WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has just revealed a deeply emotional and highly anticipated surprise for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
In a powerful stand against extremism and antisemitism, Speaker Johnson announced he will bring Hanan Lischinsky as his honored guest. Hanan is the brother of Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli Embassy worker who was tragically gunned down alongside his girlfriend, Sarah Milgrim, in the nation’s capital last May.
A FUTURE STOLEN BY EXTREMISM
The horrific May 21, 2025, attack shook the diplomatic and Jewish communities to their core. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were leaving a young diplomats event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum when they were targeted.
The couple, who met while working at the Israeli Embassy, had a beautiful future ahead of them. According to Lischinsky’s family, Yaron had planned to propose to Sarah during a trip to Jerusalem just weeks after they were murdered.
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The Suspect: 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was caught on video shouting “Free Palestine” and “I did it for Gaza” immediately following the attack.
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The Charges: Rodriguez has been hit with a mountain of federal and local charges, including first-degree murder, the murder of foreign officials, and federal hate crimes.
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The Penalty: The Department of Justice is currently weighing whether to seek the death penalty.
“On May 21, 2025, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were murdered on the streets of Washington, D.C. These two young diplomats of the Israeli Embassy, devoted to the cause of peace and to one another, had their futures stolen in a violent act of antisemitism,” Johnson said in a heartfelt statement. “Yaron’s brother, Hanan Lischinsky, has shown remarkable courage in shedding light on the extremism that took his brother’s life.”
A BOOMING ECONOMY AND BIGGER TAX REFUNDS
While the State of the Union will honor those lost to senseless violence, Speaker Johnson also made it clear that President Trump will have a lot of massive economic victories to showcase—specifically, the incredible success of the administration’s new tax policies.
Late last week, Johnson took to X to brag about the immediate, tangible impact of the “Working Families Tax Cut,” which was officially passed as part of the sweeping, “one big, beautiful” bill signed by President Trump in July 2025.
“GREAT NEWS: IRS data shows average tax refunds are up almost 11% so far this year,” Johnson wrote. “This is REAL relief brought to the American people by our Working Families Tax Cut — a bill that EVERY SINGLE Democrat voted against. Working families are keeping more of their hard-earned money — just like we promised.“
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR WALLET
The financial wins for the American people are already rolling in. The IRS opened tax season on January 26, 2026, and the numbers are staggering:
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Refunds are soaring: As of early February, the average IRS tax refund hit $2,290—an almost 11% increase compared to the exact same time last year.
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More money in pockets: Financial forecasters, including the financial services company Piper Sandler, estimate the average payment could jump by roughly $1,000 per filer due to the new tax rules.
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Across-the-board benefits: While top-earning households will see significant gains, early data shows lower- and middle-income taxpayers are also reaping the benefits of the new tax rules.
With the IRS having already processed over 22.4 million returns, experts at the Bipartisan Policy Center predict average refund amounts will continue to climb through late February as the agency processes the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit for working families.
Between honoring the victims of extreme violence and celebrating a supercharged American economy, Tuesday night’s State of the Union is gearing up to be one of the most memorable in modern history.
