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☆ IRS has started simplifying millions of complicated taxpayer notices ahead of the filing season
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ronda Churchill | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWith the opening of tax season only days away, the IRS has unveiled a plan to simplify the millions of complicated notices sent to taxpayers every year. As part of the agency's multibillion-dollar modernization efforts, the IRS has started to review and redesign hundreds of IRS notices — such as letters about unfiled returns, taxes owed or filing errors — aiming to help resolve issues faster and boost compliance. Known as the "Simple Notice Initiative," the program will eventually cover the roughly 170 million notices sent to taxpayers every year, according to the IRS. The agency aims to "review, redesign, and deploy" the majority of IRS letters received by taxpayers by 2025. The program builds on the agency's paperless processing initiative announced in August, which now allows taxpayers to respond to IRS notices online.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Ronda Churchill, unfiled, Yellen, Danny Werfel, Werfel, filers Organizations: Treasury, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Bloomberg, Getty, IRS, National Taxpayer, Congress Locations: Las Vegas, Ronda

☆ Consider getting trained to become an electrician — and fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. AdvertisementFederal data indicates electrician jobs are growing faster than the average of all occupations, with 73,500 openings expected each year over the next decade. "The education system is still built on getting every student to go to college," Shmelzer said. Over four years, students earn a wage and log the thousands of work hours required to become a licensed electrician. Shmelzer said there are many "career circuits" for electricians, including indoor construction and utility work as well as project management and design.

Persons: Grant Shmelzer, Tom Bowen, Bowen, they're, Gen Zers, Shmelzer Organizations: Service, Independent Electrical Contractors, Maryland -, Industry, Chesapeake, Labor, Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locations: America, Chesapeake, Maryland, Maryland - Virginia, In California, Irvine, Canada, Virginia

The U.S. power grid, much of it built nearly a century ago, is being strained by storms, floods and heat waves fueled by climate change even as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence are boosting power demand, Granholm told reporters in a call. In 2021, the Texas grid collapsed during a cold spell, killing more than 200 people and leaving millions of homes without power. The projects will help bring more than 35 gigawatts of new electricity onto the grid from wind and solar and other renewable power and invest in 400 microgrids, or self sufficient energy systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) said. It was the first round of selections under the broader $10.5 billion grid resilience and innovation partnerships program managed by DOE. In southeastern Pennsylvania, PECO Energy (PECI.UL) will boost grid reliability and resilience through substation flood mitigation, replacing aging infrastructure, and deploying battery systems for backup power.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Joe Biden's, Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Timothy Gardner, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Energy, Department of Energy, DOE, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, PECO Energy, Holy, Thomson Locations: Mountain View , California, U.S, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Washington

☆ Help wanted: More female electricians to help America hit its climate goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US needs more electricians to install renewable energy and electric vehicle chargers. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. "Many contractors refused to work with me because I was a woman," Hicks told Insider. Hicks has spent her career trying to make the industry more inclusive for women of color. Only 2% of electricians are women, federal data shows , and nearly 80% are white.

Persons: Tonya Hicks, Hicks, Qmerit, Biden, Tom Bowen, we're, Bowen, they're Organizations: Service, Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Power Solutions, of Labor Statistics Locations: Mississippi, Atlanta, California

☆ Yellen’s UN week agenda: Food prices, climate change and global aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"And we're spending time this week discussing food prices and what we can do to alleviate hunger and shortages of food." Oil prices rose to their highest level of the year last week, prompting some experts to predict that crude oil might reach $100 a barrel by the end of the year. "My expectation is that they will stabilize, but we'll just keep an eye on it," she said of oil prices. China's growth after ending Covid pandemic-related lockdowns, though slower than expected, is a contributor to the lift in oil prices, said Yellen. But its weakened economy, along with Germany's, was driving her focus on the global economy at the UN event.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Russia's, Yellen, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Biden Organizations: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Nations General Assembly, Initiative, World Bank, WASHINGTON —, UN, Treasury, PPI, Republican, GOP Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, Ukraine, New York City, U.S

☆ Yellen's Las Vegas stop shows Bidenomics can be a tough sell
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLAS VEGAS, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Daemein Hargrove, 21, recently dropped plans for a four-year college degree to sign up for an apprenticeship program in Las Vegas that he says has given him higher pay, good medical benefits and a pension. But he's also shouldering gas costs of $500 a month as he commutes to a massive solar site 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's visit Monday to the Las Vegas training center where Hargrove and nearly 700 other apprentices are being paid to work and learn new skills raises some questions about Biden's approach. Yellen's trip to Las Vegas won praise from union leaders, but drew scant public or local media attention. Casey Harrison, a political reporter at the Las Vegas Sun, said the coverage reflected a lack of demand but also inadequate preparation by the administration.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Leah Millis, Daemein Hargrove, Joe Biden's, Hargrove, They're, he's, He's, Biden, Republican Donald Trump, Janet Yellen's, Casey Harrison, Harrison, it's, we've, Gina Raimondo, Deb Haaland, Yellen, what's, Barack Obama's, Rachelle Warren, Warren, It's, Andrea Shalal, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: Treasury, Development Finance, Strategic, International Studies, REUTERS, LAS VEGAS, U.S, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Republican, Democrats, Las Vegas, NBC, Las, Sun, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, Biden, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Las Vegas, United States, Vegas, Nevada

☆ Yellen upbeat on US economy, says Bidenomics is driving investment, job growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China, July 9, 2023. Yellen said China's slowing growth, Russia's war in Ukraine and climate change could still pose risks to the U.S. economy and did not rule out a recession, but she felt upbeat. "I feel very good about U.S. prospects overall," Yellen told reporters, noting that inflation and the unemployment rate had both dropped below 4%, and that the U.S. economy was continuing to expand. "These are real Americans back at work – able to put food on the table, support their families, and save for retirement." Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Las Vegas; Editing by Diane Craft, Matthew Lewis and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Thomas Peter, Joe Biden's, Yellen, Biden, Andrea Shalal, Diane Craft, Matthew Lewis, Sonali Paul Organizations: Treasury, U.S, REUTERS, Thomas, Thomas Peter Companies Ipsos, LAS, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Conference of State Legislators, Workers, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Nevada, Vegas, United States, Ukraine, U.S, Las Vegas

☆ Yellen says the U.S. economy is on track for stable growth thanks to Inflation Reduction Act boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends an event on the Inflation Reduction Act after visiting the site of a new paperless processing initiative in McLean, Virginia, on August 2, 2023. WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday said the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2022 law that spurred major investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and climate goals, has propelled the U.S. economic recovery. "Over the past year, our task has been to transition the economy from rapid recovery to stable growth," Yellen said. "Our path so far shows that we are on the right track, even as we remain vigilant about potential challenges and uncertainties." The term emerged on the political landscape in the past year, first used by Republicans to describe high inflation and the interest rate hikes that were meant to cure it.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Joe Biden, Joe, Barack Obama Organizations: WASHINGTON —, Treasury, Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Training, Infrastructure Law, IRA, GOP Locations: McLean , Virginia, Las Vegas

☆ Yellen warns of risks of over-concentration of clean energy supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"As we move away from fossil fuels, we remain concerned about the risks of over-concentration in clean energy supply chains," she said in excerpts of the speech obtained by Reuters. "Today, the production of critical clean energy inputs – from batteries to solar panels to critical minerals – is concentrated in a handful of countries." "The IRA is helping re-shore some of the production that is critical to our clean energy economy," she said. "Accelerating these transitions can mean greater demand for U.S. clean energy technologies produced by American workers. It can also bolster global clean energy supply chains.”Yellen will speak at a training center operated by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Thomas Peter, laud, Yellen, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrea Shalal, Diane Craft Organizations: Treasury, U.S, REUTERS, Thomas, Thomas Peter Companies Ipsos, LAS, Reuters, International Energy Agency, Democratic, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, U.S, Las Vegas, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Australia, Chile, Nevada

☆ Yellen to tout U.S. economy's resilience, jobs recovery in major speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will highlight the U.S. economy's continuing resilience in a major speech in Las Vegas on Monday, touting the creation of 13 million new jobs and progress in driving down inflation, a Treasury official said. Yellen will speak at a training center operated by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union after touring its cutting-edge clean energy training programs where workers learn how to install solar panels. The Treasury official said Yellen will say the U.S. economy is on the right track toward stable growth, while underscoring the need to remain vigilant on potential challenges. She will note that the resilience of the U.S. economy - which she hailed in a major speech last July - has lasted over the past year despite many naysayers, who warned it could not last, the official added. Yellen will argue that the IRA is making the U.S. less vulnerable to fossil fuel price shocks and strengthening clean energy supply chains, while creating good-paying jobs, the official said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrea Shalal, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: . Treasury, Treasury, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S

REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - Cruise, General Motors' (GM.N) robotaxi unit, said on Thursday it had signed the driverless car industry's first labor union agreements, a significant milestone as unions and robotaxi firms have historically been at odds. The company is partnering with two local San Francisco union chapters that represent electrical workers and janitors, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 6 and Service Employees International Union Local 87. Reuters could not definitively determine if these are the driverless car industry’s first union agreements. Cruise, which offers limited service in San Francisco with a fleet of Chevrolet Bolts fitted with driverless technology, has accumulated over 3 million driverless miles, the company said. Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Heather Somerville, ”, John Doherty, Cruise, Anna Tong, Leslie Adler Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, General Motors, San, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Employees International Union Local, Reuters, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, GM, Chevrolet Bolts, California’s Public Utilities Commission, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, IBEW

☆ In Philly, union members say they don't care about Biden's age: 'I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Union members told Insider they are not too concerned about Biden's age or electability. "I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old," one union member said. Biden's path to reelection depends in part on touting those achievements and turning out union members in November 2024. "There are a lot of politicians in this country who can't say the word 'union,'" Biden said Saturday afternoon, supporters in colorful union merchandise cheering behind him. At Saturday's rally, however, union members insisted it is not a concern — and that the discourse around it is an indictment of the times.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Jaysin Saxton, Saxton, we've, Biden, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump, John Fetterman, Mary Samaroo, Samaroo, Trump, Nora Dumenigo, Dumenigo, Renee Dozier, Mike Brown, he's, Brown Organizations: Saturday . Union, Service, Starbucks, National Labor Relations, AFL, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania's Democratic Party, Senate, of Health, Human Services, Service Employees International Union, SEIU, Republican, Miami International Airport, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locations: Philadelphia, Augusta , Georgia, Pennsylvania, Scranton, Queens, Afghanistan, Cuba, Boston

☆ Norfolk Southern reaches new paid sick leave deal as it contends with derailment fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Norfolk Southern said Wednesday it agreed to provide up to seven paid sick days per years for members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths. The deal provides Norfolk Southern's mechanical railroaders with four paid sick days per year, in addition to three existing days of paid time off that can now be used as sick days. The IBBB is now the ninth of Norfolk Southern's 12 unions that have negotiated paid sick days, benefitting about 6,000 workers. The move comes after months of fighting between unions and railraods – including Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and BNSF – over paid sick leave. The legislation, however, did not include paid sick leave.

☆ Biden takes aim at Republican spending cuts plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

At issue is Republicans' refusal to raise the statutory $31.4 trillion U.S. debt limit unless Biden agrees to spending cuts. The White House has said such measures will only be discussed after the debt ceiling is lifted. In a speech at a union hall in suburban Maryland, Biden accused Republicans, who now control the House of Representatives, of pushing him to agree to spending cuts, while their own plans would add $3 trillion to the debt. Republicans argue that federal spending is too high and will fuel inflation while raising the U.S. debt level. They also plan a separate news conference on Wednesday aimed at highlighting House Republicans' planned budget cuts.

☆ Watch live: Biden outlines plans to cut U.S. deficit by $2 trillion over the next decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Please refresh the page if you do not see a video above at that time.) Biden has made a point of speaking to union workers and highlighting jobs being created by his policies, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that don't require four-year college degrees. The president visited a LIUNA Laborers' Apprenticeship and Training Center in Wisconsin last week and a steamfitters hall in Virginia in late January. Biden, in excerpts from his speech, will argue that his budget won't include taxes on Americans making less than $400,000 a year and will ultimately cut the deficit by $2 trillion over the next decade. The president has yet to release his budget plan but has promised to by March 9.

☆ Biden to blast Republican agenda as 'massive giveaway' to big companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

At issue is Republicans' refusal to raise the statutory $31.4 trillion U.S. debt limit unless Biden agrees to spending cuts, while the White House has said such measures will only be discussed after the debt ceiling is lifted. With his own approval ratings now at 36%, despite 53-year low unemployment and rising consumer sentiment, Biden will seek to flip the script and point the finger at a Republican agenda that he says will amount to "a massive giveaway to the super-rich, big corporations and Big Pharma," the White House said. By contrast, Biden says his administration's plans will cut U.S. debt by another $2 trillion on top of $1.7 trillion in reductions already made. Republicans argue that U.S. federal spending is too high and will fuel inflation while raising the U.S. debt level. Republican have discussed repealing the stock buyback tax entirely, which the White House says would add $74 billion to the federal debt.

Despite layoff announcements and signs of a slowdown elsewhere in the economy, the labor market for clean energy jobs remains tight. said Abigail Ross Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group. The Biden Administration has repeatedly promised that new green energy jobs would be well-paying union jobs. Some solar companies have tried to recruit veterans, saying the skills learned in military life translate well to the industry. Utility scale solar developer SOLV Energy, SunPower and Nextracker last year teamed up with nonprofit Solar Energy International to fund a women-only training program for solar installers.

Investors have urged Musk to step down as Twitter CEO and punished Tesla stock, which is down nearly 60% this year and hit a fresh two-year low on Monday. On a Twitter poll from Musk on Sunday asking whether he should step down as Twitter CEO, 57.5% of 17.5 million people voted "yes." Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management and a big Tesla bull, said last week that he would run for Tesla board and had notified Tesla. Leo KoGuan, a major individual Tesla shareholder, wrote on Twitter earlier that Musk had "abandoned Tesla and Tesla has no working CEO." "The whole situation is just weird, and weird is being kind," said Matthew Tuttle, CEO of Tuttle Capital Management.

☆ U.S. Senator Warren questions Tesla board oversight of Musk purchase of Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warren said Musk had not explained how he is managing conflicts between his role as Twitter CEO and his position at Tesla. “As the owner of Twitter, Mr. Musk may decide to run the company to maximize badly-needed revenue, even if that includes great deals for Tesla’s competitors and potential injury to Tesla." She asked for "detailed information on how the Tesla Board is monitoring these conflicts of interest and Mr. Musk’s appropriation of Tesla assets to Twitter, what guidelines the Tesla Board has put in place to protect Tesla" by Jan. 3. Leo KoGuan, a major individual Tesla shareholder, wrote on Twitter earlier that Musk "abandoned Tesla and Tesla has no working CEO. Separately, Twitter users voted in a poll for Elon Musk to step down as Twitter CEO.

☆ U.S. senator Warren questions Musk purchase of Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) takes part in an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) phone bank in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. December 2, 2022. Warren said Musk had not explained how he will manage conflicts between his role as Twitter CEO and his position at Tesla. "Twitter relies on advertising revenue from automobile companies that are in direct competition with Tesla, including Audi, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Jeep, and Volkswagen,” wrote Warren. “As the owner of Twitter, Mr. Musk may decide to run the company to maximize badly-needed revenue, even if that includes great deals for Tesla’s competitors and potential injury to Tesla." Separately, Twitter users voted in a poll for Elon Musk to step down as CEO.

☆ Rep. Mary Peltola — the 'pro-fish, pro-family, and pro-choice' Alaska congresswoman — credits her father for the encouragement she needed to defeat Sarah Palin
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

On September 13, Mary Peltola made history as the first Alaska Native sworn into Congress. Peltola told Insider she was on the fence about running until an encouraging call from her father. She's really been on my mind a lot lately," she said. Peltola is the first Alaska Native to serve in CongressOn September 13, Peltola was sworn into Congress, making history as the first Alaska Native. 'We built the table'When Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff, the Executive Director for Alaska Native Education and Outreach at The University of Alaska Anchorage found out about Peltola's win, she teared up.

☆ Coca-Cola joins a growing list of corporations giving big money to Biden's inauguration
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-11 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Coca-Cola will give $110,000 in cash and products to President-elect Joe Biden's inaugural committee. Boeing, Google, Microsoft, and Comcast are other corporations with significant business before the federal government that have given the Biden inauguration money. Biden's inauguration is still scheduled for January 20 despite the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Andreas Zeitler/Shutterstock.comOther big corporations giving to Biden inaugurationBoeing in December confirmed to Insider that it was giving the Biden inauguration $1 million. A spokesperson for the Biden inauguration did not immediately return a request for comment.

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