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IRS crackdown on wealthy taxpayers brings in $160 million in back taxes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

(The Hill) - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has brought in $160 million in back taxes from wealthy taxpayers, amid a recent push to crack down on top income earners.The agency said Friday that it had collected $122 million from 100 taxpayers, on top of the $38 million it collected from more than 175 high-income earners earlier this year. The 100 taxpayers resulting in the latest haul are just a portion of the 1,600 individuals that the IRS is currently contacting for hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes, according to the agency. In one case, an individual was ordered to pay more than $15 million for falsifying personal expenses — including the construction of a 51,000-square-foot mansion, luxury cars, artwork, country club memberships and homes for his children — as deductible business expenses.Another person was sentenced to more than four years in prison for fraudulently obtaining $5 million in COVID relief loans that he used to purchase multiple luxury cars...

Trump claims Sidney Powell was 'never' his attorney following lawyer's Georgia plea deal

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

(The Hill) - Former President Trump claimed Sunday that Sidney Powell was “never” his attorney, just days after Powell took a plea deal in the Georgia election interference case. “Despite the Fake News reports to the contrary, and without even reaching out to ask the Trump Campaign, MS. POWELL WAS NOT MY ATTORNEY, AND NEVER WAS. In fact, she would have been conflicted,” the former president said in a Truth Social post. Trump reiterated false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election and said that while Powell was not his attorney, she was "one of millions and millions of people who thought, and in ever increasing numbers still" think so, as well. The former president praised Powell, though, for her representation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn in 2019 following special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into the 2016 presidential election.“Ms. Powell did a valiant job of representing a very unfairly treated and governmentally abused General Mike...

Low fuel supplies for Gaza's hospital generators put premature babies in incubators at risk

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A premature baby squirms inside a glass incubator in the neonatal ward of al-Aqsa Hospital in the central Gaza Strip. He cries out as intravenous lines are connected to his tiny body. A ventilator helps him breathe as a catheter delivers medication and monitors flash his fragile vital signs.His life hinges on the constant flow of electricity, which is in danger of running out imminently unless the hospital can get more fuel for its generators. Once the generators stop, hospital director Iyad Abu Zahar fears that the babies in the ward, unable to breathe on their own, will perish.“The responsibility on us is huge,” he said.Doctors treating premature babies across Gaza are grappling with similar fears. At least 130 premature babies are at “grave risk” across six neonatal units, aid workers said. The dangerous fuel shortages are caused by the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which started — along with airstrikes — after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns o...

The rain has started

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Showers and thunderstorms moved into Caldwell and Hays Counties before 4:30 this morning. There was also light rain on the west side of Mason County. These are the first showers and thunderstorms that will affect Central Texas this week.Moisture from former Hurricane Norma has been moving into our area to combine with surface moisture from the Gulf to saturate the atmosphere. This morning's map also shows an upper-level low over California that will move to the Baja Peninsula then head to Texas. This will keep rain/thunderstorms chances from tomorrow into the weekend.Updated projected rain totals Most of the thunderstorms will remain below severe criteria but the Storm Prediction Center does have Gillespie, Llano, Mason, and San Saba Counties in a Marginal Risk for severe storms on Wednesday.Most thunderstorms should remain below severe limitsThe Weather Prediction has Mason and San Saba Counties under a Marginal Risk for flash flooding on Wednesday.Marginal flash f...

Largest infrastructure project in Cottage Grove’s history will remove ‘forever chemicals’ from water supply

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

The city of Cottage Grove recently broke ground on its largest infrastructure project to date: a $39 million low-zone water-treatment plant at the intersection of 110th Street and Ideal Avenue.The new plant, which includes a new city well, will treat all the water in the city south of U.S. Highway 61, said Ryan Burfeind, the city’s public works director. It is expected to be operational by June 2025.The new well will replace two wells contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) “that are far removed from the main treatment plant,” Burfeind said. “It’s actually cheaper to drill a new well as opposed to laying miles and miles of pipe.”The money for the construction of the plant is coming from the city’s share of the $850 million settlement reached in 2018 between the state of Minnesota and 3M Co., the company that made the PFAS substances that have leaked into water supplies across the metro area and worldwide.The groundbreaking “signaled the start of the permanent solution, lon...

Ask Amy: Israel-Hamas war hits very close to home

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband and I are Israeli-American.We live in the United States and have one child — an infant.Before children, we agreed on a three-child minimum, but now that we have our baby, I feel very strongly about being a one-child family. My husband still wants to have more children.We agreed we’d table the discussion for later and if we did have more kids, we would wait for several years.With the war breaking out, he decided that he wants to go back to Israel to fight.I’m against it. I am estranged from my family and have a job that moves me every couple of years, so I have no support system if he dies.I told him I would promise him another child quickly if he stays home. I mean it.I would rather keep my family whole and sacrifice myself for another baby than sacrifice him and have my family ripped apart.I know I wouldn’t regret the baby once it’s here. But I feel selfish for keeping him home and I also feel manipulative for putting an offer he c...

Key figures on European living conditions – 2023 edition

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

Do you know how many people in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022? Have you wondered about the distribution of income among different countries, among households, sex and age groups? Can you guess how many people in the EU perceive their health as good?If you wish to get a broad overview of living conditions in Europe in 2023, explore Eurostat's new publication from the Key figures series: Key figures on European living conditions.This publication features intuitive visualisations and the latest data, to help readers dive into the main characteristics of EU households and individuals in terms of income, social inclusion and living conditions. It also includes indicators for tracking progress toward the targets of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.More information Key figures on European living conditions – 2023 edition Thematic section on income and living conditions Database on income and living conditions  The European Pillar of Social Rights...

Horoscopes Oct. 23, 2023: Ryan Reynolds, pay attention to loved ones

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ryan Reynolds, 47; Cat Deeley, 47; Weird Al Yankovic, 64; Dwight Yoakam, 67.Happy Birthday: Strategy is essential if you want to reach your goal. Put emotions aside and refuse to put up with drama or overreact to domestic or relationship mayhem. A steady pace, discipline and a good imagination will carry you to the finish line. Put your energy to good use and your connections, awareness and passion toward finishing what you start. Pay attention to loved ones. Your numbers are 7, 13, 21, 25, 32, 38, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Reach out and connect with people with something to offer. Don’t make unnecessary changes to show off. Take care of responsibilities and live up to your promises, and you’ll get the desired recognition. Accentuate what you know and do best. 4 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Accept the inevitable and make it work in your favor. Keep your life simple, stick to what works best for you and optimize your talents to ensure y...

Word Game: Oct. 23, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — APOSTASY (APOSTASY: uh-PAHS-tuh-see: The abandoning of a previous loyalty; defection.)Average mark 17 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 21 or more words in APOSTASY? The list will be published tomorrow.SATURDAY’S WORD — GRAPHICS garish gash gasp graph graphic grasp grip rash rasp rich aphis apish arch aspic pair parch parish pica prig hair harp hasp capris carp cash chai chair chap char chia chip chirp cigar crag crash crisp sari scar scarp scrag scrap scrip shag sharp ship sigh spar sprigTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang...

HBT Financial: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:40 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — HBT Financial Inc. (HBT) on Monday reported third-quarter net income of $19.7 million.The Bloomington, Illinois-based bank said it had earnings of 62 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 63 cents per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 59 cents per share.The bank holding company posted revenue of $68.5 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $57.8 million, falling short of Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $58.8 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HBT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HBTSource