
Home affairs secretary admits to using disappearing messages on Signal for work
The secretary of the home affairs department, Stephanie Foster, has admitted to using disappearing messages on Signal in her work, but says the department has strong record-keeping rules surrounding the use of encrypted apps. In response to questions about department use of Signal from Greens senator David Shoebridge, home affairs officials in Senate estimates said there were robust policies in place around the use of Signal by staff in the department.

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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
MAGA loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene sides with Musk over Trump bill takedown
Marjorie Taylor Greene has agreed with Elon Musk 's criticism of President Trump 's multitrillion-dollar tax cut and spending package, after the latter called it a "disgusting abomination." Greene, who voted to advance the bill, expressed support for Musk "calling out the government," recalling her initial anger at Republicans ' spending habits when she ran for Congress in 2020. Despite her criticism, Greene defended the spending bill, stating it was important to transition away from continuing resolutions and towards what the American people voted for. Musk, who donated to Trump's campaign, condemned the bill as a "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill," drawing agreement from Sen. Rand Paul. The bill is projected to add at least $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years and faces challenges in the Senate due to objections from various Republican factions.


The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Electricity costs are already jolting Americans - Trump's bill could hike them another $400 a year
Amid already high, and rising, electricity prices, President Donald Trump 's broad domestic policy bill, which is up for debate in the Senate, could make the situation even worse. If the legislation passes as it currently stands, it would remove federal tax credits from the Biden presidency for sources of electricity such as solar, wind, batteries and geothermal power, The New York Times noted. Several studies from this year reveal that the energy bill of the average family could rise as much as $400 annually. For the first time in decades, demand for electricity is on the rise, in part because of the construction of data centers required for artificial intelligence. And power companies are having difficulties keeping up with the rising needs. The removal of tax breaks for wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries would make such sources of power more expensive, and their availability would decrease. As a result, the demand for power from natural gas would rise. This could lead to a rise in gas prices, which at the moment is responsible for 43 percent of U.S. electricity. The Trump administration has also taken action to sell more gas abroad, which could lead to further price rises. Additionally, Trump's levies on steel, aluminum, and other construction materials would increase the cost of transmission lines and other kinds of electrical equipment. The Clean Energy Buyers Association, which represents companies that have committed to buying renewable energy, commissioned a study that found that the repeal of clean energy credits would lead to a 13 percent increase in electricity in states such as New Jersey, North Carolina, Arizona, and Kansas. It could also lead to the loss of thousands of jobs by 2032. Trump administration and gas industry officials push back on such claims, arguing that the president's measures to make it cheaper to drill and build pipelines will lead to a decrease in electricity prices. They also argue that wind and solar have received subsidies for decades and that their continuing expansion could make the electric grid less dependable. A spokesperson for the Department of Energy told The Times that the president's 'agenda is to lower the cost of oil production in the United States, lower the cost of natural gas production in the United States — that ultimately will lead to lower average prices and at the same time profitability for businesses.' 'Prices are going to move up and down in the short term,' he added, however, noting that the administration would be focusing on policies 'that will deliver long-lasting prosperity.' Four Republican Senators wrote in a letter in April that, because of the rising demand for energy, 'it is imperative that any modifications to the tax code avoid worsening the economic pressures that American households and businesses already face.' 'For energy credits that provide a direct passthrough benefit to ratepayers, repeals would translate into immediate utility bill increases, placing additional strain on hardworking Americans,' they added. The Energy Information Administration found that since 2022, U.S. residential electricity prices have increased by 13 percent on average. In Ohio, prices are on the rise as data centers are being built in the state. Meanwhile, in California, wildfires are a source of rising costs. One of the major reasons behind rising prices is the unstable nature of natural gas prices, which rose sharply following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After falling to record lows in 2024, gas prices are set to almost double this year and rise even more next year. This comes as demand is on the rise domestically, even as the U.S. is selling more gas overseas. Since 2022, the cost of building gas power plants has almost tripled. Gas companies are now in the midst of wait times of up to half a decade for new gas turbines. Meanwhile, drilling for natural gas has grown more expensive amid rising equipment costs due to tariffs. As of 2020, 34 million households stated that they struggled to pay their energy bills and kept their homes at unsafe temperatures because of worries about costs. This comes as the Trump administration has vowed to end the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps 6.2 million people pay for high energy bills. The executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, Mark Wolfe, told The Times that 'We've got millions of families that are already struggling to pay their bills.' 'Now you bring in extreme temperatures, record heat, and it's a very bad situation,' he added.


Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Elon Musk accuses Trump of driving America into 'debt slavery'
Elon Musk is going all-in on his war with President Donald Trump over his massive spending proposal. The billionaire tech giant and former 'first buddy' once glued to Trump's side bombastically claimed overnight that Trump is plunging the U.S. into 'debt slavery' in an escalation of his war with the president. 'This immense level of overspending will drive America into debt slavery!' he insisted. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the House last month but is now held up in the Senate where some Republicans agree with Musk's criticism of the legislation. While Musk opened up the pathway for criticism earlier this month, he really began tearing into his former best friend with a series of posts on X Tuesday and Wednesday. He slammed pro-MAGA lawmakers in Congress who voted for the 'disgusting abomination' legislation. He said enough was enough in another Tuesday post where he claimed: 'Mammoth spending bills are bankrupting America!' Around 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Musk continued his tirade on his social media platform. He also reposted a series of tweets where Musk aligned himself with Republican Sen. Ran Paul of Kentucky, who has been vocal about his opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill. 'I've been pretty consistent in my time in the Senate: I oppose deficit spending—no matter which party is in charge. If we don't get serious about reigning in the debt, the next generation will pay the price,' Paul wrote in an X post that Musk reposted to his page. 'Interest payments already consume 25% of all government revenue,' Musk wrote on X around 2:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday. The Tesla and SpaceX boss continued: If the massive deficit spending continues, there will only be money for interest payments and nothing else! No social security, no medical, no defense … nothing.'