A ‘Big Budget Bill’ is on its way in House of Representatives

What Republicans have titled “ The One Big Beautiful Bill” for the federal budget is moving toward a vote in the House of Representatives.

According to the Associated Press, the bill – which takes its name from a description by President Donald Trump – will include tax breaks, cuts in spending and increased funding for border security.

About $5 trillion in tax cuts are in the bill, including ending taxes on tips, overtime and interest on automobile loans. Possible changes will include greater deductions for state and local taxes paid. Democrats have vowed to oppose the bill, but Republicans hold narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.

The planned bill would shift some of the costs of food assistance for the needy to the states, expand work requirements for those receiving food aid, and cut the Medicaid funding by as much as $8.6 billion, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

Additionally, the bill would approve $46.5 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and impose a $1,000 fee on migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

Deportation to Venezuela possible

Contrary to rulings by three other federal courts, a Pennsylvania federal district judge ruled on Tuesday that a Venezuelan man could be deported under an 18th century law – the 1798 Alien Enemies Act – The New York Times reported.

However, Judge Stephanie Haines of the Western District of Pennsylvania, stated that he must first be given notice in his native language, have 21 days to object to his deportation and be afforded an “opportunity to be heard” in court.

The ruling, which is contrary to other decisions in Texas, Colorado and New York, applies only in the judge’s district.

Big profits, big layoffs at Microsoft

High-tech giant Microsoft – the power behind the Windows operating system used by 90 percent of computer users – will cut its work force by almost 3 percent, according to United Press International.

That comes as the company reported over $25 billion in net income for the last quarter.

It’s estimated that for each Microsoft employee fired – at a cost of $200,000 including salary and benefits – it would mean $1.4 billion saved in expenses for a year.

Profit margins are often used to measure the value of a publicly-traded stock, and other tech firms have made similar reductions in work forces.

Shoeless Joe, Pete Rose in Hall of Fame?

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson – banned from the Hall of Fame during their lifetimes – were eligible to be elected to that honor.

Rose was banned for life for gambling on baseball, and Jackson was one of eight members of the Chicago White Sox who accepted bribes to throw the 1919 World Series.

Manfred pointed out that MLB doesn’t control the Hall of Fame and was not expressing an opinion about whether he thought that Rose or Jackson – or other members of the “Black Sox” should be elected to the Hall.

Weather: Spring and summer meet

Summer temperatures in our West Orange County cities will blend into cooler spring breezes toward the weekend. The forecasts call for a daytime high of 73 with an overnight low of 57 under partly cloudy skies on Wednesday. Thursday will be similar at 72 (58). Cloudy skies may arrive by Friday with temps of 70 (58) and cooler days and nights on Saturday at 66 (52).

Great Thoughts

“To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer

“Without going outside, you may know the whole world.”
– Lao Tsu, philosopher

“Americans are not a perfect people, but we are called to a perfect mission.”
– Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States