The next big fight over your car isn’t about gas prices, emissions, or electric vehicles. It’s about something bigger: who controls the road — and how much control they have over you while you’re on it.
What’s happening in Illinois should get drivers’ attentions. Lawmakers are advancing the Road Usage Charge Act, introduced by state Rep. Ram Villivalam (D), as a pilot program to study a mileage-based tax. On paper, it sounds routine. In reality, it’s the first step toward replacing the gas tax with a system that charges you for every mile you drive.
History shows that once a system like this exists, it rarely stays limited to its original purpose.
For decades, drivers have paid for roads through fuel taxes. You fill up, you pay your share. It’s simple, predictable, and largely invisible. But as more drivers move into electric vehicles and high-efficiency cars, gas tax revenue is declining. States like Illinois, which rely heavily on that revenue, are looking for alternatives.
Instead of cutting spending or rethinking how funds are used, they’re moving toward a system that expands oversight.
Double troubleIllinois drivers are already paying for the road — heavily. Under Gov. JB Pritzker (D), the state doubled its gas tax in 2019, making it one of the highest in the country. Add tolls, registration fees, and local taxes, and drivers are already funding the system at a premium. Now comes the next step: charging not for fuel, but for movement itself.
A mileage-based tax — often called a vehicle miles traveled tax — sounds straightforward. Drive more, pay more. But the details matter. Some proposals rely on annual odometer reporting. Others involve installing tracking devices or using connected vehicle data.
This is where it stops being just a tax policy.
Once a system is in place to measure how far you drive, it can also measure when you drive, where you go, and how often you travel. Even groups like the American Civil Liberties Union have raised concerns about the risks that come with collecting that kind of data. And history shows that once a system like this exists, it rarely stays limited to its original purpose.
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VIEW Press/Getty Images
Miles to goSupporters argue this is about fairness. If electric vehicle owners aren’t paying gas taxes, they should still contribute to road funding. On its face, that argument makes sense. But this proposal doesn’t just target EVs. It applies to everyone — including drivers already paying high fuel taxes every time they fill up.
The result could be double taxation.
There’s also the cost of running the system itself. A mileage-based tax isn’t free to administer. It requires new technology, enforcement mechanisms, and ongoing oversight. Those costs don’t disappear — they get passed on to drivers, adding another layer of expense before you even get to the per-mile charge.
Before any of that happens, there’s a more basic question: Where is the current money going? States already collect billions through gas taxes, tolls, and vehicle fees. Before asking drivers to pay more — or pay differently — there should be clear accountability for how those funds are being used.
That question rarely gets answered.
What tends to grow instead is the system itself — more programs, more layers, more cost.
I spyIllinois has already seen pushback on similar proposals. A 2019 effort was shelved after public backlash. Drivers understood what was at stake: not just higher costs, but more oversight and less control.
At its core, this is about how driving is changing. Driving in America has always meant a certain level of independence — the ability to go where you want, when you want, without someone tracking the details. A mileage-based system, especially one tied to data collection, begins to change that, turning driving into something that’s measured, recorded, and managed.
That’s a fundamental shift.
A better wayTo be clear, declining gas tax revenue is a real issue. As vehicles become more efficient and electric adoption grows, states will need to adapt. But there are simpler ways to do it. If EVs aren’t contributing equally, adjust registration fees. Create transparent, targeted solutions. Keep the system straightforward and limited.
What’s being proposed goes further. It builds a framework that could apply to every driver, not just the segment creating the revenue gap. And once that framework exists, it won’t stay narrow — these systems tend to expand over time.
Illinois may be calling this a pilot program. But other states are watching closely.
Drivers should be asking a basic question: Is paying for the road one thing — and being tracked to use it something else entirely?
Because once the system is in place, it won’t be easy to roll back.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday announced new sanctions against “35 entities and individuals that oversee Iran’s shadow banking architecture and facilitate the movement of the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars.”
The post U.S. Tightens Sanctions as Iran Admits Sting of ‘Major’ Leadership Losses appeared first on Breitbart.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani outlined a widening fiscal gap facing the city and emphasized the need for additional revenue and state-level changes, as officials moved to delay a key budget deadline amid ongoing negotiations.
The post Zohran Mamdani Declares ‘Historic’ NYC Budget Crisis, Pushes Back Deadline, Begs State for Bailout appeared first on Breitbart.
Stephen A. Smith isn't the only big name in sports whose actions may point to a potential career change.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr sat down for an interview with the New Yorker titled “Has Steve Kerr Had Enough?” — and what he said was enough to set alarm bells off in BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock’s head.
“Guess who might be the next presidential candidate coming from the sports world?” Whitlock asks on “Fearless with Jason Whitlock,” pointing out that he’s not the only one who noticed.
Political consultant Frank Luntz also senses a career change for Kerr, writing in a post on X: “Legendary Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr sounds like he could run for office.”
In the interview, Kerr told the New Yorker that when he finished college almost 40 years ago, getting a job and buying a house were much simpler.
“Now that’s out of reach for most people between student debt and home prices and the economy slanted toward the very, very top 1%,” he added.
Whitlock also points out that “Steve Kerr and the Golden State ownership are [allegedly] at odds over how far he’s pushing on the political spectrum.”
“So perhaps Steve Kerr is positioning himself for a political run,” Whitlock says, noting that he has some advice for Kerr.
“Tell the left and particularly the athletic left, the professional athlete left, tell them to grow a pair, be somewhat consistent. The silence over the consistent violence directed toward President Trump is really annoying and exposes you and all of these athletes as hypocrites,” he says.
“Maybe Steve Kerr and Stephen A. Smith can pair up and that will be the tandem running for president,” he adds.
Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Study finds a majority of young Spaniards perceive mass migration as a "real threat" and associate it with rising crime.
The post Study: Majority of Young Spaniards See Migration as a ‘Real Threat’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Newly released court documents reveal that the third alleged would-be Trump assassin snapped a selfie just moments before opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday.
Just half an hour before the attack, the suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, apparently snapped a mirror selfie in his Washington Hilton hotel room showing firearms and ammunition strapped to his body.
'It was, at its core, an anti-democratic act of political violence.'
According to the new court documents, the image shows Allen smirking in the mirror while "wearing a small leather bag consistent in appearance with the ammunition-filled bag later recovered from his person," as well as a holster and two sheathed knives.
The documents also contain images of the shotgun, handgun, and knives the suspect was carrying when he rushed a security checkpoint and fired shots in the Washington Hilton lobby.
"Had the defendant achieved his intended outcome, he would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history," Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones wrote.
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President Trump, Truth Social/Anadolu/Getty Images
Allen was ultimately charged with one count of attempting to assassinate the president, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony, as well as discharge of a firearm during a violent crime.
"This was a planned attack of unfathomable malice that risked the lives of hundreds of people whose only transgression was attending an annual event celebrating the media and featuring the President of the United States," Jones added.
"It was, at its core, an anti-democratic act of political violence."
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has revealed that his home was targeted in a firebombing attack in the latest example of political violence directed towards the Brexit leader.
The post Brexit Boss Nigel Farage Reveals His Home Was Targeted in Firebombing Attack appeared first on Breitbart.
A former Parent Teacher Association board member in Texas was arrested by federal agents on Thursday for possession of child pornography, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.
Homeland Security Investigations agents, alongside the Corpus Christi Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, executed a search warrant at the home of 42-year-old Benjamin Milfelt.
'This sicko was in several positions of trust with children of his community, including as a Parent Teacher Association board member and elementary school volunteer.'
Law enforcement agents discovered more than 2,000 images of child pornography on Milfelt's phone, the press release claimed.
The DHS stated that Milfelt previously served on the PTA and was a member of WATCH D.O.G.S., a volunteer group at Mireles Elementary School in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Local news outlet KRIS reported that the volunteer group is "part of a national education initiative that brings fathers, grandfathers, and other male role models into school to volunteer."
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Corpus Christi Independent School District issued a letter to parents regarding Milfelt's arrest, although he is not named in the letter.
“CCPD notified Mireles of the situation involving the former volunteer, who has not been on school property since prior to the notification," the district's notice read. "Out of respect for the important work of law enforcement, we cannot share any additional information."
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images
KRIS reported that law enforcement investigators discovered two phones in Milfelt's pickup truck, one of which allegedly contained several explicit videos and images of children, both male and female, between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.
"This sicko was in several positions of trust with children of his community, including as a Parent Teacher Association board member and elementary school volunteer. He possessed thousands of images of child pornography," DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis alleged in a statement. "Thanks to the work of the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this disgusting criminal is off the streets and can no longer prey on innocent children. He now is being brought to justice for his heinous crimes against children."
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The United States and several U.S.-allied Latin American and Caribbean nations on Tuesday released a joint statement in support of Panama amid the Chinese regime's ongoing retaliatory campaign after Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison lost control of two key Canal ports.
The post U.S. and Allies Stand in Support of Panama amid Chinese Pressure appeared first on Breitbart.
Disney, the corporate giant that owns and regulates ESPN, the largest sports programming network in the world, has decided to keep ESPN, for now.
The post REPORT: Disney Makes Major Ruling on the Future of ESPN appeared first on Breitbart.
The shots that rang through the ballroom at the Washington Hilton last week bounced off the same walls as when President Ronald Reagan was shot and nearly killed 45 years ago. But the reaction to the two events shows how much our culture has degraded.
The post Peter Schweizer: ‘Political Violence Will Get Worse’ Until We Deal with Cancerous Rhetoric appeared first on Breitbart.
Brian Cole Jr., the FBI's suspect in the Jan. 5 to 6, 2021, pipe-bomb case, appeared before a federal judge on April 22 and pleaded not guilty to the two additional felony charges filed against him in a second superseding indictment.
Federal authorities arrested Cole in December, accusing him of planting two pipe bombs, one outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters and one outside the Republican National Committee headquarters, in the hours leading up to the Jan 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol. The bombs did not detonate.
A 'real mic-drop' moment.
A second superseding indictment, filed Apr. 14, included the original charges of interstate transportation of explosives and a malicious attempt to use explosives. It also added two additional charges: an attempt to use weapons of mass destruction and an act of terrorism while armed. If found guilty of these new charges, Cole could face a sentence of life in prison.
The status hearing last week included an arraignment for the additional charges, to which Cole pleaded not guilty.
Cole's defense team requested early in the hearing to discuss setting a trial date, suggesting early December, according to the hearing's transcript obtained by Blaze News.
Prosecutors proposed holding another status hearing before setting a trial date, explaining that they were not yet prepared to estimate how long the trial would take, particularly with the additional charges.
Cara Castronuova, a reporter with LindellTV, called the defense's request a "real mic-drop" moment.
"I think that really surprised the prosecution. Their mouths sort of fell open. A lot of the FBI agents and the DOJ that were sitting there watching sort of looked at each other in disbelief," Castronuova stated.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images
"I don't think that they expected that. I think that they added all of these new charges sort of hoping that this young man, Brian Cole Jr. … would be scared and plea out."
The attorneys for both sides provided the judge with an update on the discovery process.
Prosecutors stated that they had obtained "over a terabyte of data" and that they were still gathering additional information, including witness interview materials.
Cole's attorney, Alex Little with Litson PLLC, said the defense intended to subpoena Congress for Jan. 6 committee records. Little explained to the judge that they had plans to review lawmakers' investigation into the pipe bomber, stating that he believes that they may "have materials that we think would be useful."
The defense also shared potential plans to present "a third-party perpetrator defense" and indicated that they want to "rebut potential alibis of that third party."
During the hearing, the attorneys and judge also discussed the controversy surrounding a recent motion filed by the defense team.
Cole's legal team previously filed a motion on Apr. 1 claiming that former Capitol Police Officer Shauni Kerkhoff was "named as a person of interest in the January 5–6, 2021 pipe bomb investigation." The court filing claimed Kerkhoff was subjected to an FBI polygraph examination and that she "failed" after she was asked, "Did you place those pipe bombs?" and "Did you place those pipe bombs that evening?" Cole's attorneys further noted that the polygraph examiner called Kerkhoff's responses "seemingly rehearsed."
Kerkhoff has been officially cleared by the FBI and is no longer a suspect in the case.
Federal prosecutors argued that the motion violated the case's protective order, which set guidelines for handling confidential and sensitive discovery materials, including identifying information. Prosecutors requested that the judge hold Cole's attorneys in contempt for the public filing.
RELATED: Former Capitol Police Officer Shauni Kerkhoff files lawsuit against Blaze Media
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Cole's defense team asserted that the motion did not violate the protective order in the case, stating that they "were surprised" the government believed it did.
"Your Honor, they immediately jumped to ask to hold me in contempt," Little stated.
"I find it important to make this record for the court. There was nothing in that protective order that we believed are satisfied by the things we put in that motion. We wouldn't have filed them. That's not the way we do things."
He expressed regret and referred to as a "mistake" that the motion contained an individual's home address. He noted that the address should have been removed.
Cole's attorney stated that other than that one instance, prosecutors did not specify any other personally identifiable information in the motion. He claimed that prosecutors were unnecessarily labeling discovery materials as sensitive, including "photographs of shoes that you can get on the web."
"I think the difficulty is when we have now two terabytes, three terabytes of discovery, do I need to show the government a draft of each of my motions to decide whether the information" could be submitted in a public court filing, Little stated, adding that prosecutors had made "half" of the discovery material "sensitive."
Prosecutors argued that the defense's "gambit worked," stating that the public motion "went everywhere" and was "covered by the media."
"The damage was done," a federal attorney told the judge.
Little stated that they "immediately" moved to get the motion "under seal" after being notified by prosecutors that the address was in the public motion.
The defense withdrew the motion, which removed it from the public docket, and filed it under seal. Cole's team then requested that the motion be unsealed with redactions.
The judge ordered counsel to confer and come back to the court with "a proposed redacted version" of the defense's motion.
Castronuova highlighted a moment when the judge reportedly "just started yelling" at the defense attorneys.
"He went from zero to 10 out of nowhere on the defense," she continued. "No one really understood why. He just got angry at something they said and just started reprimanding them, embarrassing them, and yelling at them in court."
At multiple points throughout the hearing, the judge told the defense to "stop talking," according to the transcript.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) reacted to updates from the status hearing last week, suggesting that the defense "put the plainclothes Capitol Police officers who 'found' the second bomb on the stand."
Massie urged them to ask, "Why didn't you immediately begin looking for a third bomb?" "Who told you to go to that area and look for it?" and "Why was the bomb not immediately dealt with?"
"And a new question: why did you look so intently under the empty bush where the pipe bomber dwelled for so long the night before?" Massie continued.
"This trial could get interesting."
Cole's defense team declined to comment. He is scheduled to appear back in court on May 29 for another status hearing.
On Friday, Cole's defense team submitted a motion further arguing for the dismissal of the case due to a lack of jurisdiction. His attorneys previously contended that President Donald Trump's broad pardons related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, which applied to "individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol," should also cover Cole's case.
The government rejected the argument, stating that Cole had no pending indictment at the time the presidential proclamation was issued on Jan. 20, 2025. Prosecutors also asserted that the pipe bombs were placed on Jan. 5, 2021, and therefore were not related to the protest on Jan. 6.
Cole's lawyers responded to the government's arguments by stating that "a strict time limit does not exist in the text of" the president's pardon and, therefore, should not be inferred from it. They claimed it was "an on-going directive." They also reasoned that the timing and proximity of the pipe-bomb incident to the Jan. 6 protest indicate a connection.
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