Archive by Author

IRS says it’s making headway in clearing tax return backlog

The IRS says it is climbing out from under the unprecedented stack of tax returns that piled up after the agency had to scale back its operations and close facilities in 2020 following the onset of the pandemic.

The agency announced Tuesday that by the end of this week it will have cleared all original individual tax returns that were filed in 2021 and that didn’t contain any major mistakes.

“Due to issues related to the pandemic and staffing limitations, the IRS began 2022 with a larger than usual inventory of paper tax returns and correspondence filed during 2021,” the IRS said in a statement.

“The IRS took a number of steps to address this, and the agency is on track to complete processing of originally filed Form 1040 (individual tax returns without errors) received in 2021 this week.”

In getting through the 2021 backlog of around 8 million returns, the agency said it’s hit a new milestone in getting back to business as usual, according to a Treasury official.

There’s still a lot of catch-up work to be done. While the IRS has processed the “vast majority” of returns filed this year, it has about twice as many outstanding returns for 2022 as it does in a normal year. Millions of Americans are still waiting for their 2022 refunds.

But that doesn’t mean that last year’s backlog has simply become this year’s backlog. The agency is still ahead of where it was at this point last year by about 1 million returns, the official said.

To get back on track, the IRS announced a major hiring initiative earlier this year, saying it was going to onboard a total of 10,000 new employees, with half of those being expedited hires. Of those 5,000 prospective employees, 3,000 have been given job offers and 1,500 have been successfully onboarded.

The IRS has also repurposed 2,000 existing employees of the agency to work specifically on clearing the backlog.

The pandemic dealt a huge blow to operations for the IRS. The agency has a comparable same size work force from what it had in the 1970s, doesn’t have the ability to scan documents and still uses the COBOL programming language — originally developed in the 1950s in one of the earliest phases of computation.

The agency has long encouraged Congress to provide it additional funding to update its technology and expand its workforce.

Source: TEST FEED1

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers refutes Trump’s description of phone call: ‘That certainly isn’t it’

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R) refuted former President Trump’s description of a phone call between the two men after the 2020 presidential election, telling the members of the select House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol he never told Trump the election was rigged.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Jan. 6 panel who took a leading role in Tuesday’s hearing, began Bowers’s in-person testimony by asking the Arizona official about a phone call that took place between him and Trump after the 2020 presidential election.

Trump, in a statement Tuesday morning, said Bowers “told me that the election was rigged and that I won Arizona.”

Bowers, however, denied that description under oath later Tuesday.

“I did have a conversation with the president, that certainly isn’t it. But, there were parts of it that are true, but there are parts that are not,” Bowers told Schiff when asked if he had such a conversation with Trump.

Pressed on if he did, indeed, tell Trump that the election was rigged and that he actually won the race, Bowers testified that has never made such a statement.

“Anywhere, anyone, anytime has said that I said that the election was rigged, that would not be true,” Bowers said.

“And when the former president in his statement today claimed that you told him that he won Arizona, is that also false?” Schiff asked.

“That is also false,” Bowers responded.

The exchange came at the start of Bowers’s testimony before the panel. Tuesday’s public hearing, which is the fourth so far this month, is focused on Trump’s role in pressuring state officials to reverse the results of the 2020 election to keep himself in power.

Bowers received a call from Trump and attorney Rudy Giuliani amid the pressure campaign to overturn the results of the election.

Bowers is testifying alongside Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his deputy, Gabriel Sterling. Former Georgia election worker Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, will testify later Tuesday afternoon.

Source: TEST FEED1

Rusty Bowers says Giuliani told him: 'We’ve got lots of theories, we just don’t have the evidence'

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R) on Tuesday said he repeatedly pressed Rudy Giuliani for proof of his claims of election fraud after the 2020 election, but that Giuliani failed to produce any. 

“My recollection, he said, ‘We’ve got lots of theories, we just don’t have the evidence,’” Bowers told the Jan. 6 House committee at Tuesday’s hearing. 

“And I don’t know if that was a gaffe or maybe he didn’t think through what he said, but both myself and others in my group… both remember that specifically, and afterwards we kind of laughed about it,” Bowers added. 

Bowers recalled a meeting with Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, who were representing then-President Trump after the 2020 election as they sought to challenge and overturn the election results in certain states Trump lost. 

Bowers said he asked the two for proof of their claims that dead people had voted in large numbers, then asked for names and how the individuals in question voted. But the two did not produce the evidence they had promised, Bowers said. 

Mick Mulvaney, who served as Trump’s acting chief of staff for roughly a year, took a swipe at Giuliani over Bowers’ testimony. 

“That, ladies and gentlemen, was the head of the President’s legal team,” Mulvaney tweeted. 

Source: TEST FEED1

US weapons technology can help Ukraine while reassuring Russia

Since the start of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion, the United States has sought to walk a fine line between helping Ukraine to defend itself and provoking a broader war with Russia. 

For this reason, the United States and the rest of NATO have refrained from engaging in direct military operations with Russian forces, opting instead for a strategy of providing substantial military assistance to Ukraine, largely though not exclusively in the form of weapons that would otherwise be unavailable to Ukrainian forces. Even here, the United States has chosen to provide weapons that are more defensive in character and suited for defending Ukrainian territory rather than other weapons that could allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia. 

Last month, the United States proposed to provide Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including rocket systems with a range of nearly 50 miles, to continue its fight with Russia. These rockets are likely to be those fired by the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and are GPS-enabled so that they can be aimed precisely at fixed geo-located targets. However, because rocket strikes into Russia 50 miles from the Russian-Ukraine border could be construed as non-defensive, the administration has obtained direct assurances from Ukrainian leaders that they would not use these rockets against targets within Russian territory. 

Russian leaders may not take such promises at face value. But even if those promises are sincere and Ukraine has every intention of honoring them, it is still possible that in the heat of battle, these systems might still be used against such targets by mistake or inadvertence. Such an incident would be nearly impossible to walk back and thus could have grave consequences if Russian leaders did not believe Ukrainian assurances that they had not deliberately launched a strike on Russian soil. 

The United States could significantly reduce the danger of an accidental incident by exploiting the GPS-enabled location awareness of the GMLRS system in question. In particular, it would be reasonably straightforward to construct a virtual geo-fence around Russia that would prevent the operation of the GMLRS system should anything inside Russian territory be targeted.

In other words, the GMLRS system could be programmed to operate only to hit targets that were not located inside Russia — if a system operator tried to enter the coordinates of a target within Russia, the system would provide a message noting the target is within a restricted zone and targeting would be refused.

The United States could implement this change to GMLRS software and inform Russia of the change. Russia would be unlikely to object. It might not believe U.S. assurances along these lines but if they did not, it would be no worse off than it would be if the United States did nothing to limit the GMLRS strike region. Ukraine would have no reason to object since it has already promised to obey the restriction. 

The focus of this proposal is not GMLRS per se, though GMLRS is a good example. It could be used with any location-sensitive weaponry provided by the United States, from munitions to platforms such as helicopters or drones. This approach thus allows weapons with greater offensive potential to be provided to the Ukrainians while significantly reducing the risk that they might be used against targets in Russian territory. Disabling the geo-fence restrictions is possible in principle, but could only be accomplished with significant effort.

Using technological mechanisms to prevent attacking targets inside Russia with U.S.-provided weapons may have some value in reassuring Russia. But its greater value could well lie in making the United States — or any technologically advanced Western state — more willing to provide such weapons. 

Of course, the utility of this approach is based on the assumption that concerns about escalation are genuine and not a smokescreen that conceals some other reason for not wanting to provide heavier weaponry to Ukraine. But if these concerns are indeed genuine, adoption of this or a similar technology-based approach may help the United States walk what is today a very fine line between helping Ukraine to defend itself and posing a direct military threat to Russia that could escalate uncontrollably. 

Herbert Lin is a senior research scholar and Hank J. Holland Fellow at Stanford University. He served on President Obama’s 2016 Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, is a 2019 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, served on the Aspen Commission on Information Disorder in 2020 and was a staff member for the House Armed Services Committee (1987-1990). He is the author of “Cyber Threats and Nuclear Weapons,” recently published by Stanford University Press.  

Source: TEST FEED1

Ford motor company sued over NJ tribal land pollution

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has filed a civil suit against the Ford Motor Company, claiming it dumped thousands of tons of toxic waste onto Ramapough Lenape Nation land in the 1960s and 70s, then failed to inform subsequent land owners of the extent of pollution. 

The DEP alleges Ford illegally disposed of paint sludge and other contaminants at a site in Bergen County, N.J., that led to contamination of groundwater, soils, sediments, surface waters, freshwater wetlands, biota, air and other natural resources, according to the complaint. 

Ford operated the Mahwah Assembly, the largest automobile assembly plant in the country at the time, between 1955 and 1980. 

“No matter our race, income, or ancestry, every resident of the State of New Jersey is entitled to the good care and enjoyment of our natural, historic, and cultural resources,” said DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette in a press release. 

LaTourette went on to demand accountability from Ford “for its history of polluting the land and degrading the natural resources that belong to the people of New Jersey, including those once enjoyed by members of the Ramapough Lenape Nation for whom we must further the promise of environmental justice.”

Hazardous waste was disposed of into abandoned mineshafts and pits at Ringwood mines and on the ground surrounding the mines. The company began selling and donating portions of the mines in the early 1970s without disclosing the extent of the contamination. 

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

This lack of disclosure meant pollutants were not promptly removed or contained. After being placed on a National Priorities List in 1983, Ford removed more than 7,000 cubic yards of paint sludge and the site was subsequently removed from the list in 1994. 

“Despite Ford’s representations, residents of Upper Ringwood continued to encounter substantial deposits of paint sludge, around their residences and throughout the Site,” the complaint states. 

“In 2006, following the discovery of extensive remaining contamination, Ringwood Mines became the first Superfund Site to be restored to the NPL due to Ford’s failure to disclose the full extent of the contamination at the Site.” 

In the meantime, members of the Ramapough Lenape Nation reported a series of negative health effects including cancer and birth defects.

Contaminants included harmful levels of lead, arsenic, antimony, vanadium, polychlorinated biphenyls and benzene, among others. 

Plaintiffs are seeking damages of an unknown amount for the destruction of natural resources. 

In a statement, Ford did not respond directly to the claims but said, “We understand this has affected the community and have worked cooperatively with the Borough of Ringwood, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency while implementing the remediation plan stipulated by the EPA.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Piers Morgan urges Republicans to 'dump' Trump for DeSantis

Pundit Piers Morgan says the Republican party should move on from former President Trump and focus on sending Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to the White House in 2024.

“If you were scripting a perfect Republican presidential candidate, the list of preferred requirements would read something like DeSantis’ resume,” Morgan wrote in an op-ed published this week in the New York Post. “And that’s before we get to his highly successful tenure as governor of Florida, where, whatever you think of him, DeSantis has indisputably proven himself to be a bold, fearless, combative and determined leader, earning him high approval ratings and the kind of national media attention that potential presidents get.”

DeSantis, Morgan wrote, has “become Trump’s worst nightmare.”

“The two men have publicly supported each other for years, but I confidently predict this mutual admiration society is about to fall apart big-time,” the bombastic pundit said. “For if there’s one thing Trump can’t stomach more than people who don’t buy into his “rigged election” bulls–t, it’s people who might threaten his chances of returning to the White House in 2024.”

Neither Trump nor DeSantis have indicated if they plan to run for president in 2024, but both are widely expected to consider a bid for The White House.

Morgan, who was recently hired by Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp to host a show on its various streaming services and contribute regular columns, suggested DeSantis is “younger, fresher and more exciting” than Trump, who he described as “the aging, raging gorilla who’s become a whiny, democracy-defying bore.”

Morgan and Trump have recently feuded, with the former president walking off in the middle of an interview with the host after he had been challenged on his unsupported claims of a “rigged” election in 2020, which he lost. Trump’s team subsequently argued Morgan deceptively edited footage of the altercation.

“The game’s up for The Donald, who opened his political career STRONG but who’s now “died.” It’s time Republicans put their faith in The Ronald,” Morgan wrote in his column.

Source: TEST FEED1

First probable monkeypox case reported in New Jersey

New Jersey detected its first probable monkeypox case, state health officials reported on Monday.

The New Jersey Department of Health said in a news release that a PCR test showed the virus present in an individual on June 18, but added the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will conduct a test to confirm the results.

The health department said the individual in question is isolating at home while state officials are contact tracing to find others who may have been exposed.

“The risk to New Jerseyans remains low,” the department said in the release. “Most New Jersey residents are not at risk of infection with monkeypox.”

Monkeypox, a rare disease and a cousin to the now-eradicated smallpox, has been reported in 20 additional states and Washington, D.C, this year.

The virus, which is spread through prolonged contact with an infected person or animal and usually through the transfer of bodily fluids or skin-to-skin contact, is endemic to Africa but has recently spread through Europe and North America.

Symptoms usually occur within 7-14 days and start with fever, headache, muscle ache and exhaustion. Monkeypox is also characterized by a rash or the swelling of the lymph nodes.

The disease has a very low mortality rate and no deaths linked to monkeypox have been reported in non-endemic countries this year.

Health officials say the best ways to protect one’s self are to check for symptoms, wash hands and laundry and avoid high-risk situations.

Source: TEST FEED1

Broadway to lift mask mandate starting next month

The mask-optional show must go on — Broadway theaters say they will lift their mask mandates beginning next month.

The owners and operators of Broadway’s 41 theaters said Tuesday that their performance spaces would adopt a “’mask optional’ policy for the month of July.”

The Broadway League said in an announcement that audience members are “still encouraged to wear masks in theaters.”

But the group indicated that the move might not be permanent. Future masking protocols will be evaluated each month, with August’s policy to be announced in mid-July, the Broadway League said, adding it would continue to “monitor the science.”

Masks had been required since productions in New York City’s famed theater district reopened last year following the longest shutdown in Broadway history, 18 months, due to COVID-19.

“Millions more have experienced Broadway live in theatres in New York City and throughout the U.S., since we reopened last fall,” Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement.

“We’re thrilled to welcome even more of our passionate fans back to Broadway in the exciting 22-23 season that has just begun,” St. Martin said.

Source: TEST FEED1

Trump rips Arizona Republican ahead of public testimony to Jan. 6 panel

Former President Trump on Tuesday ripped Arizona state House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R), who is set to testify in front of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot later in the day with other Georgia officials. 

“Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers is the latest [Republican in name only] to play along with the Unselect Committee,” Trump said in a statement issued through his Save America PAC, claiming that Bowers told him following the 2020 election that he would have lost his election if not for the former president.

Bowers is set to testify along with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) and his chief operating officer Gabriel Sterling in the House select committee’s first panel as lawmakers seek to show Trump’s pressure campaign on state officials to overturn the 2020 election results.  

The Arizona state House Speaker refused efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona, among a slew of battleground states that Trump lost, despite calls from Trump and Rudy Giuliani. He later survived a recall attempt in his state.

In February, the Arizona Republican effectively doomed a bill that would have allowed primary or general election results to be rejected by the state’s legislature.

“For somebody to say we have plenary authority to overthrow a vote of the people for something we think may have happened, where is [the evidence]?’’ Bowers told Capitol Media Services at the time. 

He would later be named one of five recipients of the 2022 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for “their courage to protect and defend democracy”; other awardees include select committee vice chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and former Georgia election worker Wandrea Arshaye Moss, who is also testifying with the committee later Tuesday. 

Trump’s remarks come as he continues to weigh in on the Jan. 6 hearings, baselessly reiterating false election fraud claims and bashing former officials such as former Vice President Pence and former Attorney General Bill Barr.

They also come amid speculation over whether or not the former president will run for reelection in 2024, a potential bid that the hearings could pose a threat to.

Source: TEST FEED1