PIX on Politics Daily: Battle Over One, Big, Beautiful Bill
Join us daily on PIX11+ streaming at 1:00 p.m. as we invite the newsmakers, lawmakers, and key players shaping policies that impact local communities.
On Friday, Henry Rosoff speaks with New York Rep. Dan Goldman about the benefits at risk under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. They also discuss how Elon Musk's criticism of the bill has led to a public feud with President Trump.
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San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
No, California is not guaranteed to remain an abortion haven
The sudden closure of five Planned Parenthood clinics in Northern California last week reveals a sad, stark truth: California is not the national 'haven' for abortion rights that it has aspired to be since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. No state could be under Republican rule in Washington, or while federal law trumps state law, the Supreme Court majority opposes abortion rights and clinics are reliant on federal money to survive. There are few options to fix this problem, even in California, the world's fourth-largest economy. The state barely covered its budget deficit this year, and it has holes to fill as federal funds for public universities, education, transportation and other sectors were slashed in the recently passed budget. Plus, the state needs federal dollars to help rebuild Los Angeles after the devastating wildfires there earlier this year. Ten million Americans are expected to lose their health insurance because of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans will receive a disproportionate share of the tax cuts funded by those reductions, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. 'It's an illustration of the limits on what any state can do (on abortion access) if the federal government is hostile,' said Mary Ziegler, a professor of law at UC Davis and leading scholar on abortion rights. 'It's more of a reminder that there isn't really a real sanctuary. California has limited power over a lot of this.' It is the latest example of how California is in the political crosshairs of what President Donald Trump's former top adviser Steve Bannon famously described as his 'muzzle velocity' philosophy of launching a lot of disruptive policies and spurious attacks simultaneously. California is withering under the incoming fire. The people hurt most by the closure of those clinics will be the poorest Californians, as 80% of the people who used services at those clinics were Medicaid recipients, according to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the umbrella organization for the shuttered clinics. Planned Parenthood doesn't just provide abortion services. The majority of people go to Planned Parenthood clinics for contraceptive services, sexually transmitted infection testing, pregnancy testing and gynecological services. One in 10 (11%) female Medicaid beneficiaries ages 15 to 49 who received family planning services went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in 2021, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. California has the highest percentage (29%) of Medicaid recipients in the country who go there for health care. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. California was supposed to be a haven for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Shortly after the decision, Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the governors of Washington and Oregon to create what he called 'the West Coast offensive. A road map for other states to stand up for women.' A diverse coalition of abortion rights advocates formed the California Future of Abortion Council. It proposed more than 50 recommendations for policymakers to improve abortion access in the state. In the year after the decision, Newsom and the Democratic-controlled Legislature created more than a dozen new laws and invested more than $200 million to increase access across the state. In November 2022, 67% of California voters supported a ballot measure enshrining abortion rights in the state Constitution. Newsom spent $100,000 from his campaign coffers to plant billboards in seven states with some of the nation's most restrictive laws: 'Need an abortion?' reads one billboard. 'California is here to help.' 'What you do in California sets the standard for everyone else,' Mini Timmaraju, national president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said at a 2022 fundraiser for Proposition 1 in San Francisco that Hillary Clinton attended. 'I want to take that package of legislation and this proposition and see it copied nationwide.' Ultimately, all those California laws and all that state funding weren't enough to keep the Mar Monte clinics open. They never could be as long as there isn't the national right to an abortion that Roe provided and as long as women's health clinics are reliant on federal funds to remain open. Planned Parenthood estimates that 200 clinics nationwide could close. To meet this reality, California needs a new 'West Coast offensive.' It needs to draw up a new 'road map for other states to stand up for women.' It would be best if clinics were funded privately, insulating them from partisan federal cuts. But that is harder now. California is the state with the most millionaires and billionaires. Now is the time for wealthy individuals and foundations to stand up and backfill these losses so clinics can continue to provide access to women's health care. But will those individuals step forward? Or will they be cowed like the wealthy law firms and Ivy League universities that have bowed to Trump's intimidation? Even if they do step up, is there enough private money in California to keep federally funded women's health clinics open until Democrats regain control of at least one lever of power in Washington and can curb his fascistic policies? That possibility looks bleak. For starters, it would probably require hundreds of millions of dollars, said Shannon Olivieri Hovis, former NARAL Pro-Choice California director who is now vice president of public affairs at Essential Access Health. 'I think the honest answer is, we don't know yet. We're talking about a huge hole.' Theresa Cheng, a professor of emergency medicine at UCSF and a member of the school's Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, said it will be difficult for the private sector to patch up all the new holes punctured in the social safety net by the Trump administration. 'That's going to be really difficult because the Trump administration has cut so broadly in so many social systems,' said Cheng, who is in touch with private donors through her work with several nonprofit organizations. 'Food insecurity. Homelessness. Immigration. There are a lot of needs out there now.' Relying on private donations isn't going to help clinics across California's chasm of wealth inequality, Ziegler said. 'If you're depending partly on individual donors, that's going to look very different in Beverly Hills or Marin County than it is in Gilroy or other areas where there are few people to give private donations,' Ziegler said. Until political change happens in Washington, Cheng urged Californians to 'stay stalwart in protecting reproductive health. So much of this will have to be settled out in the courts. That will at least buy us some more time.'
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Forbes
A Tale Of Two Retirees: New Senior Tax Deduction And Foreigners' Social Security
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduces a significant deduction for aging Americans. For older ... More U.S. persons living stateside or living abroad, this means the potential of zero federal income tax. For nonresident aliens who paid into the same Social Security system while they were living in America, there is a 30% withholding tax and no access to any deductions, including the new senior deduction. While a campaign promise by President Donald Trump to eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefit income was not fulfilled, seniors were granted certain relief. The landmark tax legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), signed into law on July 4, 2025 introduced a temporary special deduction for taxpayers aged 65 or older. The Social Security Administration initially misstated the impact of the new senior deduction. It had incorrectly suggested that the new deduction would eliminate federal income tax on Social Security benefits for most recipients. This statement was later quietly corrected to clarify that the deduction reduces taxable income but does not exempt Social Security from taxation. The new law permits certain older taxpayers to deduct up to $6,000 per individual, or $12,000 for married couples filing jointly. This senior bonus deduction is in addition to the standard deduction, applying for tax years 2025 through 2028, regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes deductions. The deduction gradually phases out at a rate of 6% of the amount by which Modified Adjusted Gross Income exceeds $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers reducing by $60 for every $1,000 above those thresholds. The deduction disappears entirely once MAGI reaches $175,000 for single filers and $250,000 for joint filers U.S. Seniors Abroad: Eligible for the Senior Deduction Many American retirees choose to spend their later years abroad and the trend is gaining momentum. Last year over 700,000 U.S. citizens were receiving Social Security benefits while residing overseas. Americans receiving such benefits overseas are often still required to file U.S. tax returns if their income exceeds filing thresholds. These overseas retirees are eligible for the new senior deduction. Up to a maximum of 85% of U.S. Social Security benefits may be taxed, regardless if the recipient is a U.S. citizen/resident or foreign national who is nonresident. A special taxation formula applies to Social Security benefits for U.S. citizens and residents to determine what portion of the benefits may be taxed. The tax rate applied to this taxable portion is the individual's marginal U.S. tax rate commencing at 10% to a maximum 37%. The taxation formula depends on the U.S. taxpayer's combined income: Under the OBBBA, seniors will be eligible to claim the senior deduction commencing tax year 2026, provided they meet the age, MAGI, and filing criteria. It is important to note that the OBBBA doesn't eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. It provides an entirely new deduction of $6,000 ($12,000 for joint filers) for taxpayers aged 65 or older by December 31 of the tax year, whether they're receiving Social Security benefits or not. This additional deduction may result in no tax liability for many seniors. Foreign Nationals Abroad: A Disparate Tax Treatment On Social Security Benefits In today's world, retirements are becoming far more global. Foreign individuals working in America may have paid into the U.S. Social Security system for decades. They may later return to their home countries and no longer have U.S. tax status, becoming nonresident aliens for U.S. income tax purposes. NRAs are subject to a withholding tax regime on items of U.S.-source income, including U.S. Social Security benefits, with the general withholding tax rate of 30% (unless the rate is reduced by a relevant tax treaty). In sharp contrast to the U.S. individual, NRAs collecting U.S. Social Security while living abroad face a much harsher tax burden under the withholding tax regime. This often comes as an unwelcome surprise for those seniors who have not anticipated the tax effects on their Social Security payments. The U.S. imposes a flat 30% withholding tax on 85% of the Social Security benefits paid to NRAs, resulting in an effective tax rate of 25.5%. Unlike U.S. citizens and residents, NRAs cannot offset this withholding by claiming deductions or lower marginal tax rates. While some tax treaties eliminate U.S. tax or reduce the withholding rate on such benefits, many countries have no such agreements with America. Social Security And The Gap in Tax Fairness Both U.S. seniors abroad and foreign nationals abroad who are NRAs often depend nearly entirely on Social Security income. Both groups contributed equally to the Social Security system. Yet only U.S. citizens or residents can reduce or eliminate their tax burden via tax deductions including the new OBBBA age-based deduction. NRAs receive no such relief. The current law draws a stark divide: one group benefits; the other does not. Taxation of Social Security: Reform Ideas for Greater Equity To bring parity, there are various possible measures that Congress could consider. One possibility might be to permit low-income NRAs to opt into U.S. tax reporting and progressive tax brackets instead of mandatory flat withholding. Another could be extending a senior or low-income deduction for foreign Social Security recipients living abroad that is similar to the senior deduction granted by the OBBBA. Final Word The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduces a temporary (3-years, unless extended by a future Congress) yet significant deduction for aging Americans. For older U.S. persons living stateside or living abroad, this means the potential of zero federal income tax. For foreign nationals abroad, however, who paid into the same Social Security system, the current status quo for NRAs means 30% withholding and no access to any deductions, including the new senior deduction. Both U.S. and foreign nationals have contributed to the U.S. Social Security system through decades of work and payroll taxation, yet only American citizens and residents benefit from the new senior deduction. The new OBBBA provision clearly provides meaningful relief to many American seniors through the special deduction. However, it leaves untouched the longstanding 30% withholding tax imposed on NRAs receiving U.S. Social Security benefits. Since the OBBBA did not address this issue, the significant disparity in how income earned through equal payroll tax contributions continues, with taxation being based solely on citizenship or residency status. Stay on top of tax matters around the globe. Reach me at vljeker@ Visit my US tax website and blog
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos: Hundreds in S.F. form human banner during ‘Families First' protest of Trump
Hundreds of people gathered at San Francisco's Ocean Beach to form a human banner Saturday morning as part of a nationwide 'Families First' day of action against the Trump administration. As an upside-down American flag flapped in the misty San Francisco summer air, the protesters stood in straight single-file lines near the Cliff House, forming 'FAMILIA!' below letters spelling 'WE ARE.' Children, parents and grandparents, many accompanied by dogs, protested what organizers from Indivisible SF called 'cruel cuts and attacks on our families' by President Donald Trump, including changes to social programs, food stamps and school lunches, 'all so a handful of billionaires can get tax giveaways.' The protest took particular aim at Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget he recently signed into law, which cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade and is expected to mean millions of Americans will lose health coverage. Protesters also decried recent raids in the Bay Area and nationwide by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As a ukulele band played Woody Guthrie's 'This Land is Your Land' over speakers, Peter Hosey, 40, stood in a line of people forming the letter 'A' in 'FAMILIA.' 'The message today is 'We are familia,'' Hosey said. 'That certainly resonates for a lot of us when you see what ICE has been doing, deporting children, deporting mothers, putting people in camps.' 'This is not what our country should be,' added Hosey, who works in the tech industry. The crowd, which organizers estimated as 600, then headed to the ocean, raising hands and waving to the water. Protesters then walked back and formed a circle around a large American flag as Sister Sledge's 1979 hit 'We Are Family' played over the speakers. Micki Morales, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Cupertino, was standing in one of the human letter lines when a call went out over the speakers. They needed someone who could sing 'This Land is Your Land.' Morales didn't come to the beach expecting to sing Saturday, but has experience in choruses and decided to offer up her voice. The song took on special meaning for her in the age of Trump. 'It's almost a prayer versus a statement,' said Morales, 88. 'I don't know how we got to this position, how people could be so fooled. But here we are, and hopefully we will dig our ways out.' Several related events were held around the Bay Area, including an afternoon rally at Snow Park in Oakland commemorating the anniversaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medicaid program and the Social Security Administration. The event featured speeches from Medi-Cal recipients, health care workers, caregivers and community members. One of the featured speakers in Oakland, Jazmine Arreola of the grassroots group Parent Voices Los Angeles, said she has fibromyalgia and is severely impacted by the federal cuts. 'How is it fair that families like mine up and down the state of California have lived our whole lives trying to move up and move forward for our kids, and we just can't?' Arreola, the mother of three children, said in a news release before the protest. 'My closest family members are on Medi-Cal: my dad and my grandparents. My daughter needs eye surgery. These cuts put our lives at risk.' In San Jose, health care workers, patients, community leaders and educators gathered Saturday afternoon at Discovery Meadow to highlight the effect of immigration raids and corporate tax breaks on working families. The Bay Area protests were organized by a coalition of unions, advocacy groups, faith leaders, and families. Events were also planned in San Mateo, Colma and Novato. The 'Families First' day of action included hundreds of rallies in all 50 states, highlighted by a livestreamed mobilization in Washington, D.C. The Washington demonstration included a 60-hour vigil at the National Mall to protest cuts to federal programs benefiting families. The events follow anti-Trump rallies that drew tens of thousands of people around the Bay Area and nationwide, including No Kings Day in June and 'Hands Off' in April. The San Francisco protest was organized by the same people who spelled out 'No King' on Ocean Beach during the nationwide No Kings protests this year. Several drones hovered overhead to capture their latest message. When it came to keeping the participants in orderly lines to spell their message clearly for the drones overhead, the job largely fell on Brad Newsham, 73. Newsham, a writer and former longtime cabdriver in the city, has been organizing protests like this one since 2007. Their causes have spanned the eras, from calls to impeach President George W. Bush, to support for Occupy Wall Street and now opposition to Trump. 'This is No. 28,' Newsham said. 'This has been incredible.' Newsham walked around the sand in a bright yellow jacket Saturday, delivering orders to the crowd via bullhorn. His injured ankle didn't hold him back. 'It's cool when you get a shot from the sky of all these people,' he said. When a group of protesters wearing purple union shirts bunched up in a line that was supposed to be single file, Newsham whipped them into shape. 'Hey SEIU, squeeze in!' he shouted into the bullhorn. 'It makes a better picture, you can do it.' Newsham seemed to get a kick out of it. 'It's an awesome responsibility,' he said. The demonstrators spelled out 'FAMILIA' to protest what Newsham's co-organizer, Travis Van Brasch, called ICE's 'completely illegal, cruel, stupid, unnecessary' raids. 'We are saying it in Spanish because that's where most of the trouble is,' said Van Brasch, 72. Warren Pederson contributed to this report.
