Rumors spreading on social media claim the U.S. government will soon be issuing stimulus checks to taxpayers in certain income brackets. But for now it's only wishful thinking. Congress has not passed legislation to authorize such payments. And the IRS says no new stimulus checks will be distributed in the coming weeks. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri last month introduced a bill that would send tax rebates to qualified taxpayers using revenue from tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump. Hawley's bill has not passed the Senate or the House.
By KIMBERLY KINDY and AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press
President Donald Trump's administration has released to deportation officials the personal data for millions of Medicaid enrollees, including their immigration status. That's according to an internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press. Trump officials have been reaching deep into communities across the country to ramp up deportations and fought for the health data on immigrants from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The dataset released this week includes the information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, D.C., which all allow immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to enroll in relatively new Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars.
The height of tax season was the height of turmoil at the IRS. The agency has churned through acting directors and is preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. All the while, President Donald Trump is weighing in on which nonprofits should lose their tax-exempt status. The incursion into the IRS' typically apolitical stance threatens to further erode trust in federal institutions and weaponize enforcement efforts. Just three months into Trump's second term, the government's fly-under-the-radar tax collector has become the latest platform for the Republican administration's vision to cut and control the federal bureaucracy.
By SEUNG MIN KIM and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press
President Joe Biden will start the new Senate session on Tuesday by resubmitting 85 nominations that fell short last year. That's according to a White House official. The most high-profile nominee is Eric Garcetti, the former Los Angeles mayor who has been shadowed by a controversy over sexual harassment. Biden wants Garcetti to serve as ambassador to India. The White House official spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the upcoming announcement. Garcetti was originally nominated several months after Biden took office, but never received a vote of the full Senate. He has faced accusations of turning a blind eye to misconduct by a top aide in his mayor's office. Garcetti has repeatedly denied being aware of the allegations.
