Government & Policy
Legislation, executive orders, regulatory changes, and government actions that directly impact personal finances, taxes, benefits, or the economy.
Latest in Government & Policy
Trump called Iran’s counteroffer “garbage” and put the ceasefire on “life support” — gas just hit $4.52, 49 cents from the all-time U.S. record
The national average price of regular gasoline hit $4.52 a gallon in May 2026, its highest level since the summer of 2022 and just 49...
SNAP work requirements just expanded to ages 55 to 64 — 2.4 million Americans are expected to lose food stamp benefits over the next decade
A 59-year-old warehouse worker in rural Ohio with a torn rotator cuff. A grandmother in Mississippi raising two teenage grandchildren on $780 a month. A...
Trump left Beijing without a tariff truce extension — the average 47.5% duty on Chinese goods stays, while Boeing landed three new jet orders for the optics
President Trump left Beijing in late May 2026 with a Boeing deal and nothing else. His summit with President Xi Jinping produced no agreement to...
Hawley’s gas tax suspension bill just picked up Democratic backing — pausing the 18.4-cent federal tax would save drivers $2-3 a fill-up but drain $21 billion from highways
The federal gas tax has not budged from 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, but Senator Josh Hawley wants to knock it to zero for...
Trump left China touting “fantastic” deals — but the average U.S. tariff on Chinese goods is still 47.5% and no major trade agreement was signed
Nearly nine years after President Donald Trump flew out of Beijing declaring he had secured “fantastic” commercial arrangements worth $250 billion, the United States and...
A bill to suspend the 18.4-cent federal gas tax is gaining votes — it would save you $2-3 per fill-up but drain $21 billion from the Highway Trust Fund in six months
Fill up a 15-gallon tank right now and $2.76 of what you pay goes straight to the federal government. Three bills moving through Congress would...
The first tariff refund checks are finally landing — but CBP accepted only 21% of claims and most filers needed a customs broker just to apply
The first refund checks for tariffs a federal court declared illegal have started hitting importers’ bank accounts. But the money is reaching far fewer businesses...
Trump landed in Beijing today with Musk, Cook, and Nvidia’s CEO on Air Force One — traders give 81% odds the tariff truce gets extended
President Donald Trump touched down in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, May 13, 2026, accompanied by three of the most powerful technology executives on the planet:...
The first tariff refund checks land this week — but CBP accepted only 21% of claims, and most small businesses need a customs broker just to file
The first tariff refund payments started hitting importers’ bank accounts this week, marking the beginning of a payback process for businesses that overpaid duties under...
Trump told PBS the Iran war has “a very good chance of ending” — while Iran reviewed his 14-point peace memo and called it “excessive,” and three Navy destroyers took fire in the Strait of Hormuz this week
Three U.S. Navy destroyers came under Iranian fire in the Strait of Hormuz in late May 2026, American warships struck back, and within days President...
The first tariff refund checks arrive around May 11 — Cards Against Humanity is passing every cent to customers, but 0 of 25 CFOs surveyed plan to do the same
Starting around May 11, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin cutting refund checks to thousands of American importers who paid tariffs the Supreme...
The first tariff refund checks land next week — Cards Against Humanity is passing every cent to customers, but 0 of 25 CFOs surveyed plan to do the same
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to begin sending refund checks to importers in the coming weeks, returning duties collected under the International Emergency...
$166 billion in tariff refunds start going to businesses around May 11 — FedEx pledged to pass them along, but 0 of 25 CFOs surveyed plan to share with customers
The federal government is preparing to return roughly $166 billion in tariff payments to American importers, one of the largest refund operations in U.S. customs...
The millionaire tax movement just scored wins in Maine, Washington, and Rhode Island — and California’s billionaire tax is headed for the November ballot
Three states have enacted new taxes on their wealthiest residents this spring, and a fourth is putting the question directly to voters. Washington Governor Bob...
$166 billion in tariff refunds start hitting business accounts this week — and zero of 25 CFOs surveyed plan to share a cent with customers
General Motors expects a check for roughly $500 million from the federal government. Not for selling cars. For overpaying on tariffs that the Supreme Court...
Trump shrugged when asked about $4.48 gas — “for a little while,” he said — as Republicans warn high prices could cost them the midterms
On April 23, 2026, the national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline hit $4.48, according to AAA’s daily fuel tracker. That same afternoon,...
Consumers are suing Costco, Nintendo, and Temu to get a share of tariff refunds — legal experts say the lawsuits are nearly impossible to win
A Costco member in California wants her money back. Not from Costco, exactly, but from the tariffs she believes inflated the price of imported goods...
$166 billion in tariff refunds start going to businesses this week — and zero of 25 CFOs surveyed plan to share a cent with customers
The federal government started wiring money back to American importers the week of May 19, 2026. Not small checks. Roughly $166 billion worth, the result...
The first tariff refund checks land around May 11 — but every CEO surveyed says they won’t pass the savings to customers
The federal government is preparing to return billions of dollars in tariff payments that the Supreme Court ruled were illegally collected. The first refund checks...
Trump declared the Iran war “terminated” to dodge the War Powers clock — the Navy is still blockading ports and gas hasn’t dropped a cent
The letter was two pages long and arrived on the last possible day. On May 1, 2026, the Trump administration notified Congress that the war...