George Carlin's estate recently filed a lawsuit against the podcast "Dudesy" over an artificial intelligence-generated stand-up comedy special featuring the likeness of the late comedian.Since the lawsuit was filed‚ the special "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead" has been removed from YouTube. The complaint claimed that "Dudesy's" introductory voiceover states the special was generated by AI that ingested "five decades of Carlin's original stand-up comedy routines.""Defendants therefore admitted that they input thousands of hours of George Carlin's original‚ copyrighted routines to an AI machine that Defendants operate to fabricate a semblance of Carlin's voice and generate a Carlin stand-up comedy routine‚" the lawsuit read.According to the complaint‚ the video opened by stating‚ "I listened to all of George Carlin's material and did my best to imitate his voice‚ cadence‚ and attitude‚ as well as the subject matter I think would have interested him today."The estate argued that the special is "harmful to Carlin's reputation‚ his legacy‚ and to the value of his real work." The lawsuit called the AI-generated comedy routine "a bastardization of Carlin's real work and his legacy."The suit was also filed against comedian Will Sasso and podcaster Chad Kultgen. Danielle Del‚ a spokesperson for Sasso‚ told the New York Times that humans‚ not AI‚ wrote the comedy routine."It's a fictional podcast character created by two human beings‚ Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen‚" Del said. "The YouTube video 'I'm Glad I'm Dead' was completely written by Chad Kultgen."Josh Schiller‚ a lawyer for Carlin's estate‚ told the Times that he is unsure what is true."What we will know is that they will be deposed. They will produce documents‚ and there will be evidence that shows one way or another how the show was created‚" Schiller stated.Carlin's daughter‚ Kelly Carlin‚ called the special "a poorly executed facsimile cobbled together by unscrupulous individuals to capitalize on the extraordinary goodwill my father established with his adoring fan base‚" the Associated Press reported.In a series of posts on X‚ Kelly Carlin wrote‚ "My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life‚ brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius. These AI generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again. Let's let the artist's work speak for itself. Humans are so afraid of the void that we can't let what has fallen into it stay there.""Here's an idea‚ how about we give some actual living human comedians a listen to? But if you want to listen to the genuine George Carlin‚ he has 14 specials that you can find anywhere‚" she added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) broke from her customary criticism of Israel Saturday to instead highlight her other top priority: the national well-being‚ ethnic homogeneity‚ and border security of her native Somalia. Footage of Omar's translated speech — wherein she appears to identify herself as a Somalian first and allegedly claims the "U.S" will do what [Somali Americans] want and nothing else" — has gone viral‚ prompting criticism both at home and abroad. The speech Omar gave a speech at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis on Saturday as part of a Somali-American event celebrating the Jan. 8 re-election of Said Abdullahi Deni‚ head of the northeastern Somalian state of Puntland. An excerpt of Omar's remarks has been captioned with a translation — the faithfulness of which she and others have criticized — indicating the radical Democrat said‚ "We‚ as Somalians‚ we love each other. There are areas of friction ... that led us to kill each other‚ but in reality‚ we are an organized society: brothers and sisters‚ people of the same blood‚ people who know they are Somalians first‚ Muslims second." After failing to factor America into her apparent hierarchy of identities‚ Omar allegedly went onto suggest that members of her preferred blood-linked identity group know to "protect one another‚ come to each other's aid and to the aid of other Muslims too." "Many Somalians have personally called me to encourage me to speak to the U.S. government [to thwart the Jan. 1 2024 Ethiopia-Somaliland memorandum of understanding] and help Somalia‚" Omar stated behind a podium adorned with the Somalian and Minnesota state flags‚ which now are stylistically similar. The memorandum of understanding‚ signed on Jan. 1 between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi‚ granted Ethiopia access to the Red Sea port‚ partly on the condition that it recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state‚ reported the BBC. Court House News reported that White House spokesman John Kirby stated weeks after the agreement‚ "We're certainly troubled now by what's reportedly included [in the deal.]." "We support Somalia's sovereignty and their territorial integrity‚ and it's got to be respected‚" added Kirby. Concerning the agreement‚ Omar told the crowd of Somali-Americans Saturday‚ "My answer to Somalians was that the U.S. government will only do what Somalians in the U.S. tell them to do! They will do what we want and nothing else. They must follow our orders and that is how we will safeguard the interest of Somalia." According to the translation‚ Omar stressed: "We Somalians must have that confidence in ourselves that we call for the shots in the U.S. ... For as long as I am in the U.S. Congress‚ Somalia will never be in danger‚ its waters [Indian Ocean] will not be stolen by Ethiopia or others. The U.S. would not dare to support anyone against Somalia." Omar allegedly says later in her speech‚ "Somalia is for Somalis only" and that all five territories in what was Somalia will be reconquered — a translation even one of her defenders‚ an African studies researcher at Obuda University in Kenya‚ conceded was accurate. — (@) Response and backlash Omar responded after the video had netted millions of views‚ claiming the interpretation of her remarks was "not only slanted but completely off‚ but I wouldn't expect more from these propagandists." "No nation state can survive if its states start to get involved in land lease negotiations with other countries without the consent of the federal government‚" Omar wrote on X. "Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora are united in that effort and I stand in solidarity with them. No amount of harassment and lies will ever change that." Omar‚ who has criticized American efforts to secure America's borders and erect a southern wall‚ subsequently reshared a post claiming‚ "Somalis have a responsibility to defend their country by any means." Rhoda J. Elmi‚ the deputy minister of foreign affairs for the breakaway state of Somaliland‚ responded to the video‚ writing‚ "We were profoundly surprised‚ even shocked on discovering the remarks made by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D) of Minnesota in a recent public forum." "The language she employed was regrettably unbecoming of both the office she holds and the constituents she represents‚" wrote Elmi. "Her expressions were lacking in common decency and revealed a significant lack of understanding of basic facts. Specifically troubling‚ were her endeavors to revive the once-violent and dangerous ideology of Greater Somalia or Somali Weyn‚ which caused so much death‚ destruction and conflict in the Horn of Africa." The deputy minister suggested Omar employed "ethno-racist rhetoric" and demonstrated an "ignorance of #US - #Somaliland cooperation in thee fight against error and piracy in the Gulf of Aden &; Gulf of Berbera." The Somaliland Chronicle suggested Omar's rhetoric and her reference to "missing lands that we should be getting back" were reminscent of the "irredentism of the dictatorial regime of Siad Barre‚ which contributed to the downfall of the Somali Republic." Guled Bihi‚ a parliamentarian in the Somali federal government‚ suggested the controversy surrounding Omar's remarks concerns "the language she used &; her unique stamp that identifies who is Somali VS who isn't! This negatively impacts her social status &; our unity." The controversy was not‚ however‚ limited to Omar's identitarianism. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) seized upon Omar's apparent willingness to protect Somalia's borders but not America's. "Terrorist sympathizer Ilhan Omar in her own words: Somalian first. Muslim second. She never mentions America. She flaunts using her position as congresswoman to protect Somalia's border while our border is invaded by MILLIONS of illegals who are a danger to America‚" wrote Greene. Other critics suggested Omar's alleged admission of allegiance to a foreign nation and to using her position in government to put that foreign nation first amounted to a violation of the Oath Clause or possibly treason. When criticizing America's long-standing alliance with Israel in 2019‚ Omar smeared Jewish Americans‚ accusing them of the sort of foreign allegiance she apparently boasted of over the weekend. "I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says that it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country‚" said Omar. While the House Omar ousted Omar last year from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on account of her anti-Semitic remarks‚ she still sits on the House Budget Committee and serves as a member on two House Education and Workforce Committee subcommittees. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

NFL quarterback Brock Purdy made no qualms about who he was thanking first for his monumental comeback against the Detroit Lions in the NFC championship game.The San Francisco 49ers quarterback brought his team back from a 17-point deficit to eventually win a 34-31 barn-burner to advance to the Super Bowl.Following the game‚ Purdy was handed the George Halas trophy — given to the winner of the conference — and asked by analyst Michael Strahan about the keys to the amazing comeback."You just led one of the biggest comebacks in NFC championship game history. What was the key to the amazing comeback?" Strahan asked."First of all‚ glory to God. He's given us this opportunity‚ man‚" Purdy began. "For us‚ it's a team sport. We knew we had a half left‚ defense did their job‚ the boys on offense took care of business.""Coach called a great game‚ and we had the faithful behind us the whole way‚ so we love you guys‚" the 24-year-old said. 49ers QB Brock Purdy after a 17 point comeback win sending the team to the Super Bowl: \u201cFirst of all‚ glory to God. He\u2019s given us this opportunity.\u201d — (@) Later in the evening‚ Purdy was asked by a reporter at the postgame press conference to reflect on his journey leading up to the Super Bowl."Honestly‚ I think it’s just a testament to God and where He’s taken me in life‚" he replied. "I feel like I’ve always sort of had to fight for what I get and work for what I get. But God’s always given me an opportunity‚ whether that was in high school‚ college‚ and then obviously in the NFL‚" the quarterback continued.Purdy‚ who in just his second season led the league in quarterback rating and was third in touchdown passes‚ also spoke on how his faith helped him overcome seemingly insurmountable odds."Getting drafted last‚ people overlook you and all that kind of stuff‚ and then all you need is an opportunity and watch and see what [God] does. I put my faith and trust in him‚ and he’s gotten me where I’m at.""When I’m down 17 at half‚ honestly‚ I’m just like thinking‚ ‘All right God‚ You’ve taken me here‚ and win or lose‚ I’m going to glorify You.‚'" he said about the game. "That’s my peace‚ that’s the joy‚ that’s the steadfastness — that’s where I get it from."Purdy will become the third-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl game at 24 years and 46 days old.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

My wife and I finished Taylor Sheridan’s miniseries “1883” the other night‚ and we both came to the same conclusion: This show needs to be banned. It is a vicious and brutal account of the Oregon Trail‚ and spoiler alert: Pretty much everyone dies. The hardest loss for us‚ of course‚ was the daughter. We‚ too‚ have a teenage daughter‚ and we were crying hysterically as she was slowly taken from us in the last two episodes. Why were we forced to endure this? Why was there no warning (other than a hint in the beginning that we chose to ignore)? The PMRC was a success. It effectively protected the innocent from harmful rock music. After finishing the series‚ we were completely unable to go to bed. We tried to cleanse our palates with old “Saturday Night Live” videos‚ like the one where Chris Farley plays a teenager trying to take Steven Seagal’s daughter out on a date‚ but it didn’t work. We finished the show at 11 p.m. but drank alcohol and talked about what life must have been like back then for two more hours. My wife slept in and missed her hair appointment (where they take the gray out). She looks older today. I was late for my workout the next morning‚ and it showed in the weight room. I was lifting like a geriatric‚ and my trainer noticed. “Ju up laye las nye?” he asked. (He’s Puerto Rican.) I grunted “1883‚” assuming he’d nod knowingly‚ but he didn’t. I guess it’s a cultural thing. You might see us as weak‚ but we’re not the only ones who were blindsided by this show. American Tough Guy Joe Rogan said he walked around in a daze for hours after finishing it. Rogan told Sheridan he does some of his “most f**ked-up thinking at nighttime” and this made things much more “f**ked up.” He was traumatized by what he saw and spent all night researching the brutal suffering that went on 200 years ago. He eventually went to bed at dawn‚ haunted by how recent 1883 was. Everyone acknowledges the pioneers endured unspeakable suffering during the settling of this country (especially those who conquered the Wild West). But to endure it to such a realistic degree on television is too much. This is not what all those people died for‚ and it isn’t what they would have wanted. They died so we could be happy‚ not so we could dwell upon the slow‚ agonizing deaths of their children. In 1985‚ Al Gore’s wife‚ Tipper‚ started the Parents Music Resource Center. Its goal was to protect young people from traumatic violence like Black Sabbath’s “Trashed” and Judas Priest’s “Eat Me Alive.” Critics such as Frank Zappa and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider argued this would lead to distributors not just avoiding tracks but a band’s entire catalog. Yeah? So what? I don’t care if nobody ever hears “Bark at the Moon.” The PMRC was a success. It effectively protected the innocent from harmful rock music. We would like to introduce the Parents Sheridan Resource Center. Ideally‚ all of Taylor Sheridan’s work would be banned‚ but at the very least it should come with a warning that says something like‚ “Contains perilous conflict that is not fully resolved.” If that means Paramount Plus avoids his work‚ good. Maybe writers will start making content for the fifty-plus crowd. The goal of the PSRC is to reinvent the storytelling structure. Currently‚ it goes like this: In Act One‚ the characters are introduced. In Act Two‚ conflict arrives‚ and you care because you’ve developed a bond with the characters. In Act Three‚ the conflict is resolved. This is fine for teens. But young seniors like my wife and I have had enough conflict in our lives. Maybe just introduce the characters and let them have fun for the next two acts. Yes‚ young adults need to understand problem-solving‚ and they definitely benefit from the stress of an intense storyline. But not us. We’d like to relax and watch some TV without needing to grab a box of tissues. We want to watch nice characters in pastoral environments fall in love and have happy families. I brought this up to my 80-year-old father‚ who reminded me that although he doesn’t really care about golf‚ he loves “watching it for the landscapes.” Well‚ my spouse and I would like to enjoy some landscapes‚ too. Taylor Sheridan is creating horror-like content that is not suitable for young seniors. If we can’t get him banned‚ we need to at least curb this elder abuse so it doesn’t happen to others. We’re not looking for a war. We’re asking that you give PSRC a chance.

Rep. Susan Wild (D-Penn.) has once again been caught disparaging constituents who support Donald Trump.As a result of population shifts‚ Pennsylvania lost a congressional seat after the 2020 census and‚ therefore‚ had to draw the state's congressional districts. Before the redraw‚ Wild's district — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — was solidly Democratic. But the redraw added Carbon County to the district‚ which Trump won by overwhelming margins in the 2016 and 2020 elections.Those Trump supporters‚ according to Wild‚ are guilty of drinking the "Trump Kool-Aid." At least‚ that's what she said in a recent Zoom meeting that included Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.)‚ Fox News reported."I acquired Carbon County as part of my district last year and Matt did not then represent it. Matt had actually represented Carbon County in the past‚ so it was very valuable for me in terms of talking to him‚" she said. "After Trump came along‚ it went from a sort of working-class blue district to a – they drank the Trump Kool-Aid – and it really became a red county. "So‚ I was dismayed when I got that as part of my district‚" she admitted. Susan Wild Comments On Carbon County Voters www.youtube.com This is the second time that Wild has openly disparaged her Trump-supporting constituents in Carbon County.Several months before the 2022 midterm election‚ Wild complained how Carbon County had once been an "Obama county" but has since become a "Trump county.""I'm not quite sure what was in their heads because the people of Carbon County are exactly the kind of people who should not be voting for a Donald Trump‚ but I guess I might have to school them on that a little bit‚" she said at the time. Wild‚ however‚ is not offering an apology for her latest remarks. In a statement‚ she said:It's the honor of my lifetime to represent Carbon County in Congress and am grateful for the partnership I have with my constituents there. The first thing I did upon representing Carbon County was open an office in Lehighton so I could assist as many constituents as possible in dealing with federal agencies. I'll continue to work tirelessly on their behalf.In 2022‚ Wild won re-election by just 2% — or less than 6‚000 votes — over her Republican challenger. With her district now a toss-up‚ according to the Cook Political Report‚ it may be in Wild's best interest to stop insulting her constituents. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The left will do anything to redefine terms like “extreme‚” “misinformation‚” and “far right” to include anyone who disagrees with the left. Even more moderate voices like Douglas Murray and Joe Rogan are now being forced into these categories — and the left is concerned about silencing them. “There’s no way anyone on earth is going to suppress or silence me‚” Murray tells Glenn Beck‚ “but I do think it’s extraordinary the confidence that certain people have that they can suppress those of us who say things which I think are not only popular‚ but true.” One of the suggested ideas for silencing dissenting voices is going after banks and the platforms they use. “There’s going to come a time where they are going to build a digital ghetto‚” Glenn tells Murray‚ who agrees. “There’s very particular moves that they’re doing to make that‚” Murray says. “One is this use of the term ‘far right‚’ which alarms me enormously.” This alarms him because “they’re trying to make public opinion be deemed ‘far right.’” “Most people in the United States and the United Kingdom are deeply concerned about illegal migration‚ but once you say ‘concern about illegal migration is far right‚’ therefore‚ the majority of the public are called ‘far right‚’” Murray warns. To hear the full conversation‚ check out the clip below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A former Internal Revenue Service contractor who pleaded guilty to leaking former President Donald Trump's tax records was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison‚ the New York Post reported.In October‚ Charles Littlejohn‚ 38‚ of Washington‚ D.C.‚ admitted to leaking tax documents belonging to "thousands of the nation's wealthiest individuals‚" including Trump‚ Blaze News previously reported. According to the Department of Justice‚ the former IRS contractor used "broad search parameters" to "conceal the true purpose of his queries." "He then uploaded the tax returns to a private website in order to avoid IRS protocols established to detect and prevent large downloads or uploads from IRS devices or systems‚" the DOJ explained.Littlejohn saved the tax records on multiple personal storage devices before sending some of the information to a news outlet‚ believed to be the New York Times‚ in August and October of 2019. The Times later published a piece detailing Trump's tax returns. In 2021‚ ProPublica also posted an article that provided tax information belonging to some of the nation's wealthiest people.Despite pleading guilty to the unauthorized disclosure of tax return information belonging to thousands of individuals‚ Littlejohn only faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison. On Monday‚ United States District Judge Ana Reyes gave the maximum sentence to the former IRS contractor.Prosecutors argued that Littlejohn applied for the position with the IRS with the intention of retrieving Trump's tax records."What you did in targeting the sitting president of the United States was an attack on our constitutional democracy‚" Reyes told Littlejohn. "It cannot be open season on our elected officials."Littlejohn stated‚ "I acted out of a sincere‚ if misguided‚ belief that I was serving the public interest." According to his lawyers‚ Littlejohn was motivated by a "deep‚ moral belief" that the public had a right to know the information he illegally obtained and disseminated to the media outlets. Littlejohn leaked tax information belonging to "ultra-high net worth taxpayers" in hopes his actions would catalyze reforms to the tax system.Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the DOJ's Criminal Division said‚ "Charles Littlejohn abused his position as a consultant at the Internal Revenue Service by disclosing thousands of Americans' federal tax returns and other private financial information to news organizations. He violated his responsibility to safeguard the sensitive information that was entrusted to his care‚ and now he is a convicted felon."Argentieri called Littlejohn's sentencing "a strong message that those who violate laws intended to protect sensitive tax information will face significant punishment." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It’s no secret that Taylor Swift is currently one of the most wildly successful and influential people on the planet. This was true even before she and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce sparked a romance. However‚ their relationship has carved a path for the popstar to wield her influence over NFL fans‚ a community she otherwise might not have reached. Granted that Swift is an outspoken liberal who endorsed Biden in 2020 and Kelce has been involved in Pfizer and Bud Light marketing campaigns‚ many have been skeptical of their relationship from the get-go. One of those people is Tucker Carlson. A couple months ago‚ Tucker joined Alex Stein on "Prime Time with Alex Stein‚” and one subject discussed was Taylor Swift’s potential involvement in the political sphere. “Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting married‚ or is this just a publicity stunt?” producer Jimmy von Thron asked Tucker. “I don’t know anything about Taylor Swift‚” said Tucker‚ “but I remember Kanye‚ who was then Kanye West‚ once attacked her in a very emotional way at an award’s ceremony‚ and I remember thinking at the time I saw the clip ... that it was a racial thing.” “But if you listen to the clip‚ he’s actually making a different point‚ and he was saying‚ ‘This isn’t real; this isn’t art ... This person is being used by larger forces to control our society‚’” he recounted. Without divulging his personal opinions regarding West‚ Tucker admitted that the artist “does have flashes of insight about things.” “He’s not a surface-level character at all‚ and I think there’s some truth in that. ... If you’re a performer who’s that culturally significant‚ who’s the single-most popular person in America among women under 30 ... you have a great deal of power‚ and so‚ of course‚ you’re going to be managed by people who want to use your influence for their ends‚” Tucker explained. To hear the full conversation‚ watch the video below. — (@) Want more from Alex Stein?To enjoy more of Alex's culture jamming‚ comedic monologues‚ skits‚ and street segments‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Hide your kids! Hide your wallets! Despite all the faux acrimony on display between the parties in Congress this week‚ the House of Representatives is about to pass a new bill with broad bipartisan support. That is not good news. Not only do Republicans refuse to cut a single penny from the budget they passionately complain about‚ but they also add to the deficit at any opportunity. They have already added $2.7 trillion in the past year. This week‚ House Republicans are set to pass a bipartisan tax bill‚ which they’re trying to sell as a massive tax cut. In fact‚ H.R. 7024 would add welfare dependency to the tax code‚ which is worse than welfare itself. If this tax bill is the only accomplishment of the GOP-controlled House after funding every other policy that negates these cuts‚ then thanks‚ but no thanks. The dirty little secret is that taxes‚ for the most part‚ are no longer a pressing issue. Because of the Reagan‚ Bush‚ and Trump tax cuts‚ tens of millions of Americans no longer incur a net positive income tax liability below a certain income threshold. Absent overhauling the entire broken system‚ we have squeezed as much juice out of tax cuts as possible. Gone are the days when cutting taxes starved the beast of the federal government. Now‚ Congress and the Treasury simply print all the money they need to feed the leviathan. But it is that deficit spending that spurs inflation‚ which harms lower- and middle-income families more than their current tax burden. A new entitlement The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to vote early this week on H.R. 7024‚ which would‚ among other things‚ expand the refundable portion of the child tax credit yet again. For years‚ the child tax credit was worth $1‚000 per dependent child‚ regardless of whether the tax filer had a net positive tax liability. The 2017 tax reform bill doubled the credit to $2‚000 and this year allowed up to $1‚600 per child (tethered to inflation) to be “refundable‚” meaning a person could make money from the credit even if he paid no taxes. It’s a dressed-up wealth redistribution program. The new bill‚ sponsored by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)‚ would make up to $2‚000 refundable by 2025 and expands the base credit with inflation for three years. But once an entitlement is created‚ you have to score its deficit effects forever because it will never be repealed. Worse‚ the bill would weaken work requirements by allowing a filer to qualify based on the previous year's work‚ meaning the filer could receive the credit while not working. Under current law‚ according to the Joint Committee on Taxation‚ the average tax filer in the entire bottom 50% of income earners has a net negative income tax liability thanks to the earned income tax credit and the additional child tax credit. Right now‚ those programs cost more than $100 billion combined. During the pandemic years‚ the cost reached as high as $250 billion because of the $3‚500 refundable credits per child handed out by the Biden administration. Rather than replacing welfare programs with refundable tax credits‚ we expanded both to record levels since the Obama years. This has allowed millions of Americans who don’t pay taxes to think they really do‚ without suffering the pain of electing socialists who are at war with our society‚ economy‚ borders‚ and culture. In 2021‚ 57% of households paid no federal income taxes‚ and 19% had their payroll tax liability more than zeroed out‚ too. Those numbers likely receded slightly with the tapering of COVID handouts‚ but it’s not as if we have an urgent need to add to the ranks of Americans who make money from the tax code at the expense of actual taxpayers. The fact that 94% of the JCT’s $33 billion projected three-year cost of the expanded tax credit is scored as an “outlay” rather than a reduction of revenue underscores the fact that most of this expansion will be welfare and not a tax cut. Not an equal trade Which brings us back to the GOP’s quixotic focus on a tax bill as the one priority of this session. Until now‚ the low-tax doctrine — perhaps even including refundable tax credits — has been worthwhile‚ but any continued effort to only cut taxes while continuing to hike spending is counterproductive both policy-wise and politically. Although it is true that in exchange for the welfare spending Republicans have secured the extension of pro-growth tax cuts‚ such as the deduction for domestic research and development‚ 100% bonus depreciation for equipment and capital assets‚ and deductions for interest payments‚ the swap is not worth it. Also‚ Republicans expended some of their capital on the budgetary scoring of the bill by making these tax breaks retroactive for the past two years‚ which is silly because you can’t retroactively incentivize growth. By giving Democrats their most prized tax provision on refundable credits‚ Republicans have lost any leverage to demand an extension of the broader Trump tax cuts slated to expire at the end of 2025. Now that we have released the hostage‚ Democrats will have no reason to extend the other provisions or agree to a less complex‚ flatter tax code. Also‚ even if Republicans were going to trade business tax cuts for more welfare‚ they could have negotiated a better deal. Republicans didn’t even secure the repeal of refundable tax credits for illegal aliens while giving in to Democrats on the tax pork‚ including billions in additional “emergency” spending. Additionally‚ the bill expands the socialist low-income housing tax credit‚ a social engineering program that gives states $10 billion to offer to well-connected banks and land developers who purposely inflate their constructions costs to milk the credit and float projects that are not otherwise sound economically. In that sense‚ this housing credit is a bit like the green energy tax credits. The bill would increase the program by 12.5%. Overall‚ the bill spends too much. A double-edged sword of low-tax socialism While we don’t believe in needlessly taxing corporations‚ simply giving more tax cuts to the broken and woke corporate world without addressing regulations‚ subsidies‚ monopolies‚ energy policy‚ and health care creates an imbalance in politics against a broader conservative agenda. Corporate America has become the No. 1 enforcer — even more effective than the media and academia — in promoting open borders‚ endless Middle East migration‚ soft-on-crime laws‚ anti-religious liberty policies‚ mindless multiculturalism‚ the biomedical security state‚ and the transgender agenda. Even on fiscal issues‚ corporations fully support the welfare state‚ Obamacare‚ the global warming agenda‚ and all the regulations that help them shut out competition.The one missing component from the Democrat portfolio is taxation. If the corporations empowered Democrats on that issue‚ too‚ they couldn’t survive. Thus‚ Big Business backs the Republican Party line on cutting taxes‚ so that it is free to promote the rest of the progressive agenda. Knowing that‚ conservatives should be willing to shoot our hostage (business tax cuts) instead of releasing their hostage (welfare spending). And I say this as someone who does not have a negative tax liability. With four children‚ I would benefit greatly from an increase in the child tax credit. The GOP has supported low-tax socialism‚ and even negative-tax socialism for some‚ which has allowed the weaponized leviathan to grow without people having to feel the pain. Perhaps it’s time we change strategies. Let’s push conservatism on every other policy so we don’t suffer all the liabilities of zero taxes on many individual Americans and low taxes on corporations without reaping the benefits. If this tax bill is the only accomplishment of the GOP-controlled House after funding every other policy that negates the purpose of these business tax cuts‚ then thanks‚ but no thanks.

In the wake of Mike Ybarra's exit from Blizzard last week‚ the company has now found its new leader‚ with Call of Duty General Manager‚ Johanna Faries‚ making the step up to oversee all things Diablo 4‚ World of Warcraft‚ and more. Continue reading Call of Duty boss takes on Diablo‚ WoW‚ and Blizzard as new president MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds‚ Diablo 4 review‚ Diablo 4 classes