NPR Topics: News

Tax season was supposed to bring big refunds. So far they're less than expected

Apr 15, 2026Center

The average refund so far is $350 more than last year at this time, despite projections that it would be closer to $1,000 due to Republican-led tax changes as part of the Big Beautiful Bill Act.

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Big Oil heads for biggest profits in years as Trump pushes for lower gas prices

New York Post

5 hours ago

Big Oil heads for biggest profits in years as Trump pushes for lower gas prices

President Trump is ramping up pressure on the industry to lower gas prices ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Right

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Pay-to-play cycle behind GOP's corporate tax cuts exposed in new report

Raw Story

8 hours ago

Pay-to-play cycle behind GOP's corporate tax cuts exposed in new report

Major American corporations that benefited from tax cuts enacted last year by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are donating to the campaigns of GOP lawmakers who made the windfall possible.A report published Friday by Unrig Our Economy spotlights seven House Republicans who voted for the sprawling and unpopular GOP budget package, which extended tax breaks for corporations and wealthy Americans while inflicting unprecedented cuts on Medicaid and federal nutrition assistance—with disastrous consequences for millions of low-income families across the country.Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), one of the lawmakers featured in the new report, has received campaign donations from corporate PACs representing 3M, Amazon, Walmart, AT&T, and other companies that collectively received billions of dollars in tax breaks from the Republican law, which restored a provision allowing businesses to immediately write off new investments.Amazon saw its US income taxes fall by more than half last year due to the GOP law, even as the company’s profits grew. Unrig Our Economy noted that Amazon, whose PAC donated thousands to the Republicans spotlighted in the new report, has an effective federal tax rate of 1.37% following enactment of the budget law.Miller-Meeks, who has received at least $57,000 in donations from the PACs of companies that benefited from the 2025 law, issued a statement Thursday bragging about supporting “the largest tax cuts in American history,” not mentioning that the benefits will disproportionately flow to profitable corporations and the richest people in the country.“Thanks to the Republican tax law, corporations are receiving tax breaks, House Republicans are getting campaign cash, and working families are getting stuck with the bill,” the report states.Another Republican lawmaker featured in the report, Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania, received $2,500 in campaign donations from the PAC of FirstEnergy, which reaped $500 million in depreciation deductions thanks to the GOP tax law.“Bresnahan voted to give FirstEnergy hundreds of millions in tax breaks even after the company raised utility prices for his constituents,” Unrig Our Economy’s report observes.The report also points out that Bresnahan “owned stock in every single one” of the companies who contributed PAC money to his campaign following passage of the Republican budget package last summer.“This comes after Bresnahan has already faced scrutiny for dumping stock in Medicaid providers and selling off bonds in Pennsylvania hospitals before voting to slash Medicaid and put rural hospitals at risk,” the report notes.Leor Tal, Unrig Our Economy’s campaign director, said in a statement that “one year ago, House Republicans ripped away healthcare and food assistance from millions of Americans, so that corporations could get massive tax breaks.”“Now, many of those companies are dishing out PAC money to the Republicans listed in this report,” said Tal. “Republicans in Congress sold out many of their own constituents to help corporations get even richer. It’s time that House Republicans step up, do the right thing, and start fighting for working Americans—not giant corporations.”

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding: everything we know so far – The Latest

US news | The Guardian

9 hours ago

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding: everything we know so far – The Latest

The US superstar golden couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are finally tying the knot in a rumoured major event in New York’s Madison Square Garden. The couple – who got engaged 10 months ago, announced via an Instagram post that received 14m likes in its first hour online – held an intimate rehearsal dinner at MSG with a rumoured guest list of 1,000 for today’s ceremony and construction of a custom-made fairytale castle inside.But with tight security, NDAs and New York streets on lockdown – what do we know? Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian writer Elle Hunt Continue reading...

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Meet the patriotic ‘living historians’ who bring the American Revolution to life — one reenactment at a time

New York Post

13 hours ago

Meet the patriotic ‘living historians’ who bring the American Revolution to life — one reenactment at a time

They're partying like it's 1776.

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Millions expected at delayed Khamenei funeral as Iran seeks to project strength

NBC News Politics

18 hours ago

Millions expected at delayed Khamenei funeral as Iran seeks to project strength

Four months after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran is preparing for a massive multi-day funeral. It’s a calculated move by the regime to project strength and unity during a shaky peace deal with the U.S.

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Socialist Surge: Far-left Democrats test national playbook after blue-city primary shocks

Latest Political News on Fox News

22 hours ago

Socialist Surge: Far-left Democrats test national playbook after blue-city primary shocks

Democratic Socialists of America candidates are winning primaries nationwide, with races in Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida up next.

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So much for Lakers’ big offseason … LA fans left with sinking feeling

New York Post

Yesterday

So much for Lakers’ big offseason … LA fans left with sinking feeling

The flame was lit when the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic in February 2025, a generational player who could put the team atop the NBA again.

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Expect 'significant drop' in gas prices by Labor Day: Energy analyst

NBC News Politics

Yesterday

Expect 'significant drop' in gas prices by Labor Day: Energy analyst

The White House is facing the prospect of a summer slowdown in the job market, with economic issues top of mind for voters heading into November’s midterms. NBC News correspondents Kelly O’Donnell, Brian Cheung and Keir Simmons report on renewed economic concerns. Oil industry expert John Kilduff discusses what consumers can expect to pay at the gas pump heading into the fall.

Center Left

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Tax season was supposed to bring big refunds. So far they're less than expected

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Tax season was supposed to bring big refunds. So far they're less than expected

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