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The late, beloved "Golden Girls" actor Betty White will be memorialized on a new postage stamp next year. Postal Service announced Friday that one of its 2025 Forever Stamp offerings will include an illustration of White. The collection has honored a man one year and a woman the next, according to the Postal Service. The stamp includes a photo of Toussaint taken by Bill Tompkins in 2007, according to the Postal Service. Other 2025 stamp offerings include a love-themed stamp featuring art by Keith Haring, a Lunar New Year stamp for the year of the snake and a baby wild animal stamp collection.

Persons: Betty White, White . White, Mary Tyler Moore, Kwaku Alston, White, Dale Stephanos, Greg Breeding, Stephanos, Allen Toussaint, Toussaint, Bill Tompkins, Ethel Kessler, Keith Haring, Lisa Bobb, Semple Organizations: U.S . Postal Service, U.S . Postal, Postal Service, Facebook, Heritage, Postal Locations: U.S

WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden relinquishes power in January, some parts of his legacy will be secure, while others may be undone by President-elect Donald Trump and a new Republican-controlled Congress. The pieces of Biden’s legacy go into four buckets. But it will be difficult for Trump to undo bipartisan legislation, such as measures about infrastructure and preventing gun violence, and the judges Biden appointed can’t be unseated. Biden’s immigration orders are ripe for Trump to target after he ran on a platform of mass deportations and clamping down on border security. Bipartisan Biden-era bills (largely safe)The parts of Biden’s legacy that will be relatively safe are the bipartisan laws he passed, which are subject to filibusters and therefore give Democrats the power to protect them.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Joe Biden relinquishes, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, can’t, they've, Roe, Wade, Sen, Kevin Cramer, ” Cramer, Kamala Harris, Thom Tillis, they’ve, ” Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, Tommy Tuberville, “, ”, Ben Cline, John Thune, they’ll, Angus King, It's, ” King, Ketanji Brown Jackson Organizations: Republican, Trump, Democrats, NBC News, GOP, Biden, American, Finance Committee, Public, Republicans, Postal Service, Democratic Locations: U.S, South Dakota, Maine, Pennsylvania

☆ It’s easier than you might think for teens to buy restricted e-cigarette devices online
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Sam Tupper | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Although sales of tobacco products have been restricted in hundreds of municipalities across the US, a new study is highlighting some loopholes that allow children to bypass online regulations to buy e-cigarettes. Though the sales of flavored tobacco products have been restricted in eight states and in nearly 400 cities or counties, these regulations don’t completely cover e-commerce or online shopping. “People will not tell the truth when they enter their age, and it’s remarkably easy for kids to get tobacco products mailed to them. More than 1 in 4 underage people report using e-cigarettes daily, and most youth who use e-cigarettes favor flavored products. “Prohibiting tobacco sales completely, or states putting some more restrictions on how the products are delivered to people, can help make e-cigarettes harder to purchase,” he said.

Persons: ”, Thomas Carr, Carr, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Carr Organizations: CNN, Tobacco Survey, Children, United States Postal Service, JAMA, USPS, American Lung Association, ” Tobacco, Food and Drug Administration, Tobacco Control, CNN Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, FDA

☆ What’s open and closed on Veterans Day 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Veterans Day honors active and former US service members annually on November 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I. Here’s what’s open and closed on Veterans Day 2024. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be trading on Veterans Day. Postal servicesUPS will be operating as normal on Veterans Day. Make sure to double-check if your local services are open that day.

Organizations: New, New York CNN, Veterans, Retail, Target, Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Roadhouse, Bank of America, Citibank, Bank, Federal, The New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, UPS, Veterans Day, FedEx, FedEx Express Locations: New York, Wells Fargo

☆ Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Tim Cook and other tech leaders congratulate Trump on election win
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos celebrated Trump's win in a post on X, calling it an "extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory." Trump repeatedly took aim at Bezos' ownership of the Post, Amazon's tax record and its relationship with the Postal Service. Apple CEO Tim Cook congratulated Trump on his victory in a post on X. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a post on X that he hopes Trump will see "huge success in the job." Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Trump's election win a "decisive victory" and said he looks forward to working with the Trump administration.

Persons: Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Trump, Bezos, Kamala Harris, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Tim Cook, Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Elon, Musk, Trump's, Tesla, Sundar Pichai, he's, Satya Nadella, Reid Hoffman, Hoffman, Harris, Gelsinger, Arvind Krishna, Chuck Robbins, Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, Aaron Levie, Michael Dell Organizations: Economic, Amazon, U.S, Washington Post, Postal Service, Trump, Post, Democratic, Apple, Facebook, SpaceX, White, America PAC, Google, Microsoft, Venture, LinkedIn, Intel, Biden, IBM, Cisco, Dell Technologies Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Glasgow, Scotland, Pennsylvania, Bezos, United States, U.S

Challenges filed in Bucks County – which includes Philadelphia’s northeastern suburbs – were all filed by Pennsylvania state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, O’Malley said. Coleman also filed 519 challenges to overseas voters in Lehigh County, according to Tim Benyo, that county’s elections chief. Republicans and outside conservative groups have launched legal assaults against overseas ballots in multiple battleground states, including Pennsylvania, after Democrats touted efforts to turn out citizens who live abroad. Pennsylvania officials said that the lawsuit risked disenfranchising “tens of thousands” of overseas voters, including those in uniform. “In the absence of a registration requirement that applies to (overseas voters), election officials are required to fill their timely submitted absentee ballot requests,” Morley said.

Persons: –, “ It’s, ”, Ari Savitzky, Jim O’Malley, Sen, Jarrett Coleman, O’Malley, Coleman, Tim Benyo, Cris Dush, Commonwealth Al Schmidt, Joe Biden, Karen DiSalvo, disenfranchising, DiSalvo, Charles Faltenovich, Faltenovich, doesn’t, Michael Morley, ” Morley, CNN’s Danya Gainor Organizations: CNN, White, ACLU, Pennsylvania, Republican, Commonwealth, US Postal Services, US Postal Service, Florida State University, Lycoming County Locations: Pennsylvania, Bucks County, –, Lehigh County, Centre County, Lycoming County, Washington, Beaver, United States, Lycoming

“Make no mistake, an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable,” Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said Monday. All ballot boxes in Multnomah County and Clark County have fire suppressant installed, election officials said during a news conference Monday. Voting in Oregon and Washington is done almost entirely by mail or ballot drop off. Enhanced ballot box securityA damaged ballot drop box is displayed during a news conference at the Multnomah County Elections Division office on Monday in Portland, Oregon. Following the ballot box fires, Gluesenkamp Perez requested overnight law enforcement patrols at drop boxes through Election Day.

Persons: LaVonne Griffin, Valade, ”, Steve Hobbs, “, Jenny Kane, Tim Scott, Greg Kimsey, Kimsey, Scott, ” Jay Riestenberg, John Burnside, ” Burnside, They’ve, Burnside, “ It’s, ” “, Mike Benner, Amanda McMillan, Jay Inslee, Jessica Vega Pederson, Tina Kotek, Inslee, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Gluesenkamp Perez, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, I’m, ” Larry Olson, suppressants, ” Olson, CNN’s Nicole Chavez, Taylor Romine, David Williams, Natasha Chen Organizations: CNN, US Department of Homeland Security, Division, Portland Police, Portland Police Bureau, Vancouver Police Department, US Postal Service, . Portland Police, ” Police, Volvo, Oregon Department, Driver, Vehicle Services, Washington Gov, Congressional, Rep Locations: Pacific Northwest, Portland, Vancouver , Washington, Vancouver, Oregon, Washington, Multnomah, Portland , Oregon, Multnomah County, Clark, Clark County, In Oregon, Southeast Portland, Seattle, Washington’s, American, Oregon’s Multnomah County

Ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and neighboring Vancouver, Washington, were set on fire early Monday morning, police said, just over a week out from Election Day. The Portland Police Bureau said an "incendiary device" was placed inside of a sidewalk ballot box in the Central City district. At around 4 a.m. local time, about a half-hour after the reported fire in Portland, police in Vancouver also responded to a ballot box fire. Earlier this month, the Vancouver bomb squad responded to reports of a "suspicious device" near a downtown ballot box, police said. The device was "safely removed" and the ballot box itself was "not compromised," according to a news release.

Persons: Greg Kimsey, Shasti Conrad, Kimsey, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Donald Trump, Joe Kent Organizations: Vancouver . The Portland Police Bureau, Officers, Portland police, Unit, NBC News, Disposal Unit, FBI, Vancouver, Washington State Democratic Party, Congressional, Democratic Rep, Republican, U.S . Postal, Police Locations: Portland , Oregon, Vancouver , Washington, Portland, Vancouver ., Central City, Vancouver, Multnomah County, Clark County, Washington's, Phoenix

☆ Jeff Bezos has just as much at stake in this election as Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The billionaire has been less prominent in the election than Elon Musk — but still has much at stake. Bezos's Blue Origin is working with NASA and the Pentagon as it plays catch-up with Musk's SpaceX. Executives from Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin, including CEO Dave Limp, spoke with Donald Trump on Friday, The Associated Press reported. Like all private space companies, Blue Origin relies heavily on federal contracts and is competing with SpaceX for government and military projects. Blue Origin did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk, —, Jeff Bezos, Dave Limp, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, William Lewis, Bezos, Lewis, Robert Kagan, Michele Norris, Marty Baron, Baron, Elon, Artemis, it's, SpaceX's, Trump Organizations: Washington Post, NASA, Pentagon, Musk's SpaceX, Service, Bezos, Associated Press, New York Times, Trump, SpaceX, Republican, PAC, Business, Bloomberg, White, Twitter, United States Post, United States Postal Service, Web Services, of Defense, Microsoft Locations: Washington, The Texas, Amazon

Election officials — and reporters like me — have spent years explaining that voter fraud is incredibly rare. We know that because voting systems are designed with checks and balances to make it pretty hard to cheat. Election officials will then check your information against government databases, which typically verify your identity and citizenship. Checking the countAfter the results are tallied, the state conducts a risk-limiting audit by physically counting randomly selected batches of ballots and hand-counting them. The state also runs all the ballot images through a computer program that tallies the results.

Persons: —, you’ll, ERIC Organizations: Social, U.S . Postal Service, Georgia, Registration Locations: Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania

☆ House Freedom Caucus chair suggests North Carolina Legislature could assign electors before votes are tallied
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Curt Devine | Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“With North Carolina, I mean, it’s legitimate. And despite concerns that hurricane damage could suppress turnout in Western North Carolina, state data suggests that voters have not been widely disenfranchised. And on Wednesday, the day before Raiklin’s presentation, USPS put out a statement stating that all North Carolina processing facilities and most retail locations are open. North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry told reporters Friday, “It makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome and that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina. Bless his heart.”And National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, who is also from North Carolina said candidates should focus on turning out the vote.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Andy Harris, ” Harris, Ivan Raiklin, Raiklin, Harris ’, ” Raiklin, Harris, I’ve, “ What’s, ”, Karen Brinson Bell, Patrick McHenry, Richard Hudson, “, Andy, Let’s, ” Hudson, Kamala Harris, Joe Morelle, …, Mike Pence Organizations: CNN, Caucus, Trump, North, Republican, North Carolina Rep, Administration, “ Extreme Republican, Capitol Locations: North Carolina, Western North Carolina, Hurricane, Maryland, America, North, New York

☆ Washington Post will not endorse a candidate in 2024 presidential election, breaking decades of tradition
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —For the first time in decades, The Washington Post will not endorse a candidate in this year’s presidential election, the newspaper’s publisher announced Friday. “The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election,” Will Lewis said in a published statement. “We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”The Post has endorsed a presidential candidate in every election since the 1980s. Trump called the Post “The Fake News Washington Post” and derided it as Amazon’s “chief lobbyist.”Trump directly accused Amazon of not paying enough taxes and taking advantage of the US Postal Service, among other claims.

Persons: “, ” Will Lewis, Lewis, ”, ” Lewis, Jeff Bezos, David Shipley, ” Shipley, Marty Baron, Donald Trump, Bezos, ” Baron, Trump, Amazon’s, ” Trump, Baron, Patrick Soon, Kamala Harris Organizations: New, New York CNN, Washington Post, Amazon, CNN, Bezos, News Washington Post, US Postal Service, Pentagon, Microsoft, Los Angeles Times Locations: New York, Washington

Postal Service mailbox in Phoenix, Arizona, was set on fire at approximately 1:20 a.m. local time Thursday morning, damaging several ballots and other pieces of mail, according to the Phoenix Fire Department. McDade originally said Thursday that approximately 20 ballots were damaged, but Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes later said that five ballots were affected. McDade said authorities with the fire and police departments are investigating the incident and that the Postal Inspector took possession of the damaged mail. Federal authorities have warned in the lead-up to Election Day that ballots could be intentionally damaged in transit. “I’m deeply troubled by the arson attack on a USPS collection box in Phoenix, which damaged 5 ballots.

Persons: Rob McDade, McDade, Adrian Fontes, Rob Scherer, “ I’m Organizations: . Postal Service, Phoenix Fire Department, Post, Phoenix Police Department, Fontes Locations: Phoenix , Arizona, Arizona, Phoenix

☆ Here’s why mortgage rates are rising after the Fed’s rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Expectations of a Fed rate cut caused mortgage rates to drop to a two-year low of 6.08% in late September, but it failed to spur homebuying activity. Every percentage point on a mortgage rate makes a big difference for that monthly payment. Here’s what’s driving the recent upswing in mortgage rates. Mortgage rates track the 10-year US Treasury yield, which was expected to fall in anticipation of further rate cuts. “I am clearly not going to own any fixed income.”The government’s fiscal situation might already be having an impact on mortgage rates.

Persons: Freddie Mac, pare, what’s, ” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Robyn Beck, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, “ We’re, Paul Tudor Jones, “, ” Lawrence Yun, Kimberly Bradley, Zach, Kimberly, “ I’ve, ” Kimberly, ” Ken Lowrey, Ken Lowrey, “ homeownership, ”, Lowrey Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors, Mortgage, Association, Treasury, Getty, Federal Budget, Trump, CNBC, US Postal Service Locations: AFP, Manteo , North Carolina, Charleston , South Carolina

☆ UPS beats quarterly profit estimates, raises operating margin forecast
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)United Parcel Service surpassed Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit and raised its full-year adjusted operating margin forecast on Thursday after it hived off its volatile truckload brokerage business, Coyote Logistics. The company had slashed its full-year adjusted operating margin target to 9.4% in July, despite an uptick in U.S. volumes because of the shift. It now expects a full-year operating margin of 9.6%. UPS saw a 6.5% growth in average daily volumes in its domestic segment in the third quarter. Its adjusted operating margin of 8.9% was above last year's 7.7%, on cost cuts.

Persons: Lindsey Nicholson Organizations: UPS, Getty Images, United Parcel Service, Wall, Coyote Logistics, U.S . Postal Service, Consolidated, United States Postal Service, FedEx Locations: Queens , New York, U.S, China

CNN —A record number of early votes have been cast in Georgia on Tuesday as residents headed to the polls in a critical battleground state that is grappling with the fallout from Hurricane Helene and controversial election administration changes that have spurred a flurry of lawsuits. More than 300,000 ballots were cast Tuesday, Gabe Sterling of the Georgia secretary of state’s office said on X. Georgia election officials say absentee ballots went out by the US Postal Service as scheduled and were not impacted by the storm. It’s also possible that the state could continue to see high numbers of early votes given that Georgia law now mandates two Saturdays of early voting and allows for two Sundays of early voting if a county desires. Legal fights continueMeanwhile, state judges are scrutinizing a number of new rules passed by the Trump-backed Republican majority on the State Election Board that Democrats warn could inject post-election “chaos” into the Georgia.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Gabe Sterling, Sterling, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, “, ”, Brad Raffensperger, It’s, Raffensperger, ” Raffensperger, Robert McBurney, McBurney, they'll, Harris, Fay Ainsworth, we’ve, Joseph Henry King Jr, Kareem Rosshandler, Jill Stein, “ We’ve, ” Rosshandler, Mounira Elsamra Organizations: CNN, Republican, Corine, US Postal Service, Biden, Trump, Peach State, Legal, Board, Democrats, GOP, Green Party, Israel, Electoral College Locations: Georgia, Hurricane, Atlanta, Corine Canada, Southeast . Georgia, Trump’s crosshairs, Peach, Fulton County

☆ What is open and closed on Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-13 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —On the second Monday of October, Americans will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, also known as Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes the contributions and legacy of those who lived here long before Christopher Columbus erroneously claimed to have discovered America. President Joe Biden formally recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2021 by signing a proclamation stating that federal policies “systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures.”Some states officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and others commemorate it through proclamations. More than 100 cities have replaced Columbus Day altogether with the holiday. Chase Bank and TD Bank will be open for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Persons: Christopher Columbus, Joe Biden, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Indigenous, Columbus Day . Indigenous, ’, Indigenous Peoples, Columbus, Banks, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange, Bank of America, Citibank, Chase Bank, TD Bank, Mail, United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, FedEx Express, Target, Walmart, Kroger Locations: New York, America, Wells Fargo

County election officials in Florida, meanwhile, are facing a potential new challenge after Hurricane Milton made landfall on its western coast late Wednesday. Other county election offices in the state similarly said this week that that they would perform fresh assessments of their election infrastructure following Milton. Chris O'Meara/AP David Jalving throws outdoor furniture into his father's pool in Fort Myers to prepare for Hurricane Milton. Marta Lavandier/AP A man in Progreso boards up an apartment building to protect it from Hurricane Milton on Monday. “We should have the most poll workers we’ve ever had here in Oconee County,” said Ryan Nowland, assistant director of Oconee County elections.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, “ I’ve, ”, Mary Beth Tipton, “ We’ve, ” Tipton, Yancey County, Hurricane Milton, “, ” Brian Corley, Milton, Robert Inman, Inman, Cliff Marr, Marr, ” Marr, Helene, Karen Brinson Bell, Bell, Corinne Duncan, Duncan, ” Duncan, Christopher Heath, Ron DeSantis, Corley, Bill Nye, CNN Kari Ewalt, Osceola, ” Ewalt, they’re, Conway Belangia, I’ve, Belangia, Connie Gore, Cecelia Smith, Crystal Vander, Miguel J, Rodriguez Carrillo, Robert Turick, Turick, Rebecca Blackwell, Cristobal Herrera, Julio Cortez, Giorgio Viera, Ricardo Arduengo, Liz Kelly, Matt, Andrew West, Chandan Khanna, Nadia Zomorodian, Austin, Joe Raedle, Sean Rayford, Marta Lavandier, Jefferee Woo, Bryan R, Smith, Chris Urso, Marco Bello, Brandon Marlow, Marie Cook, Bill Ingram, Reuters Stephen Lundgren, Doug Engle, Ron Rook, Paul Hennessy, Saul Martinez, Payton Wyse, Andrew Goncharsky, Christian Burke, Lee, Connor Ferran, Fort Myers, Nicolette Mariano, Kaila Jones, Damon Higgins, Ted Carlson, McKenzie, Evan Purcell, Purcell's, Anna Maria Island, Carlson, Yamil Lage, Matthew Dominick, NASA Aurelio Ortiz, Lorenzo Hernandez, Mike Carlson, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters John Fedor, Chris O'Meara, David Jalving, Pete, Octavio Jones, Tristan Wheelock, Gerald, Martin Zetina, Gregg Newton, ” Belangia, we’ve, Ryan Nowland, “ We’re, everyone’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Hurricane, “ Communications, Republican, Republican Gov, Voters, Osceola County’s, South, USA, AFP, Getty, AP, Daytona, Network, Reuters, Bradenton, Tropicana, Major League, Tampa Bay Rays, Celtic Ray Public, Tampa Bay Times, NOAA, Vanguard, School, Ocala, Orlando International Airport, Anadolu, Disney, Fort, Palm Beach Daily, Florida Army National Guard, Tampa General Hospital, NASA, International, Milton, Tampa International Airport, Bloomberg, AP Contractors, New Port Richey, AP Tropicana Locations: Carolina, Hurricane, North Carolina’s Yancey County, Yancey, Florida, Florida’s Pasco County, North Carolina, North Carolina’s, Haywood County, North Carolina’s Polk County, ”, Buncombe County, Asheville, Covid, Orange County, Milton, Pasco County, South Carolina, Greenville County, ” County, Martin County , Florida, Port St Lucie , Florida, Englewood , Florida, Manasota Key, Hurricane Milton, Venice , Florida, Riverview , Florida, Lakewood Park , Florida, Siesta Key, Punta Gorda , Florida, North Fort Myers , Florida, Siesta, Volusia, South Daytona , Florida, Bradenton Beach, St . Petersburg, Punta Gorda, Odessa , Florida, Venice, Matlacha , Florida, Palmetto Beach, Tampa, Bradenton , Florida, St . Petersburg , Florida, Clearwater, AFP, Sarasota , Florida, Segundo, Davis, Fort Myers , Florida, Wellington , Florida, Palm, Ocala , Florida, County, Wellington, Orlando, Gulfport , Florida, Lee County, Fort Myers, Sebastian , Florida, Palm Beach , Florida, Palm Beach, Havana, Cuba, Celestún, Mexico, Port Richey , Florida, Tampa Bay, Treasure Island , Florida, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Treasure, Fort Myers Beach, Progreso, New Port, Kissimmee , Florida, Pickens County, Oconee County, Oconee

Around 400,000 claims worth $10 billion are being processed for eligible business owners who applied for tax refunds under the Covid-era Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program, the IRS said Thursday. He also highlighted recently announced tax relief for those in affected regions, including filing and payment extensions for individuals and businesses. For taxpayers with fully processed ERC claims whose mail routes have been disrupted, the U.S. The tax program allows businesses to claim up to $26,000 per employee on its payroll. “It’s past time to eliminate this fraud-ridden pandemic-era policy so we can concentrate on getting our fiscal house in order.”The tax program was originally projected to cost the government $55 billion.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Mike Martinez, ” Martinez, Maia Toll, Andrew Celwyn, Emily Nichols, —, Helene, Toll, Helene lobbed, they’re, ”, Sen, Thom Tillis, Tillis, “ Organizations: NBC News, ERC, IRS, U.S . Postal Service, Small Business Administration, Asheville, Intuit, SBA Locations: Hurricane, Asheville , North Carolina, Asheville, N.C, North Carolina, Philadelphia

CNN —Two federal judges have rejected requests to immediately reopen voter registration in Georgia and Florida as the southeast continues to grapple with significant storm damage ahead of the November election. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — both of whom are Republicans — argued there would be a significant “administrative burden” on the state’s elections offices if the voter registration deadline were to be extended. Ron DeSantis told reporters that there’s “nothing inhibiting” unregistered voters from registering ahead of the deadline later that day. But we’re not going to change any registration deadline. You can register today, and there doesn’t need to – there’s no reason to open that up,” the governor said.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Eleanor Ross, Brian Kemp, Brad Raffensperger —, —, Ross, “ Harms, ”, Barack Obama, “, Robert Hinkle, Bill Clinton, Ron DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Ian, Helene, we’re Organizations: CNN, US, NAACP, Georgia Coalition, New Georgia Project, Gov, Hurricane Milton, League of Women Voters, Florida NAACP, ”, Milton, Republican Gov Locations: Georgia, Florida, Hurricane, Atlanta

☆ Deloitte feels the wrath of Trump world over leaked JD Vance messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Trump allies are calling for the federal government to punish Deloitte after an employee at the consulting firm apparently shared his private messages with JD Vance. The Post did not reveal who corresponded with Vance, now Trump’s running mate, and leaked those communications. “Maybe it’s time for the GOP to end Deloitte’s taxpayer funded gravy train?” Trump Jr. wrote on X, noting that Deloitte receives billions of dollars in government contracts. Trump Jr. told CNN he was speaking his mind as a private citizen. Neither Trump nor Vance have publicly threatened Deloitte, and it’s worth noting that Trump Jr. has indicated he does not plan to serve in the federal government.

Persons: CNN —, JD Vance, Donald Trump, Trump, Vance, Donald Trump Jr, ” Trump, Jason Miller, Trump Jr, “, ”, Kamala Harris, ” “, GOP Sen, Eric Schmitt, he’s, ” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, John Deere, Davidson, ” “ Donald Trump, ” Richard Painter, George W, Bush, ” Painter, Painter, MAGA, Jonathan Gandal, Yale’s, ” Norman Eisen, it’s, ” Eisen Organizations: CNN, CNN — Trump, Deloitte, Washington Post, GOP, Trump, Department of Defense, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security, Trump Jr, White, Yale, Leadership, Department, Google, Apple, Harley, US Postal Service, Motors, University of Minnesota, ”, ” Trump Jr, Post, Wall Street, ” “ Deloitte, “ Deloitte, Brookings Institution, DOJ

CNN —Election officials in Georgia, North Carolina and Florida are working quickly to ensure voters can still securely cast early ballots, despite the devastating storm impacts of Hurricane Helene that have in some cases left them without power, water and cell service. He also plans to request extending early voting until Election Day, since typically in Florida early voting goes until the Sunday before. In North Carolina, Bell is considering working with state emergency management and the North Carolina National Guard to set up temporary polling places if needed. “All of those ballots have tracking… North Carolina uses it to the fullest,” Mann said. Bell added that the state’s tracking system, BallotTrax, can help North Carolina voters determine where their ballot may be and whether it was lost in transit.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Travis Doss, Jr, Doss, ”, Karen Brinson Bell, “, ” Travis Hart, Bell, We’ve, ” Bell, Hart, Florida’s, Ian, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Dorian, “ We’ll, Brad Raffensperger, Raffensperger, Chris Mann, ” Mann, Mann, Paul Cox Organizations: CNN, Richmond County, North Carolina State Board, US Postal Service, “, Hurricane, North Carolina National Guard, National Guard, Georgia’s, Election Innovation, Research Locations: Georgia , North Carolina, Florida, Hurricane, Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, North Carolina, Hyde County, “, North, Carolina

☆ Fact check: 12 election lies Trump is using to set the stage to dispute a potential 2024 defeat
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

“Our elections are bad, and a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they’re trying to get them to vote,” Trump said. “THE FBI CAUGHT IRAN SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, AND GIVING ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO THE KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN. Despite Trump’s claims, there is no evidence the Iranian hackers provided the Harris campaign with “all of the information” they stole. False claim: Election officials use early voting to commit fraudTrump has encouraged his supporters this year to make use of early voting. False claim: Trump won Minnesota in 2020Trump declared in March and May that he won Minnesota in the 2020 election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, ”, Lindsay Daniels, ” Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, we’ve, it’s, Harris Trump, Biden, Biden’s, —, Mike Johnson, Elon Musk, “, US Postal Service “, General Louis DeJoy, we’re, ” DeJoy, DeJoy, Ronald Reagan, David Becker, ” Becker, Trump’s, KAMALA HARRIS, Iran’s, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Jesus, let’s, Harris —, Tim Walz, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, FactCheck.org, ‘, don’t, Jack Smith, Smith, General Merrick Garland, Garland Organizations: Washington CNN, Capitol, Democracy Fund, Trump, CNN, Biden, Democratic, Republican, Republicans, ”, US Postal Service, U.S . Postal Service, USPS, Governors, National Association of, State, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens, Trump baselessly, Election Innovation, Research, Democratic Party, FBI, US, Minnesota, Attorney, Pennsylvania Republican Party, WIN Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania’s Department of State, Rasmussen, Michigan Locations: Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Trump, IRAN, Iran, California, Minnesota, U.S, Manhattan , New York, Fulton County , Georgia

☆ Trump threatened John Deere. It’s just his latest attempt to bully a legendary American company
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Trump, more so than any American president in modern history, has directly targeted individual US businesses, threatening them with everything from boycotts and canceled federal contracts to unthinkably high tariffs. Deere, the farm equipment maker founded nearly 200 years ago, became just the latest storied brand to get singled out by Trump. Bigger picture, the attack on Deere fits a broader pattern of Trump bullying companies when it suits him. “John Deere is an outstanding company. “Ultimately, it would lead to fewer sales, less revenue, less growth and fewer employees for John Deere,” said McDaniel, now a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.

Persons: New York CNN —, John Deere, they’ve, Donald Trump, Trump, “ Trump, Bill George, “, Nordstrom, Ken Frazier, Donald J, Trump’s, Julian Zelizer, Harry Truman, John F, Kennedy, Teddy Roosevelt, ”, Zelizer, ” Zelizer, ’ Trump, “ I’m, we’ll, ” Trump, George, “ John Deere, ” Christine McDaniel, George W, Bush, Deere, McDaniel, George Mason University’s, Billionaire Mark Cuban, Kamala Harris, Washington, Mary Lovely, ” Lovely Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Apple, General Motors, Facebook, Trump, Deere, CNN, White, Apple, San Bernardino, FBI, US Postal Service, Boeing, Air Force, Motors, Merck, Meta, CNBC, Google, Princeton University, Harvard University, Center, Billionaire, Fox News, Street Journal, Peterson Institute for International Economics Locations: New York, Midwest, Mexico, San, Charlottesville , Virginia, United States, Pennsylvania, American, North America, Canada

☆ The Post Office wants stamp prices to rise five times in the next three years
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Three things seem certain to happen in life: death, taxes and the prices of stamps going up. The United States Postal Service announced that First-Class postage, currently at 73 cents, will go up five times through 2027, according to a detailed document submitted this week to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The next price hike is planned for July 2025 and will then repeat “each January and July thereafter” through the end of 2027, the agency said. However, all price changes must be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission and the specific price hikes weren’t announced. First-Class mail is becoming a smaller part of the Postal Service’s business because of online communication.

Persons: ”, Louis DeJoy, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, United States Postal Service, Postal Regulatory Commission, weren’t, USPS Locations: New York

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