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| 21: Is It Time to Lower the Drinking Age? |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (4 reads) | |
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The drinking age in the us has been 21 for more than 20 years.
today, we all take the drinking age for granted, but should we? In fact, the us is one of only four countries in the world with a drinking age as high as 21--the other three are indonesia, mongolia and palau.
is the policy working to reduce health and safety issues related to youthful alchohol abuse? Is enforcing the drinking age the best use of scarce public resources? What are the unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition for 18-20 year olds?
organizations such as mother against drunk driving (madd) argue that the drinking age is an effective policy and that the answer to ongoing alcohol related problems for 18-20 year olds is more education and better enforcement.
john mccardell, president of choose responsibility, and 135 university presidents and chancellors across the country believe its time to take a fresh look at the drinking age. The former president of middlebury college and the new head of sewanee/university of the south, mccardell says our current system encourages unsupervised binge drinking.
reason.Tv went to the university of wisconsin-stout in menomonie, wisconsin to get a first-hand look at the war on underage drinking.
produced and hosted by paul feine; shot and edited by alex manning.
approximately 10 minutes long. Go to http://reason.Tv for downloadable ipod, hd and audio versions of this and all our videos. Subscribe to reason.Tvs youtube page and receive automatic notification when new material goes live. |
( Read More... | 3038 bytes more | comments? |   ) |
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| Sen. John Cornyn visits Odessa to discuss One Big Beautiful Bill |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Sen. John cornyn visits odessa to discuss ‘one big beautiful bill’
full details of ‘one big beautiful bill’
odessa, texas (kosa) - u.S. Sen. John cornyn was in odessa today meeting with chamber leaders from across west texas to talk about what he calls president trump’s “one big beautiful bill.”
in a press release, cornyn said the senate’s passage of the bill delivers on what he called “president trump’s hallmark legislative priority of his second term.”
“this bill puts texans first by avoiding a massive tax increase on hardworking families, making historic investments to help secure our southern border, reducing financial barriers for texans exercising their second amendment rights, and other priorities,” cornyn said.
the bill includes $13.5 billion to reimburse states like texas for costs tied to border security during former president joe biden’s administration.
the release says, it also reduces taxes on certain firearms and silencers.
and in a move that’s sure to spark debate, it directs the space shuttle discovery to be relocated from virginia to what cornyn calls its “rightful home” in houston.
cornyn stressed the urgency of passing the bill.
“we had to pass this bill because if we didn’t, we would have seen the single largest tax increase ever,” he said. “Everything has gone up about 20 percent.”
below: an in-depth breakdown of the ‘one big beautiful bill.’:
to provide for budget reconciliation under title ii of h. Con. Res. 14.
overview
the legislation is a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that affects taxes, energy, defense, agriculture, health care, education, and the national debt.
it cuts numerous climate programs, expands fossil fuel development, delivers middle-class tax relief, and imposes new work and eligibility requirements for federal benefit programs.
title i – agriculture, nutrition and forestry
- nutrition: revises snap (food stamps) benefits, modifies work requirements, limits internet expense coverage, and adds education and obesity prevention programs.
- forestry: rescinds previously approved forestry funds.
- commodities: updates farm subsidy programs, insurance options, and income thresholds for payment eligibility.
- disaster assistance: adds supplemental aid for agricultural disasters.
- crop insurance: increases support for beginning farmers and creates a poultry insurance pilot.
- rural investments: boosts funding for conservation, trade, nutrition, research, energy, and horticulture.
title ii – armed services
- increases funding for military personnel quality of life, shipbuilding, missile defense, cybersecurity, and indo-pacific readiness.
- authorizes military construction projects and enhances department of defense oversight.
title iii – banking, housing and urban affairs
- caps consumer financial protection bureau funding.
- rescinds funds for green housing programs.
- transfers funds to support domestic defense production.
title iv – commerce, science and transportation
- supports coast guard readiness, air traffic control improvements, and mars/artemis space missions.
- cuts funds for noaa and other climate-related agencies.
title v – energy and natural resources
- expands oil, gas and coal leasing on federal lands.
- adds royalties on methane.
- cuts clean energy and national park service funds.
- supports timber sales and renewable energy revenue sharing.
title vi – environment and public works
- rescinds funding for dozens of clean energy, air pollution, and environmental justice programs.
- ends grants for low-emission vehicles, schools, building materials and neighborhood equity.
title vii – finance
tax relief
- extends trump-era tax cuts, including standard deduction and child tax credit.
- expands deductions for small businesses, education, retirement, and able accounts.
- exempts tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest from federal income taxes.
business and investment
- provides full expensing for capital and r&d investments.
- extends paid family leave credit.
- adds tax incentives for manufacturing, spaceports and energy development.
community and small business
- permanently extends opportunity zones, low-income housing, and charitable tax breaks.
- offers targeted relief for small businesses, farmers, and native communities.
green subsidy rollbacks
- ends tax credits for electric vehicles, home efficiency upgrades, solar and clean hydrogen.
- cuts advanced manufacturing and clean electricity incentives.
energy production
- supports oil, gas, nuclear, and hydrogen infrastructure.
- allows new income categories for energy partnerships.
tax enforcement and reforms
- limits business losses and deductions.
- imposes excise taxes on remittance transfers.
- requires social security numbers for education tax credits.
title viii – health, education, labor and pensions
medicaid
- tightens eligibility and verification rules.
- requires work/community engagement for some recipients.
- cuts funding to ineligible providers.
- adds fraud prevention and reduces excess payments.
medicare
- limits coverage for certain individuals.
- temporarily boosts physician payments.
health insurance tax credits
- restricts eligibility for premium subsidies.
- allows bronze and catastrophic plans with health savings accounts.
rural health
- establishes the rural health transformation program.
student loans and education
- caps graduate loans.
- reforms repayment and forgiveness programs.
- adds short-term job training pell grants.
- delays rules on borrower defense and closed school discharges.
- bars aid to colleges with low graduate earnings.
title ix – debt and unemployment
- raises the federal debt ceiling.
- ends unemployment benefits for millionaires.
subtitle g — garden of heroes
- section 86001: this creates the “garden of heroes,” a monument or memorial likely meant to honor american figures (details not specified here).
subtitle h — office of refugee resettlement
- section 87001: focuses on the vetting process for sponsors of unaccompanied children entering the u.S. It allocates funding to ensure those caring for these children are properly screened.
title ix — homeland security & governmental affairs
subtitle a — homeland security
several sections here are about boosting border security and supporting enforcement efforts:
- sec. 90001–90007: funding is included for:
- border wall infrastructure
- customs and border protection staff and vehicles
- immigration detention facilities
- surveillance tech and screening tools
- help for state and local border-related programs
- protecting the president’s residence
- general border-related support via dhs
subtitle b — government affairs
- sec. 90101: improves federal employee health benefits (fehb).
- sec. 90102: establishes or expands the pandemic response accountability committee.
- sec. 90103: provides funds for the office of management and budget.
title x — judiciary committee
subtitle a — immigration and law enforcement
part i — new immigration-related fees
sections 100001–100018 introduce or adjust fees for:
- asylum applications
- work permits
- temporary protected status
- visas and i-94s
- aliens ordered deported in absentia
- special immigrant juveniles
- adjustments of immigration status
- parole renewals and more
part ii — immigration & law enforcement funding
sections 100051–100057 provide funding for:
- dhs
- ice
- federal law enforcement training
- department of justice
- bureau of prisons
- secret service
- a new reimbursement fund for immigration-related costs across the country
subtitle b — judiciary funding
- sec. 100101 & 100102: fund the administrative office of u.S. Courts and the federal judicial center.
subtitle c — radiation exposure compensation
- sec. 100201–100205: extends and amends compensation for those harmed by:
- nuclear weapons testing
- uranium mining
- waste from the manhattan project
title i — agriculture, nutrition & forestry
subtitle a — nutrition
sec. 10101: snap benefit updates
- updates the definition and cost calculations for the thrifty food plan, which is used to determine snap (food stamp) benefits.
- adjusts benefit levels based on household size.
- ensures cost updates are tied to inflation (consumer price index).
- allows re-evaluation of food cost assumptions no earlier than october 2027—but changes can’t increase the plan’s cost.
sec. 10102: snap work requirement changes
- updates work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (abawds):
- exemptions now include those under 18 or over 65, medically unfit individuals, pregnant women, and those caring for children under 14.
- new considerations for native americans and noncontiguous states like hawaii and alaska.
- states outside the mainland u.S. Can request temporary exemptions from these work rules until dec. 31, 2028 if they show a good faith effort to comply.
changes to the food and nutrition act of 2008
standard utility allowances and energy assistance (sec. 10103)
- households with an elderly or disabled member can now use energy assistance payments to qualify for a standard utility allowance.
- households without elderly or disabled members can’t use third-party energy assistance to qualify, but those with such members can if allowed by state law.
internet costs not deductible (sec. 10104)
- internet service fees can no longer be counted as part of shelter expense deductions when calculating snap benefits.
state matching funds based on snap error rates (sec. 10105)
- starting in fiscal year 2028, states must contribute more toward snap if their payment error rate exceeds certain thresholds:
- <6% error rate: 0% state share.
- 6–8%: 5% state share.
- 8–10%: 10% state share.
- 10% or more: 15% state share.
- states with very high error rates in 2025 or 2026 (when multiplied by 1.5 and ?20%) will have their cost-sharing delayed until 2029 or 2030.
administrative cost-sharing adjustment (sec. 10106)
- the federal government will reduce its share of state snap administrative costs from 50% to 25% starting in fiscal year 2027.
nutrition education program ends in 2025 (sec. 10107)
- funding for the snap-ed (nutrition education and obesity prevention) program will no longer continue after 2025.
immigrant eligibility for snap (sec. 10108)
- to receive snap, individuals must:
- live in the u.S.
- be a u.S. Citizen, legal permanent resident, or fall under certain specific immigration statuses (like cuban/haitian entrants or individuals from compact of free association nations).
- if a household member is ineligible, their income may still count when determining household eligibility.
forestry funding cuts (sec. 10201)
- several forestry-related programs under the inflation reduction act (public law 117-169) are having their unused funds rescinded.
commodity programs and farm support updates
increased reference prices for crops (sec. 10301)
- starting in crop year 2025, the minimum prices that trigger government payments to farmers (called reference prices) will rise. Examples:
- wheat: $6.35/bushel
- corn: $4.10/bushel
- soybeans: $10.00/bushel
- peanuts: $630/ton
- beginning in 2031, these prices will increase 0.5% annually but can’t exceed 113% of the 2025 levels.
adding more base acres (sec. 10302)
- the usda will allow up to 30 million additional base acres (used to calculate farm subsidies) to be allocated.
- farms are eligible if they planted more crops on average between 2019 and 2023 than they currently have in base acres.
- base acres will be allocated proportionally based on what crops were planted during 2019–2023.
- farms that didn’t plant covered crops during this period aren’t eligible.
- farm bill updates: key provisions explained
base acreage allocation and limits
farm owners can choose which commodity to use in calculating their five-year average for base acres, but they can’t count both an original and a replacement crop in the same year unless it’s double-cropped. The total base acres on a farm can’t exceed the total land acreage.
if the total base acres nationwide exceed 30 million, the usda secretary must reduce all allocations proportionally to keep the total within the cap.
starting in 2026, the usda will set payment yields for new base acres using either existing farm data or county averages if farm-specific data isn’t available.
for farms with new owners after the date this section was enacted, planting history from 2019 to 2023 will be based on the previous owner(s) when determining eligibility and acre allocation.
producer program choices extended
farmers can now make program elections through 2031. For the 2025 crop year, the usda must give producers the higher of either price loss coverage (plc) or agriculture risk coverage (arc) payments for each commodity.
price loss coverage (plc) program changes
- plc program authorization is extended through 2031.
- updates adjust payment reference periods from “2012–2016” to “2017–2021.”
agriculture risk coverage (arc) updates
- arc is also extended through 2031.
- from 2025–2031, payments will be based on 90% of benchmark revenue (up from 86% in earlier years).
- payment caps increase from 10% to 12% of the benchmark revenue starting in 2025.
pass-through entities get equal treatment
a new term, “qualified pass-through entity,” now includes partnerships, s corporations, llcs not treated as corporations, joint ventures, and general partnerships. These entities are now treated the same as other farming operations for payment eligibility and limits.
payment limits increased and adjusted for inflation
- payment caps are raised from $125,000 to $155,000.
- starting in 2025, these limits will be adjusted annually for inflation based on the consumer price index.
adjusted gross income (agi) limit exception
farmers normally lose eligibility for payments if their agi exceeds a certain limit. However, beginning in 2025, producers who get 75% or more of their income from farming, ranching, or forestry will be exempt from this limit for specific types of payments. These include conservation and disaster aid, and other agriculture-related income like agritourism and equipment sales.
farm bill updates: loans, cotton support, sugar program changes
marketing assistance loans extendedmarketing assistance loans for farmers have been extended through 2031 for a wide range of commodities. These nonrecourse loans help farmers with cash flow after harvest while allowing them to wait for better prices before selling.
loan rates set for 2026–2031new fixed loan rates were established for key crops from 2026 through 2031. For example:
- wheat: $3.72/bushel
- corn: $2.42/bushel
- soybeans: $6.82/bushel
- upland cotton: $0.55/lb
- peanuts: $390/ton
- honey: $1.50/lb
full rate tables cover 20 different commodities, including oilseeds, dry peas, lentils, wool, and rice.
cotton storage payments continuecotton growers will receive storage payments through 2031, with a rate cap of $4.90 per bale in california and arizona and $3.00 elsewhere. This mirrors how payments were handled in 2006.
loan repayment changesthe usda will refund the difference between the lowest world market price and the repayment rate for upland cotton if it drops within 30 days after repayment. New provisions also affect how world market prices are determined for rice and extra long staple cotton, allowing for adjustments to ensure competitiveness and minimize stockpiling.
loan deficiency payments (ldps) extendedthe ldp program, which provides payments when market prices fall below loan rates, is also extended through 2031.
textile mill assistance increasedbeginning aug. 1, 2025, economic assistance to u.S. Textile mills will increase from 3 cents to 5 cents per pound for using upland cotton.
higher loan rates for sugar
- raw cane sugar loan rate raised to 24 cents/lb from 2025–2031
- refined beet sugar loan rate is now set at 136.55% of the raw cane sugar rate
new sugar storage ratesthe commodity credit corporation (ccc) must pay at least:
- 34 cents per hundredweight per month for refined sugar
- 27 cents per hundredweight per month for raw cane sugar
beet sugar allotment reformsusda must prioritize processors with available sugar when increasing allotments. Also, initial reassignment decisions must now be made based on the january world agricultural supply and demand estimates, with reassignments issued within 30 days.
tariff-rate quota reallocationsusda will reallocate unfulfilled sugar import quotas earlier in the year and again by march 1, unless the u.S.-Mexico sugar agreement ends or duties are reimposed.
study on refined sugar importsusda is required to study whether tighter import rules for refined sugar are needed. The review will consider stricter definitions, packaging and transportation standards, and anti-fraud measures.
sugar program changes
- study on refined sugar imports:the secretary of agriculture must conduct a study on refined sugar imports and consult with both the domestic sugar industry and users of refined sugar. A report is due to congress within one year.
- new rules for imports:the secretary may issue new rules based on the study, but only if:
- the rules don’t harm the u.S. Sugar industry.
- they follow existing laws and trade agreements.
- quota adjustment rule change:changes to tariff-rate quotas can now only be made specifically to address import supply shortfalls.
- program extended:the sugar program’s expiration is moved from 2023 to 2031.
dairy program updates
- production history:dairy producers can now base their production history on the highest milk output in 2021, 2022, or 2023.
- new farms:new dairy operations can choose how their production history is calculated:
- extrapolate from actual marketings so far.
- estimate based on herd size and national data.
- coverage increases:the coverage threshold for tier i premium rates is raised from 5 million to 6 million pounds of milk.
- premium discounts:discounted premiums now apply for 2026 through 2031 instead of ending in 2023.
- program duration:the dairy margin coverage program is extended through 2031 (was 2025).
implementation and funding
- funding allocation:$50 million is made available for carrying out dairy-related programs. Specific allocations include:
- $5 million for technical support.
- $6 million for administrative activities.
- $9 million for biennial dairy cost and yield surveys.
- $1 million for the refined sugar import study.
disaster assistance
livestock indemnity program
- payment updates:
- predation: 100% of the livestock’s market value.
- weather or disease: 75% of market value.
- regional price premiums may be considered.
- unborn livestock payments:
- applies to unborn livestock lost after jan. 1, 2024.
- payments capped at 85% of the lowest weight class rate.
- multiplied by a factor based on livestock type (e.G., 1, 2, 12, or species average).
livestock forage disaster program
- monthly payment increase:
- two monthly payments for counties with severe drought.
- partial payments available for counties with 4+ consecutive weeks of drought during grazing season.
emergency assistance for fish, bees, and livestock
- bird depredation payments:
- available for farm-raised fish affected by piscivorous (fish-eating) birds.
- payment rate considers deterrence costs.
- key provisions from agricultural legislation (page 139 stat. 101–104)
dairy data collection and study funding
- the usda will conduct mandatory surveys on dairy production costs and product yields for manufacturers reporting under section 273 of the agricultural marketing act of 1946.
- results of these surveys must be published every two years.
- $1 million will fund a study under section 359k of the agricultural adjustment act of 1938.
subtitle d – disaster assistance programs
livestock indemnity payments
- payment rates were revised:
- 100% of market value for livestock losses due to predation.
- 75% of market value for losses due to adverse weather or disease.
- market value can reflect regional price premiums.
- the “applicable date” refers to either the day before the livestock died or the event that caused the loss.
new: payments for unborn livestock
- starting jan. 1, 2024, producers can receive payments for unborn livestock losses beyond normal mortality.
- payment rate: up to 85% of the rate for the lightest weight class of livestock.
- payment is calculated by multiplying this rate by a species-specific factor:
- cattle, buffalo, swine: x1
- sheep/goats: x2
- poultry: x12
- others: based on average birth rate per species
livestock forage disaster program
- if drought lasts:
- 4 consecutive weeks, the payment is equal to 1 monthly payment.
- 7 out of 8 consecutive weeks, the payment is equal to 2 monthly payments.
emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish
farm-raised fish
- fish farmers can get payments for losses caused by piscivorous birds (birds that eat fish).
- payments cover:
- deterrence costs
- fish loss and lost revenue
- disease-related losses from bird attacks
- minimum payment rate: $600 per acre
- total payment = $600 x 85% x number of farmed acres
honey bees
- the usda will use a normal mortality rate of 15% when determining colony loss eligibility.
tree assistance program
- updated definitions:
- “normal mortality” now excludes previous “15% adjusted” language.
- cost-share percentage increased from 50% to 65%.
- eligibility based on normal damage, not “adjusted” percentages.
subtitle e – crop insurance
beginning farmer and rancher support
- definition expanded: individuals now qualify as beginning farmers/ranchers for 10 years (up from 5).
- additional premium discounts:
- years 1–2: extra 5 percentage points
- year 3: extra 3 points
- year 4: extra 1 point
expanded crop insurance coverage
- maximum coverage levels:
- individual coverage: up to 85%
- multi-commodity coverage: up to 90%
- area-based coverage: up to 95%
- the minimum loss trigger for area plans lowered from 86% to 90%.
- the number of area insurance plans with increased support reduced from 14 to 10.
administrative and operating cost adjustment
- starting in the 2026 reinsurance year, insurance providers will receive an extra 6% of net book premiums to cover added loss adjustment expenses.
- crop insurance changes
specialty crop reimbursement (sec. 10503):
- starting in 2026, insurance providers will receive a minimum 17% reimbursement for administering crop insurance on specialty crops, or the higher rate already in effect.
- this reimbursement cannot be reduced for non-specialty crop contracts.
- these changes do not count as renegotiations of insurance agreements.
inflation adjustment for a&o (admin & operating) costs:
- from 2026 on, the usda must adjust administrative reimbursements for inflation, similar to the method used between 2011–2015.
- for 2026, the increase is capped based on the prior year’s consumer price index (cpi).
premium support changes (sec. 10504):
the government will now cover larger portions of crop insurance premiums:
- for various coverage levels, premium support increases by 5% or 3% depending on the tier.
- example: support at one level jumps from 64% to 69%.
program integrity (sec. 10505–10506):
- funding increases for crop insurance oversight:
- $6 million per year starting in 2026 (up from $4 million).
- $10 million annually for audits and compliance starting in 2026.
new pilot program: poultry insurance (sec. 10507):
- usda must launch a pilot program for contract poultry growers, covering utility cost increases (like propane, water, electricity) due to extreme weather.
- must be tested in top poultry-producing states.
- requires stakeholder engagement and final policy approval within 2 years.
conservation funding (sec. 10601):
the bill significantly boosts conservation program funding starting in 2026:
- conservation programs:
- grow from $625 million in 2026 to $700 million by 2029 and beyond.
- environmental quality incentives program (eqip):
- rises to $3.25 billion per year by 2028.
- regional conservation partnership program (rcpp):
- receives up to $450 million per year through 2031.
other conservation programs:
- grassroots source water protection gets $1 million/year starting in 2026.
- voluntary public access (hunting & fishing access): gets $70 million through 2031.
- watershed protection & flood prevention: funding triples to $150 million annually from 2026.
- feral swine eradication: $105 million added for 2025–2031.
trade promotion (sec. 10602):
- usda receives $285 million/year starting in 2027 to boost u.S. Agricultural exports.
nutrition support (sec. 10603):
- emergency food assistance program is extended through 2031.
research and education (sec. 10604):
- multiple programs receive extended or increased funding, including:
- urban & indoor agriculture research
- foundation for food and agriculture research gets $37 million
- 1890 institutions scholarships get $60 million (hbcus)
- assistive technology for farmers with disabilities: $8 million
- specialty crop research initiative: increases to $175 million in 2026
- agricultural research facilities: $125 million/year from 2026
energy programs (sec. 10605):
- bioenergy program extended through 2031.
horticulture programs (sec. 10606):
- plant pest/disease prevention: funding grows to $90 million in 2026.
- specialty crop block grants: increase to $100 million in 2026.
- organic data & market programs:
- $10 million added for 2026–2031
- $5 million added for organic trade system modernization in 2026
- organic certification cost-share: extended through 2031.
animal health and miscellaneous programs (sec. 10607):
- animal disease prevention: gets $233 million/year from 2026–2030, then $75 million/year starting in 2031.
- sheep grants: $3 million for 2026.
- cotton and wool trust funds: extended through 2031.
- emergency citrus research: extended through 2031.
title ii – defense funding enhancements (fy 2025)
appropriations authorized through sept. 30, 2029
section 20001: improving quality of life for military personnel
congress approved over $7.5 billion for programs aimed at improving service member living conditions and support systems, including:
- $230.5 million: marine corps barracks 2030 restoration and modernization
- $119 million: marine corps base operating support
- $1 billion: modernization of military unaccompanied housing
- $2 billion: defense health program
- $2.9 billion: supplement to basic allowance for housing
- $50 million: bonuses and incentive pay
- $10 million: online academic skills course (dantes program)
- $100 million: tuition assistance
- $100 million: child care fee assistance
- $590 million: temporary lodging expense (tle) increased to 21 days
- $100 million: impact aid payments to local schools
- $10 million: military spouse licensure assistance
- $6 million: armed forces retirement home facilities
- $100 million: defense community infrastructure program
- $100 million: darpa casualty care research
- $62 million: childcare center staffing modernization
privatized housing projects
- temporary increase in allowable investment levels from 33.3% to 60% under 10 u.S.C. § 2875 through sept. 30, 2029
- authorization expanded for unaccompanied housing projects under 10 u.S.C. § 2881a
section 20002: shipbuilding enhancements
over $28 billion is dedicated to expanding shipbuilding capacity and technological innovation:
- $4.6 billion: second virginia-class submarine (fy 2026)
- $5.4 billion: two additional guided missile destroyers (ddgs)
- $2.7 billion: procurement of t-ao oilers
- $1.5 billion: small unmanned surface vessel production
- $2.1 billion: medium unmanned surface vessel development
- $1.3 billion: unmanned underwater vehicle expansion
- $1.5 billion+: infrastructure and industrial base improvements (ai, autonomy, dry docks, additive manufacturing, etc.)
- additional funds cover:
- landing ship medium and craft utility
- light replenishment oilers
- cold spray repair tech
- ship-to-shore connectors
- navy corrosion control
- robotic maritime systems
- reserve fleet ship retention
section 20003: air and missile defense
totaling over $21 billion, these investments support space-based sensors, missile defense, and hypersonic tech:
(a) next-generation missile defense technologies:
- $5.6 billion: space-based and boost-phase intercept capabilities
- $7.2 billion: space-based sensors
- $2.6 billion: missile defense capabilities
- $2 billion: air moving target indicator satellites
- $500 million: space launch infrastructure
- $400 million: hypersonic test bed
- $250 million: directed energy r&d
(b) layered homeland defense:
- $2.2 billion: hypersonic defense
- $800 million: next-gen icbm defense
- $408 million: indo-pacific missile range upgrades
- $2 billion: improved ground-based missile defense radars
- $530 million: new mda missile range safety ship
section 20004: munitions and defense supply chain resiliency
more than $21 billion is allocated to increase missile and torpedo production, strengthen the supply chain, and develop new technologies:
- $1 billion: navy and air force long-range anti-ship missiles
- $688 million: multi-service cruise missiles
- $500 million: maritime mines
- $400 million: heavyweight torpedoes
- $300 million: army medium-range ballistic missiles
- $1 billion: next-gen automated munitions factories
- $2 billion: critical minerals for the defense stockpile
- $1 billion: one-way attack uavs industrial base
- $500 million: defense exportability
- $325 million: anti-radiation missile production
- $350 million: long-range navy missile defense interceptors
- $250 million: medium-range air-to-air missiles
- $200 million: mass-producible autonomous underwater munitions
- $176.1 million: army long-range missile defense radar
- $167 million: short-range gun-based air defense
- other funding includes second sources for rocket motors, radar systems, sonobuoys, vertical integration of army/navy systems, and missile depot upgrades
- key defense funding highlights – fiscal year 2025
counter-uas & defense production
- $91m for army next-gen shoulder-fired air defense.
- $500m for counter-unmanned aerial systems (uas).
- $350m for non-kinetic counter-uas.
- $250m for land-based counter-uas.
- $200m for ship-based counter-uas.
- $400m to speed up hypersonic strike programs.
- $167m to buy more launchers for army missile defense.
- $500m for expanding advanced manufacturing.
- $1m to create a joint energetics transition office.
- $200m to accelerate army medium-range interceptors.
- $150m for additive manufacturing of propellant.
- $250m to speed up production of penetrating munitions.
- $50m for long-range precision artillery.
industrial base & critical minerals
- $3.3b for grants and purchase commitments under the industrial base fund.
- $5b for critical minerals supply chain investments.
- $500m for a loan program to support critical minerals industries and technology, enabling up to $100b in loans or guarantees.
scaling low-cost weapons
- $25m for global tech scouting.
- $1.4b to expand the small drone industrial base.
- $400m for the joint fires network and battle management.
- $400m to enhance command-and-control tools.
- $100m for secure shared facilities for industry.
- $50m to create more defense innovation unit onramp hubs.
- $600m to speed up strategic capabilities office programs.
- $650m for prototyping and military innovation.
- $500m for military 5g/6g technologies.
- $25m to test simultaneous transmit-and-receive tech.
- $50m for high-altitude surveillance balloons.
- $120m for long-endurance unmanned surveillance aircraft.
- $40m for alternative navigation tech in contested zones.
- $750m to improve military logistics and energy systems.
- $125m to develop portable nuclear reactors.
- $1b for rapid procurement of innovative tech.
- $90m for reusable hypersonic strike tech.
- $2b to scale commercial tech via the defense innovation unit.
- $500m to prevent delivery delays of autonomous systems.
- $1.5b for low-cost cruise missile development.
- $124m to boost ai capabilities at test resource management center.
- $145m for ai targeting one-way drone and naval systems.
- $250m for a digital test environment.
- $250m to expand the ai ecosystem.
- $250m to grow cyber command’s ai projects.
- $250m to speed up the quantum benchmarking initiative.
- $1b for tech qualification and data to boost industry competition.
- $400m for the defense manufacturing tech program.
- $1.685b for cryptographic modernization.
- $90m for cybersecurity and support for small contractors.
- $250m for low-cost air force counter-air tech.
- $10m for additional air force wargaming.
- $20m for strategic capital workforce.
+ $1b more for the credit program supporting defense innovation loans (up to $100b in guarantees).
department efficiency & cybersecurity
- $150m to replace outdated business systems and improve audits.
- $200m to deploy automation and ai for financial audits.
- $10m to improve budgeting tools in the office of the secretary of defense.
- $20m for darpa cybersecurity programs.
air superiority enhancements
- $3.15b to increase f-15ex production.
- $361m to prevent f-22 retirement.
- $127m to prevent f-15e retirement.
- $187m to add f-16 electronic warfare capability.
- $116m for c-17a connectivity upgrades.
- $84m for kc-135 connectivity.
- $440m to increase c-130j production.
- $474m to boost ea-37b production.
- $678m to accelerate collaborative combat aircraft.
- $400m for f-47 aircraft production.
- $750m for fa/xx aircraft acceleration.
- $100m for advanced aerial sensors.
- $160m to improve v-22 reliability and safety.
- $100m to speed mq-25 drone production.
- $270m for marine corps unmanned combat aircraft.
- $96m for infrared search and track pods.
- $50m for f-15ex conformal fuel tanks.
- $600m for air force long-range strike aircraft.
- $500m for navy long-range strike aircraft.
nuclear forces investment
department of defense:
- $2.5b for sentinel icbm risk reduction.
- $4.5b to expand b-21 bomber production.
- $500m to improve minuteman iii icbms.
- $100m for better icbm reentry vehicles.
- $148m for more d5 missile motors.
- $400m to develop trident d5le2 missiles.
- $2b for sea-launched nuclear cruise missile development.
- $62m to convert ohio-class sub tubes (available march 2026).
- $168m for the survivable airborne operations center.
- $65m to modernize nuclear command and control.
- $210m to increase mh-139 helicopter production.
- $150m for nuclear weapons delivery programs.
national nuclear security administration:
- $200m for phase 1 nuclear studies.
- $540m for maintenance and repairs.
- $1b to speed up facility construction.
- $400m to develop the cruise missile warhead.
- $750m to modernize primary nuclear capabilities.
- $750m for secondary nuclear modernization.
- $120m for domestic uranium enrichment.
- $10m to evaluate spent fuel reprocessing.
- $115m for ai in nuclear national security.
indo-pacific command readiness
- $365m for army operations in the western pacific.
- $53m for special ops exercises in the region.
- $47m for marine corps activities.
- $90m for air force missions.
- $532m for large-scale pacific air force exercise.
- $19m to develop naval small craft.
- $35m for additive manufacturing west of the dateline.
- $450m to develop regional airfields.
- $1.1b for indo-pacific infrastructure.
- $124m for mission networks.
- $100m for air force pre-positioning kits.
- $115m to develop arctic infrastructure.
- $90m to develop non-kinetic capabilities.
- $20m for military exercises.
- $143m for anti-submarine sonar.
- $30m for africa command surveillance.
- $30m for indo-pacific surveillance.
- $500m for economic competition tools.
- $10m to grow economic competition workforce.
- $1b for offensive cyber operations.
- $500m for indo-pacific personnel and operations.
- $300m for special ops mesh network comms.
- $850m for replenishing military articles.
- $200m for the guam defense system.
- $68m for space force facility upgrades.
- $150m for military satellites with ground moving target indicators.
- $528m for darc and silentbarker space programs.
- $80m for navy operational support.
- $1b for the x-37b spaceplane.
- $3.65b for military satellites and space protection.
- $125m for military space communications.
- $350m for space command and control systems.
- fiscal year 2025 federal appropriations summary (defense, housing, commerce, transportation)
title ii – defense spending highlights
total funding appropriated to the department of defense for fy2025, with availability through september 30, 2029, includes:
maintenance, modernization, and readiness
- $1.4b – maritime spares and repair pool pilot program
- $700m – additional maritime spares and repairs for amphibious ships
- $2.118b – air force aircraft spares and repairs
- $1.5b – army depot modernization
- $2b – navy depot and shipyard upgrades
- $250m – air force depot improvements
- $1.5b – additional shipyard and depot maintenance
- $1.64b – special operations command readiness
- $500m – national guard unit readiness
- $400m – marine corps readiness and capability upgrades
- $20m – marine corps helicopter upgrades
procurement and development
- $310m – vertical lift and medevac aircraft
- $75m – anti-lock braking systems for army transport vehicles
- $230m – army wheeled combat vehicles
- $63m – advanced rotary-wing engine development
- $241m – marine corps amphibious vehicles
- $250m – army tracked transport vehicles
- $98m – light rotary-wing capabilities for army
- $125m – general army operations
- $10m – air force concepts and development office
- $320m – joint special operations command
air force facilities
- $2.5b – facility maintenance and modernization
section 20011 – border support and counter-drug missions
- $1b is allocated to support border operations, military deployments, counter-drug efforts, temporary detention of migrants on dod installations, and national defense area operations.
section 20012 – department of defense oversight
- $10m for the dod inspector general to monitor:
- tech-dependent programs
- data management concerns
- programs vulnerable to supply chain disruptions
section 20013 – military construction
- military departments are authorized to spend for construction, land acquisition, and family housing.
- each department must submit a detailed project spending plan to congress within 30 days of enactment.
title iii – banking, housing, and urban affairs
section 30001 – cfpb funding cap
- reduces the bureau of consumer financial protection’s annual funding cap from $12b to $6.5b.
section 30002 – rescinded housing program funds
- rescinds remaining funds from the green and resilient retrofit program for multifamily housing.
section 30003 – sec reserve fund
- eliminates the sec’s reserve fund.
- unspent funds will be returned to the treasury by oct. 1, 2025.
- the fund is now only available for whistleblower awards.
section 30004 – defense production act
- $1b allocated to carry out the defense production act, available through fy2027.
title iv – commerce, science, and transportation
section 40001 – coast guard readiness
- $24.6b total funding for assets, facilities, and equipment through fy2029, including:
- $1.14b – fixed-wing aircraft
- $2.28b – helicopters
- $266m – unmanned aircraft systems
- $4.3b – offshore patrol cutters
- $1b – fast response cutters
- $4.3b – polar security cutters
- $3.5b – arctic security cutters
- $816m – icebreaking cutters
- $162m – waterways commerce cutters
- $4.38b – shore facility upgrades
- $2.2b – depot and cyber asset maintenance
- $170m – maritime domain awareness
- $75m – autonomous maritime systems
section 40002 – spectrum auctions
- restores the fcc’s auction authority through 2034 (excluding 3.1–3.45 ghz and 7.4–8.4 ghz).
- requires auction of:
- at least 300 mhz by 2034, with 100 mhz by 2027
- the department of commerce must identify 500 mhz of federal spectrum for auction
- $50m appropriated for spectrum analysis and valuation, available through 2034
section 40003 – faa modernization
- $12.5b total for air traffic control and aviation safety improvements through fy2029, including:
- $4.75b – telecommunications and system upgrades
- $3b – radar system replacements
- $500m – runway safety technologies
- $300m – enterprise display systems
- $80m – weather systems and camera installations
- $40m – aviation weather initiatives
- $1.9b – new air traffic control center construction (requires consolidation of at least 3 artccs)
- $100m – artcc realignment efforts (close or consolidate at least 10)
- $1b – tracon facility upgrades and consolidations
- $350m – unstaffed infrastructure improvements
- $50m – drone infrastructure planning (faa reauthorization act §961)
- $300m – system resilience and cyber updates (§619)
- $50m – remote tower tech at small airports (§621)
- $100m – advanced air traffic controller training systems
- space and energy spending, user fees, and rescissions – summary of key provisions
subtitle b — mining
section 50201. Coal leasing
- definitions:
- a coal lease is an agreement where the u.S., Through the bureau of land management (blm), leases land for coal mining using a specific form (blm form 3400-012).
- a qualified application is one for a coal lease that was either pending when this law passed or submitted within 90 days after, where environmental review has started or can start within 90 days of receiving the application.
- coal leasing activities:within 90 days of the law’s enactment, the secretary of the interior must:
- for each qualified application:
- publish any required environmental review if not already done.
- determine the fair market value of the coal tract.
- hold a lease sale for the tract.
- identify the highest bidder who meets or exceeds the fair market value and take steps to grant the lease.
- the secretary may also:
- approve any needed permits for mining to begin on existing leases.
- issue the lease to the winning bidder after the sale.
- for each qualified application:
section 50202. Coal royalty
- the royalty rate on coal leases changes temporarily. Instead of 12.5%, it will be capped at 7% starting from the enactment date of this law until sept. 30, 2034.
- this applies to all coal leases issued before or after the law passes, as long as they’re still active.
- lessees who paid advance royalties before this law get credit for the difference between what they paid and what they would owe under the new lower rate.
section 50203. Leases for known recoverable coal resources
- within 90 days, the secretary must make available for lease at least 4 million additional acres of federal land with known recoverable coal in the contiguous 48 states and alaska.
- this excludes land within national monuments, recreation areas, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, national trails, conservation areas, wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, or national parks.
section 50204. Authorization to mine federal coal
- federal coal reserves adjacent to state or private coal lands, previously approved for mining and economically unviable without federal coal access, are authorized for mining.
- the secretary must take necessary steps within 90 days to authorize mining on these federal lands, without significant changes to previous plans.
- environmental review under the national environmental policy act (nepa) still applies.
subtitle c — lands
section 50301. Timber sales and long-term contracts
- forest service:
- definitions clarify terms like “forest plan” and “national forest system.”
- from fiscal year 2026 through 2034, the forest service must increase timber sales annually by at least 250 million board-feet over the previous year, limited by existing forest plans.
- the agency must also enter into at least 40 long-term timber sale contracts (20+ years, with possible extensions) during fiscal years 2025-2034. Revenue goes to the treasury.
- bureau of land management (blm):
- definitions clarify “public lands” and “resource management plans.”
- from fiscal year 2026 through 2034, the blm must increase timber sales annually by at least 20 million board-feet over the previous year, consistent with management plans.
- the blm must enter into at least 5 long-term contracts (20+ years) for vegetative materials during fiscal years 2025-2034. Revenue goes to the treasury.
section 50302. Renewable energy fees on federal land
- definitions:
- annual adjustment factor: 3%.
- encumbrance factor: 100% for solar, at least 10% for wind (set by secretary).
- public land includes both federal lands and national forest system land.
- renewable energy project means wind or solar energy projects on public land.
- acreage rent:
- starting no later than jan. 1 each year, the secretary must collect acreage rent from holders of rights-of-way for renewable energy projects.
- the rent is calculated by multiplying the per-acre pastureland rental rate by the encumbrance factor, adjusted annually by 3%, and divided by the year of the lease term.
- rent is paid until the project begins generating energy.
- capacity fees:
- the secretary must collect an annual capacity fee from renewable energy projects.
- the fee is the greater of the acreage rent or 3.9% of gross electricity sales.
- wind energy projects may apply for a 10% reduction in capacity fees by submitting an application to the secretary.
- renewable energy fees and payments
- the secretary can approve applications for wind energy projects only if at least 25% of the land in the right-of-way is used for activities other than wind energy during the whole year.
late payments and termination
- a late payment fee can be charged if payment isn’t made within 15 days after the due date.
- rights-of-way can be terminated if payment isn’t made within 90 days after the due date.
renewable energy revenue sharing
- starting january 1, 2026, money collected from renewable energy projects on public land will be deposited into the u.S. Treasury.
- of this money, 25% will go to the state where the revenue is generated.
- another 25% will go to counties in those states, allocated based on the amount of county land generating the revenue.
- payments to states and counties must follow existing rules for mineral leasing revenues.
- county payments will be in addition to any payments in lieu of taxes.
funding and appropriations
- $150 million is appropriated for the 250th anniversary celebrations of the united states, available through fiscal year 2028.
- for 2025, $218 million is appropriated for maintenance and repairs of the strategic petroleum reserve’s storage facilities.
- an additional $171 million is appropriated for purchasing petroleum products to store in the strategic petroleum reserve.
- the requirement to draw down and sell petroleum from the reserve, set by a previous law, has been repealed.
energy and artificial intelligence initiatives
- the department of energy will spend $1 billion (available through 2028) to increase electric grid capacity and reliability, supporting various energy and mineral projects.
- the secretary of energy will lead efforts to organize scientific data for artificial intelligence (ai) and machine learning models to advance research.
- $150 million is allocated (available through 2026) to develop ai models to accelerate innovation in energy technologies and microelectronics.
water infrastructure funding
- the department of the interior will receive $1 billion for fiscal year 2025 (available through 2034) to improve and expand water conveyance and storage facilities managed by the bureau of reclamation.
- contracts made under this funding won’t be treated as new or amended contracts for certain legal purposes.
- funds under this program are not reimbursable and don’t require cost-sharing.
- if approval happens after the wind energy project has started paying fees, a reduction factor applies only from the year after approval onward.
- no refunds will be given for fees paid before approval.
title vi — committee on environment and public works
sections 60001 to 60024 — rescission of environmental funding
- various sections rescind (take back) unused funds that were previously allocated for different environmental programs, including:
- clean heavy-duty vehicle programs
- greenhouse gas reduction efforts
- diesel emissions reduction
- air pollution control (including at schools)
- low emissions electricity programs
- environmental product declarations
- methane emission reduction incentives
- environmental justice block grants
- environmental data collection
- neighborhood equity grants
- federal building sustainability projects
- low-carbon transportation materials grants
- environmental review funding
this means that the money allocated for these programs but not yet spent will be canceled.
section 60025 — funding for the john f. Kennedy center for the performing arts
- $256,657,000 is appropriated for fiscal year 2025 (available until 2029) for capital repairs, maintenance backlog, restoration, and security at the kennedy center.
- up to 3% of this amount may be used for administrative costs.
section 60026 — project sponsor fees for environmental reviews
- introduces a system where project sponsors can opt to pay a fee to speed up environmental reviews.
- after paying the fee, environmental assessments must be completed within 180 days, and environmental impact statements within 1 year.
- the fee is set at 125% of the expected cost to prepare or supervise the environmental review.
title vii — finance (tax provisions)
sec. 70001 — references to the internal revenue code
- clarifies that tax changes refer to the internal revenue code of 1986 unless otherwise stated.
- section 15 rules do not apply to rate changes made by this title.
chapter 1 — permanent tax relief for middle-class families and workers
sec. 70101 — extension of reduced tax rates
- extends and enhances lower tax rates beyond 2025.
- adjusts inflation indexing for certain tax brackets.
sec. 70102 — increased standard deduction
- extends higher standard deduction amounts permanently.
- raises the additional standard deduction amounts:
- from $18,000 to $23,625 (for one category)
- from $12,000 to $15,750 (for another)
- applies starting in 2025.
- sec. 70103 — personal exemptions and senior deduction
extends the termination date for personal exemptions beyond 2017.
introduces a new deduction for seniors aged 65 and older, available through 2028:
$6,000 deduction per qualified senior individual.
income phase-out begins at $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for joint filers.
social security number required to claim.
tax law updates effective after december 31, 2025
- itemized deduction limitations: new rules will apply after all other deduction limits. Certain business income deductions will no longer be reduced by the overall limitation on itemized deductions.
- qualified transportation fringe benefits: changes simplify and remove some restrictions on benefits like transit passes and parking. Adjustments will apply starting in 2026.
- moving expenses: the current limits on deducting moving expenses are extended indefinitely. Members of the intelligence community moving due to job assignment changes can now deduct these expenses similarly to military personnel.
- wagering losses: only 90% of gambling losses are deductible, and only up to the amount of gambling winnings. This rule continues past 2025.
- able accounts (savings for disabled individuals): contribution limits are increased and extended. The savers credit for these contributions is also expanded, with a slight increase in the maximum credit amount.
- rollovers to able accounts: the ability to roll over funds from qualified tuition programs to able accounts continues beyond 2025.
- hazardous duty areas: certain military pay benefits related to hazardous duty are extended permanently and expanded to include new locations like kenya, mali, burkina faso, and chad.
- student loan forgiveness: discharged student loans due to death or permanent disability remain excluded from taxable income, but taxpayers must include their social security number on their tax return for this exclusion to apply.
key tax law changes summary
1. State and local tax deduction limits
- the current $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions will change.
- for 2025 and 2026, the cap increases to about $40,000, then gradually decreases to $10,000 again by 2030.
- high-income taxpayers will see a phased reduction of this limit based on their income.
- these changes apply to tax years starting after dec. 31, 2024.
2. New deduction for tips received
- a new tax deduction for “qualified tips” will be allowed starting in 2025.
- taxpayers can deduct up to $25,000 in tips received during the year.
- this deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 (or $300,000 for joint filers).
- qualified tips are cash tips received in occupations that regularly get tips, like servers, barbers, nail technicians, and spa workers, but not in certain specified service businesses.
- the deduction only applies if the taxpayer reports their social security number.
- married couples must file jointly to claim the deduction.
- the tip deduction ends after dec. 31, 2028.
3. Reporting and compliance
- employers and payers must report cash tips separately on tax forms, including the occupation of the tip recipient.
- the irs will publish a list of qualifying tipped occupations within 90 days of the law’s enactment.
- procedures for payroll withholding will be updated to reflect the new tip deduction starting in 2026.
- for tips reported before 2026, employers may use reasonable methods to approximate cash tips.
4. Tip credit extended
- the existing tax credit for employer tip wages is expanded to include beauty services like barbering, hair care, nail care, esthetics, and spa treatments.
no tax on overtime pay
starting in 2025, taxpayers can deduct qualified overtime pay from their taxable income, up to $12,500 per year (or $25,000 for joint filers). This deduction applies only if the overtime pay is reported on official tax statements, like the w-2 form.
key details:
- qualified overtime pay means extra pay earned under the fair labor standards act for hours worked beyond the regular work schedule, above the regular rate.
- the deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers). The deduction decreases by $100 for every $1,000 above these thresholds.
- married couples must file jointly to claim the deduction.
- taxpayers must include their social security number on their return to claim this deduction.
- this deduction is available through 2028.
employers will be required to report overtime pay separately on w-2 forms starting in 2026.
no tax on car loan interest
between 2025 and 2028, taxpayers can deduct interest paid on loans used to buy a personal passenger vehicle, up to $10,000 per year.
key details:
- the vehicle must be secured by a first lien, and the loan must be taken out after december 31, 2024.
- the vehicle’s identification number (vin) must be reported on the tax return.
- the deduction is reduced by $200 for every $1,000 of modified adjusted gross income above $100,000 ($200,000 for joint filers).
- the deduction does not apply to loans for commercial vehicles, fleet vehicles, leases, salvage title vehicles, or vehicles bought for scrap or parts.
trump accounts: what you need to know
what is a trump account?A trump account is a special type of individual retirement account (ira) created for minors under age 18. It works similarly to a traditional ira but has specific rules to help families save for their children’s future.
who can have a trump account?
- the account is for individuals who are under 18 at the end of the calendar year.
- the individual must have a social security number.
- the account can be created either by the irs or by a person on behalf of the minor.
contribution rules:
- contributions can only start 12 months after the law is enacted.
- the total contributions (except certain special contributions) can’t exceed $5,000 per year before the child turns 18.
- contributions aren’t tax-deductible until the beneficiary reaches 18.
investment restrictions:
- funds must be invested only in eligible mutual funds or etfs that track broad u.S. Stock indexes, like the s&p 500.
- these investments cannot use leverage or have fees higher than 0.1% annually.
- no industry- or sector-specific funds are allowed.
withdrawals:
- no money can be taken out before the calendar year the beneficiary turns 18, except in specific cases outlined by the law.
trump accounts: key rules and features
- age restrictions on withdrawalsno money can be taken out of a trump account until the beneficiary turns 18, except in certain cases like rollovers or excess contributions.
- tax treatment of withdrawalswhen money is withdrawn, certain contributions are not counted as taxable income. These include qualified general contributions, contributions under the pilot program, and employer contributions.
- rolloversmoney can be rolled over directly from one trump account to another without tax penalties.Also, when the beneficiary turns 17, they can roll over the entire balance into an able account (a tax-advantaged savings account for people with disabilities).
- excess contributionsif someone contributes more than allowed before the beneficiary turns 18, the excess can be withdrawn without tax, but the earnings on the excess are taxed with a penalty.
- if the beneficiary dies before age 18the account stops being a trump account, and the value of the account (minus the original contributions) must be included in the income of the person who inherits it.
- qualified general contributionsthese are contributions made by the government or certain nonprofit organizations to help eligible children. These contributions are divided equally among children in a specified group.
- employer contributionsemployers can contribute up to $2,500 per year to an employee’s trump account or that of their dependents, without including that amount in the employee’s taxable income.
- reporting requirementstrustees managing trump accounts must report contributions, distributions, and account values to the irs and account beneficiaries.
- pilot program contributionstarting in 2028, individuals can elect to have $1,000 contributed to a trump account for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028. This counts as a tax payment and is credited to the trump account.
- special rulestrump accounts have different rules than traditional iras in several respects, especially for those under 18.
improper claim for trump account contribution pilot program credit
- penalty for improper claim:if an individual claims a credit under section 6434 for someone who is not an eligible child:
- negligence or disregard results in a $500 penalty.
- fraud results in a $1,000 penalty.
- definitions:
- “eligible child” means what section 6434 defines it as.
- “negligence” and “disregard” have the same meanings as in section 6662.
- social security number omission:forgetting to include a correct social security number required under section 6434(e)(1) is treated as a mathematical or clerical error.
- effective date:these rules apply for tax years starting after december 31, 2025.
- funding:the treasury is appropriated $410 million (available until september 30, 2034) to implement these amendments.
full expensing for certain business property
- permanent extension:the section allowing full expensing of certain business property (section 168(k)) is made permanent starting with property acquired after january 19, 2025.
- 100% expensing:the tax code is amended to allow a 100% immediate deduction on qualifying property, replacing previous phased percentages.
- specified plants:special rules apply for plants planted or grafted after january 19, 2025.
- transitional election:taxpayers can elect reduced expensing percentages (40% or 60%) for property placed in service during the first taxable year ending after january 19, 2025.
full expensing of domestic research and experimental expenditures
- new deduction:taxpayers can fully deduct domestic research or experimental costs in the year they’re paid or incurred, overriding prior capitalization rules.
- definition:“domestic research or experimental expenditures” means costs related to research done within the u.S. Tied to the taxpayer’s business — excluding foreign research.
- amortization option:taxpayers may elect to capitalize these costs and amortize them over at least 60 months starting when benefits begin, rather than deducting immediately.
- exclusions:
- land and improvements.
- exploration expenses for minerals, oil, or gas.
- software development costs count as research expenses.
- coordination with other rules:various tax code sections (like the research credit, alternative minimum tax, and small business stock rules) are amended to include the new domestic research expense category.
- effective date:these changes apply to expenses paid or incurred after the date the law takes effect.
- change in accounting for domestic research expenses
- starting after dec. 31, 2024, businesses must change how they account for domestic research and experimental costs.
effective dates and transition rules
- most changes apply to tax years beginning after dec. 31, 2024.
- there’s an option for some small businesses to apply the changes retroactively back to dec. 31, 2021.
- taxpayers can also elect to deduct certain unpaid or unamortized research costs from earlier years in their 2025 tax return, either all at once or over two years.
changes to business interest limits
- the rule limiting business interest deductions no longer has a cutoff date and will apply from tax years after dec. 31, 2024.
- financing rules now include trailers and campers designed for temporary living and towed by vehicles.
paid family and medical leave credit expanded
- employers can now choose the credit based on:
- the wages paid to employees on leave, or
- the premiums paid for an insurance policy covering such leave.
- rules about how to count employees and group related businesses are clarified.
- benefits paid or mandated by state or local governments generally count toward the credit amount but won’t count toward the credit itself.
- these changes apply for tax years beginning after dec. 31, 2025.
business meal deduction exceptions
- certain business meal expenses that were previously nondeductible now qualify for deductions.
- meals provided on fishing boats and at specific fish processing facilities in certain remote u.S. Locations are exempt from the 50% deduction limit.
- applies to expenses paid after dec. 31, 2025.
increased expensing limits for business assets
- the immediate expensing limit (section 179) is increased:
- from $1 million to $2.5 million.
- the phase-out threshold raised from $2.5 million to $4 million.
- these changes apply to property placed in service after dec. 31, 2024.
special depreciation allowance for qualified production property
- a 100% depreciation deduction is allowed in the year certain qualified nonresidential real property is placed in service, if the taxpayer elects to apply it.
- qualified property must be used as part of a production activity in the u.S., Placed in service between jan. 20, 2025, and dec. 31, 2030.
- special rules apply for property not previously used in production activities.
- this change is treated as if the business chose to make it and has approval from the irs.
- it applies only going forward (a “cut-off” basis) for expenses paid or incurred after dec. 31, 2024.
- for short tax years starting after dec. 31, 2024 but ending before the law’s enactment, there are special rules for applying this change.
qualified production property rules
- property acquired between january 1, 2021, and may 12, 2025, qualifies if it meets certain conditions, including not being used before acquisition.
- written binding contracts count as the acquisition date for qualification purposes.
- office space, administrative areas, lodging, parking, sales, research, software development, and engineering spaces don’t count as qualified production property.
- “qualified production activity” means manufacturing, production, or refining that substantially transforms the product.
- “production” excludes activities other than agriculture and chemical production.
- “qualified product” refers to tangible personal property, excluding food or beverages sold at retail in the same building.
- the irs secretary can extend the deadline for placing property in service due to acts of god.
- if qualified production property stops being used for its intended productive purpose within 10 years, certain tax recapture rules apply.
- taxpayers must make an election to apply these rules, specifying the property and its portion subject to the election. Elections generally can’t be revoked without irs consent.
advanced manufacturing investment credit
- the investment credit increases from 25% to 35%, effective for property placed in service after dec. 31, 2025.
spaceports treated like airports for tax purposes
- spaceports are included alongside airports for tax-exempt facility bonds.
- ground leases for spaceports on federal land count as government ownership if lease rules are met.
- spaceports include facilities near launch or reentry sites for manufacturing, flight control, launch and reentry services, and transferring crew or cargo.
- spaceports don’t have to be open to the public to qualify.
- bonds are not federally guaranteed simply because the u.S. Government pays rent or fees for spaceport use.
- these changes apply to obligations issued after the enactment date.
foreign tax credit modifications
- certain deductions are allocated specifically to foreign-source income for calculating foreign tax credits.
- adjustments made to improve clarity and application of foreign tax credit rules.
- effective for taxable years starting after dec. 31, 2025.
deemed paid credit adjustments
- the deemed paid foreign tax credit rate increases from 80% to 90%.
- a 10% disallowance applies to credits on foreign taxes related to certain previously taxed income.
- changes take effect for tax years after dec. 31, 2025, or for foreign taxes paid after june 28, 2025, depending on the provision.
sourcing income from u.S.-Produced inventory sold abroad
- income from u.S.-Produced inventory sold outside the u.S. Through foreign branches can be treated as foreign-source income, up to 50% of that income.
- effective for taxable years starting after dec. 31, 2025.
foreign-derived deduction eligible income changes
- the deduction percentages for foreign-derived income are lowered (from 37.5% to 33.34%, and 50% to 40%).
- some previous provisions are removed.
- effective for taxable years after dec. 31, 2025.
determination of deduction eligible income
- income from sales or dispositions of intangible property and depreciable/amortizable property is included with special rules starting june 16, 2025.
section 70322. Changes to tax rules on certain income and deductions
- general change:section 250(b)(3)(a)(ii) now excludes interest expense and research or experimental expenses from the list of deductible expenses related to certain income. This change applies to tax years starting after december 31, 2025.
section 70323. Rules on deemed intangible income
- the term “global intangible low-taxed income” (gilti) is replaced with “net cfc tested income” in section 951a and related parts of the tax code.
- the tax-free deemed return on foreign investments is repealed.
- various sections of the tax code are updated to reflect the new term “net cfc tested income.”
section 70324. Deduction for foreign-derived deduction eligible income
- the term “foreign-derived intangible income” is changed to “foreign-derived deduction eligible income.”
- sections related to these terms are updated for consistency.
- these changes apply to tax years starting after december 31, 2025.
part iii — base erosion minimum tax (beat)
section 70331. Beat extension and modifications
- the base erosion minimum tax rate increases from 10% to 10.5%.
- some paragraphs in section 59a are renumbered for clarity.
- certain technical corrections are made to ensure proper references in the tax code.
- these changes apply to tax years starting after december 31, 2025.
part iv — business interest limitation
section 70341. Coordination of interest limitations
- section 163(j) is updated to clarify how business interest deductions interact with interest capitalization rules.
- the business interest deduction limit applies to both interest deducted and interest capitalized.
- any business interest carried forward cannot be treated as capitalized interest for tax purposes.
- the irs will issue guidance on how to apply these rules.
- changes apply to tax years starting after december 31, 2025.
section 70342. Adjusted taxable income definition
- adjusted taxable income now includes amounts from certain foreign income inclusions and related deductions.
- changes apply to tax years starting after december 31, 2025.
part v — other international tax reforms
section 70351. Permanent extension of look-through rule
- the look-through rule for related controlled foreign corporations is made permanent.
- applies to tax years of foreign corporations starting after december 31, 2025.
section 70352. Repeal of 1-month deferral election
- the election allowing a 1-month deferral in determining taxable year of specified foreign corporations is repealed.
- applies to taxable years starting after november 30, 2025.
- transition rules allow certain corporations to adjust their taxable years accordingly, with irs guidance on tax allocations.
section 70353. Limitation on downward attribution of stock ownership
- rules are updated to prevent a u.S. Person from being considered as owning stock owned by non-u.S. Persons for certain tax purposes.
- a new section 951b defines “foreign controlled united states shareholders,” applying specific tax rules to them and their foreign corporations.
- summary of key tax code amendments and enhancements
foreign controlled foreign corporations and income inclusion
- the rules for controlled foreign corporations (cfcs) are updated. The threshold for ownership changes from 10% to more than 50% in some cases.
- a new category called “foreign controlled foreign corporation” is defined, referring to foreign corporations that would be cfcs under certain conditions.
- the treasury secretary is tasked with issuing regulations to clarify these rules and how foreign controlled u.S. Shareholders and corporations are treated for tax purposes.
- these changes apply to foreign corporations’ taxable years beginning after dec. 31, 2025.
modifications to pro rata share rules for cfcs
- the rules determining how u.S. Shareholders include cfc income in their gross income are updated.
- the pro rata share of income now considers ownership periods and the status of the shareholder and corporation during the year.
- taxpayers may be allowed or required to close the taxable year of a cfc when stock is sold.
- these changes apply to foreign corporations’ taxable years beginning after dec. 31, 2025.
- transition rules apply to certain dividends paid before or after june 28, 2025.
investing in families, communities, and small businesses
enhancement of employer-provided child care credit
- the credit rate increases from 25% to 40%, and up to 50% for eligible small businesses.
- maximum credit amounts rise to $500,000 generally and $600,000 for eligible small businesses, with inflation adjustments starting in 2027.
- eligible small businesses are defined with a modified gross receipts test over five years.
- third-party intermediaries contracting with child care facilities can qualify for the credit.
- child care facilities jointly owned or operated by the taxpayer and others still qualify.
- applies to amounts paid or incurred after dec. 31, 2025.
enhancement of adoption credit
- up to $5,000 of the adoption credit is refundable starting in taxable years after dec. 31, 2024.
- dollar amounts are adjusted annually for inflation, with special rules for the refundable portion.
- refundable amounts do not carry forward to other tax years.
recognition of indian tribal governments for adoption credit
- indian tribal governments are now recognized like states for determining if a child has special needs for adoption credit purposes.
- applies to taxable years beginning after dec. 31, 2024.
enhancement of dependent care assistance program
- the annual exclusion amount for dependent care assistance increases from $5,000 to $7,500 ($2,500 to $3,750 for separate filers).
- applies to taxable years beginning after dec. 31, 2025.
enhancement of child and dependent care tax credit
- the applicable credit percentage is set at 50%, reduced gradually for higher incomes but not below 20%.
- the reduction starts at $15,000 adjusted gross income.
- further details were not provided in the excerpt.
new tax credits and education benefits under federal law
effective dates:
- most provisions begin after dec. 31, 2025, or dec. 31, 2026, as noted.
tax credit for donations to scholarship organizations (sec. 70411)
- what it does:provides a federal tax credit for individuals who donate cash to qualified scholarship granting organizations (sgos).
- credit amount:up to $1,700 per year.
- limitations:
- the credit is reduced by any similar state tax credit received.
- contributions cannot be double-counted as charitable deductions on federal tax returns.
- who can benefit:u.S. Taxpayers donating to sgos that support low- to moderate-income k-12 students.
- eligibility for students:
- family income must be ? 300% of the area’s median income.
- must be eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school.
- sgo requirements:
- must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (not a private foundation).
- at least 90% of donations must go to scholarships.
- scholarships must be distributed fairly, with priority for prior recipients and siblings.
- no scholarships can go to disqualified persons (e.G., Board members or relatives).
- carryforward:if the credit exceeds the annual limit, unused amounts can be carried forward for up to 5 years.
- state participation:states must voluntarily opt in and submit a list of eligible sgos annually.
- effective:applies to tax years ending after dec. 31, 2026.
tax-free k-12 scholarships (sec. 70411(b))
- what it does:allows k-12 scholarships from sgos to be excluded from gross income, meaning recipients won’t be taxed on them.
- applies to:scholarships used for qualified k-12 education expenses (e.G., Tuition, books, educational materials).
- effective:for amounts received after dec. 31, 2026.
employer student loan assistance (sec. 70412)
- what it does:permanently allows employers to pay up to $5,250 annually toward employees’ student loans tax-free.
- inflation adjustment:starting in 2027, the $5,250 cap will be adjusted annually for inflation, rounded to the nearest $50.
- effective:for payments made after dec. 31, 2025.
expanded 529 plan uses (sec. 70413 & 70414)
new k-12 expenses eligible for 529 plan use (sec. 70413)
- 529 plans can now cover more k-12 educational expenses, including:
- tuition
- books, curriculum, and online materials
- standardized test fees
- tutoring by licensed or qualified instructors
- educational therapies for students with disabilities
- tuition limit increase:annual cap on k-12 tuition covered by 529 plans increases from $10,000 to $20,000.
- effective:for distributions and tax years after the enactment of this law or after dec. 31, 2025, depending on the subsection.
new postsecondary credentials covered by 529 plans (sec. 70414)
- 529 plans can now also cover:
- tuition, fees, and supplies for recognized postsecondary credential programs, even if the program isn’t at a traditional college.
- what’s included:short-term job training programs, technical certifications, and similar credentials.
- 529 plan expansions (page 139 stat. 220–221)
expanded use of 529 plans:
- funds from 529 college savings accounts can now be used for:
- testing fees required to obtain or maintain recognized postsecondary credentials.
- continuing education fees necessary to maintain those credentials.
definitions:
- recognized postsecondary credential program:
- listed on a state-approved list under the workforce innovation and opportunity act.
- included in the veterans affairs weams directory.
- prepares students for exams offered by reputable credentialing organizations.
- identified by the secretary of education and labor as reputable.
- recognized postsecondary credential includes:
- credentials from accredited organizations such as:
- the institute for credentialing excellence,
- national commission on certifying agencies,
- american national standards institute.
- certifications in the department of defense cool directory.
- certificates from registered apprenticeships under the national apprenticeship act.
- professional licenses recognized by federal or state governments.
- any credential defined under the workforce innovation and opportunity act.
- credentials from accredited organizations such as:
effective date:applies to distributions made after the law’s enactment.
excise tax on investment income of private colleges (page 139 stat. 221–223)
new excise tax structure (effective 2026):
- private colleges with student-adjusted endowments will face a tiered tax on investment income:
- 1.4% tax for endowments $500,000–$750,000 per student
- 4% tax for $750,000–$2 million
- 8% tax for over $2 million
who pays:
- applies to private colleges with:
- at least 3,000 tuition-paying students
- over 50% of students located in the u.S.
- endowment $500,000 or more per student
how it’s calculated:
- endowment is averaged per student.
- includes assets and investment income of related organizations if those organizations are:
- controlled by or support the college.
includes previously exempt income:
- student loan interest
- royalties from federally-funded research, even if previously exempt.
reporting requirement:
- institutions must report:
- number of tuition-paying students.
- total student count, including part-time equivalents.
tax on excess compensation in nonprofits (page 139 stat. 223)
covered employees:
- now includes all current and former employees who earned high compensation since 2017.
effective date:applies to tax years after dec. 31, 2025.
opportunity zones updates (pages 139 stat. 223–225)
permanent renewal:
- opportunity zones will now be designated every 10 years:
- first decennial review: july 1, 2026
- subsequent reviews every 10 years
eligibility changes:
- a census tract must now meet stricter income or poverty standards, including:
- median income no more than 70% of state/metropolitan average, or
- poverty rate 20%+ and income below 125% of area average
- contiguous tracts no longer qualify if they don’t meet these standards.
zone duration:
- each designation lasts 10 years from jan. 1 after certification.
capital gains deferral in opportunity zones (section 1400z-2)
key changes:
- no longer a sunset clause on electing capital gains deferral.
- capital gains are recognized on the earlier of:
- the sale of the investment, or
- 5 years after the investment was made
tax basis adjustments:
- normally, basis is zero, but increased by:
- gain recognized at end of deferral
- 10% (or 30%) of deferred gain for investments held at least 5 years
- 30% applies to investments in “qualified rural opportunity funds”
new rules for qualified opportunity funds and rural areas
overview:congress has updated the tax rules for qualified opportunity funds (qofs) and created a new category called qualified rural opportunity funds (qrofs). These funds are designed to encourage investment in economically distressed areas, including rural communities.
key definitions:
- qualified rural opportunity fund (qrof):a fund that holds at least 90% of its assets in property located entirely in rural opportunity zones. This includes:
- business property mostly used in rural zones.
- stock or partnership interests in businesses where almost all tangible property is located in rural zones.
- rural area:defined as any place outside a city or town with more than 50,000 people or areas directly adjacent to those urban zones.
investment rules:
- 30-year holding rule:investors in qofs can defer capital gains for up to 30 years. If they hold their investment for the full period, the investment’s basis equals its fair market value at the 30-year mark.
- property acquisition date:the requirement that property must be acquired after december 31, 2017, has been changed. Now, it must be acquired after the “applicable start date” defined for each opportunity zone.
- improvement requirement in rural areas:normally, qofs must double the basis of existing property to qualify, but for rural zones, the improvement requirement is reduced to 50%.
effective dates:
- most changes apply to investments made after december 31, 2026.
- the rural property improvement rule is effective immediately upon enactment.
reporting requirements:
- annual reporting by funds (section 6039k):qofs and qrofs must file annual returns with detailed information, including:
- asset values.
- locations and business types.
- naics codes.
- census tract data.
- number of employees and housing units.
- information on investors who sold their interests.
- statement to investors:funds must send each investor a statement with their investment details and contact info for the fund.
- business reporting (section 6039l):any business receiving qof or qrof investments must send the fund the data needed to meet federal reporting requirements.
penalties for noncompliance (section 6726):
- general penalty:$500 per day, capped at $10,000 per return.
- for larger funds (over $10 million in assets):cap increases to $50,000.
- intentional disregard:penalties rise to $2,500 per day, with caps up to $250,000 for large funds.
- adjustments for inflation:these penalty amounts will increase annually based on inflation starting in 2026.
electronic filing:
funds must file required returns electronically, regardless of size.
irs funding to track compliance:
congress authorized $15 million, available through september 30, 2028, for the irs to improve oversight and data collection on qofs and qrofs.
key highlights from 139 stat. 232–238: tax and economic development updates
qualified opportunity funds (qofs) reporting requirements
the secretary of the treasury is required to publicly report annually on qualified opportunity funds. These reports must include:
- the number of qofs and total assets held.
- investment totals by industry (based on naics codes).
- the percentage of opportunity zones (ozs) that received investments.
- employment impact by zone (e.G., Average full-time equivalent workers).
- real estate vs. Other types of property investments.
- number of new residential units created in each zone.
- total investment by census tract.
starting in year 6 after enactment, reports must also measure economic outcomes such as:
- job creation
- poverty reduction
- new business starts
- other metrics determined by the treasury
comparative studies will analyze:
- pre- and post-designation data over 5-year spans.
- ozs vs. Similar non-oz census tracts.
privacy protections ensure individual taxpayer data is not disclosed.
separate reports must be made for qualified rural opportunity funds, with similar requirements.
section 70422: permanent expansion of low-income housing tax credit (lihtc)
effective in 2026, states will receive a permanent increase in their housing credit ceiling. Adjustments include:
- updated calculation metrics.
- modified requirements for projects financed by tax-exempt bonds:
- 50% threshold remains.
- a new 25% threshold applies if certain conditions are met (bonds issued after 2025 and financing covers at least 5% of the property basis).
section 70423: new markets tax credit permanently extended
the new markets tax credit (nmtc) is now permanently extended beyond 2025.
- unused allocation amounts can be carried forward for up to five years.
- for any unused amounts from years before 2026, the carryforward is treated as beginning in 2025.
section 70424: charitable deductions for non-itemizers expanded
starting in 2026:
- non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 for individuals or $2,000 for joint filers in charitable donations.
- this is a permanent expansion of the temporary provision that previously allowed $300/$600.
section 70425: new 0.5% floor for individual charitable deductions
also starting in 2026:
- individuals can only deduct charitable contributions exceeding 0.5% of their adjusted gross income (agi).
- this change applies before the normal percentage limits (like the 60% limit for cash gifts).
- contributions below the 0.5% threshold cannot be deducted, but can be carried forward under specific rules.
section 70426: new 1% floor for corporate charitable deductions
beginning in 2026:
- corporations may only deduct charitable contributions that exceed 1% of their taxable income.
- deductions remain capped at 10% of taxable income.
- excess contributions can still be carried forward for up to five years, but new coordination rules apply if they are disallowed due to the 1% floor.
sec. 70427: permanent increase in cover-over for distilled spirits
what it does:raises the tax amount transferred to puerto rico and the u.S. Virgin islands for each proof gallon of rum imported into the u.S. To $13.25.
effective date:applies to distilled spirits brought into the u.S. After dec. 31, 2025.
sec. 70428: nonprofit fishing activities in remote native alaskan villages
what it does:allows certain fishing-related activities—like harvesting, processing, and selling fish—conducted by nonprofit groups in remote native villages to count as tax-exempt under irs code section 501(a), if they support community development goals.
additional provision:if a nonprofit transfers fishing business assets from a wholly owned subsidiary by 18 months after this law is enacted, no gain or income will be taxed, and income from the business will remain tax-exempt.
effective date:takes effect immediately and remains in effect as long as the western alaska community development quota (cdq) program exists.
sec. 70429: increase in deduction for subsistence whaling expenses
what it does:raises the tax deduction limit from $10,000 to $50,000 for expenses incurred by native alaskans engaged in subsistence whaling.
effective date:applies to tax years beginning after dec. 31, 2025.
sec. 70430: accounting rule change for residential construction
what it does:expands the exception from the “percentage-of-completion” accounting method to cover more residential construction contracts, not just home construction, including those lasting up to 3 years.
effective date:applies to contracts entered into after the law is enacted.
subchapter d — investing in small businesses and rural america
sec. 70431: expansion of capital gains exclusion for qualified small business stock
a. Phased capital gains exclusion
what it does:increases the capital gains exclusion for small business stock acquired after this law is enacted:
- 50% exclusion if held at least 3 years
- 75% if held 4 years
- 100% if held 5 years or more
stock acquired before the law still qualifies for the original 50%-100% exclusion if held at least 5 years.
also clarified:for tax preference purposes under the alternative minimum tax (amt), only stock acquired before 2010 may trigger a preference item.
effective date:applies to tax years starting after this law is enacted.
b. Increased gain exclusion limits per issuer
what it does:
- for stock acquired before the law: maximum exclusion remains $10 million.
- for stock acquired after the law: maximum exclusion increases to $15 million, adjusted for inflation starting in 2027.
married individuals filing separately:
- limits are halved—$5 million and $7.5 million respectively.
effective date:applies to tax years starting after the law is enacted.
c. Increased gross assets limit
what it does:raises the maximum gross asset limit for a business to qualify for small business stock benefits from $50 million to $75 million, with inflation adjustments starting in 2027.
effective date:applies to stock issued after the law is enacted.
key federal tax changes (from 139 stat. 243–248)
section 70432: de minimis rule for payment platforms reinstated
- restores the old rule that third-party payment platforms (like venmo, paypal) only need to send 1099-k forms if:
- you make over $20,000 in payments, and
- you have more than 200 transactions in a year.
- this undoes the stricter $600 rule from the american rescue plan act of 2021.
- effective retroactively, as if it had always been in place.
section 70433: reporting threshold raised from $600 to $2,000
- for 1099-nec and 1099-misc forms (used to report nonemployee compensation and other payments), the reporting threshold increases to $2,000 (up from $600).
- starting in 2027, this threshold will be adjusted annually for inflation.
- applies to payments made after dec. 31, 2025.
section 70434: new tax breaks for sound recording productions
- music producers can now deduct costs of u.S.-Made sound recordings in the year they’re made, like film and theater productions.
- up to $150,000 per production can be deducted.
- bonus depreciation applies — deductions can be accelerated for qualifying projects.
- applies to productions starting after this law’s enactment.
section 70435: tax break for loans on rural or agricultural property
- lenders can exclude 25% of interest income from taxes on loans secured by:
- farmland
- fishing or seafood processing facilities
- aquaculture facilities
- applies to loans made after the law’s enactment and only to domestic real estate.
- affects banks, insurance companies, and farm credit institutions.
section 70436: no tax on making or transferring most firearms
- eliminates the $200 federal tax for making or transferring most firearms except:
- machine guns
- destructive devices (e.G., Bombs, grenades)
- applies 90 days after the law is enacted.
section 70437: capital gains relief for selling farmland to farmers
- if you sell qualified farmland to a qualified farmer, you can:
- defer taxes on the capital gain and pay it in 4 annual installments.
- the land must:
- have been used as a farm for 10 years
- be legally restricted to farm use for 10 more years after sale
- helps encourage keeping farmland in agricultural use.
- applies to sales made after the law’s enactment.
summary of legislative changes: august 2025
section 1062 – sale of farmland to farmers
- defines a “qualified farmer” as someone actively engaged in farming (based on the food security act of 1986).
- if you sell or exchange farmland and want to use this tax provision, you must include a copy of a covenant or restriction related to the sale with your tax return.
section 70438 – disaster loss rule extended
- updates past disaster tax relief laws to apply using the date this law was enacted instead of older legislation dates.
section 70439 – reit subsidiary asset test changed
- raises the asset limit for taxable reit subsidiaries from 20 percent to 25 percent, effective for tax years starting after dec. 31, 2025.
chapter 5 – ending green new deal subsidies and promoting energy reforms
key terminations of green energy tax credits:
- clean vehicle credits:
- credit for previously owned clean vehicles ends sept. 30, 2025.
- clean vehicle credit for new purchases ends for vehicles acquired after sept. 30, 2025.
- commercial clean vehicle credit:
- ends after sept. 30, 2025.
- alternative fuel refueling property credit:
- ends after june 30, 2026.
- energy-efficient home improvement credit:
- ends for property placed in service after dec. 31, 2025.
- updates criteria for qualifying oil furnaces and boilers.
- residential clean energy credit:
- ends for any expenditures made after dec. 31, 2025.
- energy-efficient commercial buildings deduction:
- ends for construction starting after june 30, 2026.
- new energy-efficient home credit:
- ends for homes placed in service after june 30, 2026.
- cost recovery for energy property:
- ends for construction starting after dec. 31, 2024.
changes to nuclear and clean energy production credits
zero-emission nuclear credit (section 45u):
- no credit if the taxpayer is a prohibited foreign entity (defined later).
- further restrictions begin two years after enactment for “foreign-influenced entities.”
clean hydrogen production credit (section 45v):
- ends for facilities beginning operation after jan. 1, 2028 (moved up from jan. 1, 2033).
clean electricity production credit (section 45y):
termination for wind and solar:
- ends dec. 31, 2027, for wind or solar facilities placed in service after this date.
restrictions on foreign involvement:
- no credits for facilities that begin construction after dec. 31, 2025, if they receive material help from “prohibited foreign entities.”
definitions – prohibited foreign entities
a “prohibited foreign entity” includes:
- governments, businesses, or individuals from countries the u.S. Considers national security threats (such as china, russia, iran, or north korea).
- companies on official u.S. Lists identifying them as threats or military-affiliated entities.
- any company controlled or significantly influenced by such foreign actors.
a “foreign-influenced entity” can include:
- entities where a prohibited foreign entity owns 25–40% or more.
- entities with contractual agreements that give foreign companies control over energy production, storage, or technology.
summary: control, licensing, and ownership rules for clean energy tax incentives
licensing and intellectual property agreements
for purposes of determining whether a foreign entity has effective control over a u.S. Taxpayer’s clean energy facility, production, or storage technology, certain licensing agreements or related contracts will trigger restrictions. Effective control includes cases where the foreign counterparty:
- can specify the source of components, minerals, or subcomponents.
- can direct the operation of the facility or production unit.
- can restrict how intellectual property (ip) is used.
- can receive royalties beyond 10 years.
- can require service agreements longer than two years.
- does not provide the u.S. Licensee with all the technical information needed to operate independently.
- entered into or modified the contract after the law’s enactment.
exception: these rules don’t apply to a bona fide sale or purchase of ip — but not if ownership of the ip reverts back to the foreign entity later.
related entities
any related entity is considered part of the taxpayer for these rules. This includes companies or persons that fall under existing tax-related definitions of “related,” such as those in sections 267(b) and 707(b) of the tax code.
publicly traded companies
some restrictions don’t apply to companies traded on u.S. Stock exchanges or similar approved foreign markets. However:
- if a public company is controlled by a specified foreign entity, or if it is significantly owned by foreign entities that must report ownership under sec rules (rule 13d-3), it may still be subject to restrictions.
- a public company is considered foreign-controlled if:
- it is majority controlled by foreign entities that must disclose ownership.
- a public company is considered foreign-influenced if:
- a foreign entity can appoint key officers or directors.
- a foreign entity owns 25% or more of voting shares.
- multiple foreign entities collectively own 40% or more.
- the company issued debt where over 15% is owned by a foreign entity.
key definitions
- covered officer: includes executive-level leaders such as the ceo, cfo, and board members.
- control: owning more than 50% of stock, profits, or beneficial interest.
- ownership rules: irs ownership rules apply to determine relatedness or control.
- applicable critical mineral: defined in section 45x(c)(6).
- covered nation: defined in 10 u.S. Code § 4872(f)(2) — typically includes nations like china, russia, iran, and north korea.
- eligible component: as defined under section 45x(c)(1).
- energy storage technology: as defined under section 48e(c)(2).
- qualified facility: includes facilities under section 45y(b)(1) and section 48e(b)(3).
regulatory guidance
by dec. 31, 2026, the treasury secretary must issue guidance to prevent companies from avoiding these rules through tactics like:
- temporary ip transfers.
- retaining reversion rights to ip.
- structuring agreements to bypass control definitions.
- material assistance from prohibited foreign entities: explained
under federal law, certain clean energy tax benefits are limited or denied if a facility or component receives significant material assistance from prohibited foreign entities (pfes), like companies owned or controlled by foreign adversaries.
to determine this, a “material assistance cost ratio” is used — essentially a percentage showing how much of a project’s or product’s cost comes from pfes.
1. What is considered “material assistance”?
it depends on the type of project:
- for facilities or energy storage technologies: if the percentage of total direct costs attributable to non-pfe products is below a set threshold, it is considered to have received material assistance from pfes.
- for manufacturers of clean energy components: if the percentage of total direct material costs from non-pfe sources is below a certain level, it also counts as material assistance.
2. Threshold percentages (what counts as “too much” pfe assistance)
a. Energy projects (solar, wind, storage)
the percentage of non-pfe materials must meet these minimum levels based on the year construction begins:
year | qualified facilities | energy storage |
---|---|---|
2026 | 40% | 55% |
2027 | 45% | 60% |
2028 | 50% | 65% |
2029 | 55% | 70% |
2030+ | 60% | 75% |
b. Energy components (solar panels, batteries, inverters)
these percentages apply to sales of components:
- solar energy components
- 2026: 50%, rising to 85% by 2030
- wind energy components
- 2026: 85%, rising to 90% by 2027
- inverters
- 2026: 50%, rising to 70% by 2030
- battery components
- 2026: 60%, rising to 85% by 2030
- critical minerals
- 2026–2029: no limit (0%)
- 2030: 25%, increasing to 50% by 2033
note: the treasury will update specific thresholds for critical minerals by the end of 2027 based on availability, processing capacity, and national security.
3. How the cost ratios are calculated
- for energy facilities: the ratio is the percentage of total direct product costs not linked to pfes.
- for components: the ratio is the percentage of direct material costs not linked to pfes.
4. Irs guidance and safe harbor rules
- the irs will publish safe harbor tables by dec. 31, 2026, to help calculate what portion of a product’s cost comes from pfes.
- until then, taxpayers can use:
- irs notice 2025-08
- supplier certifications stating the product was not made by a pfe
exception: if the taxpayer knows — or has reason to know — that a product or component came from a pfe, all related costs must count as pfe-related, even if a certification says otherwise.
5. Special exception for existing contracts
if a product, component, or material was acquired under a binding contract before june 16, 2025, and it meets certain use and timing requirements, those costs don’t count toward the pfe ratio.
6. Certification requirements
to be valid, a supplier’s certification must:
- include a u.S. Or foreign tax id
- be signed under penalty of perjury
- be retained by both parties for at least 6 years
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| DBEDT E-newsletter - August 2025 - Golf News Today - EIN Presswire |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (1 reads) | |
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Dbedt e-newsletter – august 2025 aloha k?Kou, this month’s newsletter highlights how dbedt is advancing initiatives that support local entrepreneurs, strengthen our agricultural sector, and grow hawai‘i’s connections abroad. From the debut of the dbedt hawai‘i made pavilion at the made in hawai‘i festival to the launch of the food and product innovation network under act 237, we are helping businesses move from idea to export while creating new opportunities for local products to reach global markets.
we also welcomed dr. Seth colby as hawai‘i’s new chief state economist, ensuring that policymakers, businesses, and communities continue to benefit from high-quality data and analysis. At the same time, the release of the 2024 state of hawai‘i data book provides a comprehensive snapshot of our state, offering insights that inform planning and decision-making across sectors.
collaboration remains central to our work. The hawai‘i delegation’s recent mission to china reinforced our international partnerships in trade, education, tourism, and agriculture, while the agribusiness development corporation continues to expand capacity for local farmers and producers. These efforts, together with the opportunities available through ftz9, demonstrate our commitment to building a resilient and globally competitive economy.
mahalo for your continued support as we work together to strengthen hawai‘i’s economic future.
me ke aloha,
james kunane tokioka
from idea to export: innovation centers driving hawai‘i’s economic growth
innovation centers are transforming hawai‘i’s economy by helping local entrepreneurs turn ideas into market-ready products and small businesses into exporters. These purpose-built facilities provide the equipment, training, and technical support needed to validate products, expand production, and prepare for commercial markets. As part of dbedt’s economic landscape framework, innovation centers play a key role in the second phase of economic diversification: manufacturing for market and scale-up. While research and development often begin at the university of hawai‘i community colleges, dbedt provides the infrastructure to bring those innovations to market.
through the food and product innovation network (fpin), businesses statewide gain access to:
specialized equipment for value-added processing technical training and product development support incubation and mentorship for early-stage companies connections to buyers, retailers, and export programs such as histep this approach also strengthens workforce development. Skills such as supply chain management, packaging, and digital marketing are being incorporated into cte programs at doe and uh campuses, giving students a clear path from classroom to career. Programs like ??Ina to m?Keke are already showing results, helping local companies secure retail partnerships, increase capacity, and expand their reach.
innovation and manufacturing facilities are more than physical spaces. They represent a commitment to hawai‘i’s future, where local ideas grow into exports and small businesses become engines of job creation, food security, and community prosperity.
mahalo for supporting this shared effort to invest in hawai‘i’s people, ideas, and economic growth.
2024 state of hawai‘i data book now available
dbedt’s research and economic analysis division (read) has published the 57th edition of the state of hawai‘i data book, the state’s most comprehensive collection of statistics. With 837 tables across 24 sections, the data book covers topics from population and housing to tourism, energy, and the economy. Highlights from this year’s edition include an increase in hawai‘i home prices, higher social security benefits paid to residents, growth in multiple jobholding, and continued reliance on petroleum for electricity generation.
seth colby named chief state economist
colby brings a strong background in economic research and forecasting. He most recently served as the tax research and planning officer for the hawai‘i department of taxation, overseeing research on the state revenue system, analyzing the fiscal impacts of proposed legislation, and leading macroeconomic forecasting. Earlier in his career, he worked on economic and social development projects in latin america, the caribbean, and africa with the inter-american development bank, the world bank, and johns hopkins university. Fluent in portuguese and spanish, colby holds a ph.D. In political economy from johns hopkins university.
colby succeeds dr. Eugene tian, who retired at the end of may after 15 years in the position. He will lead read’s efforts to build on its strong reputation for producing work that is crucial for informed decision-making across hawai‘i.
adc elects new chair and welcomes kaua‘i member
new adc chair and board members: jayson watts, jason okuhama, and david hinazumi.
the agribusiness development corporation (adc) board of directors has elected jayson watts as its new chair. Representing maui, watts is director of environmental health and safety at mahi pono and brings extensive experience in government and agricultural policy, as well as leadership roles with several local and national organizations. Jason okuhama will continue as vice chair. An at-large member of the board, he is managing partner of commercial and business lending and has decades of experience in commercial loan programs and real estate financing.
the board also welcomed david hinazumi as its newest member representing kaua‘i. A senior vice president at grove farm company, incorporated, hinazumi manages development projects, agricultural leases, and infrastructure improvements.
adc is currently managing more than $100 million in active capital improvement projects, including irrigation upgrades, expanded agricultural infrastructure, and a planned $28–$64 million central kitchen in whitmore village to support local food production and farm-to-school initiatives.
act 237 expands opportunities to export hawai‘i goods
hawai‘i farmers and entrepreneurs will gain new opportunities to scale their businesses and reach global markets through the food and product innovation network (fpin), established by act 237. The statewide initiative connects regional facilities with processing equipment, workforce training, and business support services to help local products move from idea to export. A pilot project on kaua‘i is underway, with complementary facilities planned for o‘ahu and maui. Recent legislation also provided funding for program coordination and a new agricultural processing facility in kekaha.
by investing in infrastructure and support for small businesses, fpin will not only strengthen hawai‘i’s export capacity but also advance farm-to-school and farm-to-state programs, improve food security, and reduce reliance on imports.
hawai‘i delegation strengthens partnerships in china
from july 19 to 26, a delegation of hawai‘i lawmakers, business leaders, and educators traveled to guangdong and hainan provinces for a sister-state and business mission led by dbedt. The visit focused on strengthening established partnerships and creating new opportunities in trade, education, tourism, and agriculture. In guangdong, the delegation met with governor wang weizhong to mark the 40th anniversary of sister-state relations and discussed restoring direct flights between china and hawai‘i. Highlights included a hawai‘i coffee roundtable with potential buyers and e-commerce platforms, and visits to jinan university and the guangdong academy of agricultural sciences to explore academic and agri-tech collaboration.
in hainan, meetings at hainan university and the chinese academy of tropical agricultural sciences highlighted shared interests in tropical agriculture and education. Another coffee roundtable drew strong interest, with discussions on leveraging hainan’s free trade port for market access. The mission concluded with a meeting with governor liu xiaoming and vice governor xie jing, identifying student exchanges, tourism policy collaboration, and agricultural research as priorities for future cooperation.
the delegation included senators lynn decoite and henry aquino; representatives sean quinlan, daniel holt, justin woodson, and scott matayoshi; and representatives from dbedt, the university of hawai‘i, and the community.
dbedt hawai‘i made pavilion debuts at 2025 made in hawai‘i festival
the debut of the dbedt hawai‘i made pavilion was a highlight of the 2025 made in hawai‘i festival, held august 15–17 at the hawai‘i convention center. As the festival’s official government partner, dbedt created the pavilion to showcase 27 emerging local entrepreneurs selected in collaboration with the leeward community college wahiaw? Value-added product development center, the institute for native pacific education and culture, and the maui chamber of commerce. Festival attendees explored a diverse mix of hawai‘i-based small businesses offering gourmet foods, confections, fashion, stationery, and wellness products, including native hawaiian- and women-owned companies. The pavilion provided these early-stage entrepreneurs with a high-profile platform to connect with customers, gain exposure, and expand their market reach.
mahalo to the hawai‘i state legislature for making this initiative possible, and to our partners for supporting hawai‘i-made products and the local businesses behind them.
insights from ftz9: maximizing trade advantages
in a recent interview with the hawai‘i pacific export council, hawai‘i foreign-trade zone #9 (ftz9) administrator david sikkink shared how local businesses can tap into the benefits of a u.S. Foreign-trade zone. Ftzs are secure areas at or near a u.S. Port of entry where foreign and domestic goods are treated as if they remain outside the country. While in the zone, goods can be stored, assembled, repackaged, tested, relabeled, or used in manufacturing without being subject to immediate duties or taxes. Duties can be deferred, reduced, or eliminated entirely if the products are exported.
ftz9 serves both as the state’s grantee, helping companies obtain ftz status, and as an operator, managing a general-purpose warehouse at pier 2 in honolulu where businesses can benefit without having their own facility. This option is often more cost-effective for smaller businesses.
the value of ftz participation depends on a company’s operations, duty rates, and trade volumes. Larger and mid-sized companies often see the greatest savings, but smaller firms importing goods with high duty rates can also benefit. Goods can remain in an ftz indefinitely, and ftz9 operates sites across the state with plans for expansion.
happy retirement, lucy!
this month, we bid a fond a hui hou to maria lucia “lucy” pascual, who retires after more than 31 years of public service. In recent years, lucy has served as dbedt’s administrative services officer. We wish her all the best in her retirement! Hawai‘i’s waves of innovation – september 5, 2025
join us for hawai‘i’s waves of innovation, a unique panel series hosted by the hawai‘i technology development corporation in partnership with the university of hawai‘i college of engineering and the office of innovation and commercialization. Let’s explore what it takes to collaborate across hawai‘i’s public, private, academic and investment sectors. Each panel features thought leaders representing government, industry, academia and funder perspectives, coming together to drive synchronized innovation. Seating is limited – register now ! 2025 honolulu tech week – september 8-14, 2025
join 3,000+ people across 50+ events and 20 venues, from panels and keynotes to mixers and product launches. Honolulu tech week was founded to accelerate the growth of tech talent, capital, and adoption across hawai‘i’s economy. For more information, visit honolulutechweek.Com !
hawai‘i ai & cloud innovation summit – september 10, 2025
join dbedt, google, and the true initiative for a one-day summit at the hawai‘i convention center focused on how ai and cloud technologies are shaping government, cybersecurity, and workforce development. Registration is $25 for the public and complimentary for government employees. Space is limited – register now !
2025 hawai‘i tourism conference – september 22-23, 2025
the hawai‘i tourism conference will be held from september 22-23, 2025, at the hawai‘i convention center, hosted by the hawai‘i tourism authority. For more information, visit the hta website .
for more on dbedt and its divisions and attached agencies, please visit dbedt.Hawaii.Gov below are links to more news from dbedt’s core divisions, attached agencies and related programs:
copyright © 2025 dbedt, all rights reserved.
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| Indiana veterans receive free services at HVAFs Stand Down event |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Indiana veterans receive free services at hvaf’s stand down event
indianapolis (wish) — helping veterans and families of indiana, inc. (Hvaf) will hold its 20th annual stand down event on sept. 4 from 12 p.M. To 2 p.M. At the indiana national guard armory, providing free services and resources to local veterans.
the event at 3912 w. Minnesota st. Will bring together more than 65 organizations offering food, clothing, hygiene supplies, housing support, employment services, health insurance guidance, financial counseling, va benefits assistance, and other essential resources.
“for 20 years, hvaf has been proud to host an annual stand down event to provide important resources to veterans and families facing homelessness in indiana,” said emmy hildebrand, ceo of hvaf. “We’re grateful for the many partners who join with us to support the most vulnerable veterans in our community.”
the stand down concept originated in military operations as a temporary pause in combat for rest and resupply. Hvaf’s adaptation gives veterans a safe space to access multiple support services in a single location, removing barriers that might otherwise prevent them from seeking help.
participating organizations include federal agencies such as the social security administration and the internal revenue service, healthcare providers like the richard l. Roudebush va medical center, educational institutions, including ivy tech community college and indiana tech, and community organizations ranging from the american red cross to local american legion auxiliaries.
the annual event addresses urgent needs among central indiana veterans, providing immediate assistance while connecting participants to ongoing supportive services.
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| Opinion: Peter Thiels AI Palantir Is Supercharging Trumps Lawfare - NewsBreak |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (1 reads) | |
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By michael daly ,
4 hours ago photo illustration by thomas levinson/the daily beast/getty/reuters the software company founded by billionaire peter thiel has enabled his buddy, president donald trump, to conduct hardcore ai lawfare beyond its previous bounds.
those bounds appear to now include the federal reserve board after trump told its governor lisa cook she was fire d earlier this week.
the hit was achieved with the contrivance of an ever-striving 37-year-old nepo baby with a heretofore forgettable name. He is bill pulte, who seized a chance to make a mark for himself when president trump appointed him to the usually low-profile position of director of the federal housing finance agency (fhfa).
pulte took his first big step toward becoming his own man back in may, when he announced that he had entered into a partnership with thiel’s palantir to establish an “ai-powered crime detection unit (cdu).”
in a jumble of acronyms, the newly formed cdu would immediately start work at the federal national mortgage association (fannie mae), which the fhfa oversees along with a sibling, the federal home loan mortgage corporation (freddie mac).
“no one is above the law,” pulte dramatically declared at a press conference as if his liege, trump, does not routinely act otherwise.
pulte continued, “in partnership with palantir, fannie mae’s crime detection unit will increase safety and soundness by rooting out bad actors in our housing system. This cutting-edge ai technology will help us find criminals who try to defraud our system.”
fannie mae president and ceo priscilla almodovar told reporters that in an early test, the palantir-assisted cdu needed just seconds to detect fraud that investigators would have otherwise required months to identify.
“by integrating this leading ai technology, we will look across millions of datasets to detect patterns that were previously undetectable,” almodovar said. “This new partnership will combat mortgage fraud, helping to safeguard the u.S. Mortgage market for lenders, homebuyers, and taxpayers.”
palantir co-founder and current ceo alex karp predicted, “this partnership with fannie mae will set off a revolution in how we combat mortgage fraud in this country. We are bringing the fight directly to anyone who attempts to defraud our mortgage system and exploit hardworking americans.”
the value of such a potent weapon against major fraud was undeniable if it was indeed wielded to protect working americans. But the announcement received only modest attention. And it seemed that, however grand the cdu sounded, it was not likely to make pulte more than just the grandson and namesake of the man who founded america’s third-largest residential construction company, the pultegroup. Mortgages and fannie mae just did not seem to get people fired up.
but, along with being able to detect major fraud nearly instantly, the cdu could just as easily identify minor violations in applications made years before from mortgages that remained in good standing. And from out of a pool of more than 50 million mortgages, the magic of palantir ai produced a pair of applications for different homes in different states, in michigan, and in georgia, that lisa cook filed two weeks apart. She appears to have claimed both were her primary residence, in each instance qualifying for a more advantageous rate. Palantir ai even scrubbed the internet for rentals, indicating that one of the supposed primary residences had been listed.
pulte filed a criminal referral with ed martin, a u.S. Department of justice special attorney and director of the weaponization working group, which is tasked with investigating the biden administration’s supposed use of the law to target political opponents. Martin was instead investigating two objects of trump’s ire, new york state attorney general leticia james and u.S. Senator adam schiff, for misstatements in mortgage applications. These cases predated the may announcement of the palantir partnership and may have involved much more laborious, old-school targeting.
neither fhfa nor palantir responded to daily beast queries about the workings of their partnership, but in any event, pulte’s ends of the search almost certainly started with the names of the targets, followed by the applications and any irregularities they contained.
with near instant results from palantir ai, martin now set to investigating a third trump perceived foe. Pulte announced online that the targets had come to include cook and pinned a post in which he sounded like a maga mortgage evangelist.
“the sanctity and integrity of mortgage applications and mortgage contracts are paramount. Violating the integrity of these agreements means putting the entire country at risk. This is why, in my mind, mortgage fraud is such a serious crime.”
trump sent cook a letter informing her that she had been fired. Cook has replied with a lawsuit contending that the president can only fire a governor of the federal reserve board “for cause.“ Her lawyer, abbe lowell, contended that cause did not include “an unsubstantiated allegation about private mortgage applications submitted by governor cook prior to her senate confirmation.”
a federal judge in washington, d.C. Has scheduled a hearing for 10 a.M. Friday. And, whatever the immediate outcome, what started with hardcore ai lawfare is likely to end up before the u.S. Supreme court.
in other thiel related news, health and human services secretary robert f. Kennedy, jr. Named his top deputy , jim o’neill, to become acting director of the centers for disease control (cdc). O’neill would replace the newly ousted susan monarez, who is also contesting her firing. He has called thiel his “patron,” and served as ceo of the thiel foundation. He also cofounded the thiel fellowship, which gives $200,000 to college students if they drop out and seek other endeavors.
the cdc along with fhfa is all but sure to make big use of palantir.
read more at the daily beast. |
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| ACC Releases Respiratory Disease Vaccination Guidelines for Adults with Heart Di |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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the 2025 concise clinical guidance also aims to assuage vaccine hesitancy and resistance, provide better education, and overcome barriers to implementation.
on august 26, 2025, the american college of cardiology released concise clinical guidance (ccg) recommending vaccines to protect adults with cardiovascular disease (cvd) against a variety of respiratory diseases, including covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (rsv), and influenza, among others.1
these guidelines also aim to improve access to vaccines, effectively circumventing financial barriers to access, providing accurate and practical education, and assuaging concerns that give rise to vaccine hesitancy and resistance.2
“vaccination against communicable respiratory diseases and other serious diseases is critical for people with heart disease, but barriers exist to ensuring people are educated on which vaccines to get, how often to get them and why they are important,” paul heidenreich, md, facc, chair of the ccg writing committee, said in a statement. “With this document, we want to encourage clinicians to have these conversations and help their patients manage vaccination as part of a standard prevention and treatment plan.”1
specific vaccine guidelines include the following:
the ccg also provides ample evidence for each vaccine, as well as answering frequently asked questions to help clinicians address common concerns. Clinician-patient discussions are cited throughout the guidelines as a critical chance to integrate vaccination into cardiovascular care plans. These questions include the possibility of side effects, potential cost barriers, issues with pregnancy, and possible dangers of receiving multiple vaccinations at once.2
additionally, the guidelines detail strategies to improve rates of vaccination and overcome barriers to access. The most recent cdc surveillance of vaccination coverage among adult populations reported that roughly 30% of primary care physicians assess the vaccination status of adult patients at clinical visits. To that end, the authors suggest more direct approaches to bring patients in for vaccinations, such as mailed letters or automated text messages phrased as reminders to get shots already reserved for patients. These specific examples have been shown to increase vaccination rates during previous trials.2
the guidelines also cite insurance systems, noting an association between having insurance and a higher vaccination uptake. They indicate health systems capable of giving money and support, pointing out that they give significantly better vaccine access to individuals. Those with the ability to provide broader and faster vaccine rollout also had higher uptakes and immunity rates.2
ultimately, the guidelines remind clinicians that access starts with physician knowledge, which leads to decision-making discussions for vaccine administration.2
“the cardiovascular clinician’s effectiveness will be supported by system strategies described in the preceding text including clinical nudges and clinical vaccine champions to optimize vaccine uptake, reduce morbidity, and ultimately improve patient length and quality of life,” wrote heidenreich and colleagues.2 |
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| Womens Soccer Aiming for 9th Straight League Title in 2025 |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Sy bean womens soccer aiming for 9th straight league title in 2025 by mark albanese, director of sports communication countdown to season opener womens soccer vs university of st. Thomas (tx) 08/29/2025 at 5:30 p.M. (Cst) {{ days }} days {{ hours}} hours {{ minutes }} mins {{ seconds }} secs a decade of dominance. That’s what’s on the line for a pacific lutheran university women’s soccer team that has finished atop the northwest conference standings every season since 2016.Last fall, the lutes hoisted their eighth straight conference title before advancing to the second round of the ncaa division iii tournament. Pacific lutheran outscored its opponents 40-16 over the course of the season, racking up 10 shutouts and finishing the year with a 16-2-4 overall record and a 14-0-2 mark in nwc play— plu’s best conference record in program history. The lutes punched a ticket to the postseason for seventh time since 2016, downing maryville college 1-0 before falling in the second round to host emory university in atlanta.Plu continued to be a gritty opponent at home, owning a 7-0-3 record at east field last fall while boasting a 31-3-4 record at home since the fall 2021 campaign.With that success it’s no surprise the team’s goals remain the same, despite losing several key players to graduation. Our expectation remains unchanged— to win our ninth title. We know every journey is different. Our record is zero and zero, but our vision to be another great plu soccer team has never changed.We lost a lot of good players over the last three years. I feel like we also have some very good players in our program that haven’t gotten opportunities yet until now. Which is why we had the theme in the spring of ‘dark horse. No one has seen them play yet but us, and now they’re going to get their turn to be in the spotlight. 6-time nwc coach of the year seth spidahl 2025 team roster pacific lutheran graduated four of its six first team all-conference players from a season ago, including nwc offensive player of the year and usc all-american hannah cecil and all-region players julia causbie and kayden hulquist. Those three plus first team all-leaguer lily dose accounted for 21 of the team’s 40 goals and 22 of the squad’s 29 assists last fall.Headlining the returners is reigning nwc defensive player of the year bella hanna and first team all-league goalkeeper abby winkler. A linfield university transfer, hanna hit the ground running, playing in all but 55 of the 1,980 minutes possible last season. The senior from lakewood, washington added a spark offensively with eight goals and one assist with five of those eight being game winners. A portland, oregon native, abby winkler started all 22 games and had 10 clean sheets to her name. The all-league honoree boasted a 0.73 goals against average with 74 saves on the year, going the distance in 21 of the 22 games in 2024. Shoring up the backline is katelyn mcdougal, a second team all-leaguer from wilsonville, oregon that started every game last fall.“Our returning strength in terms of accomplishments is our defense with bella and abby. Both are captains and have provided great leadership and great stability. Katelyn is another player who was all-conference last year who was providing great leadership and stability so far. We know we’ll be good defensively and we’ll get saves.”Bolstering the already stout defense will be returners paige alamanza, joslyn kruse, tia schwetz, and jaden saucelo.“All of them had roles and played last year, but their roles are going to increase this year.”Kruse saw the most action of the bunch, with the olympia, washington native clocking into 10 games last fall. We have to continue to work on goals and possession and how we’re going to score. We have a lot of work to do but at the end of the day, if you can defend well, all you need is one goal to win, and we want more than that. But i do think we’re going to be a hard team to score on and we will do well defensively. In addition to winkler, spidahl is happy with the returning depth at goalkeeper that also includes abby goetz and mia speir. In the midfield, plu returns a solid core with lyla merte, liv olson, and kelen betts. All three played in at least 20 games with merte and olson both finding the back of the net in 2024. The lute offense has plenty of roles to fill but will look to kyleigh archer, carmen kiewert, kiana gutierrez, olivia boehm, ally tattar, and zoe markquart to replace the lost firepower. These are some of our attacking players that we feel like it’s their turn to step up. Boehm is the most notable of the bunch, netting four goals last fall, including two bangers in a 3-2 road upset of nationally-ranked johns hopkins university. Responsible for two game winners and three total goals, tattar is back for a senior campaign, playing in 20 games last season.Gutierrez had one goal and two assists last fall with kiewert adding a goal and an assist. Archer and markquart both got valuable experience, appearing in eight and 16 games, respectively. Sumner, washington native payton martinson looks to add some pop after a big spring season after transferring from division ii western oregon university. 2024 season statistics there’s a lot of new faces that i think can do well, and this just goes back to our theme. It’s their time now, it’s their turn.We’re impressed with the freshman class’s preparation. They almost all passed the fitness test upon arrival. Taylor thomas shows bright attacking potential while marie piho has already earned a traveling spot with her lily dose-like style in the midfield.Olivia gruginski, hadiah reid, sydney bonds, and transfer sophie avery round out a talented group. While it’s naturally challenging to break into a team with 11 seniors and numerous juniors, this class shows tremendous promise for the future. Plu got an early jump to the preseason, getting extra training days leading up to an international trip to spain. “This was our fourth international trip. We’ve seen significant benefits from the extended preseason. The additional three weeks of training and competitive matches in spain have allowed for a more measured approach to preparation, avoiding the usual rush of a two week preseason. Now our focus is on maintaining freshness and health throughout the season and through periodized training.”Plu opens the season on the road against a pair of texas heavyweights before hosting a pair of california schools that both have ncaa playoff aspirations. We deliberately schedule tough opponents early to prepare for conference play. We prefer facing adversity early to help us identify and address areas for improvement before conference play begins. The lutes kick off the 2025 slate on friday against the university of saint thomas. Loading... 2025 womens soccer schedule {{ moment(game.Date).Format(mmm d, yyyy) }} {{ game.Time ? At + game.Time : }} {{ game.Sport.Title }} {{ game.Location_indicator === a ? At : vs }} {{ game.Opponent.Title }} |
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| A Lifetime of Leadership |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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For generations of st. Louis youth, dr. Flint fowler has been more than a leader. He has been a mentor, a champion and a steady hand guiding them toward brighter futures.
this year, his tireless dedication to education and youth empowerment will be celebrated with the salute to excellence in education lifetime achiever award, presented by the st. Louis american foundation. It’s a recognition that mirrors the profound impact he has had on countless lives.
fowler’s passion for helping young people succeed has long inspired those around him. Under his leadership, the boys & girls clubs of greater st. Louis reached new heights, transforming the lives of countless youth through his commitment to cultivating greatness. He first took the helm in 1996, when the organization was still known as the herbert hoover boys & girls club on north grand boulevard — a role that would define the next three decades of his life’s work.
after nearly three decades of dedication, service and hard work, fowler retired in 2024, leaving behind a legacy that stretches far beyond the boys & girls clubs. His leadership has touched nearly every corner of youth development in the region — from guiding young scouts through the boy scouts of america greater st. Louis area council to opening doors of opportunity with saint louis university’s upward bound program, operation teamwork and inroads-st. Louis. In each role, his steady hand and compassionate vision have helped young people see what’s possible for their future.
“i’m really excited to receive the award. It was difficult for me to kind of imagine myself in that position. But i guess as i look back over my career and the opportunities that i’ve had, it seems pretty exciting to me,” fowler said.
fowler’s three adult children remember him not only as a leader in the community but as a steady presence at home. Stacey fowler, his youngest daughter, recalls how her dad always reminded her to try her best, no matter how difficult the task. Before dropping stacey and her siblings — jessica and evan — off at college, he left them with words they still carry today: “never forget who you are or whose you are.”
jessica remembers a moment that perfectly captures her father’s way of encouraging connection. During her residency at children’s hospital of philadelphia, he asked if she knew the name of one of the cafeteria staff members — and whether she had heard about the woman’s daughter, who wanted to study medicine. To jessica, it was clear what he was really saying: “go and connect. Go and support.” That gentle nudge to see others, to invest in them, has been one of the greatest lessons her father has taught.
june fowler, his wife of 44 years, says her husband is a man of joy. “He brings joy wherever he is,” she said, noting that even in high school, he was voted “friendliest kid” — she jokingly called him “friendly flint fowler.”
that same spirit of generosity has shaped their family life. After becoming empty nesters in 2009, the couple enjoyed seven years of “footloose and fancy-free” living. But when their six-year-old great-niece needed a stable home, june turned to her husband and asked if they could open their home. His answer was immediate: “it’s not even a question — of course she can stay with us.” The couple has been raising her ever since; now a teenager, she has just started high school, a reflection of the couple’s continued commitment to family.
before stepping into leadership at the boys & girls clubs in 1996, fowler had already dedicated his career to youth development through several other programs. A lifelong learner himself, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and black studies and a master’s in psychology with an emphasis in minority mental health from washington university, followed by a ph.D. In higher education administration from saint louis university.
when he retired in december 2024 after 28 years as president of the boys & girls clubs of greater st. Louis, he left behind an organization that had grown from one site into a network of 11, reaching nearly 14,000 young people each year. Under his guidance, the clubs expanded to offer programs in leadership, academic success, career readiness, the arts and athletics — along with initiatives like mentor st. Louis, keystone clubs, diplomas to degrees, money matters, career launch, st. Louis internship programs, and even a free dental clinic.
“when someone asks me to reflect on my life, i get a chance to say, wow, maybe i did make a difference,” fowler said. “Somehow, i set a model to put the right opportunities or tools in place for young people, the right programs, the right services, and the right people that they could connect with. It’s pretty gratifying to know that i contributed to someone’s well-being.” |
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| Mizzou QB Sam Horn Injured in Season-Opener Against Central Arkansas |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Mizzou qb sam horn injured in season-opener against central arkansas
sam horn, mizzous quarterback, exited the season opener against central arkansas in the first quarter due to a leg injury. After running for 6 yards on a quarterback keeper, horn was upended and initially got up but soon required assistance from trainers. He was limping noticeably and went to the medical tent, later leaving without his helmet and heading to the locker room. Horns injury comes as he was vying for the starting job against beau pribula, who is now leading the offense while horns return is uncertain.
by the numbers- horn played in 3 games in 2023 and 1 game in 2022.
- pribula threw a 51-yard touchdown on his first pass attempt after horns injury.
the uncertainty surrounding horns injury could impact mizzou’s quarterback depth going forward. While pribulas performance may elevate him as the frontrunner, horns potential and previous battles for the starting job suggest that mizzous options are limited.
state of play- mizzou held a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
- beau pribula is currently directing the offense in horns absence.
if horn’s injury proves serious, it could inhibit his chances to reclaim the starting role, allowing pribula to solidify his position. The coaching staff will likely need to reassess the quarterback situation based on horns recovery timeline.
bottom linethe situation underscores the fragility of player health in college football, particularly for quarterback battles. Mizzou must navigate this uncertainty carefully as they seek to establish their starter going forward.
read more at saturday down south
the summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from openai |
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| Be more active by overcoming back pain |
| Posted on Friday, August 29 @ 00:01:05 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Back pain is one of the most common conditions across the globe. The world health organization says low back pain is the single leading cause of disability around the world, affecting an estimated 619 million people in 2020. That number was projected to rise to 843 million by 2050 as a result of aging populations and sedentary lifestyles. The national institutes of health says that 80 percent of adults in the united states experience low back pain at some point in their lives.
there are many reasons why back pain can occur. Muscle strain, arthritis, herniated discs, and other conditions can contribute to back pain. The national institute of neurological disorders and stroke advises visiting a doctor if back pain is persistent. Early diagnosis can prevent chronic issues and rule out more serious conditions.
get moving
although moving around may be the last thing on the minds of people experiencing back pain, remaining physically active is essential to good health. Plus, movement actually is the best medicine for back pain itself. A review published in jama internal medicine in 2016 found that exercise alone reduces the risk of back pain by 35 percent. Low-impact activities like walking, swimming and yoga help to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility and reduce pain in the process. This can be beneficial to seniors who find low-impact activities are best for their health.
strengthen core
people now sit for long periods of time, which can contribute to back problems. The centers for disease control and prevention says americans sit for an average of 10 hours a day, often with poor posture and non-engaged core muscles. Getting up off of seats and strengthening core muscles can prevent back injury and pain.
the american college of sports medicine recommends two days of strength training per week with a focus on the core, back and hips. Individuals who don’t know how to start safely should consult with a physical therapist or certified personal trainer.
alternative treatments
it may be easy to take a pill when pain begins, but people may want to explore alternative methods to alleviate pain. Changing ergonomics of work stations or how a person performs activities can help. The american psychological association reports techniques like mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce pain severity and improve quality of life. Massage therapy or even acupuncture are additional treatments to consider for back pain.
back pain is a common complaint as one ages. There are ways to overcome the pain and remain as active as possible. |
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