California vs. Trump
Despite continuing pleas from Democrats and ongoing legal battles, Donald Trump still refuses to release his tax returns. The state of New York even tried to sue for them, but that case remains tied up in court. Now, the state of California has responded by creating a new and controversial law that may even change […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Trump’s Financial Past Revealed You may remember that during the 2016 presidential campaign, many voters supported Donald Trump because of his success as a businessman. They hoped that Trump would bring those business skills and sensibilities to the federal government. However, when pressed about his tax returns, Trump–then a candidate–refused to release them. Ever since […]
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Big Plans for Apple in the U.S. Chances are, you own an Apple product . . . or two. But despite its popularity, Apple has also faced a lot of criticism, mostly for outsourcing its manufacturing to Asia, where workers complain of mistreatment and poor conditions. This is obviously bad for Asian workers, but it […]
Walmart Raises Wages
Last month, Congress passed a controversial new tax bill. This bill angered many Democrats because it will raise taxes for millions of middle-class families. Republicans, on the other hand, applauded the bill because it gives big tax breaks to both small and big businesses. Many Republicans believe that when companies pay less in taxes, […]
Senate Passes Tax Reform Bill
Early last Saturday morning, Senate Republicans passed a sweeping tax reform bill that will affect nearly every American. Here, btw takes a look at the story of how the bill passed, as well as some of the possible positive and negative outcomes. What Happened? The Senate tax reform bill, which was nearly 500 pages long, […]
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Federal Funding to Puerto Rico Ends Puerto Rico is home to 3.4 million American citizens. Nearly two months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, many Puerto Ricans still do not have reliable access to food, water, electricity, or health services. And now, federal disaster relief funding from the United States–never sufficient in the first place–has […]
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Mass Shooting at Texas Church Last Sunday, at least 26 people were killed and 20 more wounded when a lone gunman opened fire on a congregation at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Sutherland Springs is a small, close-knit community about 30 miles east of San Antonio. The shooter was Devin Patrick Kelley, […]
Read My Lips* – Talking Taxes
It’s that time of year again, when people scramble to get receipts and tax returns to accountants (or the numerically-savvy), and numbers and letter combinations like “W2” and “1040” enter casual conversations. In recognition of Tax Season, btw takes a look back at some history of taxes in the United States. New Nation, Old System […]