel" from raw materials.
Jingye Group said in a WeChat statement that the nationalization move tarnished the credibility of the British government, spooked international investors and caused great losses to the company's operation and British taxpayers' funds. It also demanded that the U.K. government stop "trampling on international investment rules."
The Chinese company announced it had initiated negotiation procedures under relevant bilateral investment agreements, reserving all rights, including to international arbitration. Jingye said it will also represent British taxpayers seeking to hold the U.K. government and British Steel's management legally liable. However, it did not specify how it would handle the case.
"The U.K. disregarded Jingye's continuous investment and significant contribution and was only willing to provide almost zero compensation," it said.

President Donald Trump's brazenly corrupt "settlement" of his lawsuit against the IRS included a jaw-dropping order in which Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche purported to shield him and his family from liability for tax violations and any other federal offenses they may have committed prior to May 19. During his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Blanche, who is seeking Senate approval of his nomination as attorney general, repeatedly misrepresented the scope and nature of that sweeping immunity deal.
In response to questions from Sen. Richard Durbin (D–Ill.), Blanche preposterously claimed his promise of protection was "typical" of settlements between the IRS and taxpayers. "This type of settlement is done regularly," he said. "When we enter into settlements like that, we do it with all kinds of people. It's not just President Trump. It doesn't make any of those individuals above the law."
Blanche was referring to settlements of tax disputes. That comparison is inapt for several reasons.
First, Trump's lawsuit, which was joined by two of his sons and the Trump Organization, did not involve a dispute about tax liability. It alleged damages caused by an IRS contractor's illegal disclosure of the plaintiffs' tax returns, an issue that has nothing to do with the question of whether they owe the IRS money.
Second, even in cases that do involve alleged tax violations, it is not "typical" for settlements to include a promise that the IRS will never pursue any other claims based on past returns. After Blanche revealed his order, former IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel told the **** ociated Press he was not aware of any previous cases in which the IRS had agreed to "permanently forgo examination of previously filed tax returns for a specific person or business."

TRENTON, New Jersey — Gov. Mikie Sherrill built her political brand around her time piloting helicopters for the Navy.
As New Jersey's governor, she isn't in the ****** pit anymore. But she's a frequent flier.
Sherrill flew aboard a State Police helicopter eight times over roughly three months, according to records obtained by POLITICO. In one instance, the records show, Sherrill used a State Police helicopter to fly from New Jersey to Maryland to attend a "black-tie" alumni event at the Naval Academy, her alma mater.
Access to the helicopter is one of the perks of being New Jersey governor, albeit an expensive one. As of 2021, it cost taxpayers approximately $2,500 an hour for the governor to use the State Police helicopter, according to press reports.
Prior New Jersey governors have faced scrutiny over use of the state chopper, especially when it is not explicitly for state business. Democratic former Gov. Jim McGreevey used it for personal trips, which resulted in the New Jersey Democratic State Committee agreeing to reimburse the state $18,200. Republican former Gov. Chris Christie was ensnared in "choppergate" in 2011 when he arrived at his son's high school baseball game in a State Police helicopter. He and the New Jersey Republican Party reimbursed the state $3,300 days later, but the flights raised questions around his image as a fiscal hawk.

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) on Thursday lambasted Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought over, in his view, the shuttered Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) lack of accomplishments.
During a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing, Tillis asked Vought to name "one DOGE initiative" he could tout as an "exquisite realization of the value" the agency brought to the table.
When Vought began to talk about DOGE's cuts to the federal workforce, Tillis interrupted and asked for specifics, adding he did not "want a world salad answer."
DOGE, which President Trump launched and Elon Musk oversaw in the early months of the administration, officially ceased operations on July 4.
As of October, the fledgling agency estimated it saved $214 billion through ****** et sales; contract, lease and grant cancellations; fraud and improper payment deletion; savings on interest; programmatic changes; regulatory savings; and workforce reductions — amounting to $1,329 saved per taxpayer, according to a site tracking the national debt.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a private reunion with King Charles during their recent UK visit. However, according to a source close to the situation, the meeting reportedly came at a cost. It marked one of the few times the Duke and ******* ss of Sussex have seen the King in person since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet joined Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on a return to the U.K. this month for a private meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla. However, an insider told PEOPLE that the 44-year-old had a heavy heart following the family's first royal visit in four years.
In June, Prince Harry's team shared plans for a family trip to the U.K., but security issues threatened to derail it. Meghan Markle and their children were expected to attend events for the 2027 Invictus Games countdown.
But after learning they wouldn't receive police protection, the Duke went to London solo. The Sussexes forfeited their automatic taxpayer-funded royal protection in the wake of "Megxit". The family later joined him and had a private meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove.
A source who knows the couple told the outlet that the sudden shift in plans put a damper on things for the As Ever founder. She was unable to attend any of her husband's scheduled public appearances.

"I'm guessing I'll be in line," former FBI Director James Comey quipped after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a "settlement agreement" between President Donald Trump and the IRS that included $1.8 billion in taxpayer money for targets of "lawfare and weaponization." Comey's joke encompasses two reasons why the Senate should not confirm Blanche as attorney general: a flagrantly unconstitutional prosecution and a brazenly corrupt arrangement that delivered huge favors to Trump, his family, and his followers at taxpayers' expense.
Blanche's participation in both of those scams demonstrated his eagerness to please his boss, which explains why Trump nominated him to replace Pam Bondi. But that same tendency should alarm anyone who thinks the attorney general should pursue justice rather than the president's personal agenda.
In a scathing ruling on Monday, a federal judge described Trump's lawsuit against the IRS as a pretext for "a 'settlement' that had no viable basis in law or fact." Kathleen Williams, who oversaw the case in the Southern District of Florida, concluded that it never involved a genuine controversy between adverse parties, since both sides were controlled by the president.
Trump's lawsuit, which was joined by two of his sons and the Trump Organization, preposterously alleged that an IRS contractor's illegal disclosure of their tax returns had caused "at least" $10 billion in damages. In addition to offering an improbable estimate of the injury he had suffered, Trump filed the lawsuit more than two years after learning about the leak, exceeding the time limit set by the statute he invoked.
That law covers unauthorized disclosures by "any officer or employee of the United States." So even if Trump had filed his lawsuit on time, he would have faced the challenge of arguing that a contractor employed by a consulting business fit into that category—a point that the Justice Department has disputed in other cases involving similar claims.

The Los Angeles Lakers have known for weeks that acquiring Jonathan ***** inga would require creativity.
They now appear to know what it may cost.
Speaking on the latest episode of Buha’s Block, Lakers insider Jovan Buha reported that ***** inga’s camp is seeking a contract much closer to $20 million annually than the financial framework Los Angeles had initially envisioned.
“My understanding is, again, the Lakers were comfortable at two years, $10 million a year,” Buha said. “That’s below non-taxpayer mid-level exception money. That’s a relatively team-friendly deal. Low risk on the Lakers’ side.”
According to Buha, that proposal never gained traction.

President Donald Trump on Monday sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah, undoing protections established by his Democratic predecessors on public lands that are sacred among many Native Americans.
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah have ancient cliff dwellings, petroglyphs and scenic canyons, as well as coal and uranium deposits that state officials want made available for development.
Trump, a Republican, issued proclamations under the Antiquities Act to reduce their size by about 90% each. He took similar actions during his first term, but those were reversed by President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
The latest move comes as Trump and other Republicans have drastically reshaped the management of vast taxpayer-owned lands concentrated in Western states. Trump administration officials and congressional Republicans have sought to expand drilling, mining and logging on public lands, while removing protections for imperiled species and rolling back rules for conservation.
"They took the land from the people quite honestly," Trump said at a signing event at the White House Monday. "We're giving it back."

CPA Australia has advised individuals not to rush their 2026 tax returns, warning that hasty submissions can increase the likelihood of errors and exposure to scams.
CPA Australia Tax lead Jenny Wong acknowledged the strong desire among many Australians to file early but stressed that speed should not come at the expense of accuracy.
Wong said: "Getting your tax return done early can be tempting, but it is important not to rush.
"Waiting until all your income information has been finalised and pre-filled by the ATO [Australian Taxation Office] will help ensure accuracy and reduce the risk of errors that can trigger reviews or delays."
She referenced recent ATO figures indicating a shift in taxpayer behaviour, with fewer people lodging returns in the opening weeks of the tax season.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration will not seek new bids to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Sunday as he faced new questions about the troubled project and the taxpayer money involved.
Like President Donald Trump, Burgum said he was 100% sure that vandals caused the damage to the century-old Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Trump has charged that a 350-foot gash was cut into the pool's liner in the midst of recent renovations, while Burgum described it as multiple cuts adding up to that figure. He also said the pool would have to be at least partially drained in the coming week to finish the repairs.
The repairs will not be opened up to new contractors, he said.
"We'll use the same company, because they did a fantastic job," Burgum told CNN's "State of the Union." "Thankfully, the vandalism was small. It was bad. I mean, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair, so then it could fall into a felony ... just like damaging any other government property could. But the job that was done to fix the Reflecting Pool was done extremely well."
Trump this spring pledged to beautify the Reflecting Pool before the nation's 250th birthday celebrations on July Fourth. Water was drained and the Republican president directed that the bottom be painted a color he called "American flag blue." But after the site was restored, the water was plagued by an algae bloom for more than a week, and pieces of the new coating have appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

Prince Harry's plans to return to the UK faced yet another setback due to a last-minute change, according to new reports. The Duke of Sussex was allegedly going to stay at Buckingham Palace during the London leg of his UK tour. The reason for his visit is to attend the One Year to Go events for the Invictus Games.
According to Express, Prince Harry had accepted an offer to reside at Buckingham Palace during his UK visit. However, the reports were debunked soon. Allegedly, the Sussexes responded too late, making it difficult to finalise arrangements for their visit. A spokesperson for the Duke and ******* ss of Sussex pushed back on these claims.
"I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the Duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a Royal Residence," they said. They stated that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) refused to provide the necessary security arrangements. Hence, Prince Harry made those himself and then formally accepted the offer over the weekend.
The statement continued, "It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday's judgment in the ******* ociated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason. Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.
Since RAVEC rejected an application for taxpayer-funded, armed police protection for the Sussexes' stay in the UK, Prince Harry will allegedly visit alone. Whether Meghan Markle and the couple's two children will join the Duke is unclear as of now. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have not met their grandfather in person in four years. Meanwhile, Prince Harry had met King Charles in September 2025 at Clarence House. Security has been a concern for the family's return to the UK.

Miami Heat 2026 NBA free agency tracker: Live signings, updates, trades, and more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Miami Heat have already made their big offseason splash by trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but all eyes will still be on the team entering NBA free agency.
Miami won't have much money to spend, but the franchise does have a plethora of exceptions to use, including the nontaxpayer mid-level exception for around $12 million. Miami also has $20.5 million in first apron ******* e.
As NBA free agency kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, follow along with our tracker below to stay up to date on the latest signings, updates, and trades for Miami.
UPDATE: Hardaway Jr. remains the only external free agent the Heat have signed as the Fourth of July weekend is underway.

James could experience a more organic farewell tour in his third stop in Cleveland, but he has fielded skepticism that he would join the Cavaliers on a veteran’s minimum deal. He’s expected to view the Miami Heat as a more viable option after they acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat could also offer a taxpayer mid-level exception between $11 or $12 million per years.
Forbes.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: He’s expected to view the Miami Heat as a more viable …

New Jersey is launching a new fee on companies whose workers have Medicaid health coverage instead of being covered by their employers. Other states are considering it, too.
Democratic lawmakers and governors see it as a way to help pay for the joint federal and state insurance program that covers low-income residents as federal policy changes are expected to make the program more expensive for states and may lead to a reduction in the number of people with coverage.
Proponents also say it's about fairness because employers benefit from having some lower-income workers with taxpayer-funded health coverage.
Business groups object. So do some liberal policy organizations.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a measure Tuesday night to charge employers that have at least 50 workers covered by Medicaid, and the state budget she approved earlier in the week counts on raising $145 million this year from the program.

KeithSmithNBA‬: The reported contract for John Collins with the Pistons is for more than the Non-Taxpayer MLE. That signals this is either Detroit using cap ******* e or working out a sign-and-trade with the Clippers.
bsky.app
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The reported contract for John Collins with the …

More than half a million Americans are currently waiting for the IRS to resolve their tax identity theft cases — and the agency is taking roughly 20 months to close them, according to a new report from the federal government's internal tax watchdog.
The findings come from a recent report published by the National Taxpayer Advocate. The report calls the delays "unconscionable" and warns that the backlog is growing, not shrinking — even as the problem of tax-related identity theft worsens nationwide (1).
"For many low- and middle-income taxpayers, waiting nearly two years for a refund is not merely an inconvenience — it can mean falling behind on rent, utilities, transportation costs, and other basic living expenses," National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins wrote in the report (1).
Tax-related identity theft occurs when a criminal uses a stolen Social Security number to file a fraudulent tax return and claim a refund before the real taxpayer has a chance to file their own return.
In 2025, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported receiving more than 1,000 complaints about this type of crime in one year alone — a 26% jump from the prior year. Stolen refunds are typically redirected to bank accounts, prepaid debit cards or mail drops controlled by the criminals (2).

Free agency begins in the NBA on Tuesday evening, and the Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to add to their roster in an effort to climb the ladder in the East. The Sixers have a ton of talent on the roster, and are armed with some exceptions that can help on the free agency landscape, and it will be on President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey and Co. to make the right moves.
As for their own free agents, it appears Kelly Oubre Jr. has a suitor. Per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer via The Stein Line , the Indiana Pacers have emerged as a potential option for Oubre:
In other Pacers developments: Sources say Josh Okogie is among a group of swingmen they are looking at to support the soon-to-be-back-from-injury Tyrese Haliburton . Indiana can pay part of the non-taxpayer midlevel to compete against other teams' prospective offers at the veteran's minimum and is also said to have Gary Trent Jr . and Kelly Oubre Jr. on its list.
Oubre averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 ****** ists while shooting a career-high 36% from deep on 4.8 attempts per night in 2025-26. The 11-year veteran out of Kansas was a key contributor in all three of his seasons with Philadelphia and one has to wonder if the Sixers can work something out before the Pacers can come in with an offer.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Report: Pacers to have interest in Sixers free agent Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Detroit Pistons had a busy past week during the NBA Draft, making three trades and two draft picks.
They sent away Isaiah Stewart, drafted Ebuka Okorie at No. 17 overall and Ugonna Onyenso at No. 53, and traded for Isaiah Joe.
Now comes 2026 NBA free agency, one day away.
The Pistons can operate as an over-the-cap team and retain the ability to re-sign multiple free agents, and have access to the non-taxpayer $15 million mid-level exception (up to a four-year deal worth $64.7 million). Or they could go the less likely cap ***** e route, which would entail other moves, such as trading Caris LeVert into cap ***** e for picks, waiving Duncan Robinson and renouncing their Early Bird rights on Tobias Harris.
Jalen Duren (restricted) and Harris (unrestricted) are their most important free agents.

The Detroit Pistons had a busy past week during the NBA Draft, making three trades and two draft picks.
They sent away Isaiah Stewart, drafted Ebuka Okorie at No. 17 overall and Ugonna Onyenso at No. 53, and traded for Isaiah Joe.
Now comes 2026 NBA free agency, one day away.
The Pistons can operate as an over-the-cap team and retain the ability to re-sign multiple free agents, and have access to the non-taxpayer $15 million mid-level exception (up to a four-year deal worth $64.7 million). Or they could go the less likely cap ******* e route, which would entail other moves, such as trading Caris LeVert into cap ******* e for picks, waiving Duncan Robinson and renouncing their Early Bird rights on Tobias Harris.
Jalen Duren (restricted) and Harris (unrestricted) are their most important free agents.

The 250th anniversary of America's liberation from a king kicked off with a campaign-style rally on the National Mall by President Donald Trump, whose face already stares down from banners fluttering from federal buildings across the nation's capital.
The images illustrate how the Republican president has dominated daily life since returning to power and, to some, evoke more the style of a monarch than the leader of the world's oldest democracy. But it's also how he has wielded that power that has led to comparisons of an imperial reign.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has nominated one of his personal lawyers to serve as attorney general, ordered the Department of Justice to pursue his political enemies, deployed the U.S. Marines to the nation's second largest city and leveraged the presidency to enrich himself and his family.
He has demanded that comedians who mock him be fired, has slapped his name on the Kennedy Center, has pushed to seize control of elections, has filed lawsuits against news organizations whose coverage he disliked and has sued his own government seeking $10 billion in taxpayer money.
With the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding fast approaching, Trump's own celebrations have overshadowed the bipartisan, congressionally authorized commission that was supposed to coordinate events commemorating the moment. He plans to return to the National Mall on July Fourth for what he calls a "Trump rally."

The trade that has held the NBA hostage for more than a year (or longer) has finally happened: Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
But there was another trade that had an impact on the Pacers: Minnesota sending Julius Randle (and his salary) to the Brooklyn Nets. It freed up the money for the Timberwolves to agree to a 5-year, $112-million deal with free agent Ayo Dosunmu, according to ESPN.
Dosunmu would have been a perfect fit for the Pacers but his signing for more than the non-taxpayer exception put him out of their reach.
We'll be using this live story to track and update all the news that could affect the Pacers and their decision-making as they head towards the draft and then the formal opening of free agency. Follow this for updates.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

As President Donald Trump's lawyers tell it, there is "no evidence" that the May 18 "settlement" of his lawsuit against the IRS, which included huge favors for him, his family, and his supporters, was a product of collusion. That position is hard to take seriously, since both sides in the lawsuit were represented by attorneys who worked for Trump, and the president himself has described the cozy arrangement as "a settlement with myself."
In a June 12 brief ordered by Kathleen Williams, the federal judge in Florida who oversaw Trump v. IRS, the president's lawyers improbably maintained that the "settlement" was business as usual at the Department of Justice (DOJ). That brief "only underscores the need to investigate whether the parties have perpetrated a fraud on this Court and corrupted the integrity of the judicial process," 35 former federal judges argue in a response filed on Friday.
Trump sued the IRS on January 29, claiming that an IRS contractor's illegal disclosure of his tax returns had caused "at least" $10 billion in damages. In addition to offering a plainly preposterous estimate of the injury he had suffered, Trump missed the statutory deadline for filing such claims. And even if he had filed his lawsuit on time, he would have faced the challenge of arguing that the contractor qualified as an "officer or employee of the United States"—a point that the DOJ has disputed in other cases involving similar claims.
Despite those manifest legal weaknesses, the DOJ never contested Trump's claims, in sharp contrast with the way it has handled lawsuits against the IRS by plaintiffs who were not the president. That failure underlined the blatant conflicts of interest created by the case, which pitted Trump against an agency he oversees, represented by DOJ lawyers who serve at his pleasure. Further compromising the DOJ's ability to represent the IRS, an executive order that Trump issued in February 2025 bars the government's lawyers from taking legal positions that contradict the president's.
The situation was so bizarre that Williams questioned whether the case involved a genuine controversy between adverse parties, as required for the lawsuit to proceed. But two days before the deadline for briefing on that crucial issue, Trump dropped his lawsuit, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a "settlement agreement" that promised $1.8 billion in taxpayer money for an "Anti-Weaponization Fund" designed to benefit Trump's friends and followers. The next day, Blanche revealed an addendum that purports to shield Trump and his family from liability for tax violations and any other federal offenses they might have committed prior to May 19.