Technologies
Extending the Trump Tax Cuts? Here’s Who Might and Might Not Benefit
Republicans in Congress have a plan ready to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts but are already facing major opposition from Democrats.
It’s not just the tariffs. President Donald Trump’s economic plans also call for an extension of his 2017 tax overhaul before it expires. These changes — commonly known as the «Trump tax cuts» — lowered tax rates and increased the value of certain tax incentives but also have been a political lightning rod over the years because of their benefits for corporations and the wealthy. It’s the sort of heated discourse that can leave the basic facts of the bill a bit murky.
That 2017 tax plan, officially known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was one of the signature legislative accomplishments of Trump’s first term, and passing an extension has been a priority for the president since he entered his second term. While extending the cuts carries a big estimated price tag, Trump administration officials have suggested that newly imposed tariffs could raise enough money to cover the cost of extending the tax cuts, an important consideration in the budget reconciliation process. But the clock is ticking: Many of its provisions are set to expire by the end of 2025 without action from Congress.
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That action is getting underway On April 2, the Republican-led House unveiled a blueprint for an extension of the Trump tax cuts, reigniting the political firestorm surrounding them. While Republicans have characterized this planned extension as a bid for stability and a net-positive for everyone, Democrats have hit back with their longstanding argument that the cuts disproportionately benefit corporations and the wealthy.
For all the details about why there might be some truth to both statements, keep reading, and stick around to the end to find out how much it might cost. For more, find out if Trump could actually abolish the Department of Education.
What would extending the Trump tax cuts mean?
While the phrase «Trump tax cuts» has become a common media shorthand for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the current conversation around it might suggest that new cuts could be on the way. Although Trump has floated ideas for additional cuts, it’s important to note that extending the 2017 provisions would for the most part keep tax rates and programs at the levels they’ve been at since then.
So while it may be a better option than having the provisions expire — which would increase certain tax rates and decrease certain credits — extending the tax cuts most likely won’t change how you’ve been taxed the past eight years. However, some estimates have predicted that extending the cuts would boost income in 2026, with the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation in particular predicting a 2.9% rise on average, based on a combination of other economic predictions combined with tax rates staying where they are.
What would change if the Trump tax cuts expire?
Republicans contend that the tax cuts helped a wide swath of Americans, and the Tax Foundation predicted that 60% of tax filers would see higher rates in 2026 without an extension.
A big part of that has to do with tax bracket changes. The 2017 provisions lowered the income tax rates across the seven brackets, aside from the first (10%) and the sixth (35%). If the current law expires, those rates would go up 1% to 3%.
Income limits for each bracket would also revert to pre-2017 levels. Lending credence to the Democrats’ counterarguments, these shifts under the Trump tax cuts appeared to be more beneficial to individuals and couples at higher income levels than to those making closer to the average US income.
If you’re interested in the nitty-gritty numbers, you can check out the Tax Foundation’s full breakdown. Another point in Democrats’ favor? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also cut corporate tax rates from 35% to 21%, and unlike many of its other provisions, this one was permanent and won’t expire in 2026.
The cuts also capped the total amount that taxpayers can deduct based on «state and local property, income, and sales tax,» otherwise known as SALT, at $10,000. There was previously no limit, and as Lisa Greene-Lewis, a tax prep experts and analyst for TurboTax, told CNET in an email correspondence, this is a policy that could be detrimental to certain taxpayers if the TCJA is extended.
«Filers living in states with high state and property taxes are capped at a $10,000 deduction for total state and local property, income and sales tax — even when many of them may pay way beyond that amount,» Greene-Lewis explained. «If this part of the provision went back to the way it was prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) without caps, filers in states with high state and property taxes would be able to deduct the full amounts paid.»
Greene-Lewis also noted that there is talk about removing the SALT cap from the plan to extend the TCJA.
What would happen to the standard deduction?
This is another area in which a lot of people would be hit hard. The standard deduction lets taxpayers lower their taxable income, as long as they forgo itemizing any deductions.
For the 2025 tax year, the standard deduction is $15,000 for individual filers, and $30,000 for joint filers. If the tax cuts expire, these numbers will drop by nearly half, down to $8,350 for individuals and $16,700 for joint filers.
What would happen to the child tax credit?
The child tax credit is one of the most popular credits out there. Its current levels — $2,000 per qualifying child, which phases out starting at a gross income of $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for joint filers — were actually set by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
If an extension or new bill isn’t passed, next year the child tax credit would revert to its old levels: $1,000 per child, which starts phasing out at $75,000 for single filers and $110,000 for joint filers.
Do the Trump tax cuts really favor the wealthy?
As mentioned above, higher-income individuals and couples made out notably better with the changes the Trump tax cuts made to tax brackets. Overall, numerous estimates have predicted that the wealthiest Americans would experience a greater proportion of the benefits, with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center specifically estimating that households making more than $450,000 a year would reap around 45% of the tax cut benefits.
How much would extending the tax cuts cost?
Tax cuts more favorable to the wealthy are a big part of why some analysts say extension of the Trump tax cuts would add trillions of dollars to the national debt. An early estimate from the Tax Policy Center in 2018 found that extending the provisions through 2038 would add $3.8 trillion to the US deficit. A 2024 estimate from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget predicted that it would add $3.9 trillion to $4.7 trillion to the deficit through 2035, depending on which provisions were included.
The blueprint passed by the House last week included about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, to be supported by $1.5 trillion in further government spending cuts. The rest would either go to the deficit or have to be made up for with additional cuts, adding fuel to the concerns that Republicans intend to substantially cut funding for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to pay for their tax plans.
For more, find out if IRS layoffs will hurt your tax return.
Technologies
Gemini AI Lands in Android Auto. Here’s How It Could Change Your Drive
Those who have upgraded from Google Assistant to Gemini will have access to Gemini AI in their cars.
Google is bringing AI conversations to drivers in 45 countries with an update to Android Auto that adds Gemini software as a passenger. The ambitious global rollout of the AI chatbot technology to a potential 250 million Android Auto customers will be available to those who have upgraded Google Assistant to Gemini AI on their phone.
Once enabled, Google Gemini will be able to engage in hands-free conversations with drivers who want to do things like get recommendations for activities at their destination, sort through emails, or compose and edit texts while driving.
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In a blog post, the company offered five ways to use the new features. These include asking for recommended stops while on a route, composing or editing messages (including translations for 40 languages), looking for things in your Gmail inbox or Google Calendar, creating music playlists, or rehearsing a speech on the way to, say, a wedding rehearsal dinner.
Whether it is a good idea to do those things at highway speeds is a separate debate. While the features are hands-free, Google does not address the distraction factor of, for example, verbally building a playlist while driving down the highway.
A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
How Gemini works in Android Auto
Google says that accessing Gemini happens when you say «Hey Google,» hit the mic button in Android Auto, or do a long press on the voice control button if your steering wheel has one.
Google says it will add more features and capabilities in the future. For now, the Gemini update can access information from Google Calendar, Google Tasks, Google Keep, Samsung Calendar, Samsung Reminder, and Samsung Notes, with additional third-party app support expected in the future.
Technologies
Score 6 Months of Apple TV for $36, Plus More Prime Video Add-On Bargains
Ready to binge shows and movies this winter? This deal could be for you.
You can nab a Black Friday deal on Apple TV right now, but you need to take a slightly unconventional route to sign up.
The streaming service formerly known as Apple TV Plus is one of the add-on subscriptions that Prime Video offers, and now you can sign up for a subscription for only $6 per month for six months. You need a Prime membership, which costs $15 per month or $139 per year, to get Apple TV through Prime Video (and snag the deal). The offer ends Dec. 1.
Apple TV typically costs $13 per month and is ad-free. This Apple TV discount is just one of many deals you can score as Amazon enters Black Friday mode. Here are some more Prime Video offers to consider right now.
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Prime Video subscription deals
Apple TV: $6 per month for six months. Typically $13 per month.
Starz: $2.75 per month for two months. Typically $11 per month.
MGM Plus: $2 per month for two months. Typically $8 per month.
BritBox: $2.75 per month for two months. Typically $11 per month.
BET Plus: $1.50 per month for two months. Typically $6 per month.
Crunchyroll: $3 per month for two months. Typically $12 per month.
PBS Kids: $1.25 per month for two months. Typically $5 per month.
AMC Plus: $1.75 per month for two months. Typically $7 per month.
Acorn TV: $2.25 per month for two months. Typically $9 per month.
Hallmark Plus: $2 per month for two months. Typically $8 per month.
BBC Select: $1.50 per month for two months. Typically $6 per month.
PBS Masterpiece: $1.75 per month for two months. Typically $7 per month.
Moviesphere Plus: $1.25 per month for two months. Typically $5 per month.
UP Faith & Family: $1.50 per month for two months. Typically $6 per month.
Ryan and Friends Plus: $1 per month for two months. Typically $4 per month.
PBS Documentaries: $1.25 per month for two months. Typically $5 per month.
Great American Pure Flix: $2.50 per month for two months. Typically $10 per month.
The Great Courses Signature Collection: $2 per month for two months. Typically $8 per month.
You can also save on streaming service bundles. Browse all of the options right now at Amazon.
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Technologies
‘High-Risk, High-Reward Personified’: Overwatch Devs Talk Upcoming DPS Hero, Vendetta
Overwatch’s new sword-wielding gladiator should appeal to players who want the tension of feasting on enemy backlines or dying in the process.
Next weekend, you can try out Overwatch 2’s next hero ahead of her official release with season 20 of Blizzard’s online multiplayer hero shooter in December. Or, at least, you can race the other DPS player for the honor.
Vendetta is a sword-wielder in a game where almost everyone else has guns. She’s not the first melee-ranged hero in Overwatch: We’ve always had Reinhardt bonking enemies with his hammer, and Brigitte’s rocket flail is similarly close-range. And before Doomfist was moved over to the tank role for Overwatch 2, he was the first melee-focused damage hero. But it’s still an ambitious thing to put a hero with very limited range into a game focused on shooting firearms.
In group interviews with the media, Associate Game Director Alec Dawson said one of the goals behind Vendetta was to «make sure there’s a play style … that players haven’t seen before and one that might be really attractive for a whole new subset of players.»
She’s also a fascinating addition from the narrative side of things. Vendetta’s father, Antonio, was killed by Reaper as part of Overwatch’s black ops branch, Blackwatch, in the playable Retribution mission. Her story trailer and hero name make it clear she’s out for revenge, and it seems like both Overwatch and their enemies, Talon, might be on her hit list.
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Vendetta’s trial weekend comes two years after Activision Blizzard was acquired by Xbox-maker Microsoft. Since the acquisition, Overwatch 2 has ramped up bold experiments such as changes to health and projectile sizes, and the addition of perks as part of the core gameplay loop. Meanwhile, Xbox continues to balance its hardware ambitions, like the Xbox ROG Ally, against its general push to expand Xbox Game Pass (including a hefty price hike). We’ve also seen the gates between Xbox and PlayStation lower, as Xbox brought longtime Xbox exclusive Gears of War to PS5.
Ahead of Vendetta’s hero trial, I spoke with Dawson and Bryan Bedford, a senior character artist for the game, about the new hero, her abilities and what it’s like designing such a distinct hero.
Vendetta abilities
Dawson and Bedford described Vendetta as a «high-octane» character who’s highly mobile but also very dependent on her abilities. Here’s a quick rundown of what those abilities do.
Passive: Onslaught
If you played the Haunted Masquerade mode, you may have gotten a taste of this ability already. When her attacks connect, Onslaught gives Vendetta boosts to movement and attack speed, allowing her to stay on top of and quickly dispatch targets. One of her minor perks, Relentless, allows her to stack those bonuses up to three more times.
Primary fire: Palatine Fang
Look, it’s a sword. You swing your sword. But there is a small combo element to Vendetta’s primary: two horizontal swipes followed by an overhead slash that’s narrower but hits for critical damage.
Alternate fire: Warding Stance
Vendetta draws her sword across her body, reducing incoming damage, including melee damage. The block is tied to a resource meter that drains as you negate damage. You can also trade some of that resource to send out a projectile, giving you a potential finisher for enemies who escape your reach. It can also be used to trigger Onslaught and start gaining stacks before enemies are in range of your sword.
Ability 1: Whirlwind Dash
This ability, bound to Shift on PC, causes Vendetta to lunge forward and swing her sword in a circle, potentially hitting multiple enemies simultaneously. I imagine this to be a good way to build Onslaught stacks against groups of enemies.
Ability 2: Soaring Slice
This ability, bound to E on PC, lets Vendetta throw her sword into the air and dash to it. In the gameplay trailer, we see her use it to dodge Junker Queen’s ultimate. Soaring Slice also skips her primary fire to the overhead swing part of the combo, allowing you to drop down and immediately deal critical damage to an enemy.
Ultimate: Sundering Blade
Vendetta’s ultimate doesn’t care about your defenses. «It’ll go right through armor. It’ll eliminate overhealth. You can’t block it with a barrier,» Dawson said. On paper, that makes it an effective counter against support ultimates like Lucio’s Sound Barrier and Lifeweaver’s Tree of Life, which provide significant overhealth to their team.
Here are all of Vendetta’s abilities and perks laid out together.
How Vendetta fits into Overwatch’s roster
The devs said Vendetta is designed for dive compositions, which aim to use their abilities to quickly close the distance on their opponents and burst them down. But the team also gave her some perks to help her function in other compositions, especially up-close brawl compositions. One of Vendetta’s minor perks, Siphoning Strike, gives her lifesteal on overhead swings, allowing her to stay in a fight longer, and one of her major perks, Raging Storm, doubles up her Whirlwind Dash ability.
I asked Dawson and Bedford about the challenge of balancing melee-based DPS in a hero shooter, where it can feel like a razor’s edge separates them from feeling useless versus overpowered, and asked what the team’s «safe side of strong» philosophy looks like for a hero like Vendetta.
«It’s a tricky problem, especially for her,» Dawson admitted, saying the team spent a lot of time figuring out how to tune her Warding Stance, mobility and lethality. But he also pointed to the hero’s ability-focused nature as an area for counterplay. «You have to be very, very cognizant of your cooldown management…While there’s a lot of mobility, there’s gaps in that mobility as well.»
If a team can turn on Vendetta, she’s easy to shut down, Bedford said, but a smart Vendetta can also gauge that overcommitment to get back out. He pointed out that an enemy Zenyatta is an enticing target for Vendetta, but his Orb of Discord, which increases incoming damage, is particularly threatening to her.
The tension of either getting a kill or dying in the attempt is «exactly what she’s there for,» said Dawson. «If you enjoy that type of frenetic gameplay, I think she’s for you.»
Vendetta will be available to play from Nov. 26 to Dec. 1 before joining the roster in season 20.
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