Canada Rescinds Digital Services Tax to Salvage Trade Discussions with U.S.
Canada announced late on Sunday that it is rescinding a digital services tax in a bid to salvage trade discussions with the U.S. after President Trump paused talks on Friday.
Canada's finance department was set to collect billions of dollars from U.S. tech companies on Monday, when payments were due under a digital services tax that Canada's Liberal government implemented last year, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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Miami Herald
10 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Minnesota agriculture institute joins lawsuit against USDA to save grant funding
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Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Did Republicans Just Kill the Filibuster?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Republicans are relying on rarely employed accounting methods to push Donald Trump's "one, big beautiful bill" through the Senate, and in doing so could upend established Congressional procedures surrounding the reconciliation process and the filibuster. Why It Matters The filibuster—a procedural move allowing senators to extend debates on bills indefinitely without a 60-vote majority—has long been viewed as a move to encourage bipartisanship in Congress and as a bulwark against political dominance by slim majorities in the upper chamber. Experts told Newsweek that recent moves by Republicans while trying to pass Trump's tax legislation could create new precedent surrounding the filibuster for years to come, including past the period of GOP control. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham looks out from the upper chamber, June 11, 2025. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham looks out from the upper chamber, June 11, 2025. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo What To Know Republicans are employing the reconciliation process to pass Trump's tax bill, the centerpiece of his second-term domestic agenda, allowing them to eventually advance the bill with only a majority vote rather than the 60 votes normally needed to do away with the threat of a filibuster. A central element of the bill, which the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates would add $4.2 trillion to the nation's deficit through 2034, is the extension of the tax cuts enacted during Trump's first term. Sweeping fiscal moves of this kind are traditionally restricted by the Byrd Rule, adopted in 1985, which limits the sort of policies that can be folded into bills passed through reconciliation, and forbids legislation from adding to the nation's deficit beyond 10 years. However, as reported by AP, Congressional Budget Office Director Phillip Swagel recently notified Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of the Senate Budget Committee that elements of the Big, Beautiful Bill would increase the deficit "in years after 2034." Going by this assessment, the Republican bill would violate the rule that determines what legislation can clear the Senate with a simple majority, which could force Republicans to amend significant portions of the legislation. In response to these concerns, and Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough advising that certain provisions in the bill were not budget-related and therefore in violation of Senate rules, Republicans have now argued that Trump's 2017 tax cuts should be treated as part of the fiscal "baseline" forecast, even though these have not yet been extended. Republicans have also cited Section 312 of Congressional Budget Act to argue that the final authority for determining baseline spending figures, and whether the tax portion of the bill violates Byrd, lies with Republican Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham. When approached by Newsweek for comment, a spokesperson for Senator Graham said: "Republicans do not want a $4 trillion tax hike—which is what would happen if the Democrats had their way and the 2017 tax cuts expired." They also referenced past support from Democrats for the notion that the Senate Budget Committee Chairman has the power to establish the baseline, citing former Chairman Bernie Sanders' 2022 remark that "the Budget Committee, through its Chair, makes the call on questions of numbers." Sanders is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. Experts have said that this new "Byrd Bath"—as it has been referred to by some on Capitol Hill—could establish a new precedent regarding budget reconciliation and the avoidance of filibusters by those in power in the future. "The budget process established in 1974 and reinforced by rules and precedents since then was intended to allow a simple majority to pass a budget as long as the contents of a budget measure were limited to budget-related spending and tax provisions," Steve Smith, professor of politics at Arizona State University, told Newsweek. "Playing partisan games with the budget process to set aside the 10-year budget period or use it for nonbudget purposes is contrary to the plain language of the Budget Act and the Byrd rules adopted by the Senate," he added. "It is a precedent that will get repeated over and over again." 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New York Times
13 minutes ago
- New York Times
MLB, ESPN renew talks to keep baseball on network: Sources
Representatives for Major League Baseball and ESPN have renewed talks to keep the sports network involved in the game after a contentious break-up earlier this year, sources briefed on the conversation told The Athletic. The conversations were described to be in their early stages and, if they were to progress, would center around local rights and pieces of ESPN's former package. Advertisement In February, ESPN opted out of the final three seasons of its $550 million contract that gave it the right to broadcast 'Sunday Night Baseball,' the Home Run Derby and eight-to-12 playoff games. ESPN and MLB have been in business together for 35 years. If no new agreement is struck, their relationship would end in October. MLB and ESPN declined comment. Since the opt-out, NBC, Apple and Fox have been linked to parts or all of ESPN's current package. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he hopes to have a deal in place by mid-July's All-Star Game for those rights. News of ESPN's potential return is significant because after ESPN opt-outed, MLB did as well. The league expressed disdain for its longtime partner. In a memo obtained by The Athletic's Evan Drellich in February, Manfred informed the owners of the decision for MLB to counter ESPN's opt-out by also opting-out of ESPN's $550 million a year deal. While a symbolic gesture, Manfred also went on to describe the network as a 'shrinking platform' and said the league was 'not pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN's platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.' ESPN's chairman Jimmy Pitaro has previously stated that he would like his network and his new direct-to-consumer app to be part of the local rights solution. MLB has struggled as the reduction of households with cable television and significantly reduced the viability of regional sports networks. In mid-May, Pitaro, during an announcement for ESPN's forthcoming new app, said his network remained interested in MLB, but had not had any conversations with the league at that point. Manfred said earlier in June that he would prefer not to be in the current negotiations since he liked the $550 million per year deal it had with ESPN. Advertisement ESPN felt it was paying too much, so it exercised its option. MLB has made deals with Apple TV for Friday night exclusive doubleheaders for around $85 million and with Roku for late Sunday morning games for $10 million a year. The Athletic previously reported that Manfred and his lieutenants have held talks regarding the league's out-of-market local rights package. ESPN, as well as streamers, like YouTube and Amazon, would be prime contenders for the programming. If an agreement came to fruition, it would be expected that it would only be for three years as MLB wants to line-up all of its rights agreements for after the 2028 season. At that point, Fox's World Series/playoff and TNT Sports' playoff rights conclude. MLB's international packages are also due at that point.
