"If anyone thinks anything mean, I’ll know. And I’ll quit"
— Jennifer Lawrence’s first (no, really) Instagram post is the exact energy we all need right now. If anyone can fix the internet, it’s her.
Politics
Throwing Money at the Situation
What's going on: The Republican midterm convention — nicknamed “Trump-a-Palooza” by the RNC chair — brought one big and unusual campaign promise. In a speech on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that if Republicans take both the House and the Senate, he’ll give every American $5,000 to spend within the US. Trump called the payments a “Trump dividend,” comparing it to how “a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders.” Then, yesterday, Trump promised to give voters even more money in the form of a $500 rebate to those he says have been “ripped off” by the Affordable Care Act. The cash will arrive before the midterms, in the next few weeks, he said.
Is this even legal?: Some Democrats say no — or in the words of Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), it’s “corrupt and blatantly illegal" — but it’s not immediately clear. Federal law prohibits outright bribery but allows campaign promises that would financially benefit all voters, like lowering taxes. Experts say that both the $5,000 “Trump dividend” and the $500 ACA rebate may require Congressional approval. Another reason to hold off on adding items to your online shopping carts: Trump made similar promises in the past and didn’t follow through, including a DOGE dividend and a $2,000 payment that was supposed to be funded by tariffs. Economists say the $5,000 payment would add over $1 trillion to the national debt and worsen inflation.
