The soaring profits of oil companies amid the US-Iran conflict have ignited calls for a windfall tax, as environmentalists and activists accuse Donald Trump of enacting policies designed to benefit those very corporations. According to a Brown University tracker, Americans have paid over $78 billion more at the pump since the conflict began, while a recent analysis by Climate Power and the Center for American Progress Action Fund found that Trump's policies have cost the average American family an additional $285 when filling up their cars.
Lawmakers Propose Tax on Big Oil's Windfall
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Congressman Ro Khanna of California have proposed taxing the windfall profits that oil companies have reaped from the Iran war's impact on fossil fuel prices. The proceeds from this tax would be directed to American families who are bearing the higher fuel costs. "Oil companies are profiteering off a conflict that is squeezing working families," Whitehouse said in a statement. "It's time to make them pay their fair share."
Trump's Policies Favor Fossil Fuel Expansion
Since re-entering the White House last year, Trump has eased dozens of restrictions on fossil fuel expansion, exempted producers from environmental rules, and signed an executive order directing the attorney general to prioritize blocking climate lawsuits targeting oil majors. Trump has also personally invested in major oil companies, raising concerns about conflicts of interest. Environmental groups argue that these actions have directly contributed to the rising costs for consumers.
Second Attempt to Restrict Birthright Citizenship
In a separate development, Trump has made a second attempt to restrict the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, just weeks after the US Supreme Court rejected his initial, more sweeping order. On Thursday, he signed two executive orders seeking to broaden the categories of children ineligible for automatic US citizenship and to ban so-called "birth tourism." These directives are expected to face legal challenges. In the Supreme Court's June decision, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that Trump's first order violated the 14th amendment, writing, "Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights – to freely participate in our political community."
False Information in Case Against Journalist
Law enforcement officials provided false information to federal judges while building a criminal case against independent journalist Georgia Fort, according to court filings from her lawyers on Thursday. Fort was one of nearly 40 people charged after a January protest at Cities church in St Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted a service upon learning that an ICE official was a pastor. Her lawyers are seeking dismissal of the charges, citing the misinformation.
Expanded Tracking of Immigrants
The US is now tracking nearly 54,000 immigrants through GPS-enabled ankle monitors as part of an ICE electronic surveillance program, according to The Geo Group, a private prison corporation. Early last year, only 17,000 immigrants were wearing the devices. Executives noted that many participants were shifted from less intensive surveillance, such as phone check-ins, to ankle monitors. Additionally, ICE has stepped up enforcement at airports, detaining people in public areas like ticket counters and gates, aiming for 2,000 daily arrests.
Other News
- A Thai teenager killed his grandparents before opening fire at his school, leaving five dead and taking his own life, police said.
- Trump doubled down on criticism of Jeanine Pirro after she challenged his claims about vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
- The FCC scrapped the limit on local TV ownership, benefiting major media conglomerates.
- Trump ordered a new 15% tariff on imported polysilicon, a key material for solar panels and microchips, primarily produced by China.
- Senator Mitch McConnell was discharged from a rehabilitation center after a fall.
Stat of the Day: Meta Ordered to Pay $567m
A New Mexico court ordered Meta, Facebook's parent company, to pay $567 million into a fund aimed at redressing adverse mental health impacts from its platforms. The ruling follows a landmark trial in March where a jury found the company had knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed knowledge of child sexual exploitation.
Culture Pick: Horror Films and Obsolete Tech
James McClellan argues that modern aesthetics lack the texture horror movies need, which is more easily found in past eras—from smacking a TV in Backrooms to the kitschy gag gift in Obsession.
Don't Miss: University Pays $250,000 After Withdrawing Offer
The University of Minnesota withdrew an offer for Israeli professor Raz Segal to lead its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies after an organized campaign. The university is now paying him $250,000, as reported by Alice Speri.
Climate Check: Europe's Dry Riverbeds
Much of Europe is battling wildfires and drought during extreme heat, with striking images captured across the continent, including parched grass in London parks.
Last Thing: Overlooked Masterpiece Discovered
The curator of Norway's national museum in Oslo discovered an unattributed still life by Flemish baroque artist Clara Peeters in storage. The work will be featured in a major exhibition of female artists, bringing the pioneering painter out of obscurity.
