WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue , allowing it to move ahead with mass layoffs and a plan to outsource the department鈥檚 operations to other agencies.

The justices paused a lower court order that had halted nearly and had called into question the legality of President plan to dismantle the department.

Now, Trump and his education secretary, , are free to execute the layoffs and break up the department鈥檚 work among other federal agencies.

They鈥檙e expected to move quickly鈥攄epartment lawyers have already previewed the plans in court filings.

What happens with student loans, civil rights cases

Trump and McMahon have acknowledged only Congress has authority to close the Education Department fully, but both have suggested its core functions could be parceled out to different federal agencies.

Among the most important decisions is where to put management of federal student loans, a $1.6 trillion portfolio affecting nearly 43 million borrowers.

Trump in March suggested the Small Business Administration would , but a June court filing indicated the Treasury Department is expected to take over the work. The Education Department said it had been negotiating a contract with Treasury but paused discussions when the court intervened. That work is now expected to proceed in coming days.

Under a separate arrangement, nine Education Department workers already have been detailed to Treasury, according to court filing.

The department had also recently struck a deal to outsource the management of several grant programs for workforce training and adult education to the Department of Labor. The Education Department agreed to send $2.6 billion to Labor to oversee grants, which are distributed to states to be passed down to schools and colleges.

Combining workforce training programs at Education and Labor would 鈥減rovide a coordinated federal education and workforce system,鈥� according to the agreement.

Additional agreements are expected to follow with other agencies. At her , McMahon suggested that enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act could be handled by the . Civil rights work could be managed by the , she said.

Laying off staff

Trump campaigned on a promise to close the agency, and in March ordered it to be wound down 鈥渢o the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.鈥� McMahon had already started a dramatic downsizing, laying off about 1,400 workers and declaring 鈥渙ne final mission鈥� to turn over the agency鈥檚 power to states.

Education Department employees targeted by the layoffs have been on paid leave since March, according to a union that represents some of the agency鈥檚 staff. The lower court order had prevented the department from fully terminating them, though none had been allowed to return to work, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. Without the lower court order, the workers would have been terminated in early June.

The Education Department had said earlier in June that it was 鈥渁ctively assessing how to reintegrate鈥� the employees if courts did not rule in Trump鈥檚 favor.

The Associated Press鈥� education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) 鈥� Vietnam will ban fossil-fuel motorcycles and mopeds in the heart of the capital, Hanoi, starting July 2026, as part of a nationwide state media reported.

The directive issued by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh applies to the area inside and along the main ring road that encircles the center of Hanoi. The local government has been tasked with phasing out the two-wheelers by the deadline.

Like the rest of Vietnam, motorcycles are the main mode of transport for most of Hanoi鈥檚 8 million residents. The city has nearly 7 million motorcycles and just over a million cars. But as incomes rise and more people switch to private vehicles, air pollution from traffic has become a growing concern. Hanoi is often enveloped in thick smog, ranking among the most polluted cities worldwide.

Vietnam also wants to switch from fossil-fuel to electric vehicles to Local EV maker VinFast is leading the shift by holding nearly a fifth of the market share, according to the European Chamber of Commerce. But it still has only a small share of the two-wheeler market.

But many are concerned about the unclear plan for phasing out the vehicles.

Nguyen Van Hung, 62, has spent three decades driving a motorcycle taxi in Hanoi, now working with Grab, a ride-hailing app widely used across Southeast Asia. He worries the ban will hit the working class hardest. 鈥淚t will affect people who rely on motorbikes to earn a living,鈥� he said, pointing to delivery drivers, commuters and ride-hailing services. 鈥淗ow can people just discard their vehicles?鈥�

Others said that the timeline was unrealistic. Hoang Duy Dung, 32, an office clerk who works in the city center, said he supports cleaner air but believes it is too soon. 鈥淲e need better public transport and more support before such a big change.鈥�

Central Hanoi is home to much of the city鈥檚 business activity, including offices, government buildings and commercial hubs.

A second phase, set to begin in January 2028, will expand the ban to a wider area and include all fossil-fuel two-wheelers, while also restricting some gasoline-powered cars.

Other measures include upgrading waste-treatment plants, using digital tools to monitor pollution and introducing stricter penalties for violators. Whistleblowers could be rewarded for reporting environmental breaches.

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receive support from several private foundations. See more about AP鈥檚 climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� For sale: A 54-pound rock. Estimated auction price: $2 million to $4 million. Why so expensive? It鈥檚 the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth.

Sotheby鈥檚 in New York will be auctioning what鈥檚 known as NWA 16788 on Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale that also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton that鈥檚 more than 6 feet tall and nearly 11 feet聽 long.

According to the auction house, the meteorite is believed to have been blown off by a massive asteroid strike before traveling 140 million miles to Earth, where it crashed into the Sahara. A meteorite hunter found it in Niger in November 2023, Sotheby鈥檚 says.

The red, brown and gray hunk is about 70% larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth and represents nearly 7% of all , Sotheby鈥檚 says. It measures nearly 15 inches by 11 inches by 6 inches.

鈥淭his Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot,鈥� Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman for science and natural history at Sotheby鈥檚, said in an interview. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars.鈥�

It is also a rare find. There are only 400 out of the more than 77,000 officially recognized meteorites found on Earth, Sotheby鈥檚 says.

Hatton said a small piece of the red planet remnant was removed and sent to a specialized lab that confirmed it is from Mars. It was compared with the distinct chemical composition of Martian meteorites discovered during the Viking space probe that landed on Mars in 1976, she said.

The examination found that it is an 鈥渙livine-microgabbroic shergottite,鈥� a type of Martian rock formed from the slow cooling of Martian magma. It has a course-grained texture and contains the minerals pyroxene and olivine, Sotheby鈥檚 says.

It also has a glassy surface, likely due to the high heat that burned it when it fell through Earth鈥檚 atmosphere, Hatton said. 鈥淪o that was their first clue that this wasn鈥檛 just some big rock on the ground,鈥� she said.

The meteorite previously was on exhibit at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. Sotheby鈥檚 did not disclose the owner.

It鈥檚 not clear exactly when the meteorite hit Earth, but testing shows it probably happened in recent years, Sotheby鈥檚 said.

The juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton was found in 1996 near Laramie, Wyoming, at Bone Cabin Quarry, a gold mine for dinosaur bones. Specialists assembled nearly 140 fossil bones with some sculpted materials to recreate the skeleton and mounted it so it鈥檚 ready to exhibit, Sotheby鈥檚 says.

The skeleton is believed to be from the late , about 150 million years ago, Sotheby鈥檚 says. It鈥檚 auction estimate is $4 million to $6 million.

Ceratosaurus dinosaurs were bipeds with short arms that appear similar to , but smaller. Ceratosaurus dinosaurs could grow up to 25 feet long, while the Tyrannosaurs rex could be 40 feet long.

The skeleton was acquired last year by Fossilogic, a Utah-based fossil preparation and mounting company.

Wednesday鈥檚 auction is part of Sotheby鈥檚 Geek Week 2025 and features 122 items, including other meteorites, fossils and gem-quality minerals.

Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

A to release more information about the case has sparked outrage among some of President loyal supporters.

The Justice Department last week said Epstein, who was facing charges of sex trafficking, Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested in February it was on her desk, though she later said she was referring to the overall case file.

Bondi also said officials were poring over a 鈥渢ruckload鈥� of previously withheld evidence. The Justice Department concluded, however, that public disclosure would not be appropriate and that much of the material was placed under seal by a judge. That has angered right-wing influencers who were once bolstered by Trump鈥檚 own claims on this case, but are now feeling their demands are being squelched by his administration.

Figures like commentator Tucker Carlson, right-wing activist Laura Loomer, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon claim the government鈥檚 handling of the case shows a lack of transparency. Anger over the case threatens to divide the MAGA faithful.

Here鈥檚 a look at the Epstein sex trafficking case, how the Trump administration has handled it and how his supporters have reacted to recent developments.

What is the Epstein case?

Epstein was a wealthy financier on federal sex trafficking charges. His former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was charged with helping him abuse teenage girls.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in New York City about a month after he was arrested. Investigators concluded he killed himself. Maxwell later was convicted at trial and in prison.

The case attracted attention because of Epstein and Maxwell鈥檚 links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires. It also led to some of the biggest animating Trump鈥檚 base.

Conservatives, led by key figures in the MAGA movement, have pressed unsubstantiated claims that Epstein was murdered and that 鈥渄eep state鈥� actors in the government are hiding lists of his clients, videos of crimes being committed and other evidence. Trump himself suggested there was a cover-up.

What are the 鈥楨pstein Files鈥�?

Trump lately has tried to change the subject, but the Epstein matter commands attention because of the words and actions from his administration.

In February, far-right influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked 鈥淭he Epstein Files: Phase 1鈥� and 鈥淒eclassified.鈥� The binders contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain.

Bondi said in May there were 鈥渢ens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn.鈥� That fueled a belief that details about powerful figures had been suppressed.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a new administration and everything is going to come out to the public,鈥� Bondi said at one point.

Multiple people who participated in the criminal cases of Epstein and told The Associated Press that of a trove of recordings along the lines of what Bondi had referenced.

What happened last week?

The Justice Department that Epstein did not have a list of clients and said no more files related to Epstein鈥檚 case would be made public.

A two-page memo that bore the logos of the FBI and Justice Department, but that was not signed by any individual, said the DOJ determined that no 鈥渇urther disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.鈥� It said much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and 鈥渙nly a fraction鈥� of it 鈥渨ould have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.鈥�

It was a huge retreat from what Bondi and others had previously claimed. And it prompted anger 鈥� and more suspicion and conspiracy theories 鈥� from the MAGA faithful.

Some MAGA world influencers, including Loomer and Glenn Beck, have explicitly called on Bondi to resign. Former Fox News personality Megyn Kelly, who is now a podcaster, called Bondi 鈥渆ither lazy or incompetent.鈥�

What had Trump said about Epstein before his second term?

As far back as 2019, Trump suggested that Epstein鈥檚 death was a cover-up and called for a full investigation.

In retweeting a post by conservative pundit and comedian Terrance K. Williams, who suggested that former President Bill Clinton may have been involved, Trump wrote that Epstein 鈥渉ad information on Bill Clinton & now he鈥檚 dead.鈥�

When asked about his retweet, Trump said he was merely 鈥渄emanding鈥� a full investigation, a day after then-Attorney General Bill Barr said there had been 鈥渟erious irregularities鈥� at the prison where Epstein was being held.

In a 2023 interview, Trump told Carlson he believed that Epstein had committed suicide. But he couched his response, saying it was also 鈥減ossible鈥� that he had been murdered, a theory he said 鈥渕any people.鈥� believed.

Last year, Trump was asked on Fox News whether he would declassify documents regarding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and he answered 鈥測eah.鈥� He was then asked about the 鈥淓pstein files,鈥� and he said 鈥測eah, yeah, I would,鈥� but then added 鈥淚 think that less so because you don鈥檛 want to affect people鈥檚 lives if it鈥檚 phony stuff in there, because it鈥檚 a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would.鈥�

What has Trump said recently?

In a Cabinet meeting last week, Trump called it 鈥渦nbelievable鈥� and a 鈥渄esecration鈥� that people were still talking about 鈥渢his creep,鈥� given other pressing matters, including the catastrophic flooding in Texas.

In a social media post on Saturday, he expressed support for Bondi.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on with my 鈥榖oys鈥� and, in some cases, 鈥榞als?鈥欌�� Trump wrote. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We鈥檙e on one Team, MAGA, and I don鈥檛 like what鈥檚 happening.鈥�

LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� A judge has ordered Los Angeles prosecutors to explain why murder convictions should not be re-examined supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father.

The July 7 order by LA County Superior Court Judge William Ryan was in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by the Menendez brothers in May 2023 seeking a review of their 1996 convictions for the killings of their parents based on new evidence.

The brothers were convicted of murdering their father, Jose Menendez 鈥� a powerful record executive 鈥� and their mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

Their first trials resulted in hung juries. At the second trial for both brothers, the judge excluded a substantial amount of evidence, including testimony from several family members who witnessed or heard about the abuse. The brothers were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In May, a judge to 50 years to life in response to a resentencing petition, making them eligible for parole. They will appear before the state parole board in August.

The new evidence included a newly discovered letter from Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano in which he describes being abused by his father, and a declaration from Menudo boy band member Roy Rossello that he was raped by Jose Menendez in the 1980s.

While prosecutors argued that the , Ryan sided with the Menendez brothers, saying they had provided sufficient proof of why the evidence could have changed the outcome of their convictions.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney鈥檚 office now has 30 days to explain why the brothers should not be granted habeas corpus relief.

There are several possible outcomes if the judge grants relief, including reduced sentences, a new trial, or even release from prison.

WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The is allowing President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track and go through with laying off nearly 1,400 employees.

With the three liberal justices in dissent, the court on Monday paused an order from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston, who issued a preliminary injunction reversing the layoffs and calling into question the broader plan.

The layoffs 鈥渨ill likely cripple the department,鈥� Joun wrote. A federal appeals court refused to put the order on hold while the administration appealed.

The high court action enables the administration to resume work on winding down the department, one of Trump鈥檚 biggest campaign promises.

The court did not explain its decision in favor of Trump, as is customary in emergency appeals.

But in dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor complained that her colleagues were enabling legally questionable action on the part of the administration.

鈥淲hen the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary鈥檚 duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it,鈥� Sotomayor wrote for herself and Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan.

Education Department employees who were targeted by the layoffs have been on paid leave since March, according to a union that represents some of the agency鈥檚 staff.

Joun鈥檚 order had prevented the department from fully terminating them, though none had been allowed to return to work, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. Without Joun鈥檚 order, the workers would have been terminated in early June.

The Education Department had said earlier in June that it was 鈥渁ctively assessing how to reintegrate鈥� the employees. A department email asked them to share whether they had gained other employment, saying the request was meant to 鈥渟upport a smooth and informed return to duty.鈥�

The current case involves two consolidated lawsuits that said Trump鈥檚 plan amounted to an illegal closure of the Education Department.

One suit was filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts along with the American Federation of Teachers and other education groups. The other suit was filed by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general.

The suits argued that layoffs left the department unable to carry out responsibilities required by Congress, including duties to , and .

In a video, Cuomo, who last month suffered a in the Democratic primary, announced he was making another run to combat the progressive Mamdani, who he said 鈥渙ffers slick slogans but no real solutions.鈥�

鈥淭he fight to save our city isn鈥檛 over,鈥� Cuomo said. 鈥淥nly 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November and I am in it to win it.鈥�

Incumbent Mayor also is running as an independent in the general election and Curtis Sliwa 鈥� founder of the 1970s-era Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol 鈥� is again on the Republican line.

People opposed to Mamdani鈥檚 progressive agenda, which includes higher taxes on the wealthy, have called on donors and voters to unite behind a single candidate for the November election. They fear multiple candidates will splinter the anti-Mamdani vote, increasing the Democrat鈥檚 chances to win.

The decision to continue on in the race is the latest chapter in Cuomo鈥檚 comeback attempt, launched almost four years after he resigned as governor in 2021 following a barrage of allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics.

Cuomo was treated as the presumed frontrunner for much of the Democratic primary, with the former governor boasting deep political experience, universal name recognition and a juggernaut fundraising operation. He limited media interviews, held few unscripted events and avoided mingling with voters.

That strategy contrasted with Mamdani鈥檚 energetic street-level campaign centered around affordability issues. The 33-year-old amassed a legion of young volunteers who blanketed the city to build support, while the candidate鈥檚 savvy social media persona won him national acclaim.

Lagging behind Mamdani in the vote count, Cuomo conceded the race last month on primary night. Final results released after the city ran through its ranked choice voting calculations showed Mamdani besting the former governor by 12 percentage points.

Despite the Democratic primary loss, Cuomo had also qualified to run on an independent ballot line in November under a party he created called 鈥淔ight and Deliver.鈥�

As he weighed whether to stay on as an independent, Cuomo began losing support from traditional allies. Key labor unions backed Mamdani and the Rev. Al Sharpton, an influential Black leader, urged Cuomo to step aside.

Some deep-pocketed contributors have meanwhile aligned behind Adams, who is . Although he鈥檚 still a Democrat, Adams pulled out of the primary shortly after a federal judge dismissed a corruption case against him at the request of President Donald Trump鈥檚 Justice Department, arguing that the case had sidelined him from campaigning.

Cuomo, 67, served as governor for over a decade and modeled himself as a socially progressive Democrat who got things done. He pushed through legislation that legalized gay marriage and tackled massive infrastructure projects, like a three-mile bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father.

Cuomo鈥檚 national profile peaked in the early days of the nation鈥檚 coronavirus outbreak during his televised daily briefings. The governor leavened stern warnings for people to wear masks with heartfelt expressions of concern for his elderly mother or brotherly banter with Chris Cuomo, a TV journalist.

His reputation was soon tainted when it emerged that the state鈥檚 official count of nursing home deaths had excluded many victims who had been transferred to hospitals before they succumbed.

Cuomo resigned shortly after New York鈥檚 attorney general released the results of an investigation that found he sexually harassed at least 11 women.

A county clerk in New York on Monday again refused to file against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills to a Dallas-area woman.

New York is among that protect providers from other states鈥� reach. Abortion opponents claim the laws violate a constitutional requirement that states respect the laws and legal judgments of other states.

Republican Texas State Attorney General Ken Paxton wants a New York court to enforce a civil decision from Texas against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who practices north of New York City in Ulster County, for allegedly prescribing abortion medication via telemedicine.

Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck in March to file the judgment, citing the New York law that shields abortion providers who serve patients in states with abortion bans. A second demand was made last week by the Texas attorney general鈥檚 office, which said Bruck had a 鈥渟tatutory duty鈥� to make the filing under New York civil practice law.

Bruck responded Monday that the rejection stands.

鈥淲hile I鈥檓 not entirely sure how things work in Texas, here in New York, a rejection means the matter is closed,鈥� Bruck wrote in a letter to Texas officials.

An email seeking comment was sent to Paxton鈥檚 office.

The Texas case is one of two involving Carpenter that could end up testing shield laws.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this year in rejecting a request to extradite Carpenter to Louisiana, where the doctor was charged with to a pregnant minor.

Hochul, responding to the latest request from Paxton鈥檚 office, claimed he was attempting to dictate 鈥渢he personal decisions of women across America.鈥�

鈥淥ur response to their baseless claim is clear: no way in hell. New York won鈥檛 be bullied,鈥� she said in a prepared statement. 鈥淎nd I鈥檒l never back down from this fight.鈥�

Millions of people receive a federal tax deduction for the interest they pay on home loans. Under , many people for the first time also could claim a tax deduction for interest on their vehicle loans.

The new tax break will be available even to people who don鈥檛 itemize deductions. But there are some caveats that could limit its reach. The vehicles must be new, not used. They must be assembled in the U.S. And the loans must be issued no sooner than this year, to list just a few qualifications.

Here are some things to know about the new auto loan interest tax deduction:

Candidate Trump promised an auto loan interest tax break

Trump pledged while campaigning last year to make . He said it would make car ownership more affordable and 鈥渟timulate massive domestic auto production.鈥�

The idea made it into the big tax-cut bill passed by Congress, which Trump July 4.

The law allows taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 of interest payments annually on loans for new American-made vehicles from 2025 through 2028. It applies to cars, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, minivans, vans and pickup trucks weighing less than 14,000 pounds, a threshold referred to as light vehicles. But it only applies to vehicles purchased for personal use, not for fleets or commercial purposes.

The tax break can be claimed starting on 2025 income tax returns. But the deduction phases out for individuals with incomes between $100,000 and $150,000 or joint taxpayers with incomes between $200,000 and $250,000. Those earning more cannot claim the tax break.

Millions of buyers could benefit, but millions of others will not

U.S. automobile dealers sold 15.9 million new light vehicles last year, a little over half of which were assembled in the U.S, according to Cox Automotive. It says around 60% of retail sales are financed with loans.

After excluding fleet and commercial vehicles and customers above the income cutoff, an estimated 3.5 million new vehicle loans could be eligible for the tax break this year, if purchasing patterns stay the same, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive.

It鈥檚 the assembly plant, not the automaker鈥檚 headquarters that matters

The tax break applies to vehicles assembled in the U.S., no matter where the company making them is headquartered. All Tesla vehicles sold in the U.S. are assembled in this country. But so are all Acura brands, the luxury model of Japanese automaker Honda.

Last year, 78% of Ford vehicles sold in the U.S. were assembled in this country, according to Cox Automotive. But customers wanting the tax break will need to pay attention to specific models. While the Ford Mustang is assembled in Michigan, the Mustang Mach-E is built in Mexico.

General Motors assembles all of its Cadillacs in the U.S. But just 44% of its Chevrolets sold last year were assembled in the U.S., and just 14% of Buicks, according to Cox Automotive. That鈥檚 a lower U.S-assembled rate than Honda (60%), Toyota (52%) and Nissan (48%), which all are headquartered in Japan.

Taxpayers could save hundreds of dollars a year

The average new vehicle loan is about $44,000 financed over six years. Interest rates vary by customer, so the savings will, too. In general, the tax deduction will decline after the initial year, because interest payments on loans are frontloaded while principal payments grow on the back end.

At a 9.3% interest rate, an average new vehicle buyer could save about $2,200 on taxes over four years, Smoke said. The tax savings would be less on a loan at 6.5%, which is the rate figured into calculations by the American Financial Services Association, a consumer credit industry trade group.

Some people also could see a reduction in state income taxes

Whereas the tax deduction for home loan interest can be claimed only by people itemizing on their tax returns, Congress wrote the deduction for auto loan interest so that it can apply to all taxpayers, including those claiming the standard deduction.

On a tax form, the auto loan deduction will come before the calculation of a taxpayer鈥檚 adjusted gross income. That鈥檚 an important distinction, because many states use a taxpayer鈥檚 federal adjusted gross income as the starting point for figuring their state income taxes. If that income figure is lower, it could reduce the state taxes owed.

The verdict is out on whether the tax break will boost sales

At Bowen Scarff Ford in Kent, Washington, customers started asking about the auto loan tax deduction before Congress had even taken a final vote on the tax-cut bill, said General Manager Paul Ray. So he decided to promote it on the dealer鈥檚 website.

A website ribbon exclaims: 鈥淐AR LOAN TAX DEDUCTION NOW AVAILABLE鈥� while also promoting an electric vehicle tax credit that is ending soon as a result of Trump鈥檚 tax-cut law.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to help incentivize vehicle purchases through this year,鈥� Ray said.

Celia Winslow, president and CEO of the American Financial Services Association, concurred: 鈥淔or some people deciding 鈥� should I buy it, should I not 鈥� this could be something that tips the scale.鈥�

Others remain skeptical. According to Smoke鈥檚 math, the average annual tax savings is smaller than a single month鈥檚 loan payment for a new vehicle.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it moves the needle on somebody on the fence of buying a new vehicle or not,鈥� Smoke said. 鈥淏ut I think it could influence their decision to finance that vehicle instead of paying cash or instead of leasing a vehicle.鈥�

That was the way the Colorado state poet laureate, queer activist and internationally touring spoken-word artist said they wanted to leave this Earth — with a life full of love so big and enduring, it couldn’t be contained.

Gibson, 49, died early Monday morning in their Boulder home surrounded by their wife, four ex-girlfriends, their parents, dozens of friends and their three beloved dogs, . They were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021.

The Facebook post from Gibson’s loved ones said one of the last things they said was, “I (expletive) loved my life.”

Readers and fans of Gibson’s work — poetry books and spoken-word collections — offered an outpouring of love, grief and touching tributes Monday about how the poet’s words found them at just the right time. Some said Gibson’s work saved them, while others said it gave them permission to be their authentic selves.

In 2023, Gibson was a role created to promote poetry appreciation in the state and honor local wordsmiths. Gibson said they hoped to bring poetry to the masses.

鈥淚t is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Andrea Gibson, an inspiring poet and Colorado鈥檚 current poet laureate,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “Renowned for inspiring poetry, advocacy for arts in education, and unique ability to connect with the vast and diverse poetry lovers of Colorado, Andrea was truly one of a kind and will be deeply missed by personal friends as well (as) all who were touched by their poetry. My thoughts go out to Andrea鈥檚 loved ones during this difficult time.”

Gibson was recently the subject of the award-winning documentary which follows the poet and their wife Megan Falley as they navigate the cancer diagnosis, love and art. The film, directed by Ryan White, won the Sundance Film Festival’s “Festival Favorite” award this year.

Gibson’s work — immortalized in YouTube videos and on vinyl records, and — garnered fans across the globe.

Floridian Alaina Bruni, 28, told The Denver Post that she found Gibson’s work as an angsty teenager. Gibson’s poems were raw and real, Bruni said, and spoke to her in a way she didn’t know poetry could. She found herself captivated by grainy YouTube videos of Gibson’s famed slam poetry.

“The way they spoke made me feel seen,” Bruni said.

Gibson got Bruni interested in poetry and the arts. Bruni had the pleasure of watching Gibson perform live a few times over the years and covets the signed books she will forever treasure.

“The Nutritionist” is Bruni’s favorite poem by Gibson. It begins, “The nutritionist said I should eat root vegetables.”

“I’ll think of them every time I eat carrots,” Bruni said.

In an , Gibson said their cancer diagnosis allowed them to tap into how the “brevity of this life” gifted them “awe and joy and astonishment.”

Gibson wrote extensively about death and grief. It becomes difficult to memorialize Gibson without referring back to their own work.

“Not long ago, Andrea wrote a poem titled ‘Love Letter From the Afterlife,’” their loved ones wrote on Facebook. “In it, they offered this line: ‘I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.’ Today, and all days forward, we hope you feel Andrea鈥檚 enormous spirit and immense presence beside you.”

This is a developing story that will be updated.聽