The Patriot Post® · Thursday Executive News Summary
Tax Day totals: Now that most Americans have spent countless hours and dollars preparing and filing tax returns, tens of millions of Americans took advantage of the new tax cuts passed by congressional Republicans. According to the U.S. Treasury, here is the recap: “Over 53 million Americans claimed at least one of President Trump’s signature new tax cuts. … Over 6 million filers claimed No Tax on Tips, with an average deduction of over $7,100; Over 25 million filers claimed No Tax on Overtime, with an average deduction of over $3,100; Over 30 million seniors claimed the Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, with an average deduction of over $7,500; Over 1 million filers claimed the No Tax on Car Loan Interest on their new American vehicles, with an average deduction of over $1,800; 5 million new Trump Accounts (savings accounts for children) were opened, with 1.2 million eligible for the $1,000 federal contribution; Over 34 million families benefited from the enhanced Child Tax Credit; and Over 105 million filers benefited from the permanently doubled standard deduction.” Recall that every single Democrat voted against these cuts.
Former Virginia lieutenant governor commits murder-suicide: Tragedy has struck the Old Dominion. Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who was elected on a Democrat ticket in 2017, murdered his wife before ending his own life overnight. Fairfax and his wife were going through a complicated and messy divorce. Police found Cerina Fairfax dead in the basement, where Justin had evidently shot her several times before going to another room, where he shot himself. Their two teenage children are believed to have been in the home at the time. Earlier this year, police responded to a call at the home after Justin claimed Cerina was assaulting him. Nothing came of that call, as the cameras inside the home failed to support Justin’s claim. Fairfax had a history of sexual abuse allegations.
Sotomayor apologizes to Kavanaugh: Last week, Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor made waves when she publicly criticized and personally disparaged her colleague on the Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, over his legal opinion regarding the Trump administration’s immigration stops. Sotomayor asserted that Kavanaugh “probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.” On Wednesday, Sotomayor issued a public apology, stating, “At a recent appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law, I referred to a disagreement with one of my colleagues in a prior case, but I made remarks that were inappropriate. I regret my hurtful comments. I have apologized to my colleague.” That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t change her obviously skewed judicial lens that favors minorities because they’re minorities.
Targeted pro-lifer settles with DOJ: Mark Houck is finally seeing some justice after the Biden Department of Justice targeted him for his pro-life activism. Houck was investigated for an alleged violation of the FACE Act after he defended his underage son from a Planned Parenthood volunteer outside a clinic. A Philadelphia jury quickly found him not guilty, but only after he had been arrested at his home by a SWAT team of over 25 people with guns drawn. Houck sued the DOJ for a faulty investigation and excessive force. Donald Trump’s DOJ announced a settlement, awarding Houck over $1 million. Houck’s attorney praised the administration for “attempting to at least acknowledge, if not completely right, the wrongs that were done.”
Dems latest war powers effort fails again in Senate: By a vote of 47-52, Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s resolution to limit President Trump’s war powers in his actions against Iran was voted down. This vote is the latest failed attempt by Democrats to pass a resolution curbing presidential war powers. After the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer railed against Republicans for voting against the measure. “Throughout all this miasma, all this mess, this horrible war, where are the Senate Republicans?” he asked. “Don’t they know they have a responsibility to get the facts out and let the American people know what’s going on here?” He also pledged to continue raising the issue and forcing more votes in a clear effort to create campaign fodder for the midterms.
Gas prices drop for sixth straight day: It’s not much, but a downward trend in prices is better than an upward trend. The national average gas price has dropped by about seven cents over the last six days. The national average of $4.09 is still far higher than before the Iran war began, but as the ceasefire continues, prices may keep dropping. Just this past January, gas prices hit a five-year low of $2.79. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is hopeful that prices will return to an average of around $3 a gallon by September. Unfortunately, Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that prices may continue to rise over the summer, reaching a slightly higher mark before the midterm elections.
Beijing not happy with U.S. blockade of Strait of Hormuz: “It is a dangerous and irresponsible move,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun of the newly imposed American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. A counter-blockade was announced by President Trump this week after Iran refused to fully reopen the Strait. By Tuesday night, the blockade was fully in effect, and two Iranian oil tankers were prevented from leaving port by a U.S. destroyer. China imports around 11 million barrels of oil a day, with 38% of oil traffic through the Strait bound for that nation. President Trump has warned China against sending Iran shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, threatening a new 50% tariff. Guo denied any such missile transfer was pending, calling the claim fabricated.
Virginia joins National Popular Vote Compact: On Tuesday, Virginia’s radical leftist Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed HB965 into law. This makes Virginia the 18th state to join the arguably unconstitutional National Popular Vote Compact, an effort by Democrats to circumvent the Electoral College. Virginia’s joining raises the number of electoral votes represented by the NPVC to 222. According to the pact, an NPVC state’s electoral votes in a presidential election will only go to the national popular vote winner once enough states have joined to meet the 270 electoral vote threshold. The Virginia Republican Party responded by posting on X, “Fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians’ vote for president NULL AND VOID!”
California funds “gender-affirming care” for illegals: “California is giving free sex-change procedures to homeless illegal aliens,” says independent journalist Christopher Rufo. California’s Medi-Cal program is being used to fund “gender affirming surgeries,” according to “Lyca,” a Honduran man who identifies as a transgender woman. Another man calling himself “Jacqueline” said he had received his hormones and “top” surgery from the program, and while he claims to be a legal resident, he added, “Even though you’re undocumented, you can get them.” Since California receives funding for its health programs from the federal government, it’s not just the California taxpayers footing the bill for this perversion; it’s every American.
UK immigrant assails three and kills two, including DHS employee: Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a 26-year-old immigrant naturalized under the Biden administration, murdered two women and shot a homeless man in the Atlanta area. His hours-long overnight rampage culminated at 6:50 a.m., when he stabbed and shot in the face six times Lauren Bullis, a DHS employee who was out walking her dog. Adon Abel is a “British” citizen who immigrated to America under Joe Biden, was convicted of groping four women in the spring of 2025 and sentenced to four years in jail. After only 120 days in prison, he was released by a judge and ordered into “counseling” as part of his probation.
Hungary’s new PM is not an open-borders lefty: Following Hungarian Prime Minister and Donald Trump ally Viktor Orbán’s decisive election defeat over the weekend, leftists celebrated it as a repudiation of the populist Right. PM-elect Péter Magyar campaigned on restoring relations with the inherently left-leaning European Union while also pledging to eliminate the corruption plaguing the Orbán government. However, Magyar does not appear to be the leftist many outsiders have assumed. In fact, he was a member of Orbán’s government before he exited, objecting to the corruption he saw. Furthermore, when it comes to immigration policy, Magyar may actually be to the right of Orbán, as he has pledged to uphold Hungary’s strong resistance to illegal immigration, repair border fencing, and further limit legal immigration. Hungary didn’t actually move to the left; rather, it seems voters were motivated to boot out a corrupt government.
Headlines
Around 14% of enrollees in ACA plans failed to make payments (WSJ)
Iran to execute the first woman over widespread anti-regime demonstrations (NY Post)
Trump says China agrees not to send Iran weapons (NY Post)
Irish government survives to ignore its citizens another day (Hot Air)
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.