The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday aimed at stopping the Washington, D.C. local government from blocking parts of President Donald Trump’s new tax law.

D.C.’s progressive city council passed a local measure to stop certain parts of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” from going into effect due to their expected effect of cutting city revenues. 

Policies that would have been blocked include Trump’s elimination of taxes on tipped and overtime wages, as well as certain tax cuts aimed at businesses.

The legislation was led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, who told Fox News Digital he did not expect any Democrats to support his bill.

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President Donald Trump signs sweeping spending and tax legislation, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” during a picnic with military families to mark Independence Day, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)

“Republicans want more money to be in the hands and in the pockets of working-class families, and Democrats want that money to be in the hands of government,” Gill said.

The D.C. government generally conforms with large swaths of the federal tax code, as a federal territory itself.

But according to local officials, including non-voting Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., enacting the full Trump tax bill would amount to a $600 million revenue loss for the city.

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Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting in the Capitol in Washington, May 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

“This resolution is nothing short of unprecedented and deliberate administrative and fiscal sabotage of D.C.,” Norton said in a statement.

But Republicans, including Gill, argue that the capital’s progressive officials are blocking Trump’s signature legislation for political reasons at the cost of working-class residents.

“Whenever we passed that tax law, we expected Washington, D.C. to conform to those tax provisions. And unfortunately, they decided that they were going to try to separate from them,” Gill said.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., is seen during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., July 23, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“So to give you a few examples, you have no tax on tips, no tax on social security, no tax on overtime pay, a variety of pro-growth, pro-business tax provisions that they decided they wanted to decouple from. So what we’re saying is, we think that that’s bad policy on D.C.’s part, and we’re gonna stop them.”

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Congress has the ability to overturn most local laws set by D.C. thanks to the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973.

If passed by both the House and Senate, however, Republicans’ bill could complicate the tax season for D.C. residents who have already begun filing for their annual returns.

Federal safety regulators are once again taking a hard look at self-driving cars after a serious incident involving Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet.

This time, the investigation centers on a Waymo vehicle that struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, during morning drop-off hours. The crash happened on Jan. 23 and raised immediate questions about how autonomous vehicles behave around children, school zones and unpredictable pedestrian movement.

On Jan. 29, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed it has opened a new preliminary investigation into Waymo’s automated driving system.

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TESLA’S SELF-DRIVING CARS UNDER FIRE AGAIN

Waymo operates Level 4 self-driving vehicles in select U.S. cities, where the car controls all driving tasks without a human behind the wheel. (AP Photo/Terry Chea, File)

What happened near the Santa Monica school?

According to documents posted by NHTSA, the crash occurred within two blocks of an elementary school during normal drop-off hours. The area was busy. There were multiple children present, a crossing guard on duty and several vehicles double-parked along the street.

Investigators say the child ran into the roadway from behind a double-parked SUV while heading toward the school. The Waymo vehicle struck the child, who suffered minor injuries. No safety operator was inside the vehicle at the time.

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation is now examining whether the autonomous system exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to a school zone and the presence of young pedestrians.

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Federal investigators are now examining whether Waymo’s automated system exercised enough caution near a school zone during morning drop-off hours. (Waymo)

Why federal investigators stepped in

NHTSA says the investigation will focus on how Waymo’s automated driving system is designed to behave in and around school zones, especially during peak pickup and drop-off times.

That includes whether the vehicle followed posted speed limits, how it responded to visual cues like crossing guards and parked vehicles and whether its post-crash response met federal safety expectations. The agency is also reviewing how Waymo handled the incident after it occurred.

Waymo said it voluntarily contacted regulators the same day as the crash and plans to cooperate fully with the investigation. In a statement, the company said it remains committed to improving road safety for riders and everyone sharing the road.

Waymo responds to the federal investigation

We reached out to Waymo for comment, and the company provided the following statement:

“At Waymo, we are committed to improving road safety, both for our riders and all those with whom we share the road. Part of that commitment is being transparent when incidents occur, which is why we are sharing details regarding an event in Santa Monica, California, on Friday, January 23, where one of our vehicles made contact with a young pedestrian. Following the event, we voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that same day. NHTSA has indicated to us that they intend to open an investigation into this incident, and we will cooperate fully with them throughout the process. 

The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path. Our technology immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle. The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made. 

To put this in perspective, our peer-reviewed model shows that a fully attentive human driver in this same situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph. This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver.

Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911. The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene. 

This event demonstrates the critical value of our safety systems. We remain committed to improving road safety where we operate as we continue on our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.”

Understanding Waymo’s autonomy level

Waymo vehicles fall under Level 4 autonomy on NHTSA’s six-level scale.

At Level 4, the vehicle handles all driving tasks within specific service areas. A human driver is not required to intervene, and no safety operator needs to be present inside the car. However, these systems do not operate everywhere and are currently limited to ride-hailing services in select cities.

NHTSA has been clear that Level 4 vehicles are not available for consumer purchase, even though passengers may ride inside them.

This is not Waymo’s first federal probe

This latest investigation follows a previous NHTSA evaluation that opened in May 2024. That earlier probe examined reports of Waymo vehicles colliding with stationary objects like gates, chains and parked cars. Regulators also reviewed incidents where the vehicles appeared to disobey traffic control devices.

That investigation was closed in July 2025 after regulators reviewed the data and Waymo’s responses. Safety advocates say the new incident highlights unresolved concerns.

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No safety operator was inside the vehicle at the time of the crash, raising fresh questions about how autonomous cars handle unpredictable situations involving children. (Waymo)

What this means for you

If you live in a city where self-driving cars operate, this investigation matters more than it might seem. School zones are already high-risk areas, even for attentive human drivers. Autonomous vehicles must be able to detect unpredictable behavior, anticipate sudden movement and respond instantly when children are present.

This case will likely influence how regulators set expectations for autonomous driving systems near schools, playgrounds and other areas with vulnerable pedestrians. It could also shape future rules around local oversight, data reporting, and operational limits for self-driving fleets.

For parents, commuters, and riders, the outcome may affect where and when autonomous vehicles are allowed to operate.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Self-driving technology promises safer roads, fewer crashes and less human error. But moments like this remind us that the hardest driving scenarios often involve human unpredictability, especially when children are involved. Federal investigators now face a crucial question: Did the system act as cautiously as it should have in one of the most sensitive driving environments possible? How they answer that question could help define the next phase of autonomous vehicle regulation in the United States.

Do you feel comfortable sharing the road with self-driving cars near schools, or is that a line technology should not cross yet? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attacked CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss on Tuesday in a rant against the media and said the network executive “killed” a “60 Minutes” segment on El Salvador’s maximum-security prison that aired in January.

Ocasio-Cortez said during an appearance on ex-CNN host Don Lemon’s show that MS NOW, CNN and CBS were home to some of the “best journalists” in the U.S., before taking aim at Weiss in an argument against what she says is the “oligarchical ownership structure” of media.

“We saw what happened with that ’60 Minutes’ piece on [Center for Confinement of Terrorism] CECOT. Bari Weiss killed it. And she’s not there because she’s a good journalist; she’s there because she kisses billionaire butt, and she makes them look good, and she executes on the censorship agenda that they want to see put out,” Ocasio-Cortez told Lemon.

The CECOT “60 Minutes” segment aired on Jan. 18, after initially being delayed by Weiss at the end of December. 

CBS, BARI WEISS FACING MOUNTING BACKLASH FROM LIBERAL CRITICS OVER YANKING ’60 MINUTES’ SEGMENT

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks in New York on Jan. 1, 2026. Bari Weiss speaks onstage during Book Club Event With Peggy Noonan on Nov. 19, 2024, in New York City. (Timothy A.Clary/AFP via Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images for The Free Press)

Fox News Digital reported that Weiss made the decision to delay the segment after determining that, while the interviews were “powerful,” the story ultimately did not “advance the ball” and “was not ready.”

CBS News and Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Ocasio-Cortez also took aim at The Washington Post, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.

“So now, it’s not just that these companies are very big, but that they answer to one very specifically, usually one billionaire with a very vested political agenda,” she said. “And so you have Jeff Bezos, who takes over the Washington Post — not because he loves journalism, but because he needs to start controlling and ensuring that dissenting opinions do not get aired in papers of record.”

“And so it’s not a coincidence, then, that you’ve got Jeff Bezos that takes over the Washington Post and then immediately takes over their opinion section, starts to take over their coverage of the 2024 election.”

The Washington Post did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Bezos has owned the Post since 2013 and the paper announced in 2024 that it would not be endorsing a political candidate in the 2024 election or any election going forward.

Ocasio-Cortez said the “same thing” happened with the Los Angeles Times. That outlet’s editorial board also declined to endorse a presidential candidate in 2024.

Bezos also announced changes to the Post opinion section in early 2025, saying, “We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., talks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 11, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Ocasio-Cortez continued to criticize CBS, citing the network canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” 

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“So you’ve got Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, you’ve got Elon Musk, you’ve got people that are starting to control and take over the content of what happens. It’s not a coincidence that this consolidation happens at CBS and then Stephen Colbert, who is a major critic of the president, gets de-platformed; Jimmy Kimmel gets threatened through Disney. And this is the goal,” she said.

Alleged fraud schemes plaguing Minnesota’s social services systems have elevated scrutiny surrounding childcare centers. 

But fraud can be challenging to identify for states – especially when agencies are using outdated systems that make it difficult to spot trends and red flags that could point to potential fraud, according to Chris Bennett, the CEO and founder of a Wonderschool, a platform that provides technology support to child care providers and states. 

“When you have all this data living in different place, it’s really difficult for a state to identify where there is risk and where there is fraud,” Bennett recently told Fox News Digital during an interview. “Additionally, a lot of states are using pen and paper still to collect information. So it makes it really difficult for an administrator and the administrator’s team to go through all of that and make sure that they’re keeping up with things on a regular basis.”

Children sleep during nap time at Minnesota Child Care in Minneapolis, Minn., on Dec. 30. (Renee Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Streamlining systems is key to identifying any atypical trends in billing behavior and attendance data that could point to fraud, Bennett said.

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“The best practice is moving to a modern system, moving to a system where all of the data is in one place and it’s all connected,” Bennett said. “So you can use that to identify risk, flag unusual patterns early, and then have humans go and investigate. Oversight should support child care providers, not punish them.” 

To help do this, Bennett spearheaded Wonderschool Oversight in January – building upon Wonderschool’s existing partnerships with states including Florida, Michigan and Illinois – that aims to centralize state agencies’ program data to evaluate enrollment, attendance, billing and licensing information in the same place. 

Having this information in one spot allows for Wonderschool Oversight to flag unusual patterns that could require human review, Bennett said.

Nick Shirley upended the news cycle in December with a 42-minute video investigating Minnesota daycare centers that appeared inactive despite receiving millions of dollars in government funding.  (Nick Shirley)

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“For example, we can analyze daily attendance data to flag cases where billed attendance exceeds recorded attendance,” Bennett said. “We review billing behavior for anomalies — such as sudden spikes in billing corrections — which can indicate potential issues. Or, in another example, we compare reported attendance against licensed capacity, age-band limits, and required staffing ratios to surface possible regulatory or safety violations.” 

Childcare fraud has come under a microscope after right-wing influencer Nick Shirley shared a video in December detailing alleged fraud involving Minnesota childcare and learning centers. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in January that it would put a hold on access to some federal childcare and family assistance funding for five states – including Minnesota – due to “serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars in state-administered programs.” 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington on Monday, March 10, 2025.  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Days later, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from halting the funding freeze for at least two weeks. Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for comment. 

That’s not the only alleged fraud scheme the state is facing. Lawmakers have spearheaded investigations into Minnesota’s alleged “Feeding Our Future” $250 million fraud scheme that allegedly targeted a children’s nutrition program the Department of Agriculture funded and that Minnesota oversaw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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At least 77 people have been charged in that scheme, which took advantage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive certain Federal Child Nutrition Program requirements.

Likewise, another alleged fraud scheme in the state stems from the Housing Stability Services Program, which allegedly offered Medicaid coverage for housing stabilization services in an attempt to help those with disabilities, mental illnesses and substance-use disorders receive housing.