From crunchy snacks to fruity beverages and pantry staples, Sam’s Club is cutting prices on some of its Member’s Mark food products in September 2026.
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DALLAS — Top Republican lawmakers had no idea President Donald Trump was going to promise $5,000 checks to every adult American so long as his party keeps control of Congress. Now, they’re grappling with how to handle the fallout.
GOP leaders have privately pushed back on similar Trump promises of giving money to Americans in the past year, according to four people granted anonymity to share details of closed-door meetings. Senior Republicans on Capitol Hill were blindsided by Trump’s Wednesday night announcement in Dallas, and are trying to manage lawmakers’ and voters’ expectations about a trillion-dollar-plus proposal they cannot deliver.
“The only thing that I knew of was that he has this concept of a dividend of all Americans being able to share in the success of America,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who appeared supportive of the idea, said in an interview on the sidelines of the party’s midterm convention. “But last night, no, I was just like you and everybody else when I went, ‘Oh, that’s interesting. Okay.’”
NRCC Chair Richard Hudson added in an interview: “First, I’d heard of it, so I want to talk to him and get some details before I comment.” Hudson said the idea was “exciting,” but he didn’t indicate the House GOP campaign arm would start touting the idea in ads for battleground candidates.
As for the chances of the measure passing Congress, Hudson responded: “Not this Congress. Because Democrats in the Senate will never go through with it.”
Republican leaders, indeed, don’t have the votes to pass such an offer this year, with some in the party questioning the legality of Trump effectively declaring he would pay for votes. GOP fiscal hawks and others also quickly shot it down.
And some Republicans worry Trump’s last-ditch move steps on their carefully laid messaging about the economic benefits of their major tax cuts package — benefits which have largely been erased by the Iran war and tariffs, according to five senior Republicans, who were also granted anonymity to speak candidly.
“It seems incredibly desperate,” said one of the House Republicans.
“I see zero chance of this happening,” said another House Republican at the convention.
The scramble to figure out their position — and how serious Trump is — comes at a critical final stretch of the midterms and as many voters grow increasingly skeptical of the GOP’s record on the economy.
Democrats were quick to slam Trump’s announcement as a way to bribe Americans and distract from an unpopular trade agenda and war in the Middle East. And as Republicans gathered in Dallas for their splashy midterm convention, the emerging splits over the dividends were on full display.
GOP lawmakers have privately noted a clear divide in the messaging around Trump’s promise of $5,000 checks: The White House and Trump’s campaign social media accounts are wholeheartedly touting the idea. GOP House and Senate campaign arms, meanwhile, are not. The NRSC declined to comment on the proposal.
Vice President JD Vance defended Trump’s offer on Fox News shortly after the president announced it Wednesday night, saying it was intended to boost “the American middle class.” But Vance did not mention the Trump proposal during a closed-door breakfast with GOP lawmakers, state party officials and activists from key battleground states on Thursday morning, instead touting a string of GOP economic achievements like Trump’s executive action that aims to lower prescription drug costs and the GOP tax cuts package.
“I think we’re all looking forward to learning more,” said Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) as he left the closed-door breakfast with Vance.
Asked if he would support Trump’s proposal, Steil repeated, “I think we’re all looking forward to learning more.”
While Republicans scramble to figure out how to position themselves on the “dividend” pledge, Trump told CBS on Thursday he doesn’t think he needs Congress to approve his plan to send out payments.
Amy Natoce, a spokesperson for Ohio GOP Sen. Jon Husted, who faces a tough battle for reelection this fall, said his team “has reached out to the White House to learn more about the proposal and how it would work.” Natoce noted that “putting money directly back into the pockets of hardworking Ohioans is in line with Jon Husted’s priorities.”
Some Republicans were willing to more fully embrace the idea.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday that it was “an incentive for work” — even though the money will go to all Americans regardless of employment status. Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno pledged to draft up a bill on the checks “so that we can get the Trump Dividend passed immediately after the November 3rd election.” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, who’s facing a surprisingly competitive race, eagerly asked his social media followers to “comment how you will spend your $5,000 Trump Dividend when Republicans win in November.”
Fiscal hawks say they are eager for information. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), who serves on the House Budget Committee, declined to say whether he would support the president’s proposal which could cost more than $1 trillion.
“I would like to know how they would plan to pay for … back of envelope … well over $1 trillion,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said in an interview Wednesday night shortly after Trump announced the proposal.
Trump has promised a litany of dividends and checks to Americans in recent years that have never materialized.
He raised the idea of direct checks to Americans in private meetings with GOP leaders before, often with money he says are from tariffs or the DOGE cuts. It’s an idea that Trump and some close White House advisers have discussed on and off for extended periods of time, particularly during his second term.
Each time, GOP leaders on Capitol Hill have argued that such an idea wouldn’t have the votes among Republicans given the price tag — and that it would likely require Congress to codify Trump’s controversial tariffs into law.
In December, Trump sent a $1,776 check to all members of the military, a move he referred back to while unveiling the dividend plan Wednesday. And he quickly followed up on Thursday with a separate offer to send money to Americans: $500 rebate checks to about 1 million Obamacare enrollees in 30 states.
Democrats immediately pounced on the latest proposal, including several candidates locked in competitive November races.
“Is this some kind of sick joke? Donald Trump’s policies are costing us more than [$5,000] — from his illegal war in Iran and his trade wars — and this dividend is nothing but a lie that wouldn’t even begin to make up for what he’s costing us,” Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said in a statement to POLITICO.
A spokesperson for El-Sayed’s opponent, Mike Rogers, did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal. He also declined questions from reporters at the Dallas convention Thursday.
So far Democratic leaders have been dismissive of the idea.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the dividends a “bribe” to Americans and said they demonstrate Trump’s weak political position.
“Trump just talks out of who knows what,” he told reporters Thursday in New York City.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC did not indicate that they planned to include the dividends in messaging to voters.
Emmer dismissed the criticism that the checks were a bribe, saying Trump wanted Americans “to share in the success” of the country.
He acknowledged it’s unlikely the House takes up such a bill before the midterms, given there is no proposal drafted yet and only one week of session scheduled before November, but expressed confidence the GOP could deliver on Trump’s promise after the election.
“Let the policy guys draft it. Let them debate it. Let them move it through committee,” Emmer said. “You get it to the whip’s office. We’ll pass it.”
Politics
Not all beers hit the spot. That’s why we’ve ranked 11 of the most popular German beers, making sure your next cold one is as satisfying as possible.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Dolly’s faith was part of her life from childhood through her final days. Her sister Stella now remembers one especially meaningful moment near the end. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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Aaron Rodgers has never been one to hold back.
But even by his standards, the future Hall of Famer really went scorched earth in a new interview with the “Not Just Football” podcast.
Rodgers vented about a wide array of topics, but it’s his comments about his breakup with Shailene Woodley that have sparked the most controversy.
“I dated two women who nobody gives a f–k about unless they drop my name,” the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said on the podcast, referring to his relationships with Woodley and Danica Patrick.
“I date Shailene,” Rodgers said, reflecting on the start of his 2020 engagement to the actress.
“I propose, and she says, ‘Yes,’” he recalled.
“Now, she maybe felt like she was forced to make a decision. She could have said no. But not a couple of days after that, she tells me, ‘You know, before we get married I gotta go f–k this guy,’” Rodgers continued, adding:
“Her story is, I ruined her life and gave her a crazy depression because I left her.”
He went on to allege that Woodley was the one who broke off the engagement –after, apparently, telling the Steelers QB that she wanted to bang her ex before getting married.
Rodgers was not much kinder in his comments about Patrick.
“She had just retired,” he said of his relationship with the NASCAR legend, adding:
“She was depressed and not fun to be around. But I didn’t leave her because I was trying to be there and be a good partner.”
He went on to explain how his and Patrick’s relationship was heading toward a “certain direction” with “no intimacy.”
“Then, I’m buying a house in Malibu, and she goes, ‘Well, would you want to buy it together?’ And I say, ‘No,’” he recalled, adding:
“She said, ‘You know what that means then?’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s the way things are going.’So she tells the story [that she’s] totally blindsided by getting left.
“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ That is not what happened by any means.”
Rodgers touched on many topics during the wide-ranging interview, including the Diana Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal and the recent arrest of San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York.
He concluded the segment about his exes by kindly asking them to STFU:
“Number one, why are you still talking about me? It’s been years,” he said, adding:
“They like to say their version of the history of what actually happened. I’m just like, this ‘monster’ of a partner, and it’s just f–king horse s–t.”
Clearly, as a new NFL season begins, Aaron Rodgers has entered his No F–ks Given Era.
Aaron Rodgers Says Shailene Woodley Wanted to ‘F–k This Guy’ Before … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson will never pass up this special home-cooked Louisiana classic from his dad after a tough game.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
It’s a one-of-a-kind property. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
It’s a one-of-a-kind property. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Reading Time: 2 minutes
We have sad news from the world of country music today.
Brian “Nashville” Duckworth — the West Virginia musician best known for performing alongside his siblings in the country group Taylor Made — has passed away at the age of 56.
News of Duckworth’s passing comes courtesy of an obituary published by his local newspaper.
According to his obituary, Duckworth was born December 8, 1969, in Grafton, West Virginia, and spent much of his life balancing his love of music with a decidedly less glamorous day job.
Duckworth worked as a dump truck driver for Wolfe’s Excavating, where he earned the affectionate nickname “Truck Boss.”
His obituary notes that he genuinely enjoyed the work because it allowed him to spend his days outdoors.
But music was clearly never far from his heart.
Duckworth grew up singing with his siblings, Greg and Wendy, on the back porch of their family home.
Their mother taught the children to sing, and neighbors would reportedly request songs from the young performers.
Eventually, the siblings took their act to the next level.
Brian, Greg, and Wendy initially performed together as I-79 before becoming Taylor Made.
The family group built a following with its three-part harmonies and released several hit songs, including “Things You Don’t Grow Out Of,” which reached No. 36 on the Billboard Indicator chart.
Taylor Made was also named MusicRow Magazine’s Independent Artist of the Year in 2012.
So while Duckworth may not have been a household name in the same way as some of Nashville’s biggest stars, he carved out a meaningful place in the country music community — all while continuing to work a regular job and raise his family.
Duckworth is survived by his wife, Tina Scheuvront Duckworth, whom he married in 2010, as well as six children and four grandchildren. The family was also preparing to welcome another granddaughter.
His obituary describes Duckworth as someone who treasured his family, music, the outdoors, and his pets.
Funeral services are scheduled for September 14 in Grafton, West Virginia.
For those who knew Brian Duckworth personally, however, his legacy will apparently be about much more than the songs he performed.
He was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend — and a guy who somehow managed to be both “Nashville” and the “Truck Boss.”
Our thoughts go out to Brian Duckworth’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.
Brian Duckworth Cause of Death: Country Music Icon Was 56 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Fall foliage is seen on Sept. 14, 2017 along the Kenai River in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Lisa Hupp/U.S. FIsh and WIldlife Service)
Two Soldotna residents have pleaded guilty to disrupting a legal fur trapping line in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge after their dog was caught in a trap.
Laura McIndoe and Trafford Evanoff had challenged a pair of citations issued by a Fish and Wildlife Service officer in February 2025 but abandoned their challenge shortly before it would have gone to trial.
Conflicts between dog walkers and fur trappers are not unusual in Alaska, despite widespread efforts to prevent them, but federal court fights are rare, according to a search of U.S. District Court records.
McIndoe and Evanoff — her son — had been scheduled for trial in August, but both changed their “not guilty” pleas and agreed to pay small fines to settle the issue.
According to the initial citations, a trapper called a Fish and Wildlife Service officer after McIndoe’s dog became caught in one of the trapper’s foothold traps and McIndoe became “very upset and cursed at him, telling him to stay away.”
“He said the woman told him that her sons were in their 30s and big men, and if they see him, they will kill him,” according to an affidavit signed by officer Shay Hurd.
Two of the trapper’s other traps were destroyed, and the trap that snared the dog was lost.
According to Hurd’s affidavit, the trapline was correctly marked and permitted.
The Beacon attempted to contact McIndoe and Evanoff through their listed attorneys on Tuesday morning but did not receive a response by Thursday morning.
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