Apple News Today: The Winners and Losers of the GOP Tax Bill Release Date: May 16, 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu

Supreme Court and Birthright Citizenship

Shemitah Basu opens the episode by discussing the Supreme Court’s deliberation on the contentious issue of birthright citizenship. The case centers not on the constitutionality of former President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship but rather on the judicial limits regarding nationwide injunctions against such orders.

Key Points:

• Solicitor General D. John Sauer’s Argument: Sauer contends that lower courts have made "snap judgments on the merits" that overlook the 14th Amendment's original intent, emphasizing that it was designed to grant citizenship to children of slaves, not illegal immigrants (01:19).

  “Respectfully, I think what we have are lower courts making snap judgments on the merits that ignore the fundamental principle of the 14th Amendment,” – D. John Sauer (01:19)

• Opposition from Defendants: Jeremy Feigenbaum, New Jersey Solicitor General, warns that allowing state-by-state injunctions would result in constitutional chaos (02:04).

• Supreme Court Justices’ Perspectives:

  • Justice Clarence Thomas: Highlights the historical rarity of nationwide injunctions, noting they were seldom used before the 1960s.
  • Justice Elena Kagan: Questions alternative methods for states to challenge perceived unconstitutional executive orders without federal intervention.
  • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson: Criticizes the administration for advancing policies that favor those with legal resources.

• Practical Challenges: Sauer addresses the logistical difficulties states would face in verifying the citizenship status of newborns under the executive order, leaving the process unclear (04:02).

The GOP Tax Bill: Economic Implications and Impact

Transitioning to the central theme, Basu delves into the GOP’s ambitious tax legislation aimed at fulfilling key aspects of President Trump’s economic agenda. Although the bill is still in flux, significant components have been identified.

Key Points:

• Tax Cuts Extension: The GOP seeks to prolong the 2017 tax cuts while introducing new temporary tax breaks, including:

  • Increasing the child tax credit by $500 through 2028.
  • Eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay until 2028 (05:53).

• Impact on Different Income Groups:

  • Top 1%: Projected to save nearly $65,000 in taxes by 2027 and benefit from a higher estate tax exemption, enabling greater wealth transfer to heirs (06:00).
  • Middle-Income Taxpayers: Expected to receive an average tax reduction of $1,300 as per the House Ways and Means Committee (06:15).
  • Low-Income Households: May experience an average tax increase in certain years due to the loss of health insurance tax credits and reductions in Medicaid and Food Stamps, potentially resulting in over 10 million people losing healthcare coverage as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (07:26).

  “The top 1% would save nearly $65,000 in taxes in 2027,” – House Ways and Means Committee (06:00)

• Spending Cuts: The bill proposes over $900 billion in spending reductions, primarily targeting Medicaid and Food Stamp programs, which support low-income Americans. The specifics of Medicaid cuts remain unclear, raising concerns about impacts on providers and rural hospitals.

  “We don't know how the Medicaid cuts might be applied,” – Richard Rubin, Wall Street Journal (07:26)

• Legislative Challenges: With a self-imposed deadline before Memorial Day and aspirations to be law by July 4th, House Speaker Mike Johnson faces the daunting task of reconciling diverse Republican factions. The bill requires near-unanimous support, with only a three-vote margin for potential loss in both chambers, making consensus difficult (08:09).

EPA's Partial Rollback on Forever Chemicals Regulation

Basu shifts focus to the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to partially rollback regulations on PFAS (forever chemicals) in drinking water, a move met with significant scrutiny.

Key Points:

• EPA’s Action: While maintaining strict limits on PFOA and PFOS, the EPA has postponed deadlines for other PFAS compounds until 2031 and is reconsidering limits on four additional substances (08:09).

• State-Level Responses: Despite federal rollbacks, 30 states have enacted over 120 laws restricting PFAS, including consumer product bans in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Montana. Mariah Blake, an investigative journalist and author, highlights the surge in state-level legislative actions and ongoing lawsuits against manufacturers.

  “Freshwater fish have been found to be a major contributor to PFAS in human blood,” – Mariah Blake (11:03)

• Industry Response: Companies like 3M have announced plans to cease PFAS manufacturing by year’s end, responding to growing public health concerns and legal pressures.

• Consumer Protection Tips: Blake advises minimizing exposure by avoiding locally caught freshwater fish and provides additional strategies to safeguard health, which she discusses in detail during her segment.

Additional News Highlights

• Judiciary and Immigration: Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan faced charges for allegedly obstructing an immigration arrest by ICE agents. This incident underscores the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to prosecute immigration-related cases within courtrooms, doubling the number of courthouse arrests since May 6, 2024 (09:50).

• Sports Update – WNBA Expansion: The WNBA is introducing the Golden State Valkyries, the league’s first new team in nearly two decades, led by its first Asian American head coach, Natalie Nakase. This expansion marks the beginning of further growth with plans for additional teams in Portland and Toronto by 2026. Commissioner Kathy Engelbert expresses optimism about reaching a 16-team league by 2028, despite the challenges new teams face in terms of support and resources (10:20).

• Medical Breakthrough – Personalized Gene Editing: A groundbreaking medical achievement was reported with the successful treatment of K.J. Muldoon, a premature baby with a rare liver disease, using personalized CRISPR gene editing therapy. The procedure involved three infusions of gene editors targeting a specific DNA mutation, offering hope for patients with similarly rare genetic disorders. K.J.’s physician remains cautiously optimistic, highlighting the pioneering nature of the treatment (11:19).

Conclusion

Shemitah Basu wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to access the full conversation with Mariah Blake on PFAS and to explore detailed analyses within the Apple News app. She emphasizes the ongoing developments in the GOP tax bill, environmental regulations, and other critical issues shaping the current socio-political landscape.

Notable Quotes:

• “Respectfully, I think what we have are lower courts making snap judgments on the merits that ignore the fundamental principle of the 14th Amendment,” – D. John Sauer (01:19)

• “We don't know how the Medicaid cuts might be applied,” – Richard Rubin, Wall Street Journal (07:26)

• “Freshwater fish have been found to be a major contributor to PFAS in human blood,” – Mariah Blake (11:03)

For more in-depth discussions and updates on these topics, tune into the Apple News Today podcast available on the Apple News app or your preferred podcast platform by searching for "Apple News in Conversation."