Social issues

Details emerge in killing of 19 children, 2 teachers at Texas elementary school
People gather at Robb Elementary School, the scene of a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, May 25, 2022. Nuri Vallbona | Reuters The 19 children and two teachers killed in Tuesday’s elementary school massacre in Texas were in the same classroom, where the gunman — who appears to have targeted the school — “barricaded” himself and fired […]
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Here’s the best way to use a health savings account, which offers a triple-tax advantage
The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Health savings accounts can be a powerful way to build wealth and prepare for medical costs in old age — if they’re used the right way. HSAs carry a three-pronged tax benefit. Contributions and investment growth are tax-free, as are withdrawals if used for qualified health expenses. […]
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Capital gains may have triggered hundreds of billions more in individual taxes for 2021, analysis shows. How to trim your tax bill
The U.S. Department of the Treasury building Julia Schmalz | Bloomberg | Getty Images Some investors may be grappling with the sting of higher-than-expected capital gains for 2021 and losses in 2022. But experts say tax-planning opportunities may soften the blow. Individuals paid significantly more taxes this season, and the surge in capital gains in […]
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Democrats urge Google to stop collecting location data that could be used to identify people seeking abortions
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR Sarah Silbiger | Getty Images News | Getty Images A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers urged Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a letter Tuesday to stop collecting and keeping unnecessary or non-aggregated location data that could be used to identify people seeking abortions. The letter comes ahead of the anticipated reversal […]
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‘Tax us now’: Millionaires call on the global elite to tax them more
Protesters take part in a demonstration against the World Economic Forum (WEF) during the WEF annual meeting in Davos on May 22, 2022. Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images A group of over 150 millionaires are calling on the elite attendees of this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, to tax them more. The […]
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The number of billionaires soared during the pandemic. How tax proposals aim to reduce wealth inequality
A mobile billboard calling for higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy depicts an image of billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos, near the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer | Getty Images A new billionaire was created on average about every 30 hours during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report by […]
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Belgium becomes first country to introduce mandatory monkeypox quarantine as global cases rise
In this 1971 Center For Disease Control handout photo, monkeypox-like lesions are shown on the arm and leg of a female child in Bondua, Liberia. CDC | Getty Images Belgium has become the first country to introduce a mandatory 21-day quarantine for monkeypox patients as cases of the disease — typically endemic to Africa — […]
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Oxfam calls for an end to billionaire ‘bonanza,’ say millions are falling into extreme poverty
Olga Shumytskaya | Moment | Getty Images A new billionaire emerged every 30 hours during the Covid-19 pandemic, and nearly a million could fall into extreme poverty at around the same rate in 2022. Those are the sobering statistics recently released by Oxfam. There were 573 more billionaires in the world by March 2022 than […]
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Creating a special needs trust? Here are the costs, what you need to know and who to use
Yagi Studio | Digitalvision | Getty Images Special needs trusts are essential for the well-being of a person with special needs, experts say. “The most important reason for a special needs trust is that individuals with special needs often are unable to make appropriate financial decisions for themselves and/or are at risk for financial exploitation […]
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Catholic bishop bars communion to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over abortion rights support
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at the start of a discussion with historians on how to “establish and preserve the narrative of January 6th” on the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol in Washington, January 6, 2022. Al Drago | Pool | Reuters The Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco has ordered […]
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