(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – An early morning pedestrian is silhouetted against sunrise as he walks through the American flags on the National Mall with the U..S Capitol Building in the background in Washington Nov. 7, 2022. Americans on the right and left have a lot more in common than they might think — including their strong distrust of each other. The results of the survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and the nonprofit group Starts With Us, reveal a stark truth at the source of the polarization that has a powerful grip on American politics: While most Americans agree on the core principals underlying American democracy, they no longer recognize that the other side holds those values too.(AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)

(Reported by Zamone Perez of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) A bill introduced in Congress is facing backlash from nonprofit organizations that warn it could stifle free speech. The “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act” would postpone tax deadlines for citizens who are unlawfully detained abroad or held hostage. But it would also give the federal government the power to remove the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit group it deems to be supporting “terrorist organizations.” Critics of the bill claim it would give President-elect Donald Trump the power to make those decisions about churches, universities, news outlets and more. In Pennsylvania, Lisa DePaoli with the Center for Coalfield Justice says it could be used to stifle the environmental work they do.