AFP USA

The Republican-led US House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve President Donald Trump’s sprawling tax relief and spending cuts mega-bill that critics warn would decimate health care while ballooning the debt.The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” — which now moves to the Senate — would usher into law Trump’s vision for a new “Golden Age,” led by efforts to shrink social safety net programs to pay for a 10-year extension of his 2017 tax cuts.”Legislation of this magnitude is truly nation shaping and life changing,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of the largely party-line vote, which capped a marathon debate that went through the night.”It’s the kind of transformational change that future generations will study one day. They’ll look back at this day as a turning point in American history.”The mammoth package passed along party lines — 215 votes to 214 — after Republican leadership quelled a rebellion on the party’s right flank that threatened its passage.It is the centerpiece of Trump’s domestic policy agenda that could define his second term in the White House, and he took to social media to celebrate “arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed.”But the package had faced skepticism from Republican fiscal hawks who say the country is careening toward bankruptcy, with independent analysts warning it would increase the deficit by as much as $4 trillion over a decade.The White House has made ambitious projections, well outside the mainstream consensus, that the package will spur growth of up to 5.2 percent, ensuring it adds nothing to the $36 trillion national debt.But investors were unconvinced as the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note surged to its highest level since February on Wednesday, amid worries over the budget-busting bill’s bottom line.- ‘Devastating’ -Democrats called the bill “devastating” for the middle class, pointing to CBO estimates that its cuts to public health insurance for low-income Americans would deprive around eight million people of coverage. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the bill “the largest cut to health care in American history… in order to enact the largest tax breaks for billionaires in American history.” Trump has seen his polling numbers plummet since his White House return, but success in uniting the normally polarized House Republicans underlined his continued sway over the party.The president had pressured lawmakers to back his signature legislation in a rare Capitol Hill visit Tuesday after it hit a series of roadblocks pitting conservative fiscal hawks against moderate Republicans. The hawks were unhappy that cuts shaving $700 billion from the Medicaid health insurance program did not go deeper — a red line for moderates and possibly for Trump, who told the party in coarse terms not to touch the social safety net.To appease his right flank, Johnson moved up the enforcement of work requirements for Medicaid recipients by two years to the end of 2026, and agreed to phase out clean energy tax credits earlier.Meanwhile a group of moderate northeastern Republicans pushing for huge increases in the state and local tax write-off secured a compromise of a four-fold hike, from $10,000 to $40,000.But the bill is likely to undergo at least a month of significant rewrites in the Senate, which plans to get the package to Trump’s desk by July 4.Trump’s iron grip in the House does not always extend to the upper chamber, where members only face reelection every six years and are less susceptible to the president’s cajoling.”In the House, President Trump can threaten a primary,” Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson told Punchbowl News as he railed against cuts he considers too shallow.”Those guys want to keep their seats, I understand the pressure. He can’t pressure me that way.”Fellow Senate conservative Rand Paul told the publication: “Once the Republicans vote for this, Republicans are going to own the deficit.”

Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead at a Jewish museum in Washington by a gunman who shouted “free Palestine” as he was arrested, sparking new international tensions over anti-Semitism.The killings took place just outside the Capital Jewish Museum, a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the White House, late Wednesday as it held an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited “the terrible price of antisemitism” and what he called “wild incitement against the State of Israel.”US President Donald Trump echoed this, posting on social media: “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!”Israel identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a US employee of the embassy, and said they were a couple who had been hoping to marry.Police said they detained the shooter, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, from Chicago, at the scene.Video footage showed the bearded man in a jacket and white shirt shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was led away.The attack came days after the museum was awarded a grant to boost security, as anti-Semitism surges worldwide in the wake of Israel’s devastating invasion of Gaza, prompted by the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militants Hamas.- Tensions over Gaza, anti-Semitism -Tensions are high in the United States and in many other countries over the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza.Britain and France — who have stepped up their condemnation in recent days of Israel’s actions — were among those condemning the shooting, as well as Germany and the United Arab Emirates. But Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, put blame on European governments, claiming there was “a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder.””This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe,” he said.French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine called the accusation “completely outrageous and completely unjustified.”Israel’s consul in New York City sought to draw a link between the shooting and US student protests against the Israeli war in Gaza, which he painted as “unprecedented riots organized by terrorists.”Trump has gone on the offensive against campus protesters, also claiming they are “pro-terrorist,” with punitive measures to slash university funding and deport foreign student activists.-  ‘Call the cops’ -In an incredible mix-up, witnesses reportedly said that security personnel appeared to mistake the gunman for a victim of the shooting and allowed him into the museum, where he was initially comforted by bystanders.”Some of the people at the event brought him water. They sat him down. ‘Are you OK? Were you shot? What happened?’ And he’s like ‘somebody call the cops’,” Yoni Kalin, who was in the museum, told US media.Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters that the suspect was seen pacing back and forth outside the museum before the shooting around 9:00 pm on Wednesday (0100 GMT Thursday). “He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire,” she said.Smith confirmed the suspect then entered the museum and was detained by security, and said he told them where he discarded the gun. – Marriage plans -The targeted event was an annual reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community.Lischinsky was a research assistant at the Israeli embassy, while Milgrim worked for its public diplomacy department, according to their LinkedIn profiles.Lischinsky was Christian, according to The Times of Israel, for whom he had previously worked as a blogger. Germany’s foreign minister said he also held a German passport. Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who said he spoke with Trump by telephone, told reporters the young staffers were a couple about to get engaged.”The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,” Leiter said.”They were a beautiful couple.”

The Republican-led US House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve President Donald Trump’s sprawling tax relief and spending cuts mega-bill that critics warn would decimate health care while ballooning the debt.The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” — which now moves to the Senate — would usher into law Trump’s vision for a new “Golden Age,” led by efforts to shrink social safety net programs to pay for a 10-year extension of his 2017 tax cuts.”Legislation of this magnitude is truly nation shaping and life changing,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of the largely party-line vote, which capped a marathon debate that went through the night.”It’s the kind of transformational change that future generations will study one day. They’ll look back at this day as a turning point in American history.”The mammoth package passed along party lines — 215 votes to 214 — after Republican leadership quelled a rebellion on the party’s right flank that threatened its passage.It is the centerpiece of Trump’s domestic policy agenda that could define his second term in the White House, and he took to social media to celebrate its success.”‘THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ has PASSED the House of Representatives!” Trump posted. “This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!”But the package had faced skepticism from Republican fiscal hawks who say the country is careening toward bankruptcy, with independent analysts warning it would increase the deficit by as much as $4 trillion over a decade. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted it would boost the incomes of the richest 10 percent while making the bottom 10 percent poorer, through hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to health care and food aid.The White House Council of Economic Advisors has made hugely ambitious projections, well outside the mainstream consensus, that the package will spur growth of up to 5.2 percent.And Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the bill “does not add to the deficit,” and would actually save $1.6 trillion through spending cuts.But investors were unconvinced as the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note surged to its highest level since February on Wednesday, amid worries over the budget-busting bill’s bottom line adding to the $36 trillion US debt burden.- ‘Devastating’ -Democrats called the bill “devastating” for the middle class, pointing to CBO estimates that its cuts to public health insurance for low-income Americans would deprive 8.6 million people of coverage. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the bill “the largest cut to health care in American history… in order to enact the largest tax breaks for billionaires in American history.” Trump has seen his polling numbers plummet in his early months back in office, but success in the House for his signature legislation underlined his continued sway over the party’s quarrelsome and deeply polarized lawmakers.The president had pressured the party to back the controversial  package in a rare Capitol Hill visit Tuesday after it hit a series of roadblocks pitting conservative fiscal hawks against moderate coastal Republicans. Speaker Johnson was only able to lose three members in Thursday’s vote. Multiple conservatives initially appeared ready to reject the bill, but a follow-up meeting with Trump on Wednesday was credited with persuading some of the holdouts to fall into line.Fiscal hawks were unhappy that proposed cuts of more than $700 billion to the Medicaid health insurance program were not deeper — a red line for moderates and possibly for Trump, who told the party in coarse terms not to touch the social safety net.To appease his right flank, Johnson moved up the enforcement of work requirements for Medicaid recipients by two years to the end of 2026 and agreed to phase out clean energy tax credits earlier.Meanwhile a group of moderate northeastern Republicans pushing for huge increases in the state and local tax write-off secured a compromise of a four-fold hike, from $10,000 to $40,000.But the bill is likely to undergo at least a month of significant rewrites in the Senate, which plans to get the package to Trump’s desk by July 4. 

Two Israeli embassy staffers, one of them an American, were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in Washington by a gunman who shouted “free Palestine” as he was arrested.US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led global condemnation of the attack, both of them blaming anti-Semitism.”Blood libels against Israel are paid in blood — and they must be fought relentlessly,” Netanyahu said in a statement, ordering a boost in security at Israeli embassies around the world.Shots rang out on the sidewalk outside the Capital Jewish Museum, a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the White House, late Wednesday as it held an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff.Emergency vehicles remained at the scene in the early hours of Thursday after police taped off the area in the heart of the US capital.Israel identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a US employee of the embassy, and said they were a couple who may have been planning to marry. Lischinsky was a research assistant at the Israeli embassy, while Milgrim worked for its public diplomacy department, according to their LinkedIn profiles. Lischinsky was Christian, according to The Times of Israel, for whom he had previously worked as a blogger. Germany’s foreign minister said he also held a German passport. Washington’s police chief identified the shooter as a 30-year-old from Chicago,  Elias Rodriguez, and said he was in custody. Video of his arrest by police showed the bearded man in a jacket and white shirt shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was led away.The attack came days after the museum was awarded a grant to boost security, as anti-Semitism surges worldwide since Israel’s devastating invasion of Gaza, prompted by the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militants Hamas.- ‘What happened? -Witnesses reportedly said that security personnel appeared to mistake the man for a victim of the shooting and allowed him into the museum, where he was comforted by bystanders before claiming responsibility for the attack.”Some of the people at the event brought him water. They sat him down. ‘Are you OK? Were you shot? What happened?’ And he’s like ‘somebody call the cops’,” Yoni Kalin, who was in the museum, told US media.Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters that the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum before the shooting around 9:00 pm on Wednesday (0100 GMT Thursday). “He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire,” she said.First responders found a man and a woman unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts, both were pronounced dead.”After the shooting, the suspect then entered the museum and was detained by event security,” Smith said.She said the man told them where he discarded the gun.- ‘Despicable’ -“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.”We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and the wild incitement against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said in his statement.”My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were abruptly cut short by a despicable antisemitic murderer.”Britain and France — who have stepped up their condemnation in recent days of Israel’s actions in Gaza — as well as Germany were among those condemning the shooting. Israel’s foreign minister accused European governments of “incitement.””There is a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder,” Gideon Saar told a press conference.”This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe.”The targeted event was an annual reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community.AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement that the organization was “devastated” by the shooting.Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, who said he spoke with Trump by telephone, told reporters the young staffers were a couple about to get engaged. “The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,” Leiter said.”They were a beautiful couple.”

A gunman who killed two people outside a Jewish museum in Washington on Wednesday was initially mistaken for a victim of the shooting and allowed into the building, witnesses said.”We heard gunshots and then a man comes in and he looks really distressed. People are talking to him and trying to calm him down,” Katie Kalisher, who said she was inside the Capital Jewish Museum when the attack happened, told US media.”Eventually, he comes over to where I was seated, and I was literally like ‘do you need any water? Are you OK?'”Witness Yoni Kalin said that a security guard “happened to let this guy in” the building.”I guess they were thinking that he was a victim,” he said.”He was in shock, and you know, some of the people at the event brought him water. They sat him down. ‘Are you OK? Were you shot? What happened?’ And he’s like ‘somebody call the cops’.”The man was then detained after he produced a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf from his bag and claimed responsibility for the shooting, the witnesses said.”‘I did it. I did this for Gaza’,” Kalisher quoted him as saying.  Police identified the suspected shooter as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago.Israel’s foreign ministry named the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who both worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington.Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told reporters the young staffers were a couple and that Lischinsky was planning to propose to Milgrim.

As Google races to lead in artificial intelligence, it faces the challenge of making sure the technology doesn’t slow its profit-pumping advertising engine.The internet giant is dabbling with ads in its new AI Mode for online search, a strategic move to fend off competition from ChatGPT while adapting its advertising business for an AI age.”There’s no question that AI is becoming more commonplace as a source for answers,” IDC advertising and marketing technology research director Roger Beharry Lall told AFP.”That will inevitably result in a shift in terms of search and the opportunities to promote a brand.”The integration of advertising has been a key question accompanying the rise of generative AI chatbots, which have largely avoided interrupting the user experience with marketing messages.However, advertising remains Google’s financial bedrock, accounting for more than two-thirds of its revenue.”Google certainly needs to find a way to monetize AI search in the way that it has monetized its past versions of search,” Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart told AFP at the tech giant’s annual developers conference this week.- AI-fueled ads -A new AI Mode enables conversational interaction with Google during search queries, providing answers in diverse formats, such as video, audio or graphs.The internet giant said it is testing integrating ads into AI Mode responses, building on insights gained from AI-generated summaries, or “Overviews,” introduced to search results a year ago.These Overviews display comprehensive AI-generated summaries of results above traditional website links and ads.”The future of advertising fueled by AI isn’t coming — it’s already here,” stated Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s vice president of Ads & Commerce. “We’re reimagining the future of ads and shopping: Ads that don’t interrupt, but help customers discover a product or service.”Google is extending ads in AI Overviews to desktop in the US, following successful mobile implementations.More than 1.5 billion users see AI Overviews monthly, according to the company.”Google’s doing very good job of adapting,” Beharry Lall said.”The move right now is to experiment and to gain traction, just as they have.”Google’s aggressive push into generative AI intensifies its competition with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which added search engine capabilities to its popular chatbot.- AI ad tools too -Google announced it is making AI tools available to streamline the creation of online ads, mirroring similar initiatives by Facebook-owner Meta, Google’s primary rival in online advertising.New features, available in the United States, will enable merchants to leverage AI for effective marketing campaigns and to “power an algorithm capable of targeting new searches and generating additional conversions,” Google said.”AI helps a lot in advertising as far as targeting customers more precisely,” Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi told AFP.Google should have opportunities to charge for AI tools for ad campaigns, and even for insights from data the tech firm has about its users’ lives.”When you have AI agents doing things for you, those agents are going to need data,” Milanesi said.”To get access to that data, you’re going to have to pay.”For example, Google knowing the kinds of restaurants or places someone has searched for online would have value for targeting ads, she said.Making money from AI tools and data could help Google diversify revenue sources at a time when its ad business is under pressure from regulators, according to Milanesi.”There could be entirely new business models around how a brand connects into those AI results,” said Beharry Lall.”In the long run, it’s going to be additive and beneficial to Google.”How Google and other platforms make clear the difference between paid messaging and organic results generated by AI “is going to be the $64 million question,” Beharry Lall said.”It’ll be incumbent on regulatory bodies to develop guidelines,” the analyst said.

Donald Trump on Thursday will host a private event for hundreds of top investors in his crypto memecoin, in an unprecedented melding of US presidential power and personal business.The gala will take place at Trump’s Virginia golf club near Washington, where the 220 biggest purchasers of the $TRUMP memecoin he launched in January will have dinner with the president.The top 25 investors, according to an event website, will get a private session with Trump before dinner, and a White House tour.Critics argue this arrangement creates a concerning loophole in political influence rules.Foreign actors, legally barred from contributing to Trump’s political causes through official channels, can now potentially buy access and influence through the cryptocurrency.Data analytics firm Inca Digital has confirmed that many transactions occurred through international exchanges unavailable in the United States, suggesting foreign buyers.Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun claims the top investor position, having committed $20 million to the memecoin as part of his $93 million total investment in Trump-linked crypto ventures. Sun, founder of top 10 cryptocurrency TRON, was under investigation by US authorities for market manipulation, but regulators, now controlled by Trump appointees, agreed in February to a 60-day pause to seek a settlement.According to the website Popular Information, a few weeks before that decision, Sun purchased $30 million in digital assets from a venture backed by Trump and his family.”Honored to support @POTUS and grateful for the invitation to attend President Trump’s Gala Dinner as his TOP fan!” Sun wrote Tuesday on X, adding he was eager to “discuss the future of our industry.”fe- More regulation? -Some Republicans have raised red flags about the dinner, but most criticism has come from Democrats.Senator Chris Murphy on Wednesday blasted the exclusive dinner as an opportunity for the world’s wealthy including “foreign oligarchs” to get a “secret meeting” with the US president as they seek favors and influence.”It’s fundamentally corrupt — a way to buy access to the President,” Murphy posted on X.The White House ripped into those who have made insinuations of impropriety.”I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week.”He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service.”The dinner comes as the Senate is pushing through legislation to more clearly regulate cryptocurrencies, a long-sought request of the industry.Senators on Monday advanced a landmark bill known as the GENIUS Act that proposes a regulatory framework for stablecoins — a type of crypto token seen as more predictable for investors as its value is pegged to hard currencies like the dollar.That legislation had faced roadblocks in part because of Trump’s dabbling in cryptocurrencies — a rising sector he once dismissed as a scam.His stance reversed during the 2024 presidential campaign when crypto tycoons, frustrated by perceived unfair treatment under the Biden administration, became major contributors to his campaign.The cryptocurrency industry struggled with significant scandals during Biden’s presidency, most notably the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange and the 25-year fraud sentence for founder Sam Bankman-Fried.As the stablecoin bill gains momentum in the Senate, Bitcoin reached a record high Wednesday of nearly $109,500.- Expanding empire -Trump’s newfound enthusiasm for digital currencies has expanded into multiple ventures led primarily by his eldest sons.Their growing portfolio includes investments in Binance, a major crypto exchange whose founder seeks a presidential pardon to re-enter the US market.This investment flows through World Liberty Financial, a Trump family-backed venture launched last September with significant Mideast deals. The company’s founding team includes Donald Jr. and Eric Trump alongside Zach Witkoff, son of Trump’s diplomatic adviser.President Trump has taken concrete steps to reduce regulatory barriers, including an executive order establishing a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” for government holdings of the leading digital currency.

Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead late Wednesday outside a Jewish museum in Washington by a gunman who shouted “free Palestine,” authorities said, with US officials and Israeli diplomats expressing shock and outrage over the killings.President Donald Trump quickly condemned the attack, saying “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!””Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” he posted on social media.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “this was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice.”Gunfire broke out on the sidewalk outside the Capital Jewish Museum and Washington police confirmed the suspected shooter then walked into the museum after the shooting and had been detained.”We believe the shooting was committed by a single suspect who is now in custody,” Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters.”Prior to the shooting the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire.”After the shooting the suspect then entered the museum and was detained by event security.”She said that the handcuffed suspect identified where he had discarded the weapon and chanted “Free, free Palestine.”Police identified him as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago.”The fatal shooting that took place outside the event that took place at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C… is a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism,” Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said.”Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line.”We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives — everywhere in the world.”Police Chief Smith said during a news conference that officers responded to multiple calls of a shooting near the museum at around 9:00 pm on Wednesday evening (0100 GMT Thursday). When authorities arrived at the scene, a man and a woman were found unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts from first responders, both were pronounced dead.Emergency response vehicles remained at the scene into Thursday morning after police taped off the area.”We’re going to stand together as a community in the coming days and weeks to send the clear message that we will not tolerate anti-Semitism,” Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters.”There is no active threat in our community. What I do know is that the horrific incident is going to frighten a lot of people in our city, and in our country. I want to be clear that we will not tolerate this violence or hate.”

Republicans announced Wednesday they will vote early Thursday on US President Donald Trump’s sprawling domestic policy mega-bill pairing tax relief with spending cuts that critics say would decimate health care while ballooning the debt.The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” would usher into law Trump’s vision for a new “Golden Age,” achieved through cuts to public services to pay for a 10-year extension of his 2017 tax cuts.But it is dangling by a thread, with independent analysts warning it will increase the deficit by as much as $4 trillion over a decade, rattling fiscal hawks who say the country is careening toward bankruptcy.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted it would boost the incomes of the richest 10 percent while making the bottom 10 percent poorer, through hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to health care and food aid.House Speaker Mike Johnson set a May 26 — Memorial Day — deadline for passing the package but is anticipating attendance problems at the back end of the week and set a rare overnight vote, expected around 4:30am (0830 GMT).The White House Council of Economic Advisors has made hugely ambitious projections, well outside the mainstream consensus, that the package will spur growth of up to 5.2 percent.And Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the bill “does not add to the deficit,” and would actually save $1.6 trillion through spending cuts.But investors were unconvinced as the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note surged to its highest level since February on Wednesday amid worries over the budget-busting bill’s bottom line. Major US markets tumbled well over one percent. “My concern about the deficit and the debt is tremendous,” Texas congressman Keith Self, a Republican, told CNN.”This bill in its entirety, the way it was written: we would go from $36 trillion now in debt to $56 trillion minimum in 10 years.”- ‘Devastating’ -Democrats have called the bill “devastating” for the US middle class, needling Republicans on multiple aspects of the giant package.Its fate in the House of Representatives could reveal the limits of Trump’s sway over the party’s quarrelsome and deeply polarized lawmakers.The president pressured the party to back the package in a rare Capitol Hill visit Tuesday after it hit a series of roadblocks pitting conservative fiscal hawks against moderate coastal Republicans. Speaker Johnson can lose just three members in a vote of the full House. Initially multiple conservatives appeared ready to reject the bill but a follow-up meeting with Trump on Wednesday — this time at the White House — appeared to have persuaded some of the holdouts to fall into line.Its fate remains uncertain, however, with fiscal hawks unhappy that proposed cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program were not deeper — a red line for moderates and possibly for Trump, who told the party in coarse terms not to touch the social safety net.To appease his right flank, Johnson moved up the enforcement of work requirements for Medicaid recipients by two years to the end of 2026 and offered to phase out clean energy tax credits earlier.Meanwhile a group of moderate northeastern Republicans pushing for huge increases in the state and local tax (SALT) write-off secured a compromise of a four-fold hike, from $10,000 to $40,000.If Johnson can pull off passing the mega-bill through the House, it is likely to undergo significant rewrites in the Senate, which plans to get the package to Trump’s desk by July 4. “It’s no secret how awful the Republican tax bill is,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech.”For weeks, we’ve said their bill shows that billionaires win, American families lose.”

There was one notable — and loudly noted — absence on  Wednesday at Columbia University’s graduation ceremony: detained pro-Palestinian student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil.”Boo… Shame on you!” students chanted when Clare Shipman, interim president of the prestigious New York City school, took the podium.Columbia has been the site of demonstrations calling for an end to violence in Gaza for the past 18 months, and more recently, has seen student protesters arrested by the Trump administration. Khalil, one of the most visible leaders of nationwide campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, has been detained by US authorities for more than two months following his campus activism.Even though he is a permanent US resident, he has been marked for deportation.Before Wednesday’s graduation ceremony, attendees were warned over loudspeakers that any interruption was prohibited and those who didn’t follow the rules could be asked to leave. That didn’t prevent chants of “Free Mahmoud.”Some students wore keffiyehs as scarves or in lieu of graduation caps, donning a symbol of the Palestinian cause.As light rain fell and a damp chill set in, Shipman congratulated 16,000 new graduates as they depart a school that remains in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. “We firmly believe that our international students have the same rights to freedom of speech as everyone else, and they should not be targeted by the government for exercising that right,” Shipman said. “And let me also say that I know many in our community today are mourning the absence of our graduate, Mahmoud Khalil,” she added before launching into a plea to defend democracy, which she described as “the essential work of your generation.”- ‘Embarrassed’ graduates – Without directly naming US President Donald Trump, Shipman defended academic institutions as “pillars of a healthy, functioning, democratic nation.” The White House has cut $400 million in federal aid to Columbia alone, taking aim at schools that don’t fall into line with its demands while arresting students involved in pro-Palestinian causes. Earlier in May, 80 pro-Palestinian students were arrested on Columbia’s campus after attempting to occupy the main library. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials would review the visa status of the “vandals” involved for possible deportations.Recent Columbia graduate Khalil is being held in a detention center in Louisiana and faces possible deportation after his March arrest amid accusations of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas. His lawyers said Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials barred Khalil from holding his newborn son, after his wife Noor Abdalla flew with the baby to Louisiana.”It is deliberate violence, the calculated cruelty of a government that tears families apart without remorse,” Abdalla said in a statement.Columbia students have reported a chill to campus free speech and a sense of shame that their university did not do more to support freedom of expression.”With the behavior of the university over the last few years — oh, it’s been horrific. I feel embarrassed every single day that my degree is attached to this university,” said Olivia Blythe, a 30-year-old masters graduate in social work who wore a keffiyeh over her pale blue gown. Blythe said tension was palpable during a ceremony Tuesday for students in her department, with audience members yelling “arrest them, get them out, kick them out” at pro-Palestinian students like herself.Sociology graduate Alfred Young said he appreciated his social justice-focused education at Columbia, but felt that was disconnected from the school’s administration.”I was honestly surprised that President Shipman referenced Mahmoud, and honestly, I do believe it was a bit tone deaf, given how the administration handled everything,” Young said.At the end of the ceremony, students tossed their caps as speakers blared Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” a hip-hop ode to New York City.With that, Columbia’s tense year ended with hugs and selfies. Outside campus, as hundreds of police kept watch, a few dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators stood their ground. One held a sign that read: “There is no graduation in Gaza today.”