Two years after setting up shop inside Wrigley Field, the DraftKings betting counter closed its doors for good at the end of May. Officials say Illinois’ gambling tax rules made the location too expensive to keep running. DraftKings says the state’s 25-cent tax on every $1 of digital bets, jumping
This year, local schools closed with heartfelt thanks to teachers who give extra time and care to students. Naples Park Elementary stood out for one family, especially. Their granddaughter thrived there, thanks to teachers who went beyond textbooks and tests. Yet while educators work hard, other com
A quiet meeting in Washington shows how cryptocurrency is changing the way taxes get written. Behind closed doors, tax experts from both sides of the aisle sat down with financial professionals to sketch out rules that could become law soon. Instead of fighting over every word, they swapped ideas on
Blue‑colored cities are shrinking because of high taxes, weak public safety and a focus on ideology over jobs. Businesses in New York, Seattle and Los Angeles are moving to states with lower rates. The result is a loss of people, jobs and the sense that these places still matter. New York Cit
California is testing a new idea that might backfire. The state now has a “billionaire tax” on the ballot, pushed by union leaders who argue it will help fund public services. But the plan has already started a quiet exodus—not of the poor, but of some of the state’s wealthiest residents. Many had s
States want to raise money from online prediction sites, but they’re not sure what those sites actually are. The debate centers on whether the sites should be treated like sports betting, financial derivatives, or something else entirely. If they’re seen as gambling, states could tax them the sam
Political debates this week had more drama than usual, with billionaires, oil boasts, and warnings flying around Washington. Senator Elizabeth Warren sparked conversation by suggesting a new Social Security tax for the ultra-rich like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. The idea isn’t winning over everyone, b
The federal government can’t "take care of day care" but can somehow find half a trillion dollars extra for bombs and battleships. That’s the message slipping through Washington as a staggering $1. 5 trillion Pentagon budget lands on Capitol Hill, a leap big enough to buy every toddler in America te
A city council member has a habit of blaming outsiders for problems. The latest plan is called an “empty homes tax. ” It aims to make owners of unused houses pay extra money. The city faces a shortage of affordable homes and wants more revenue. The tax would hit people who own houses but ra
The timber boom that once kept Alaskan towns alive has slipped into history, a slow decline driven by layers of rules and dwindling money. That story shows how easy it is for a vital industry to disappear when policy turns heavy and investment dries up. Oil, however, is the engine that keeps Alas
