GOP Congressman and Wife Plead not Guilty
ROMANS: All right. Don't get too excited about creative workarounds to keep your state and local tax deductions. The Treasury Department cracking down on the loophole for high-tax states preventing them from helping taxpayers avoid that new cap on state and local tax deductions. That was one of the most controversial parts of the new GOP tax law. Once unlimited, the so-called SALT deduction is now capped at $10,000. Now that disproportionately harmed high-tax states which are mostly blue. In fact, several blue states are suing the Trump administration. New York, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey. They claim the tax law unfairly targets Democratic states. Those same states passed laws to work around the cap allowing taxpayers to make charitable contributions in lieu of state taxes in exchange for a tax credit. But a new treasury rule blocks that scenario. Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Congress limited deduction that benefited high income earners to help pay for major tax cuts for American families. Deductions help reduce your overall tax bill so in high-tax states like New York, the cap could increase resident taxes by $14 billion this year. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo calls the SALT change a political attempt to hurt Democratic states. He promised to fight that new treasury rule.</s>BRIGGS: California Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter and his wife pleading not guilty in federal court Thursday. The charges they illegally used a $250,000 in campaign funds to furnish their lavish lifestyle. Hunter on Fox News last night seemed to point the finger at his wife.</s>HUNTER: When I went to Iraq in 2003, the first time I gave her power of attorney and she handled my finances throughout my entire military career and that continued on when I got in Congress. She was also the campaign manager. So, whatever she did, that will be looked at, too, I'm sure. But I did not do it.</s>BRIGGS: Interesting breakfast conversation this morning. No response yet from Hunter's wife, Margaret. The couple accused of spending campaign money for personal expenses, large and small, including a $14,000 family vacation to Italy.</s>ROMANS: All right. The two-person board of elections in Randolph County, Georgia, will vote this morning on a proposal to shut down seven of its nine polling places. Critics see this as a move to suppress black voters in a critical election that could result in Stacey Abrams becoming the first black female governor. Supporters in the rural Southwest Georgia County say the move will save money and they claim the seven targeted locations do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.</s>BRIGGS: A preliminary autopsy report on Mollie Tibbetts indicates her death was caused by multiple sharp force injuries. The 20-year-old University of Iowa student was last seen jogging on July 18th. Her body was found Tuesday buried under a pile of corn stalks. An undocumented 24-year-old immigrant from Mexico, Christhian Rivera charged with Tibbetts murder. Her funeral scheduled for Sunday.</s>ROMANS: Heart pounding video out of Texas where police stopped a woman from jumping off a bridge. Take a look at this dashing video from Fort Worth Police. A woman standing there on the ledge of an overpass. Her heels of her feet hanging right over it. Officers Justin Henry and Trae Cierzan inch slowly toward her. Watch what happens next.</s>UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: It doesn't matter.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody wants me dead.</s>UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: No one wants that.</s>UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: No one wants that. Please get down. Please get down. Please get down. Please get down.</s>ROMANS: One of the officers has been heard promising to get her help. CNN affiliate KTVT says the woman is in a hospital. Her family says they are forever grateful to those officers who they hoped to one day meet.</s>BRIGGS: What a difficult situation for those officers not knowing when to act for the great job there. All right, ahead of preseason scare for the Cleveland Browns and their two tough quarterbacks. Lindsay Czarniak in studio for the "Bleacher Report" next.