IRS to send unclaimed stimulus checks to 1 million taxpayers
There’s good news for taxpayers who may have missed out on a stimulus check. The Internal Revenue Service is sending payments to people who overlooked a credit on their 2021 tax returns.
An internal review by the federal tax agency showed 1 million Americans failed to claim the recovery rebate credit.
People who missed one of the COVID-19 stimulus payments or had gotten less than the full amount were able to claim the credit but many didn’t.
Because of this, the IRS is issuing recovery rebate credits starting this month.
Those payments will arrive by direct deposit or check by the end of January at the latest.
The maximum payment is $1,400 per person, with the IRS estimating total payments to reach $2.4 billion.
Those who are eligible will get a letter in the mail.
The IRS said taxpayers who haven’t filed 2021 tax returns might be eligible as well but they face an April 15 deadline to file their returns to claim the credit.
Nuclear bunker sales increase amid rising concern of catastrophic events
Have you ever thought about building a private bunker to live through a catastrophic event? A new report shows that sales for survival shelters are on the rise, continuing a trend that’s been a part of history for years.
New numbers from BlueWeave Consulting show the market for U.S. bomb and fallout shelters is expected to grow from $137 million last year to $175 million by 2030.
Recently, people have taken interest in building shelters on their property due to the rising threat of nuclear attacks or civil unrest.
Ron Hubbard, the owner of Atlas Survival Shelters in Sulpher Springs, Texas said he’s continued to see an uptick in sales since the COVID-19 lockdown with his sales more than doubling in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
“People are uneasy and they want a safe place to put their family. And they have this attitude that it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it, not have it,” Hubbard told The Associated Press.
However, not everyone is on board with bunkers. Critics said they create a false perception that a nuclear war is survivable, arguing those planning to live through an atomic blast aren’t focusing on the real dangers posed by nuclear threats.
Government disaster experts also said bunkers aren’t necessary. FEMA recommends simply staying inside, ideally in a basement and away from outside walls.
History of bunkers
The long past of bunkers started with protecting military members against bombings and nuclear attacks. During World War II, they sheltered troops and civilians, followed by the Cold War era when the fear of nuclear warfare led to building numerous public and private bunkers.
The Sept. 11 attacks then reignited interest in bunkers becoming more modern and providing amenities such as swimming pools, theaters and wine cellars.
There’s been a significant increase in the number of wealthy people investing in elaborate doomsday bunkers, a trend driven by a growing sense of insecurity about the future.
US life expectancy hits highest level since COVID-19 pandemic
The U.S. life expectancy jumped significantly in 2023, hitting its highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic. The new findings come from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on Thursday, Dec. 19, revealing life expectancy among Americans rose to 78.4 years last year, up nearly an entire year from 77.5 years in 2022.
Health officials say a one-year jump in life expectancy was previously unheard of before the COVID-19 pandemic. They attribute the rise in life expectancy largely to a decline in COVID-19 deaths, which, from 2019 to 2021, had caused U.S. life expectancy to drop from 78.8 years to 76.4 years.
COVID-19 went from the fourth leading cause of death in 2022 to 10th in the United States in 2023. COVID-19 deaths dropped last year from 350,000 deaths in 2020 to 76,000 in 2023.
The biggest decrease in COVID-19 deaths is reportedly among Hispanic men and women, who saw a more than 10% decrease in COVID-19 deaths.
The CDC also found that overdose deaths decreased last year for the first time since 2018.
The rate of overdose deaths dropped from nearly 33 in every 100,000 people to a little more than 31 per 100,000 people. The group seeing the largest drop in drug overdose deaths was 15 to 24-year-olds, who saw a drop of more than 10%.
The top five causes of death last year in the United States were heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, stroke and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Rates for 9 of the 10 leading causes of death reportedly fell in 2023 while cancer deaths remained largely unchanged.
Most teens aren’t drinking, smoking or doing drugs, new survey shows
It looks like drinking, smoking and getting high aren’t considered as cool as they used to be among teenagers these days. Every year since 2017, researchers with the Monitoring the Future project have tracked the number of eighth, 10th and 12th graders abstaining from alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use.
This year, 67% of 12th graders said they hadn’t used any of these substances in the last 30 days, a sizable jump from 53% in 2017. The percentage of 10th graders abstaining rose from 69% in 2017 to 80% this year. Meanwhile, among 8th graders, the news was even better — going from 87% to 90%.
However, researchers did see a concerning rise in the use of nicotine pouches with about 6% of 12th graders saying they have used them. That’s double last year’s findings when 3% said they did.
The study’s authors say that since substance use among teens dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not rebounded.
Trump’s NIH pick weighs withholding research grants from ‘woke’ colleges
Universities with “woke policies” could see federal research grants withheld under the new Trump administration, according to the Wall Street Journal. This comes after President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced his plans to address campus culture at elite universities.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s plans include tying the agency’s tens of billions of dollars in research grants to what he defines as “academic freedom.” That’s according to sources familiar with the talks who spoke with the Journal.
Bhattacharya could use a ranking system developed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The ranking system would determine a university’s level of academic freedom.
The system rates universities based on their track record with freedom of speech and how comfortable students feel expressing differing opinions on campus. According to the Journal, schools that punish faculty or uninvite controversial speakers could face reduced funding.
Some universities that currently receive large NIH grants have received poor rankings from FIRE. They include the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California.
In contrast, schools such as the University of Virginia and Florida State University received praise for their strong academic freedom records.
Bhattacharya’s push to prioritize academic freedom comes after his own struggles with public backlash over his views. Those views include the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He faced criticism for opposing lockdowns and mask mandates, widely unaccepted positions at the time. Bhattacharya has stated that universities should be places where dissenting ideas are protected, not silenced.
The proposal to tie research grant funding to free speech promotion on campuses has quickly become controversial. Supporters argue it will encourage universities to end “woke” policies and “cancel culture.”
Some warn linking research grants to political factors could delay crucial medical research and progress on cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. They said this is particularly worrisome at progressive universities with successful scientific programs.
Bhattacharya’s proposal is expected to be a key point of discussion during Senate debates on his potential leadership.
The NBA announced it will return to China for the first time in more than five years. The decision comes years after the league and Beijing had a falling out over an executive’s tweet.
The league announced Friday, Dec. 6, that two preseason games between the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns will take place in Macao next October at the Venetian Arena, owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
Macao is the only region in China where casino gambling is legal.
“NBA basketball is a global sport that attracts people of different ages, backgrounds and cultures. It creates exciting experiences that connect people while playing a positive role in communities. Sands is honored to bring the NBA China games to Macao so that the most elite level of basketball can be experienced directly by the fans who are so passionate about it.”
Statement by Sands President Patrick Dumont
These will be the first NBA games played in the country since a tweet by the then-general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, on Oct. 4, 2019, set off a rift between the league and China. Morey, who is now general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, posted an image in support of ongoing protests in Hong Kong.
Morey’s controversial 2019 tweet
At the time, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers were in China. Chinese officials responded to Morey’s comments by preventing the teams from holding pre-game and post-game press conferences.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta was quick to react at the time. He said Morey did not speak for the organization, and the teams were in China to promote the league internationally. Fertitta added the NBA was not a political organization.
Nets chairman Joe Tsai, also the co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, criticized the tweet in an open letter to NBA fans. He called the situation in Hong Kong a “third-rail issue.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Morey had the right to express himself. The NBA, in its statement, said it recognized that Morey’s views offended fans in China, calling it “regrettable,” and the league has “great respect for the history and culture of China.”
Silver’s response garnered bipartisan backlash from politicians in Washington, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for the league not standing by Morey.
Fallout sparks protests
The tweet’s fallout sparked protests at NBA games. Demonstrators wore customized shirts and held up signs reading “Free Hong Kong.”
Morey issued a clarification a few days later, saying his tweets were his own and he did not intend to offend Rocket fans and his friends in China.
China, however, took action. NBA games were removed from airing on China’s state broadcaster for some time following the tweet. The league said the rift cost up to $400 million in lost revenue the following year.
Making amends
The league has since taken action to mend its relationship with China. NBA legend Yao Ming attended the memorial service for former commissioner David Stern in 2020. China thanked the NBA for sending more than $1 million in medical supplies to assist in COVID-19 relief efforts during the early days of the pandemic, and All-Star Stephen Curry visited China in the summer.
Now, with two games on the schedule, the NBA and China are looking to resume their partnership with a multiyear deal. The NBA said it will be holding a “Fan Day” during the week of the games.
Two more NBA preseason games are reportedly being planned in China for 2026.
Trump nixes DEA pick after controversial pastor arrest resurfaces: Report
President-elect Donald Trump is criticizing The Wall Street Journal’s report on the withdrawal of his nominee for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The newspaper called the withdrawal a “setback.”
Trump nominated Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the DEA. Three days later, Chronister posted on social media that he was stepping down from consideration.
“With all that’s happening in the world, this is their number one story of the day,” Trump wrote. “Besides, he didn’t pull out, I pulled him out, because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters. But, more importantly, what’s my ‘latest’ setback? I just won the presidency of the United States!”
Controversy quickly overshadowed Chronister’s nomination. Conservatives raised concerns about the pick after the resurfacing of Chronister’s involvement in the arrest of Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne. Officers arrested Howard-Browne during the pandemic for violating public health orders after holding church services in defiance of lockdown measures.
While the charges against Howard-Browne were later dropped, sources told the New York Post that Trump was unhappy when he learned Chronister had defended the arrest. Trump said the pastor “put his congregation and our community in danger.”
“Arresting pastors for trying to keep their churches open is a non-negotiable with the president, and that’s what the sheriff was accused of, and the president did not like that,” one source told the Post.
Sources said Trump decided to remove Chronister from consideration after hearing from lawmakers. They include Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, who criticized the sheriff for the arrest.
Chronister’s office issued a statement refuting Trump’s claims, reaffirming that he chose to withdraw from the nomination.
With Chronister out of the running, former Congressman Anthony D’Esposito of New York is a potential contender. However, Trump’s team has not made any announcements regarding a new pick to head the DEA.
Meta executive admits to over-moderating COVID-19, election content
Is Meta moderating its content too much? A top executive at the company shared regrets over removing posts about the pandemic.
Meta’s President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg admitted the company has wrongfully taken down posts across its apps, pointing to the height of COVID-19.
He told reporters Monday, Dec. 2, “No one during the pandemic knew how the pandemic was going to unfold, so this really is wisdom in hindsight. But with that hindsight, we feel that we overdid it a bit.”
Meta and other social media companies face increasing pressure to improve the safety of their platforms amid hateful or misleading information, while also making sure users have free speech online.
The moderation impacted political posts as well. Meta recently apologized after its systems suppressed photos of President-elect Donald Trump after his attempted assassination.
Clegg also commented on Meta’s election content in a blog post Tuesday, Dec. 3, “Too often harmless content gets taken down or restricted and too many people get penalized unfairly.“
He added the company has worked throughout the past year to update content policies fairly. He noted that no platform will ever strike this balance “100% of the time.”
Americans students falling behind international peers in math and science
American students are falling behind their international peers in math and science, according to a recently released government study. The National Center for Education Statistics conducted the study back in 2023.
Every four years, the group releases the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which looks at fourth and eighth graders worldwide. The study was the first to be published since the COVID-19 pandemic, showing mixed outcomes across the globe.
The United States was among the countries that saw a decline. While American students still score above the international average, 4th graders’ math scores fell 18 points since 2019, and 8th graders’ scores went down 27 points. Researchers said this is the biggest drop the U.S. has seen since participating in 1995.
When it comes to science, American students’ scores weren’t measurably different between 2019 and 2023, but 4th graders’ scores have dropped since the TIMSS was first administered.
Overall, the gaps between the highest- and lowest-performing students are widening internationally. While there’s no consensus as to what’s causing the decline for American students, many educators say the rise of smartphones, changes in standards and pandemic-related school closures likely played a role.
Vaccine injury compensation program should be created to build trust: Report
The House Committee on the Coronavirus released its final 557-page report with key recommendations for how to handle the next pandemic. Overall, lawmakers said individual states need to better prepare and the U.S. needs to be less reliant on foreign supplies.
Here are the details of the recommendations:
The U.S. must reduce its reliance on other countries for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
Many of the medications Americans take are manufactured overseas, while the active ingredients and chemical compounds used to make them are overwhelmingly made in China.
The committee said in addition to reducing dependence on foreign nations, drug manufacturers must be more upfront with the Food and Drug Administration when they have supply issues.
The strategic national stockpile was designed as a “short-term, stopgap buffer” –– it was never meant to handle a national emergency.
States are not currently required to maintain their own stockpile, but the committee said they should because they’d have guaranteed access and faster deployment.
A robust and transparent vaccine injury compensation program is necessary for promoting trust in vaccines.
The committee said the federal government must foster trust in vaccines. To do that they should create an adjudication and compensation program for injuries vaccines may cause.
The report also touched on the shortcomings of the pandemic response. It said long-term school closures and six-foot social distancing weren’t supported by science, and lockdowns led to more than 160,000 businesses closing, 60% of which were permanent.