Social issues
Many Americans face big tax bills on 2021 unemployment benefits
A Miami-Dade County job fair in Miami on Dec. 16, 2021. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images Many Americans who collected unemployment benefits in 2021 may be on the hook for big bills this tax season. The federal government and most states treat unemployment benefits as taxable income. However, tax wasn’t collected on about 60% […]
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France’s retirement age looks set to rise. And the war in Ukraine could have helped
A man holds a banner that reads, ‘Pensioners, badly treated’ as pensioners and activists take part in a demonstration. Emmanuel Dunand | Afp | Getty Images France looks set to push back its retirement age — after several failed attempts — as war in Ukraine and Emmanuel Macron’s active diplomacy have boosted the chances of […]
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How the hotel industry is fighting its human trafficking problem
Human trafficking generates about $150 billion a year globally in illegal profits, according to the International Labour Organization, and poses a complicated challenge for major hotel chains. In 2020 there were more than 10,000 reported cases of human trafficking in the U.S., with 72% of those related to sex trafficking, according to the National Human […]
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House to vote on bill to legalize marijuana
Adam Eidinger along with other DC marijuana advocates gathered on the east side of the US Capitol plaza grounds to urge Congressional lawmakers to lower the restrictions on marijuana use in the District of Columbia, and made a further statement by illegally smoking marijuana and consequently being arrested, on Capitol Hill in Washington DC Monday […]
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Gender-neutral X passports will be available in April
U.S. citizens will be able to select the gender neutral “X” as a marker on their passport books starting April 11, the State Department said Wednesday. It made the announcement on the eve of Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual day on March 31 that celebrates transgender people. The U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ […]
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Federal judge approves Activision Blizzard sexual harassment settlement
From left, Brian Grazer, founder of Imagine Entertainment, and Bobby Kotick, chief executive officer of Activision Blizzard, arrive at the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 9, 2019, in Sun Valley, Idaho. Drew Angerer | Getty Images A federal judge has approved video game publisher Activision Blizzard’s settlement with the U.S. Equal […]
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Last chance to avoid a 50% penalty on required withdrawals is April 1 for some retirees
If you turned age 72 during the second half of 2021, the deadline for your first annual required withdrawal from retirement accounts is April 1. In many cases, it’s the last chance to avoid a hefty penalty. These required minimum distributions, known as RMDs, apply to both traditional and Roth 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans and […]
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Consumers have saved more than $100 billion in health savings accounts
Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Health savings accounts eclipsed $100 billion by the end of January, according to Devenir, an HSA investment consultant, as more consumers use the tax-advantaged accounts to save for future health costs. The firm forecasts HSA funds will hit $150 billion by the end of 2024. “The growth is […]
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Biden’s budget proposes tax hike on married filers making more than $450,000
President Joe Biden introduces his budget request for fiscal year 2023 on March 28, 2022 in Washington. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images President Joe Biden released his 2023 federal budget request on Monday, calling to hike the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6% from 37%, a proposal floated by the administration last year. The […]
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Watch live: Biden discusses proposed tax on ultra-rich and defense spending in 2023 budget
[The stream is slated to start at 2:45 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] President Joe Biden is scheduled to unveil his 2023 federal budget on Monday afternoon at the White House. The budget request to Congress features tax hikes on the ultra-wealthy and […]
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