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Podcast: LAS NOTICIAS CON CALLE DE 21 DE MARZO DE 2025 - Trump creando una verdadera crisis constitucional nunca antes vista - Faltan 112 días para la residencia de Bad Bunny y todavía Genera no arregla las plantas que se comprometió, dicen que para mayo y junio - Cuarto Poder - Rivera Schatz saca la guillotina para Víctor Ramos como secretario de Salud- Gobe no consulta con comunidad feminista su nombramiento de procuradora de la mujer - A crear fondo de reserva por recortes federales -El Nuevo Día- EITC podría llegar a mil millones y gobierno plantea opciones por crédito del trabajo - El Vocero - Baja aprovechamiento académico en PR - el Vocero - LUMA dice que ellos cumplen mejor de lo que aparenta en las métricas - El Nuevo Día- Al fin llegan chavitos para los pescadores que estaban todavía en espera - Primera Hora- ICE ya lleva 241 arrestos en PR - Trump desmantela educación federal por orden ejecutiva - Pablo José pide a JGO trabajar juntos ante recortes federales - El Nuevo Día- JGo mintió o el Senado mintió con retiro/colgada de secretaria de DACO sustituida con la ex analistas político de Luis Dávila Colón, Lcda. Valerie Rodríguez Erazo- Empresas municipales con cuadres raros - El Vocero- Niños crean organización para salvar animalitos - Primera Hora

You hear it all the time.The illegals do the work no one else is willing to do for the wages offered. They do the work no one else will do.They are hardworking people. Citizens cannot have both welfare and a job. Illegals can and do. Illegals avoid the payroll tax and collect cash under the table. Then they go to the welfare office and for some unknown reason they are able to collect welfare even though they are not citizens. They can receive welfare on behalf of a US born baby. Anchor babies get them a visa and welfare. But they can still work jobs for cash.Several million illegal immigrants also have work authorization (e.g. DACA, TPS, and some asylum applicants) allowing receipt of the EITC.https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrants-and-USBorn“54 percent of households headed by immigrants — naturalized citizens, legal residents, and illegal immigrants — used one or more major welfare program. This compares to 39 percent for U.S.-born households.” If the government knows where they are and who they are and that they are illegal, why are they giving them welfare instead of deporting them? Well in most cases they simply lie which is not hard to do and isn't policed. They can lie to the employer and say they are illegal when they are not so they can get cash under the table but still go collect welfare. Or they can be illegal and still get state welfare and welfare like SNAP and emergency care. They will call an ambulance and go to the ER even though it is not an emergency because that care is covered. Then we have “asylum” seekers who get a whole new package of benefits, who are not really asylum seekers. They qualify as such because all they need to do is answer some multiple choice questions. And they know what answers they have to choose and it doesn't have to be true. Tom Homan can't come fast enoguh This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ryandawson.org/subscribe

When it comes to closing out the year successfully, considering year-end bonuses, providing W-2 forms, and furnishing annual tax credit notices to employees are three important undertakings for employers. In this episode, we'll provide guidance to help you navigate these end-of-year responsibilities. Listen in as we cover: [0:44] General considerations for end-of-year bonuses [2:45] Overtime implications of bonuses [4:53] Tax implications for bonuses [5:53] W-2s: Timelines & how to furnish to employees [8:17] Required tax notices, like EITC, & key things to know This content is based on generally accepted HR practices, is advisory in nature, and does not constitute legal advice or other professional services. ADP does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the content. Employers are encouraged to consult with legal counsel for advice regarding their organization's compliance with applicable laws. This content is current as of the published date.  Copyright © 2024 ADP, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The ADP logo, ADP, RUN Powered by ADP, and HR{preneur} are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. and its affiliates. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.  Privacy at ADP

Dive into the transformative world of brain-based coaching as Caroline Leroux unpacks the neuroscience behind it. With a focus on compassion, empathy, and emotional intelligence, discover practical strategies to foster sustainable change, motivate clients, and create a supportive coaching culture.In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O'Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.“We're not fake cheerleaders. It's important to understand resistance and shame and the role they play in a change process.”  — Caroline LerouxGuest Bio:Caroline Leroux is a member of the International Coach Federation and holds the designation of Professional and Personal Certified Coach from Concordia University. She is completing a Master of Arts degree in Human Systems Intervention from Concordia University. Caroline has been EQ-I 2.0/EQ 360 Certified by the Emotional Intelligence Training Company (EITC) since 2015 and conducts debriefs of EQ-I 2.0 results in French and English on behalf of the EITC, as well as making presentations.Caroline is the co-owner of a business that provides sports medicine services and employs physicians, therapists, osteopaths, and other health care professionals.For 12 years Caroline has worked with non-profit organizations in Africa and Panama. Her work with EITC also includes providing EQ-I 2.0 debriefs and coaching to Canadian government consular staff living and working abroad for Global Affairs Canada.On a personal note, Caroline has raised four happy young adults who are contributing members of society, and she is active in her community in various volunteer roles.Host Bio:Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.Resources mentioned in this episode:MiraseeDr. Irena O'Brien's website: The Neuroscience SchoolCaroline's Neuroscience School profile: NeuroscienceSchool.com/about-us/Caroline's email: LerouxBoulay@gmail.comPeter Senge's Ladder of InferenceImmunity to Change (book) by Robert KeganCredits:Host: Dr. Irena O'BrienProducer: Andrew ChapmanAudio Editor: Marvin del RosarioExecutive Producer: Danny InyMusic Soundscape: Chad Michael SnavelyMaking our hosts sound great: Home Brew AudioMusic credits:Track Title: Sneaker SmeakerArtist: Avocado JunkieWriter: Sander KalmeijerPublisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONTrack Title: Coo CoosArtist: Dresden, The FlamingoWriter: Matthew WigtonPublisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONTrack Title: In This LightArtist: Sounds Like SanderWriter: Sander KalmeijerPublisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONSpecial effects credits:24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It's the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.Episode transcript: Unlocking Compassionate Coaching with Brain-Based Strategies (Caroline Leroux)  coming soon.

The latest episode of Mathematica's On the Evidence podcast features an interview with Katherine Michelmore, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the 24th recipient of the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize. Michelmore's research has focused on temporary expansions of tax credits during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is part of a growing body of evidence informing state and federal policy proposals to make permanent some or all of those changes. On the episode, Michelmore talks about her experiences interacting with the media and policymakers about the subject of her research, using a novel source of data from a private mobile app to study the impacts of an expanded Child Tax Credit on households, and questions she would like to pursue in the future related to tax credits that support working parents and their children. Find the full transcript at mathematica.org/blogs/kershaw-award-winner-katherine-michelmore-on-how-expanded-tax-credits-benefited-family-well-being Check out the Spotify playlist with interviews with the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 winners of the Kershaw Award: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Qz9HKUOxBhj33neIpPEUd?si=9oBu3VV2QJig8nUgKVVUKg&nd=1&dlsi=c61b4fd6357f426d Going to the 2024 APPAM Fall Research Conference? On the Evidence will be there, too. Find us at the Mathematica booth. Send us a message at jwogan@mathematica-mpr.com to let us know you're coming. Read a working paper co-authored by Michelmore on the effects of the temporary expansion of the CTC on the economic well-being of families, including a reduction in food insecurity: https://www.nber.org/papers/w30533 Read an article co-authored by Michelmore on the effects of the temporary expansion of the CTC on housing affordability and the living arrangements of families: https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/article/61/4/1069/389197/The-Effects-of-the-2021-Child-Tax-Credit-on Read an article co-authored by Michelmore on the effects of the temporary expansion of the CTC on short- and long-term child development, including the likely improvement of children's health: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00027162241264412 Read a working paper co-authored by Michelmore on the effects of the temporary expansion of the childless EITC: https://www.nber.org/papers/w32571

The Heartland POD, Friday June 21, 2024Kansas Legislature passes incentive bill to lure Kanas City Chiefs and RoyalsRather than preside over clown show convention, IL GOP chair resignsIllinois families cheer $300 state Child Tax CreditDems confident, Republicans morose in ongoing IVF battleThis week in ‘unforced errors' Trump calls Milwaukee a ‘horrible city' causing his pollster to be… also morose. We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5-star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at https://theheartlandcollective.comLots to do, so let's go! Kansas Legislature passes incentive bill to lure Kansas City Chiefs, RoyalsBY: ALLISON KITE - JUNE 18, 2024 3:26 PM   Brady Singer of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium in April. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images).TOPEKA — The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs could receive hundreds of millions of dollars in sales tax revenue to move from Missouri and build new stadiums across the state line under legislation passed Tuesday by Kansas lawmakers.The House voted 84-38 and the Senate voted 27-8 to approve legislation that would expand a state incentive program in an attempt to lure one or both teams from Kansas City. The bill now heads to Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, who said in a statement following the Senate vote that the effort to bring the teams to Kansas “shows we're all-in on keeping our beloved teams in the Kansas City metro.”“Kansas now has the opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse with the Chiefs and Royals potentially joining Sporting KC as major league attractions, all with robust, revenue-generating entertainment districts surrounding them providing new jobs, new visitors and new revenues that boost the Kansas economy,” Kelly said.Neither team has promised to move to Kansas, though both actively lobbied for the legislation's passage. The Chiefs said in a statement that the team appreciated Kansas leaders reaching out for input on the legislation.“We look forward to exploring the options this legislation may provide,” the statement said. The Royals said the team was grateful to the legislature for its vote. “The Kansas City Royals look forward to additional conversations as we evaluate where we will play baseball in the future,” the team said. “We will always prioritize the best interests of our fans, associates and taxpayers in this process.”State Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Republican from Stilwell, said during debate in the House that Missouri had a history of losing professional sports teams and implored fellow House members to pass the legislation.“I ask you today, do you really want to put that type of an economic generation in the hands of the state of Missouri?” Tarwater said just before the vote.Rep. Sean Tarwater speaks on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives in favor of expanding economic incentives in an attempt to bring the Kansas City Chiefs or Royals to Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)Passage of the bill represents a monumental step in Kansas lawmakers' attempts to court the teams. Both teams have signaled a willingness to move from their current stadiums at the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Missouri.While neither team has announced a proposed site for a Kansas stadium, legislators speculated it could land in Wyandotte County near the Sporting KC soccer stadium, NASCAR track and outlet shops.“We have the history of building amazing projects that have brought in retail commerce, restaurants, hotels and have improved an area that was largely just a field and turned it into a tax-generating machine for our state,” said Sen. J.R. Claeys, a Salina Republican.The legislation, he said, would put Kansas in a “very good position to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals in the Kansas City metro area.”The bill, which was not voted on by any legislative committee, would expand the state's Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond program, which is meant to help finance tourism and entertainment districts to help pay for a professional football or baseball stadium of at least $1 billion.A developer building a stadium under the program would be eligible to finance up to 70% of the project cost by issuing bonds and repaying them with the increased sales tax collections from the stadium site. The expansion would have initially allowed up to 75% of project costs but was tweaked before introduction. Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn't have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20.The project could also receive a boost from liquor taxes generated in the STAR Bond district and revenues from a fund Kansas created when it legalized sports betting.During House debate, Rep. Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican, argued subsidized stadiums never generate the economic activity that they promise. He was alarmed by what he called “minimal transparency” in the deal-making process laid out in the legislation.The bill says any agreement between the state and a team would be confidential until after it has been executed.Waggoner called the legislation “bad public policy.”“This is not your mother's STAR Bonds,” Waggoner said. “This is a jacked up super-sized version of STAR Bonds.”Patrick Mahomes throws pass against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 23, 2022. Kansas lawmakers could offer the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals millions of dollars in tax incentives to move from Missouri to Kansas. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images).The bill limits the eligibility to National Football League or Major League Baseball teams currently near Kansas. The financing mechanism could be used for both stadiums and training facilities.Both teams have pressed lawmakers in recent weeks to pass the bill with representatives from the Royals hosting dinner for Democratic lawmakers at a steakhouse Monday night and the Chiefs throwing a lunchtime block party Tuesday steps from the Capitol.Earlier this month, a nonprofit called Scoop and Score Inc. launched to advocate for a Kansas stadium deal. The organization, which does not have to disclose its donors, hired 30 lobbyists to advocate for the STAR Bond expansion legislation. In a statement, former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a lobbyist for Scoop and Score and the Chiefs, said the Legislature “stepped up in a big way, paving the path to make sure the Chiefs stay right where they belong — in Kansas City with their loyal fans.”“The votes show overwhelming bipartisan support because Kansas lawmakers know what the Chiefs mean to us and how big of an economic opportunity this is for Kansas,” Ryckman said.Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignationAfter 3 ½ years as ILGOP chair, Don Tracy cites intraparty fighting as reason for quittingBy HANNAH MEISELCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.comHalfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party.Tracy, who'd held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in a two-page letter that cited intraparty “power struggles.” He also said he is concerned about the direction the party is taking under the current membership of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee – a 17-person body that steers the ILGOP, with one member elected from each congressional district.“In better days, Illinois Republicans came together after tough intra party elections,” Tracy wrote. “Now however, we have Republicans who would rather fight other Republicans than engage in the harder work of defeating incumbent Democrats by convincing swing voters to vote Republican.”Tracy was narrowly elected Illinois Republican Party chair in the wake of the 2020 election and Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol by those who sought to stop certification of the election for its winner, President Joe Biden, over former President Donald Trump. Even as Republicans publicly reckoned with the events of Jan. 6, hardline conservatives on the state central committee were pushing for a more ardent supporter of Trump and his politics than the previous chair, who was hand-picked by former Gov. Bruce Rauner.Instead, the party got Tracy, another Rauner ally who served as chair of the Illinois Gaming Board during the one-term governor's administration. Tracy had unsuccessfully run for lieutenant governor in 2010, and in 2002, he lost a bid for a state Senate seat – but as a Democrat.Tracy's electoral history, as well as his experience as an attorney and co-owner of his family's food distribution business, fit the mold of previous ILGOP chairs in a state where fiscally conservative and socially moderate suburban Republicans for decades were a political powerhouse.But as Republican politics have changed both nationally and in Illinois, Tracy's run as party chair proved tumultuous.Additionally, Tracy wrote that he was “concerned about the current infatuation” of some state central committee members “with certain individuals they call ‘grass roots' leaders.”One such self-proclaimed grassroots Republican, former state Sen. Darren Bailey, celebrated Tracy's resignation on social media Wednesday, calling it a “cleansing” of the state GOP.“Fake republicans got us into this mess,” wrote Bailey, who earlier this year lost a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Mike Bost and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022. “Real Republicans standing firm will get us out!!!”Read more: Dems seek unity as new, former chair take no questions from media after party voteDemocrats panned the state GOP as “defined by a litany of electoral disasters, constant infighting, meager fundraising, and a strict adherence to a losing set of anti-choice, anti-worker, pro-Trump policies.”“While we don't expect new leadership to change any of that, we do wish the best of luck to the inevitable MAGA extremist who will succeed Don Tracy as Chair,” the party said.Tracy's letter indicated he would resign upon the election of a successor, “preferably no later than” July 19 – the day after the RNC is scheduled to conclude. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it?(Capitol News Illinois illustration by Andrew Adams)Thursday, June 13, 2024$50M tax credit program will provide up to roughly $300 for low-income familiesBy ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comIn the final hours of their spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved a tax credit of up to about $300 for families with young children. The credit is available to Illinoisans with children under age 12 who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Although it has exceptions, that credit is generally available to married couples earning up to about $60,000 and single people earning up to about $50,000, depending on the number of children they have. For taxes on 2024 income, the tax credit will cap at just over $300 for tax filers with three or more children who meet certain income requirements. Taxpayers with two children face a cap of about $270 and taxpayers with one child face a cap of about $170. The child tax credit equates to 20 percent of the state's EITC, which allows Illinois taxpayers a credit equal to 20 percent of the federal EITC. Starting in tax year 2025, the state's child tax credit will double to 40 percent of the state EITC, meaning that it will max out at a bit over $600 for families with three children. Because the federal tax credit that determines its size is tied to inflation, the actual size of future years' child tax credits is yet to be determined. In its first year, the program is expected to cost the state $50 million, with a cost of about $100 million in subsequent years. The idea of a permanent child tax credit in Illinois has been floated for several years, with various proposals being put forward by legislators in the General Assembly as well as advocacy groups and think tanks. Gov. JB Pritzker pitched a child tax credit in his proposed budget earlier this year that was smaller than the version that passed in the final budget. It would have applied to children under three years old and cost about $12 million. Proponents of the idea say that in addition to helping low-income families, programs like this help local economies. “Every dollar we invest in the child tax credit is immediately spent locally,” Erion Malasi, the policy director for Economic Security for Illinois, told Capitol News Illinois. Researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a labor movement-affiliated think tank, found in a January report that child tax credits have a higher economic impact than cuts to corporate income taxes or to capital gains taxes. That report also cited several research teams that found the temporary expansion to the federal child tax credit between 2021 and 2023 reduced child poverty in the U.S. by between 25 and 36 percent. That credit provided an additional $1,000 per child on top of an existing $2,000 credit, with increases for younger children. State Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, sponsored legislation that would have created a $300 million child tax credit program that was more expansive than the version that passed. Aquino told Capitol News Illinois he will be watching the rollout of the child tax credit to see if there is room for an “expansion” in future budget years or if there is a route for the credit to be automatically applied for qualifying taxpayers. The Illinois Department of Revenue is working on guidance for next year's filing season and will provide information about how to claim the child tax credit on its website. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Kansas' Davids lauds court decision on abortion pill; Marshall critiques Democrats' IVF billBY: TIM CARPENTER - JUNE 13, 2024 4:56 PM   U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, applauded a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to turn aside a lawsuit seeking to direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to significantly limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas said the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of an attempt to undermine the federal Food and Drug Administration's authorization of a widely available abortion medication wouldn't be the final act by opponents of reproductive rights.On Thursday, the Supreme Court said the plaintiffs, comprised of anti-abortion physicians and organizations, didn't have standing to pursue the lawsuit against the FDA aimed at curtailing access to the drug mifepristone. It's possible other plaintiffs capable of showing they were harmed by availability of the pill could challenge FDA approval of the drug. It is used in approximately half of all abortions in the United States.“I will always stand with Kansans who overwhelmingly rejected extremist attempts to limit reproductive health care access,” said Davids, the 3rd District Democrat. “Yet, for the second year in a row, a vital and safe reproductive health care medication was under attack, threatening to strip Kansans' ability to freely make health care decisions that are best for their families and futures.”Davids said the Supreme Court opinion was “a victory for our freedoms,” but the legal fight regarding abortion access was far from over. She vowed to continue opposing attempts to “interfere in our most private health care decisions.”U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, signed an amicus brief urging federal courts to rule the FDA overstepped its authority years ago in regard to use of mifepristone. U.S. Reps. Ron Estes, Tracey Mann and Jake LaTurner, signed a brief that argued the Supreme Court should reverse the FDA.These Kansas lawmakers said the FDA's action to deregulate “chemical abortion drugs” subverted Congress' public policy interests and patient welfare.Mifepristone, which is authorized for up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, was part of two-drug regimen that included misoprostol as the second pharmaceutical.Meanwhile, both U.S. senators from Kansas, Republicans Jerry Moran and Marshall, voted Thursday to block legislation offered by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that would affirm the right of women attempting to become pregnant to seek fertility treatments that included in vitro fertilization or IVF.The Senate vote on that measure was 48-47, short of the 60 votes required to advance the measure.On Wednesday, Marshall said the Duckworth bill contained “poison pills” that violated the religious freedom of physicians and would unnecessarily broaden access to reproductive technology. He praised a piece of IVF legislation sponsored by Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.Marshall, a physician who delivered babies for 30 years in Kansas said, “The country needs to know that Republicans believe in IVF. I happen to believe IVF is a gift from God.”Sean: Unfortunately for Senator Marshall, he doesn't speak for all Republicans, many of whom are far out of the mainstream on whether they believe families should be able to access IVF.And today in unforced errors…Trump tells House Republicans Milwaukee is a ‘horrible city'BY: HENRY REDMAN - JUNE 13, 2024 10:51 AM   Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on Wednesday, May 1, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson | Getty Images)In a closed door meeting with Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, Donald Trump reportedly called Milwaukee, the location of this summer's Republican National Convention, a “horrible city.” Trump's comments were reported by Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman. “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city,” Trump is reported to have said on Thursday. The former president visited Wisconsin in May, holding a rally in Waukesha. During that visit, he talked about the RNC coming to Milwaukee, making fun of Democrats — who planned to hold the 2020 Democratic National Convention in the city but canceled it due to the COVID-19 pandemic — for not showing up to the city. Wisconsin's House Republicans responded to the report with varying stories about what happened. Rep. Glenn Grothman told reporters Trump was talking about “election integrity” in large urban centers, Rep. Derrick Van Orden said the report was a lie and that Trump was talking about the city's crime rate and Rep. Bryan Steil denied that Trump made the comment at all.In response to the comment, Democrats said if Trump doesn't like Milwaukee, he doesn't need to come. “If Donald Trump hates Milwaukee so much, we have one message for him: don't come, we won't miss you — your campaign is barely here in the first place,” Democratic National Committee spokesperson Addy Toevs said in a statement. “In November, Wisconsinites will show Trump how the dislike is mutual and will reject him again once and for all.”Other Democrats touted Milwaukee's beer, food and sports teams while connecting the comments to regular Republican attacks against Wisconsin's largest and most diverse city.“Donald Trump attacking the great city of Milwaukee as a ‘horrible city' exactly one month before he shuffles out on stage at the Fiserv reflects the backward, twisted man Donald Trump has always been,” Wisconsin Democratic Party Vice Chair Felesia Martin said. “With entertainment, recreation and a quality of life that is unparalleled — to say nothing of a great basketball team — I am blessed to call Milwaukee home. We're used to Republican politicians like Donald Trump showing nothing but contempt for Milwaukee and the folks who live here: they know our power, and they're afraid of the city we are building here, together. Once again, Trump has demonstrated why he should not be elected to the highest office in the land. He does not possess the discipline, respect, thoughtfulness, nor the maturity necessary to lead our country.”Trump is expected to visit southeastern Wisconsin again next week, for a planned rally in Racine on Tuesday. Because he knows if he wants to be president again, he has to win there. Wild. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Threads)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Threads) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

The Heartland POD, Friday June 21, 2024Kansas Legislature passes incentive bill to lure Kanas City Chiefs and RoyalsRather than preside over clown show convention, IL GOP chair resignsIllinois families cheer $300 state Child Tax CreditDems confident, Republicans morose in ongoing IVF battleThis week in ‘unforced errors' Trump calls Milwaukee a ‘horrible city' causing his pollster to be… also morose. We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5-star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at https://theheartlandcollective.comLots to do, so let's go! Kansas Legislature passes incentive bill to lure Kansas City Chiefs, RoyalsBY: ALLISON KITE - JUNE 18, 2024 3:26 PM   Brady Singer of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium in April. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images).TOPEKA — The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs could receive hundreds of millions of dollars in sales tax revenue to move from Missouri and build new stadiums across the state line under legislation passed Tuesday by Kansas lawmakers.The House voted 84-38 and the Senate voted 27-8 to approve legislation that would expand a state incentive program in an attempt to lure one or both teams from Kansas City. The bill now heads to Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, who said in a statement following the Senate vote that the effort to bring the teams to Kansas “shows we're all-in on keeping our beloved teams in the Kansas City metro.”“Kansas now has the opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse with the Chiefs and Royals potentially joining Sporting KC as major league attractions, all with robust, revenue-generating entertainment districts surrounding them providing new jobs, new visitors and new revenues that boost the Kansas economy,” Kelly said.Neither team has promised to move to Kansas, though both actively lobbied for the legislation's passage. The Chiefs said in a statement that the team appreciated Kansas leaders reaching out for input on the legislation.“We look forward to exploring the options this legislation may provide,” the statement said. The Royals said the team was grateful to the legislature for its vote. “The Kansas City Royals look forward to additional conversations as we evaluate where we will play baseball in the future,” the team said. “We will always prioritize the best interests of our fans, associates and taxpayers in this process.”State Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Republican from Stilwell, said during debate in the House that Missouri had a history of losing professional sports teams and implored fellow House members to pass the legislation.“I ask you today, do you really want to put that type of an economic generation in the hands of the state of Missouri?” Tarwater said just before the vote.Rep. Sean Tarwater speaks on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives in favor of expanding economic incentives in an attempt to bring the Kansas City Chiefs or Royals to Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)Passage of the bill represents a monumental step in Kansas lawmakers' attempts to court the teams. Both teams have signaled a willingness to move from their current stadiums at the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Missouri.While neither team has announced a proposed site for a Kansas stadium, legislators speculated it could land in Wyandotte County near the Sporting KC soccer stadium, NASCAR track and outlet shops.“We have the history of building amazing projects that have brought in retail commerce, restaurants, hotels and have improved an area that was largely just a field and turned it into a tax-generating machine for our state,” said Sen. J.R. Claeys, a Salina Republican.The legislation, he said, would put Kansas in a “very good position to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals in the Kansas City metro area.”The bill, which was not voted on by any legislative committee, would expand the state's Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond program, which is meant to help finance tourism and entertainment districts to help pay for a professional football or baseball stadium of at least $1 billion.A developer building a stadium under the program would be eligible to finance up to 70% of the project cost by issuing bonds and repaying them with the increased sales tax collections from the stadium site. The expansion would have initially allowed up to 75% of project costs but was tweaked before introduction. Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn't have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20.The project could also receive a boost from liquor taxes generated in the STAR Bond district and revenues from a fund Kansas created when it legalized sports betting.During House debate, Rep. Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican, argued subsidized stadiums never generate the economic activity that they promise. He was alarmed by what he called “minimal transparency” in the deal-making process laid out in the legislation.The bill says any agreement between the state and a team would be confidential until after it has been executed.Waggoner called the legislation “bad public policy.”“This is not your mother's STAR Bonds,” Waggoner said. “This is a jacked up super-sized version of STAR Bonds.”Patrick Mahomes throws pass against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 23, 2022. Kansas lawmakers could offer the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals millions of dollars in tax incentives to move from Missouri to Kansas. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images).The bill limits the eligibility to National Football League or Major League Baseball teams currently near Kansas. The financing mechanism could be used for both stadiums and training facilities.Both teams have pressed lawmakers in recent weeks to pass the bill with representatives from the Royals hosting dinner for Democratic lawmakers at a steakhouse Monday night and the Chiefs throwing a lunchtime block party Tuesday steps from the Capitol.Earlier this month, a nonprofit called Scoop and Score Inc. launched to advocate for a Kansas stadium deal. The organization, which does not have to disclose its donors, hired 30 lobbyists to advocate for the STAR Bond expansion legislation. In a statement, former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a lobbyist for Scoop and Score and the Chiefs, said the Legislature “stepped up in a big way, paving the path to make sure the Chiefs stay right where they belong — in Kansas City with their loyal fans.”“The votes show overwhelming bipartisan support because Kansas lawmakers know what the Chiefs mean to us and how big of an economic opportunity this is for Kansas,” Ryckman said.Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignationAfter 3 ½ years as ILGOP chair, Don Tracy cites intraparty fighting as reason for quittingBy HANNAH MEISELCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.comHalfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party.Tracy, who'd held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in a two-page letter that cited intraparty “power struggles.” He also said he is concerned about the direction the party is taking under the current membership of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee – a 17-person body that steers the ILGOP, with one member elected from each congressional district.“In better days, Illinois Republicans came together after tough intra party elections,” Tracy wrote. “Now however, we have Republicans who would rather fight other Republicans than engage in the harder work of defeating incumbent Democrats by convincing swing voters to vote Republican.”Tracy was narrowly elected Illinois Republican Party chair in the wake of the 2020 election and Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol by those who sought to stop certification of the election for its winner, President Joe Biden, over former President Donald Trump. Even as Republicans publicly reckoned with the events of Jan. 6, hardline conservatives on the state central committee were pushing for a more ardent supporter of Trump and his politics than the previous chair, who was hand-picked by former Gov. Bruce Rauner.Instead, the party got Tracy, another Rauner ally who served as chair of the Illinois Gaming Board during the one-term governor's administration. Tracy had unsuccessfully run for lieutenant governor in 2010, and in 2002, he lost a bid for a state Senate seat – but as a Democrat.Tracy's electoral history, as well as his experience as an attorney and co-owner of his family's food distribution business, fit the mold of previous ILGOP chairs in a state where fiscally conservative and socially moderate suburban Republicans for decades were a political powerhouse.But as Republican politics have changed both nationally and in Illinois, Tracy's run as party chair proved tumultuous.Additionally, Tracy wrote that he was “concerned about the current infatuation” of some state central committee members “with certain individuals they call ‘grass roots' leaders.”One such self-proclaimed grassroots Republican, former state Sen. Darren Bailey, celebrated Tracy's resignation on social media Wednesday, calling it a “cleansing” of the state GOP.“Fake republicans got us into this mess,” wrote Bailey, who earlier this year lost a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Mike Bost and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022. “Real Republicans standing firm will get us out!!!”Read more: Dems seek unity as new, former chair take no questions from media after party voteDemocrats panned the state GOP as “defined by a litany of electoral disasters, constant infighting, meager fundraising, and a strict adherence to a losing set of anti-choice, anti-worker, pro-Trump policies.”“While we don't expect new leadership to change any of that, we do wish the best of luck to the inevitable MAGA extremist who will succeed Don Tracy as Chair,” the party said.Tracy's letter indicated he would resign upon the election of a successor, “preferably no later than” July 19 – the day after the RNC is scheduled to conclude. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it?(Capitol News Illinois illustration by Andrew Adams)Thursday, June 13, 2024$50M tax credit program will provide up to roughly $300 for low-income familiesBy ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comIn the final hours of their spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved a tax credit of up to about $300 for families with young children. The credit is available to Illinoisans with children under age 12 who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Although it has exceptions, that credit is generally available to married couples earning up to about $60,000 and single people earning up to about $50,000, depending on the number of children they have. For taxes on 2024 income, the tax credit will cap at just over $300 for tax filers with three or more children who meet certain income requirements. Taxpayers with two children face a cap of about $270 and taxpayers with one child face a cap of about $170. The child tax credit equates to 20 percent of the state's EITC, which allows Illinois taxpayers a credit equal to 20 percent of the federal EITC. Starting in tax year 2025, the state's child tax credit will double to 40 percent of the state EITC, meaning that it will max out at a bit over $600 for families with three children. Because the federal tax credit that determines its size is tied to inflation, the actual size of future years' child tax credits is yet to be determined. In its first year, the program is expected to cost the state $50 million, with a cost of about $100 million in subsequent years. The idea of a permanent child tax credit in Illinois has been floated for several years, with various proposals being put forward by legislators in the General Assembly as well as advocacy groups and think tanks. Gov. JB Pritzker pitched a child tax credit in his proposed budget earlier this year that was smaller than the version that passed in the final budget. It would have applied to children under three years old and cost about $12 million. Proponents of the idea say that in addition to helping low-income families, programs like this help local economies. “Every dollar we invest in the child tax credit is immediately spent locally,” Erion Malasi, the policy director for Economic Security for Illinois, told Capitol News Illinois. Researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a labor movement-affiliated think tank, found in a January report that child tax credits have a higher economic impact than cuts to corporate income taxes or to capital gains taxes. That report also cited several research teams that found the temporary expansion to the federal child tax credit between 2021 and 2023 reduced child poverty in the U.S. by between 25 and 36 percent. That credit provided an additional $1,000 per child on top of an existing $2,000 credit, with increases for younger children. State Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, sponsored legislation that would have created a $300 million child tax credit program that was more expansive than the version that passed. Aquino told Capitol News Illinois he will be watching the rollout of the child tax credit to see if there is room for an “expansion” in future budget years or if there is a route for the credit to be automatically applied for qualifying taxpayers. The Illinois Department of Revenue is working on guidance for next year's filing season and will provide information about how to claim the child tax credit on its website. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Kansas' Davids lauds court decision on abortion pill; Marshall critiques Democrats' IVF billBY: TIM CARPENTER - JUNE 13, 2024 4:56 PM   U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, applauded a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to turn aside a lawsuit seeking to direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to significantly limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas said the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of an attempt to undermine the federal Food and Drug Administration's authorization of a widely available abortion medication wouldn't be the final act by opponents of reproductive rights.On Thursday, the Supreme Court said the plaintiffs, comprised of anti-abortion physicians and organizations, didn't have standing to pursue the lawsuit against the FDA aimed at curtailing access to the drug mifepristone. It's possible other plaintiffs capable of showing they were harmed by availability of the pill could challenge FDA approval of the drug. It is used in approximately half of all abortions in the United States.“I will always stand with Kansans who overwhelmingly rejected extremist attempts to limit reproductive health care access,” said Davids, the 3rd District Democrat. “Yet, for the second year in a row, a vital and safe reproductive health care medication was under attack, threatening to strip Kansans' ability to freely make health care decisions that are best for their families and futures.”Davids said the Supreme Court opinion was “a victory for our freedoms,” but the legal fight regarding abortion access was far from over. She vowed to continue opposing attempts to “interfere in our most private health care decisions.”U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, signed an amicus brief urging federal courts to rule the FDA overstepped its authority years ago in regard to use of mifepristone. U.S. Reps. Ron Estes, Tracey Mann and Jake LaTurner, signed a brief that argued the Supreme Court should reverse the FDA.These Kansas lawmakers said the FDA's action to deregulate “chemical abortion drugs” subverted Congress' public policy interests and patient welfare.Mifepristone, which is authorized for up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, was part of two-drug regimen that included misoprostol as the second pharmaceutical.Meanwhile, both U.S. senators from Kansas, Republicans Jerry Moran and Marshall, voted Thursday to block legislation offered by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that would affirm the right of women attempting to become pregnant to seek fertility treatments that included in vitro fertilization or IVF.The Senate vote on that measure was 48-47, short of the 60 votes required to advance the measure.On Wednesday, Marshall said the Duckworth bill contained “poison pills” that violated the religious freedom of physicians and would unnecessarily broaden access to reproductive technology. He praised a piece of IVF legislation sponsored by Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.Marshall, a physician who delivered babies for 30 years in Kansas said, “The country needs to know that Republicans believe in IVF. I happen to believe IVF is a gift from God.”Sean: Unfortunately for Senator Marshall, he doesn't speak for all Republicans, many of whom are far out of the mainstream on whether they believe families should be able to access IVF.And today in unforced errors…Trump tells House Republicans Milwaukee is a ‘horrible city'BY: HENRY REDMAN - JUNE 13, 2024 10:51 AM   Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on Wednesday, May 1, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson | Getty Images)In a closed door meeting with Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, Donald Trump reportedly called Milwaukee, the location of this summer's Republican National Convention, a “horrible city.” Trump's comments were reported by Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman. “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city,” Trump is reported to have said on Thursday. The former president visited Wisconsin in May, holding a rally in Waukesha. During that visit, he talked about the RNC coming to Milwaukee, making fun of Democrats — who planned to hold the 2020 Democratic National Convention in the city but canceled it due to the COVID-19 pandemic — for not showing up to the city. Wisconsin's House Republicans responded to the report with varying stories about what happened. Rep. Glenn Grothman told reporters Trump was talking about “election integrity” in large urban centers, Rep. Derrick Van Orden said the report was a lie and that Trump was talking about the city's crime rate and Rep. Bryan Steil denied that Trump made the comment at all.In response to the comment, Democrats said if Trump doesn't like Milwaukee, he doesn't need to come. “If Donald Trump hates Milwaukee so much, we have one message for him: don't come, we won't miss you — your campaign is barely here in the first place,” Democratic National Committee spokesperson Addy Toevs said in a statement. “In November, Wisconsinites will show Trump how the dislike is mutual and will reject him again once and for all.”Other Democrats touted Milwaukee's beer, food and sports teams while connecting the comments to regular Republican attacks against Wisconsin's largest and most diverse city.“Donald Trump attacking the great city of Milwaukee as a ‘horrible city' exactly one month before he shuffles out on stage at the Fiserv reflects the backward, twisted man Donald Trump has always been,” Wisconsin Democratic Party Vice Chair Felesia Martin said. “With entertainment, recreation and a quality of life that is unparalleled — to say nothing of a great basketball team — I am blessed to call Milwaukee home. We're used to Republican politicians like Donald Trump showing nothing but contempt for Milwaukee and the folks who live here: they know our power, and they're afraid of the city we are building here, together. Once again, Trump has demonstrated why he should not be elected to the highest office in the land. He does not possess the discipline, respect, thoughtfulness, nor the maturity necessary to lead our country.”Trump is expected to visit southeastern Wisconsin again next week, for a planned rally in Racine on Tuesday. Because he knows if he wants to be president again, he has to win there. Wild. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Threads)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Threads) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Send us a Text Message.Jacob Bastian tells us all about the earned income tax credit (EITC). 

Send us a Text Message.Susan Lanham, Amanda Thompson-Abbott, and Tom Norton of Marshall University discuss their research on the earned income tax credit's effectiveness in alleviating poverty.   For more, read Lanham, Thompson-Abbott, and Norton's Tax Notes article, "Assessing the EITC's Role in Poverty Alleviation."For more coverage, read these articles in Tax Notes:CBO Analysis of Taxpayer Race Data Shows DisparitiesRefundable Credit Audits Should Reflect Equity, GAO SaysData Could Help IRS Evaluate ‘Racialized Burdens'Tax Prep Industry Bashes ‘Outdated' EITC ReportRetail Tax Prep Companies Accused of Targeting MinoritiesGAO Finds $22 Billion Sent in Error for Earned Income Tax CreditFollow us on Twitter:Alex Rifaat: @alexrifaatDavid Stewart: @TaxStewTax Notes: @TaxNotes***CreditsHost: David D. StewartExecutive Producers: Jasper B. Smith, Paige JonesShowrunner: Jordan ParrishAudio Engineers: Jordan Parrish, Peyton RhodesGuest Relations: Alexis Hart

Mary Wood of Meadows Collier discusses recent updates on the employee retention credit, from the IRS's moratorium on new claims to the potential effect of pending legislation. For more episodes on the employee retention credit, listen to:IRS Key Updates: ERC, EITC, and Government Shutdown PlansThe Employee Retention Credit: Scams and SuccessesFor additional coverage, read these articles in Tax Notes:Pandemic Relief Fraud Scheme Shut Down, TIGTA SaysIRS Leaves Door Open to Resume ERC Voluntary DisclosureERC Voluntary Disclosure Program Barrels Toward Uncertain EndERC Abuse Revives Debate Over Contingency FeesIRS ERC Audits Undergo Changes as They Get OlderFollow us on Twitter:Lauren Loricchio: @LaurenLoricchioDavid Stewart: @TaxStewTax Notes: @TaxNotes***CreditsHost: David D. StewartExecutive Producers: Jasper B. Smith, Paige JonesShowrunner: Jordan ParrishAudio Engineers: Jordan Parrish, Peyton RhodesGuest Relations: Alexis Hart

In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Ivy Stein, an Impact Manager at the United Way of San Diego County.Learn about the importance of having a positive community effect, particularly in San Diego County where over one-third of households experience financial hardship. Ivy talks about the coalition that she oversees, emphasizing the significance of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the area.The discussion emphasizes how important it is to educate people with low and moderate incomes—who frequently ignore available financial aid—about tax credits. Ivy describes how the coalition grew to include over forty organizations and highlights how they all worked together to help people with their taxes, from awareness campaigns to actual tax preparation and help after filing.In this episode, hear about the coalition's diverse range of organizations, including refugee services, and the vital role they play in helping disadvantaged communities. Ivy offers intimate details about her motivation for working in community impact, which stems from her desire to change the world and make sure that people in need are the direct beneficiaries of her efforts. The episode ends with a preview of upcoming efforts that seek to further combine education and economic mobility programs in order to promote comprehensive community development.An excellent episode on filling gaps in the community with Ivy Stein. Here are some other takeaways from the interview:Raising awareness about tax credits, particularly the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), to support low and moderate-income individuals in San Diego County.The collaborative efforts of over 40 organizations within the coalition, spanning refugee services and community organizations, to provide comprehensive tax assistance and financial education.The significant impact of volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) programs in providing quality tax services and dispelled misconceptions about the free service's quality.Economic benefits of tax credits like EITC and Child Tax Credit in supporting families, fostering financial stability, and stimulating the local economy.Ivy's personal passion for community impact work and her dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of those in need, highlighting the importance of holistic community development initiatives.The answers to the rapid-fire questions.An excellent interview from a passionate gap minder. Thank you, Ivy, for your contributions in San Diego, and for joining us on The Gap Minders.Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show.If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.

Judge sets first Donald Trump criminal trial date in hush money case, District Attorney Fani Willis testifies in hearing accusing her of misconduct in Georgia Trump election interference case, House passes bill to reverse President Biden ban on LNG exports, IRS Commissioner Werfel on proposed EITC changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Qualifying families can receive free tax-preparation assistance through the United Way Tax Assistance Program, which opens Jan. 31. The program can provide free tax-filing services for individuals and families with incomes of as much as ,000 annually. It is funded by the United Way and IRS-certified tax preparers. The program aims to increase eligibility for refundable credits that can help families receive back taxes. Many people are unaware of the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal tax credit that helps families with low and moderate incomes. The amount of the EITC depends on a person's earned income, marital status, and...Article LinkSupport the show

In this episode of 'Dr. Friday Tax Tips - One Minute Moment,' Dr. Friday, the head of Dr. Friday's Tax and Financial Firm, delves into the intricacies of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for the year 2023. She explains that the EITC is a refundable tax credit designed primarily for lower-income individuals, with or without children. The credit amount for 2023 ranges between $600 and $7,430, varying based on the number of children, marital status, and income level. Dr. Friday emphasizes the income-based eligibility of the EITC, highlighting that individuals with up to three children can claim this credit. For those seeking assistance with their taxes, Dr. Friday encourages contacting her firm or tuning into her live Call-In Show on Saturdays. Transcript G'day, I'm Dr. Friday, President of Dr. Friday's Tax and Financial Firm. To get more info, go to www.drfriday.com. This is a one-minute moment. Earned Income Tax Credit. What is it? It's a refundable tax credit tax breaks for lower-income individuals with or without children. In 2023, the credit ranges from $600 up to $7,430 depending on how many kids you have, your marital status, or if you have no kids. So, again, this is one of those that's truly based solely on income, and if it's low enough and you don't have children, you may qualify. If you do, you have up to three children that you can claim for the earned income credits. If you need help, all you have to do is check me on the web, drfriday.com. Need help with taxes? Call me at 615-367-0819. You can catch the Dr. Friday Call-In Show live every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. right here on 99.7 WTN.

Year-end bonuses, W-2 forms and annual tax credit notices are three undertakings employers tackle to close out the year. In this episode,  we'll provide guidance to help you navigate these end-of-year responsibilities. Listen in as we cover: [0:40] General considerations for end-of-year bonuses [2:27] Overtime implications of bonuses [3:32] Tax implications for bonuses [4:32] W-2s: Timelines & how to furnish to employees [7:02] Other required tax notices, like EITC, & key things to know Copyright © 2023 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved. This content may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, sold or used without the written permission of ADP. The information is provided "as is" without any expressed or implied warranty, is based on generally accepted HR practices and is advisory in nature. This content is provided with the understanding that neither the presenters nor the writers are rendering legal advice or other professional services. Employers are encouraged to consult with legal counsel for advice regarding their organization's compliance with applicable laws. This material is current as of the date of this episode (December 2023).

There's more to Capitol Hill than elbow jabs between elected officials and performative press conferences. Every day, members of Congress who take public service seriously take on our most consequential social and economic challenges. Pull the curtain back further and you will see nonprofit leaders who bring shared values, expertise, policy solutions to these decision makers. On this episode of Power Station, Eric Mitchell, President of the Alliance to End Hunger, shares his organizational strategies for tackling hunger at home and across the globe. It starts with building a powerful coalition of leaders from the corporate, faith-based, NGO, agricultural and academic sectors who are unified in their support for anti-hunger and anti-poverty policies and investments. Their work is vital to the futures of the 44 million Americans and 780 million people globally who experience hunger. Right now, the Alliance is laser-focused on modernizing the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), a highly effective nutritional and education lifeline for our next generation. And because, as Eric says, hunger is a symptom of deeper historical ills, the Alliance champions the EITC and Child Tax Credit, anti-poverty game changers. What an eye-opening and heartening conversation.          

Robert Kerr, formerly with the IRS and now with Kerr Consulting, discusses latest developments from the IRS, including the tax agency's plans for a government shutdown and its handling of the employee retention credit. For additional coverage, read these articles in Tax Notes:Looming Shutdown Threatens to Derail IRS's ProgressIRS Isn't Shutdown-Proof After AllIRS to Scale Back EITC Audits, Citing Racial DisparitiesNTEU: IRS's Push to Hire 3,700 Auditors Is Doable but DifficultIRS Floats Adding Partnerships to Prefiling Compliance ProgramIRS Hopes to Sic 3,700 New Revenue Agents on Big BusinessesIRS Halts ERC Claims Processing Amid ‘Tsunami' of FraudFollow us on Twitter:Jonathan Curry: @jtcurry005David Stewart: @TaxStewTax Notes: @TaxNotes**This episode is sponsored by Practising Law Institute. For more information, visit pli.edu/taxstrategies23.***CreditsHost: David D. StewartExecutive Producers: Jasper B. Smith, Paige JonesShowrunner: Jordan ParrishAudio Engineers: Jordan Parrish, Peyton RhodesGuest Relations: Alexis Hart

Overhauling how the IRS audits low-income taxpayers is a critical step toward more fair audits, many in the industry acknowledged following the agency's announcement earlier this month. The IRS promised that it would "substantially" reduce audits on refundable tax credits that benefit low-income taxpayers, such as the earned income tax credit. That change follows a study released in January that found Black taxpayers claiming the EITC were audited at higher rates than non-Black taxpayers claiming the credit. Former National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson, now executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, spoke with Bloomberg Tax's Erin Slowey about the impact the audit shift will have on low-income taxpayers and the landscape for claiming the EITC leading up to this announcement. "It is the difference between being able to have medical care or being able to pay rent or even if you're homeless, putting a deposit down and first month's rent on an apartment," Olson said. "It's life-changing funds." Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by friend of the show, Chris Wilson. Later in the program, Maya MacGuineas of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget calls in to talk about Bidenomics and our growing national debt.-Prior to starting WPA Intelligence in 2004, Chris Wilson was Global Director of Research for Weber Shandwick International, the world's largest public relations firm at the time.In 2021 Chris was named Pollster of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work directing survey research and predictive analytics on the Glenn Youngkin for Governor of Virginia campaign. In 2019 he was named Technology Leader of the year by Campaigns & Elections magazine.In 2016, as the Director of Research, Analytics and Digital Strategy for the Cruz for President campaign, Chris is credited for playing a key role in Cruz's triumph in Iowa and helping the Texas Senator finish with the most delegates earned by a 2nd place finisher since Ronald Reagan in 1976. Wilson and WPAi work with organizations like the Club for Growth, Freedom Works, Family Research Council, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee providing data and polling.WPAi's data management platform, Bonfire, has become the dominant desktop as a service tool for conservative candidates and organizations from US Senate down to school board. Bonfire has leveled the playing field with the progressive left when it comes to the important use of predictive analytics by those on the right.Perhaps most importantly, for six consecutive cycles, WPAi clients have outperformed the partisan average win ratio in both their primary and general election contests by double digits.An Oklahoma native, Chris is a graduate of University of Oklahoma and remains an avid Sooner fan. In the rare instances that Chris isn't working, he enjoys watching OU and Cornell College, where his son Denver is the starting quarterback, football, spending time with his five children, reading, and racking up impressive amounts of frequent flyer miles.Chris is a regular political analyst on Fox News.-Maya MacGuineas is the president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Her areas of expertise include budget, tax, and economic policy. As a leading budget expert and a political independent, she has worked closely with members of both parties and serves as a trusted resource on Capitol Hill. MacGuineas testifies regularly before Congress and has published broadly, including regularly in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Atlantic, and numerous other outlets. She also appears regularly as a commentator on television.MacGuineas oversees a number of the Committee's projects including the grassroots coalition Fix the Debt; the Committee's Fiscal Institute; and FixUS, a project seeking to better understand the root causes of our nation's growing divisions and deteriorating political system, and to work with others to bring attention to these issues and the need to fix them. Her most recent area of focus is on the future of the economy, technology, and capitalism.Previously, MacGuineas worked at the Brookings Institution and on Wall Street, and in the spring of 2009 she did a stint on The Washington Post editorial board, covering economic and fiscal policy. MacGuineas serves on a number of boards and is a native Washingtonian.-Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds-TranscriptionSam Stone: [00:00:11] Welcome to another episode of Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone. Our first guest up today, Chris Wilson, founder and CEO of WPA Intelligence. Prior to starting WPA in 2004, Chris was global director of research for Weber Shandwick International, the world's largest public relations firm. At the time, in 2021, he was named Pollster of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work directing, survey, research and predictive analysis. Analytics. Can't speak this morning on the Glenn Youngkin for Governor of Virginia campaign. In 2019, he was named Technology Leader of the Year by campaigns and elections. Awfully impressive resume. Chris, thank you again for joining us and welcome back to the program.Chris Wilson: [00:00:55] Well, thanks. I made it all up and sent it to you. You know, that's actually real. So wannabes out there, that's okay. That's okay. It's 2023. You can do whatever you want. Now, this is radio.Sam Stone: [00:01:01] We're good with fluff. So.Chris Wilson: [00:01:03] Exactly. Before we get to before we get talking some politics, tell us a little bit. Your son's playing at University of Oklahoma and playing quarterback, right? Well, no, they actually moved him to tight end. So really appreciate you asking. Yeah, I actually played quarterback his whole life. I was recruited out of high school to a small college in Iowa as a quarterback, but decided he wanted to come home. And it was a long story, actually. I ran into former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops at a fundraiser for Kevin Stitt, who's a client of mine, the governor of Oklahoma. And they got to talking. And one thing led to another. You know, Stoops is a walk on wide receiver. Stoops, the son, is a walk on wide receiver at Oklahoma. And he was they were talking about that. And so. Denver yeah, he moved back and and walked on in the in the spring and you got to play about probably two thirds of the snaps in the spring game and we'll see. I have high hopes for him. The kid works his tail off and he's really a proud dad.Sam Stone: [00:01:56] Quarterback move into any kind of receiver position You just up your chance to get drafted by Bill Belichick. That's right. That's all there is to it.Chris Wilson: [00:02:02] That's right yeah that's Yeah. Six three about £210 tight end. You can get out there and rumble a little bit. Yeah. There you go. Um.Chuck Warren: [00:02:10] What a wonderful experience. I know you're a big University of Oklahoma fan, so that's probably extra pleasure for you seeing your boy out there.Chris Wilson: [00:02:16] Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's very cool. I'm pretty excited.Chuck Warren: [00:02:18] That's very cool.Chris Wilson: [00:02:19] And, you know, they'll be out playing at BYU this year.Chuck Warren: [00:02:20] That's right. We're going to see you out there for dinner. Looking forward to it. You'll you'll enjoy the Provo experience. All right. We're going to play a clip real quick. We'll click here real quick here. We'll click on Kamala Harris's word salad yesterday about culture. Jeremy, go ahead.Kamala Harris: [00:02:33] Well, I think culture is it is a reflection of our moment and our time. Right. And and and present culture is the way we express how we're feeling about the moment. And and we should always find times to express how we feel about the moment. That is a reflection of joy because, you know, it comes in the morning. We have we have to find ways to also express the way we feel about the moment in terms of just having language and a connection to how people are experiencing life. And I think about it in that way, too.Chuck Warren: [00:03:14] So Kamala reminds me a lot of your either Sam in elementary school asked to give a book report in front of the class, and we had not read the book. I mean, that's basically what she talks like, right? It's just many words as possible. So my question for you is, and you've done so much polling for so many years, does the vice presidency even matter anymore in regarding how we view the presidency? I mean, because who no one takes her serious. I mean, polling shows that.Sam Stone: [00:03:41] Kamala Harris brought to you by White Claw. Yeah, yeah.Chris Wilson: [00:03:44] Yeah. It's a word salad against word. Salad is a bad name. And she doesn't she clearly has no idea what she's talking about. And anytime she starts ripping on time or moments, you know, it's going to get good fast. Right. And it's also it's it's cringe worthy in the sense that even if you disagree with her and are are sort of watching sitting back going, okay this is now people are going to realize who she is. You're also thinking how embarrassing for the United States of America that this woman is in the second highest office. I guess it's arguable, but one of the highest offices in the land. And she can't deliver a simple sentence without a without embarrassing herself. And then the in the morning and then she does that cackle thing. It's really embarrassing and it's embarrassing for the administration. And somebody's got to just cut her off. They need to travel around like one of those big hooks that they used to have on game shows back in the 50s and 60s and just kind of pull her off stage before she goes so far that the dollar starts losing value.Chuck Warren: [00:04:47] But so my question. Yeah, I mean, so does she prove that who we So you're working for the superPAC for Ron DeSantis, correct? I am. That's correct. So you've you've I'm sure this is not the primary object of your research, but I'm sure you've thought about who's the best fix for him. Right. Do you think unless you get a real popular governor in a battleground state who actually has a. Political organization. Do they really matter at all?Chris Wilson: [00:05:14] Well, you kind of you kind of answered the question with your preamble to the question is, yes, it can matter a lot. Did it matter for Joe Biden? No, because it was an affirmative action pick, sort of like his Supreme Court pick was. He made it very clear that he was looking for an African-American woman and he just wanted somebody to fill that role. And so does it matter? Let's go back a step, though, is remember, whenever Joe Biden was rolling very damaged into South Carolina and he got the endorsement of a very important member of Congress by committing to that member of Congress that he would appoint a black woman as BP and or as to the Supreme Court. And things turned around for him there, because that vote constituency matters in the Democratic primary in South Carolina. So he went from someone who was in danger, grave danger of coming in distant in the primaries, as he had in Iowa and New Hampshire, to moving back into the frontrunner status. So it mattered to him in the primary. And did it matter in the general for him? No, it didn't. But I think you could argue that you can look at past picks that did have a strong impact. And I think about Lloyd Bentsen, even though he lost, but for Michael Dukakis had a big impact for him in 88, probably made a pretty significant difference. I think Al Gore had a big impact for Bill Clinton. He was able to deliver Tennessee. It's the last time, you know, Tennessee went for a Democrat.Sam Stone: [00:06:43] And and there are certainly been picks that that had impact. Kamala, though, Chris, I have to ask, I mean, I don't remember her being this incoherent previously. And it's not age like Joe Biden. So what the heck is going on? Or did we all just miss it? And she actually was this this absolutely this big a mess?Chris Wilson: [00:07:07] Well, I don't think many people paid attention to her as a senator from California or an attorney general from California. And the good thing about being a prosecutor is you're one. You don't really do much prosecuting in those roles. You have people who do it for you to your lines are pretty scripted before you walk out there. And when she's on script, she's not bad. I mean, she can deliver a good speech, but it's just whenever she starts riffing and I think she's developed a little bit too much confidence in her ability to do so. And so that's how you end up with this sort of common the sort of ongoing, embarrassing moments that you saw. I think it was yesterday when she gave the cringe speech.Sam Stone: [00:07:41] How does someone not pull her aside on her staff and be like, this is terrible, you need to fix this?Chris Wilson: [00:07:48] Well, have you read much about the situation with their staff? I mean, every time they do a camera angle, they all are just sitting there staring at you want to blink if they need help. And it's I feel like there is there's probably not anyone who can deal with her in that way. That's on her staff. She just seems to be one of those horrible bosses that just runs through people on an ongoing basis. And it's a it's an unfortunate story. And, you know, it's I often joke around that being a Democrat press secretary has got to be the easiest job on the planet. And this is certainly a representation of that because you think through what if we had if you were working for someone like that, Chuck, and you're doing political campaigns on a major level, or if I was today, there's no way you could survive that kind of situation. So you have one misstep word or, you know, you think back to whenever. Whenever Dan Quayle put an extra two E on potato because that was on the card in front of him. And it was a story that went on for weeks, if not months. And she's able to just roll right through this stuff as if it's we're being unfair or overly critical by by analyzing the fact that she can't put together a simple sentence about what culture is or what time is or what moments are.Chuck Warren: [00:08:58] All right. Let's go. Let's talk. Let's talk presidency. What issues do you feel are the winning issues for whoever the Republican candidate will be to defeat Joe Biden?Chris Wilson: [00:09:12] I think that starts and almost ends with the economy. You've got to understand that, that Americans are hurting. The price of everything has gone up substantially under Joe Biden, that the price is almost cost prohibitive for people to be able to commute to work on an ongoing basis. And that's by design, frankly, by the Biden administration. And so those are the those are the contrasts that have to be drawn and that and they're important. It's really just the overall significance, the overall ability of America to continue to succeed is is incumbent is dependent on that. And so I'd say that's number one. And if you were to go to a second point, I think there is a little bit of building, not a little bit, but there's a lot of rebuilding America's stature in the world after the withdrawal in Afghanistan, the way China has acted toward us, the way that Russia has acted toward us, there is just a complete dismissal of the United States as a foreign power at this point. I think that's an that is an important aspect, someone who can reclaim that. And I think there is another important aspect is just the overall important issue is the ability of parents to raise their own children. It is a a stunning development the way that Democrats have tried to get between parents and their kids. And I'll tell you, it's one of the reasons why you mentioned at the beginning that I worked for Glenn Youngkin. It's one of the reasons why Glenn Youngkin beat Terry McAuliffe, because Terry McAuliffe said made the famous gaffe that he didn't want parents telling teachers what they should teach their kids.Chris Wilson: [00:10:53] And moms and dads in Virginia rose up and said, no, I disagree with that. And I really think that and to be clear, I'm on the super PAC side of the partisan super PAC side. So let me compliment the campaign. They put out a video yesterday for moms for DeSantis, which Casey DeSantis talked about the role that Governor DeSantis has played in the state of Florida of protecting the rights of parents to raise their kids in the way they want to and to stop any woke teachers or woke systems from being able to intervene in the right of a parent to make decisions for their children or their children's education, their children's, the way their children are raised, whether or not their children are able to go and mutilate themselves with a doctor or have themselves mutilated by a doctor. It's just the overall the decisions that or the process that's going on right now. Those of us who have kids have kids. And, you know, I have five that the attempt of the left to get between a parent and their children and inject themselves into everything from the education to the raising to even the mutilation of that child is stunning to me that they believe that that is okay. And so I think that is also going to become it's a major issue that's going to come to light, particularly if Governor DeSantis is the nominee because of what he's been able to do to protect the parents rights in Florida. And I think that is could be the difference between a Republican winning and a losing right again, like we did in 2000.Chuck Warren: [00:12:28] Great. Well, we're going to take a quick break. We're with Chris Wilson. You can find him on Twitter at Wilson, WPA. You can also find him on Instagram at Wilson, WPA. Follow Chris. He has great insights. You'll stay up to date on what's going on on country. This is Chuck Warren Sam Stone at breaking battlegrounds, vote. We'll be right back.Sam Stone: [00:13:05] Welcome back to Breaking battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone. Folks, it's been another crazy week on the stock market. And if you need a opportunity to make a very high fixed rate of return, if you're looking for a fantastic return, that's not coupled to the stock market where you'll know what each monthly statement will look like with no surprises. You need to check out our friends at invest y Refy.com invest y refy is connecting student loan borrowers to to investors and they are just doing great for people on both sides. It's a fantastic opportunity. We highly encourage you to check it out. Go to their website at invest y refy.com or give them a call at 88yrefy 24 and tell them Chuck and Sam sent you. All right. Continuing on with Chris Wilson of WPA Intelligence. Chris, you are working in the primaries right now. One of the things I think there's obviously a lot of noise with Trump and DeSantis and some of the other candidates out there. But in terms of the issues, what issues should Republican voters be focusing on or Republican candidates be focusing on first to win the primary, but second, and more importantly, set themselves up to win the general election?Chris Wilson: [00:14:19] You know, I think from an issue standpoint, kind of what we covered in the last segment is, is what matters. I mean, all of those issues matter for Republican primary voters to the economy, parents right to raise their own children, a strong education, things like that. But I'll tell you what, if I were advising candidates directly, and particularly if I was advising this kind of gets into you move down from the presidential campaign because I still work with and WPA intelligence, we work with dozens, sometimes even hundreds of candidates around the country. And one of the things I can tell you I hear from them to a person is a concern about who is at the top of the ticket in 2024. And I'll tell you, this is not to nerd out too much on you guys, but there have been a lot of academic research that's been done about the impact that Donald Trump has had since he emerged on the political scene on elections and everything. Be careful what you wish for. Impact of President Trump endorsed in the midterms by Ballard and others, Comparing the impact of Joe Biden on popular attitudes to the parties. By Jacobson. 22 elections by also by Jacobson. But the most recent one, which is really interesting one by experimental evidence on public perceptions of Trump endorsements by Barron, McLaughlin and others all quantify the impact that Trump has had going back to 2018 on close elections. And the reason why this matters is if Democrats take a majority in the Senate, they're going to stack the Supreme Court. They're going to get rid of the filibuster. They're going to make D.C. and Puerto Rico states these aren't these aren't like pie in the sky speculations. These are things they say they want to do, they would do today if it wasn't.Sam Stone: [00:16:00] They've been very clear they want to do everything you just said.Chris Wilson: [00:16:04] So the study I just mentioned by Barron McLaughlin and Bloom on experimental evidence on public perception of Trump endorsements is that when Trump gets involved in a race, it actually costs that candidate seven points. It goes a high from nine to a low of five in a competitive general election. So I want you to think back to last cycle. You know, obviously in Utah, Mike Lee got into a close race. He was able to pull it out at the end, but there were some close races we didn't pull out in Arizona and Georgia and Pennsylvania. We almost I mean, think about how far behind Governor DeWine, JD Vance ran in Ohio. All of those are states are races where Trump had an impact. And so you can quantify that number at 79%. So we as Republicans, I think, should really care about what happens if we have somebody at the top of the ticket that takes 7 to 9 points off of every single candidate who's running in a competitive race. That's a and you can real quickly run down the numbers and think about how many House and Senate seats we would ultimately lose.Sam Stone: [00:17:03] Yeah, I mean, that's a bloodbath that that you're describing. And one of the things, Chris, that I don't think I haven't really seen polling that quantifies this more so just dealing with anecdotal evidence from independent voters or soft voters, whatever you want to call them, they are completely hardened against Trump, rightly or wrongly. And this is one of the things I tell a lot of Trump supporters.Chris Wilson: [00:17:29] And moving more against him, by the way.Sam Stone: [00:17:31] Yeah. And moving more against him.Chris Wilson: [00:17:32] Surveys, they continue to move more against him. Yes.Sam Stone: [00:17:35] And so I mean, for him to if he's going to be at the top of the ticket, he and his team have to address that. There's no evidence they're doing so. I mean, they're doubling and tripling down on all the things that are driving that cohort away.Chris Wilson: [00:17:48] No, I agree. And it's it is a real problem because there is nothing that's been done since 2020 to change the face of the election. If you believe that that weird things went on in Georgia and Arizona last time or there's there's nothing that's being done by their campaign to guard against that. And I'll tell you, there are weird things that happen in elections, no question about it. We had as many people, as many lawyers in Virginia at the Youngkin headquarters as we did staffers, because we wanted to guard against that. And that's how you have to do it in any close election. It's that has been the case since I've been involved in politics, which is over 20 years. And so you've got to guard against that. You've got to understand the rules and play against it. You know, I grew up playing basketball and I was there when the three point line came out. My coach hated the three point line. I said, Well, we still have to use it. Well, the same thing is true with with with ballot harvesting. I may hate that as a rule, but I can't leave that to the Democrats to do all by themselves. And so we will compete at that level and we have to be able to compete at that level. And I think that's the challenges that exist is if Donald Trump is the nominee, Republicans lose in 24 and they probably are 24 and they probably lose the House and the Senate by by historical numbers. And it puts us in a situation where America in 2025 and 26 is a very different place than we live in today. I don't mean to end on a down down note, but since you asked, I think that is the most important thing that every voter should take into account when they cast their ballot for in any primary in 2024.Sam Stone: [00:19:10] And Chuck, if the things that Chris just said listed at the start of this segment come true, in other words, Court-packing, Puerto Rico, DC. There's no recovery for Republicans.Chuck Warren: [00:19:21] No, that's right. No, no, there is not. Chris, what is something we've talked about these main issues, the economy. You know, we have we now have out today that they did a poll of 2500 US adults and they said they need to earn $233,000 a year to feel financially secure. Then you have America's role in the world. And I think one big thing about that's always been is our role as the preeminent power have made us feel safe. But I also think Americans like being number one. I mean, just look at Olympic sports, right? When we win. Right. And then we have the parents, you know, being able to, you know, decide what their children do. What are other issues with your crystal ball and research that you think lawmakers need to start paying more attention to? That can be that could really turn quickly against conservatives.Chris Wilson: [00:20:12] Well, another one that I think is has really come to the top is, is the wokeness of corporations. And I think the the the sort of forcing their values on Americans. And we've seen a lot of backfire on that. We've certainly seen a backfire with target Bud Light and it's even Ben and Jerry's over the weekend where they said you know every every company built on a tribe should give that land back. Everyone should give it a try. And then it turns out their their corporate headquarters on the tribe, they've lost $2.5 billion in corporate value since that happened. So because from people from people selling the stock and and the collapse of the company. So I think those are other aspects of it that where you look at someone who has been willing to take on woke the woke corporate left and stand up to them and take away things like tax incentives they asked for, which really I would argue that tax incentives are a conservative way of approaching work on corporations from a from a local government standpoint. And so I think those are aspects that matter, too. And it's an important thing for us to be paying attention to.Chuck Warren: [00:21:18] Well, Chris, we sure appreciate you joining us today and wish you the best of luck this cycle. We hope to have you on again before the Christmas season. Folks, please follow Chris Wilson at Wilson WP at Twitter, same thing on Instagram. Wilson. Wp There you can learn you can follow University of Oklahoma football quite well and you can also you can also you can also stay in touch with the research that's going on in our country. Chris, we sure appreciate your time and we hope you have a fantastic weekend, my friend.Chris Wilson: [00:21:46] Thank you. Good to talk to you.Chuck Warren: [00:21:47] Thanks. Bye bye. This is breaking battlegrounds. You can follow us at breaking battlegrounds. Vote and listen to us anywhere you get your podcasts. We'll be right back.Sam Stone: [00:22:05] Welcome back to Breaking battlegrounds with your host, Chuck Warren. I'm Sam Stone, continuing on with our fantastic guests for today, we have Maya MacGuineas, president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Boy, is that something we have needed for a long time. She is an expert in budget, tax and economic policy and has worked closely with members of both parties and serves as a trusted source on Capitol Hill. Maya, thank you and for joining us and welcome to the program.Maya MacGuineas: [00:22:32] Yeah, happy to join.Chuck Warren: [00:22:34] So both the left and right seem to be like Keystone cops on the national debt and budget deficit. They both think this is the one way or highway and that's the only way that works. So let's take, for example, let's start first with the belief that you can just tax your way out of this by taxing everybody who has money in the country. Is that possible?Maya MacGuineas: [00:22:51] There's not a chance. This is a problem that, quite frankly, you're going to have to put everything on the table in order to get where we need to fiscally. But the notion that you can just do this by raising revenues and you'll hear people who make that case saying, listen, what are the lowest tax countries in the world? We can certainly have higher taxes. True. We can have higher taxes. True. We're going to have to have higher taxes. But absolutely not the case that you can fix this problem entirely. On the revenue side of the budget, the biggest growth in our budget imbalances comes from growing health care costs, growing retirement costs, most of those fueled by the aging of the population and growing interest costs. Because we've borrowed so much interest payments on the debt are the fastest growing part of the budget. So no matter how much you bring your revenues up, the fact that spending is still going to be going, growing faster than your economy means it won't be able to keep pace. And you're going to have to bring some of those spending levels back under control.Chuck Warren: [00:23:50] All right. So now let's go to the argument the right likes to make. We can just cut all these programs and we can do this all in budget. Everything, balance it in ten years. Is that reality? Yeah.Maya MacGuineas: [00:24:01] That also not true and not even close. One of the things during the debt ceiling fight that I was really worried about was that people who thought you could do this on the spending side and wanted to be aggressive and are fiscally focused, which I am, and I share those beliefs. But I was worried they would overshoot and that they would say we have to balance the in ten years and do so by spending cuts. We're not going to be able to come anywhere close to balancing the budget in ten years. To do so would take saving about $16 trillion over that ten year period. The last time we saved $16 trillion was easily never, not not even close. Right. So this is not even in the realm of the possible. Now, a fiscal metric that I think is aggressive but doable would be what if we just stabilized our debt so that it's not growing faster? That doesn't grow up to above where it is right now, which is almost 100% of GDP, just doing that over ten years so that we keep it at the same level of debt to GDP that would require $8 trillion in savings. That is an aggressive amount. It is doable, but it is not doable. On just the spending cuts side of the budget. There's no way that no matter how much you pull back these programs, no realistic way that you could cut spending enough to save $8 trillion. The trajectory we're mythbusting here, which is good because everybody's out there making promises we don't make.Chuck Warren: [00:25:27] I mean, I'm convinced, you know, with our show, we have people I mean, we're conservative, but I don't think people understand math anymore. That's my concern. I mean, this is this is yellow pad, pencil in hand, math. And no one wants to seem to admit it. And we all created this problem. So we're all going to have to work together to get out of the problem.Maya MacGuineas: [00:25:48] Boy, do I agree with that one. And let me talk about that fuzzy math, because basically what you have on both sides of the aisle now is kind of made up fairy tale economics. So on the Republican side, you'll hear time and time again we're going to cut taxes. It's going to generate so much growth, it's going to pay for itself. Just nowhere close to reality. If you cut taxes, it is going to help grow the economy and it will do so so that it generates about $0.20 for every dollar you spend on tax cuts. So you still have to offset the bulk of those tax cuts by cutting spending or raising other taxes. And then on the left, you hear things like this policy is so important, we shouldn't have to pay for it, just not true. Like if something's important, the whole point of budgeting is you should pay for it. And if it's not important, you shouldn't do it. But the other thing that we've been hearing is people for the past year are saying, don't worry, we can just print more money. That is so fundamentally wrong. And we've seen that it's wrong because we've just had a huge bout and are still in the midst of of high inflation kicked off because we we put too much money in the economy. Borrowing for Covid was the right thing to do. But the last bill that we did put way too much money in the economy and created this inflationary problem that has only gotten worse with with additional factors exacerbating it. So there's a lot of made up economics out there. There's a lot of made up mathematics. This basically comes down to the basic issue of budgets and trade offs. We shouldn't be borrowing as much money as we are, and I can talk about that more.Sam Stone: [00:27:17] Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Maya, we're going to come back with more from Maya macGuineas here in just a minute, folks. Continuing on. She is the president of the Bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. And frankly, Maya, we really appreciate having you on this program. We love having these kind of honest discussions that I don't think are out there enough. And we're going to be continuing on with that. More in just a moment. Welcome back to Breaking Battlegrounds with your host, Sam Stone and Chuck Warren. Folks, are you concerned with stock market volatility? What if you could invest in a portfolio with a high fixed rate of return that's not correlated to the stock market or portfolio? Well, you know what each monthly statement would look like, but no surprises. You can turn your monthly income on or off, compound it, whatever you choose. There's no loss of principle. If you need your money back at any time, your interest is compounded daily, you're paid monthly and there are no fees. The secure collateralized portfolio that delivers a high fixed interest rate and by investing, you can do well for yourself by doing good for others. So check out our friends at Invest by Refy.com. That's invest the letter Y, then refy.com or give them a call at 88 y refy 24 and see how you can earn up to a 10.25% fixed rate of return.Chuck Warren: [00:28:50] Maya So I think one thing that gets lost when we talk budgets and deficits and debt is it becomes sort of an Excel spreadsheet. It's numbers and I think the numbers seem like monopoly numbers to a lot of people, right? So, for example, we want to talk here about, look, we need to have entitlement reform. There's no if butts ands it's, you know, two thirds of our budget Congress doesn't even control. It's just mandatory. And Sam and myself and you, we have loved ones who need Social Security. They're in it or they're expecting it real soon. Right. But I think one thing that doesn't get talked about enough is I'm a father. You have children based on Wikipedia. And Wikipedia never lies. Yeah. How does this when you look at these things, does that concern you for their future? What you have so much debt where you're paying interest more, you're paying spending more than money in the federal budget on interest debts than you are things that matter that it will create inflation, higher interest rates. Does this concern you as a mother?Maya MacGuineas: [00:29:48] Yeah. I mean, it's right. It's both systemic and personal, this issue. And so first, you know, we are actually spending this year more on interest payments to finance the debt of the fast pass than the entire federal budget spends on programs for children. That's how backwards this is. But absolutely, I mean, there are many reasons that I worry about the effects of the national debt. They're economic. They're leaving us vulnerable for future emergencies, their foreign policy and national security, where we're increasingly vulnerable and dependent on other countries. But one of the bottom line issues here is we are spending a lot of money because we want to we like those things and we are refusing to pay for it because none of us like paying taxes. And so the other option is we are then saying we will borrow this money and we will push those bills onto the future, onto our kids. And I will say, my kids refuse to listen to my deficit speeches at the dinner table. So shame on them for not caring. But no, but it is. And it's hard to get younger people to care about it because they think, as we all did when we were in our teens and 20s you're like, the world is great. Everything's going to be fine. I don't need to worry about future. But the truth and it's discouraging truth right now is we are leaving a country and frankly, a world that is much riskier, much more difficult to navigate, much more filled with potential risk to the next generation than we've ever seen before. And this goes well beyond the debt. It goes to national security, to the effects of technology, to all sorts of things that they need a strong budget to be able to respond to. And instead, we are giving them tens of trillions of dollars in debt that they owe just because we were unwilling to pay for these things ourselves, even though we are the beneficiaries of them.Sam Stone: [00:31:32] Yeah, one of the things that I find interesting, Maya, is that the the media and academia or whatever has sold kids on the idea that we are facing an existential crisis, potentially the death of the planet within 20 years from environmental issues. That's not particularly realistic. But we are facing a financial cliff that would affect them far, far more than anything the environment ever will in their lifetimes coming up very soon.Maya MacGuineas: [00:31:59] Well, I think it's interesting. I actually think the environment and the fiscal challenges have something in common, which is there's no immediate moment where it turns into the problem if you default. That happened on a certain day. If there's a government shutdown, that happens on a certain day. But when it comes to these issues, they slowly compound if we don't do anything about them. But there's no one moment where you say we can't return. And so you have members of Congress constantly saying we can punt this off until another day. But there should be no disagreement on the severity of having the amount of debt we have. We're not only are we spending more on interest than we are kids today, five years from now, we'll be spending more on interest payments than we are on national defense. This is an increasingly risky world. And so I don't know how you get kids to take this issue on and make it their own. Again, I think there's this eternal optimism that comes with youth. That means people can't believe it's really that big a problem. And numbers like trillion are so hard to follow. It's very difficult to personalize this. And lastly, the solutions, they're not fun. Here's the truth. We have to raise taxes, cut spending, fix our entitlement programs. Nobody thinks that's going to be fun, but you have to do that for the sustainability of our economic health. And so it's hard to get people to rally and march in the streets calling for fiscal reforms. But really, it's one of the most important things that we could do that also affects all the other issues that people do worry about.Sam Stone: [00:33:22] My I don't know if you saw the piece that was in the Hill on the fourth by Andrew Hale said China is in default on $1 trillion in debt to US bondholders. Will the US force repayment? This is debt that was created by the previous government prior to the Maoist takeover. But in international norms that doesn't erase the debt. China is the only country on earth not paying that. He actually suggested. Simply, we essentially nationalize that debt and wipe it off our books, take, you know, balance it against $1 trillion in in our treasuries that China holds, which would free up $95 Billion a month in interest payments. Is something like that practical or possible? And how much would that trillion dollars actually make a difference to our overall financial situation?Maya MacGuineas: [00:34:10] Yeah, I saw that.Maya MacGuineas: [00:34:11] Piece and I did think that was interesting. And I definitely think that a lot of this is interconnected with the tensions that we have with China and the fact that we are dependent on them, that they own almost $1 trillion of our treasuries. But I don't think unilaterally sort of nationalizing that debt or declaring that we're not going to repay what we owe China would be good because markets are beyond just the bilateral agreements. If we were to do that with China, there would be growing concerns through other countries, and I think that would hasten the effort that there already is to move away from the dollar as a reserve currency. And that is something that benefits us tremendously. So I think it's actually very important that the US not make changes that risk its status right now, something that we benefit from of being the safe haven and the reserve currency. I think what we really have to focus on is balancing our own books, spending only as much as we're willing to pay in taxes, borrowing only when there's economic emergencies and a real reason to do so. And we can't find any shortcuts around those those hard truths.Chuck Warren: [00:35:12] So let's talk entitlements for a minute, a little more detail on it. So like we said, there are people who are on Social Security now. We'll just use Social Security example, but there's Medicare, too, and you've got people who are close to retirement age. What do you think is the type of retirement reform we really should be talking about without affecting those who really count on this right now for day to day living?Maya MacGuineas: [00:35:33] Yeah, and I think that's the right question because I think we need to fix these programs in a way that strengthens and preserves them for the people who most need them, but understands that both of them are headed towards insolvency. Social Security and just over a decade, if we do nothing, there will be across the board 23% benefit cuts. And yet you have politicians of all stripes making promises not to touch Social Security or Medicare. Medicare also will have across the board 10% provider cuts if we don't make changes. So these folks are promising you not to touch your entitlements, are promising you that you will have provider and benefit cuts that will affect everybody. Instead, what we should be doing is. This isn't thought out. Policy solutions and Social Security. This is about 4 or 5 options. You can raise payroll taxes or the payroll tax cap. You can raise the retirement age, which makes sense because we're living longer. And you could start it now, but have it kick in very, very gradually over time for people under 55, 50, whatever. You can slow the growth of benefits. And I would do that on the high end, not across the board. And you can fix the way we calculate inflation, which overstates it right now. There are a lot of fixes we could put in for Social Security, but the longer we wait and we've already waited too long, the more difficult they will be.Sam Stone: [00:36:44] Maya.Maya MacGuineas: [00:36:45] Oh.Sam Stone: [00:36:46] I'm sorry. You talked about slowing benefits on the high end of the scale. This is something that's come up a lot on both sides is means testing for Social Security. I've fought this battle with Republicans for years and just said, look, we're just going to have to do this. This is going to come. There's one objection coming from the right. There's another from the left. It's from the left, though I don't understand their objection because it seems like that falls in line with everything else that they talk about.Chuck Warren: [00:37:13] Make the rich pay their fair share.Sam Stone: [00:37:14] Tax the rich. Why do we need to be, from their perspective, giving wealthy people this benefit rather than means testing it and directing it at the people that need it?Maya MacGuineas: [00:37:25] It's just a great question because it's honestly a policy I have never understood. If you support progressive policies on the tax side, you should also support progressive policies on the spending side. And right now we have actually very we have regressive Social Security benefits where the well-off, their benefits are more reflecting that they paid in more in taxes. And so the concern is, oh, if you if you reduce the benefits for rich people in Social Security, there won't be a strong constituency of support. They won't fight to save Social Security. That's just not true. The biggest growth we've seen in government benefits in past years have been like an Eitc and Medicaid programs that were directed towards the poor. So there are support. There is support for smart programs that help people who need them the most. And when I go out and I talk to people in town halls, they always say means test my benefit. If I don't need it, no problem. I just want it there if I do. So when I hear Democrats saying you can't touch benefits for rich people or having someone like Bernie Sanders actually suggesting increasing benefits for everybody, including rich people, it means it's more money getting spent on those who don't need it and less money for things that you might really worry about, like education, investment in children or at risk youth, things like that. So I think it's an internally very inconsistent argument. And I think means testing is one of the areas that makes the most sense given the situation we're in with Social Security and Medicare.Chuck Warren: [00:38:48] Well, I think I think the left's argument on this is based upon union loyalties, because they get good pensions and they don't want to see it cut for their members. But that's that's a red meat conversation for another day. All right. So let's talk about this. What do you think? I think it's really important that the US stay the economic superpower in the world. We have certain benefits that most countries do not have, nor will they ever have. My question for you is, what do you think we need to do realistically to make sure we keep and maintain that position for the next couple of decades?Maya MacGuineas: [00:39:18] I think there's a few things. One, we need to start paying for all the policies that we do instead of borrowing to we need to switch our budget priorities. Right now, about 85% of our budget is consumption. 15% is investment. We need to turn that on its head. We need to be making investments in human capital, basic R&D. We just put a lot of money into infrastructure. So I think that that should be fine for a while and we need to reduce overall spending so that more of that money can be in the private sector and making private sector investments. And finally, we need to switch our spending priorities, which are all focused on the old into investments in the next generation, because just the same reason it's damaging to borrowed so much and pushed that into the future and to kids not failing to invest in them, but giving very comfortable benefits to my father who doesn't necessarily need them. Those priorities do not keep us strong as an economic superpower. We also want to deregulate and a lot of ways and smart trade policy, all of those things which are going to recognize the importance of our being an economic superpower in this highly integrated global economy.Sam Stone: [00:40:22] You know, one of the discussions, Maya, that never comes up that I mean, and this may be a little bit outside your specific area of expertise is the cost of government programs has gone up dramatically, far more than the delivery of services from those programs. You're seeing a huge bureaucratic bloat. And it would seem at some point like one part or the other needs to start getting serious about leaning down government to actually deliver the dollars where they're intended to go.Maya MacGuineas: [00:40:51] 100%. 100%. If you talk to anybody in agencies right now, they are feeling the bloat. There's been so much money that has been a big run up in funding agencies in the past years, that there are situations where people are traveling because they don't know what to do with their budgets. There are people who are absolutely underworked and it's well known and that undermines the morale in place. So, listen, I don't want to take away from the main point, which is we have to fix our entitlement programs. We're not going to be able to do this without revenues. But there are savings to be had throughout the government, in the Defense Department, in the health care industries, in every one of our programs that's out there and in the government bureaucracy itself. And this should be something in order to help regain trust in government that we are able to really go through with a fine tooth comb and revamp a lot of these programs, free them of some of the bureaucratic constraints so that people can have more trust that if they are paying tax dollars, that those tax dollars are going to be used.Sam Stone: [00:41:48] Well, yeah, absolutely. I think all of that is critical. Maya macGuineas, thank you so much for joining us today. We really, really appreciate having you on the program. Folks, You can follow her on Twitter at Maya macGuineas, Mac McGinnis at Budget Hawks at Fix USA. Org and Crfb. Org. Maya, again, thank you so much for joining us on the program. We love having you on and look forward to having you on again in the near future.Maya MacGuineas: [00:42:17] Great. Nice to talk with you.Chuck Warren: [00:42:18] Thank you. This is breaking battlegrounds. Join us next for our podcast segment. We'll be honored to have Kylie Kipper straight from Houston talking crime and baseball. We're very excited about this.Sam Stone: [00:42:29] It's been a long time since we had Kylie.Chuck Warren: [00:42:31] She's got she's got a doozy. So folks, follow us at Breaking Battlegrounds Vote, share the podcast, and we'll talk to you here briefly on the podcast episode by.Sam Stone: [00:42:51] Welcome to the podcast, only segment of breaking battlegrounds. Up next, it's been a long time. It's been a very long time since we had a kyli true crime update. Kylie Kipper, our producer, hates being on the microphone today. She's been forced to be better at it. You know, you're great at it.Kylie Kipper: [00:43:10] That's the I'm getting more comfortable. I meant.Sam Stone: [00:43:12] Okay.Chuck Warren: [00:43:12] Two years will do that to you. Two years will do that to you.Sam Stone: [00:43:14] It's been a while, huh? So.Chuck Warren: [00:43:16] Kylie, you're actually in a state where there's been sort of this mystery. This young man was missing seven years ago, and then he showed up. And, you know, look, Americans love a kid being recovered. Story. All people do. If you don't, you don't have a heart. Right?Sam Stone: [00:43:29] So this is a strange one, though.Chuck Warren: [00:43:30] Chuck, So we're all excited about it then. Come to find out there's a little bit more to the story, which sadly seems to be a lot to these stories now. There always seems to be a little bit more to the story, right? So you've done some digging on it. Tell us about it. What's what's the true story here?Kylie Kipper: [00:43:44] Yeah, So there's a few pieces of this investigation which it's still ongoing. They have another press conference tonight, but they had one yesterday which has caused a lot of feathers to be ruffled. So Rudy Farias was 17 years old when his mom reported him missing after he took the dogs for a walk. It turns out that he had just run away and his mom had told him that police are looking for him and we'll put him in jail if he does not come home. So at that time, he went home two days later, but his mom never reported him of coming home. She just kept the investigation saying he's still missing. So he was discovered this week unconscious outside of a church in Houston where the police, when they reported to it to the scene, had just ended up calling his mom, saying, we found your son. And she was like, oh, this is amazing. She posted photos. I'm putting in air quotes of him in the hospital, which people, family members, his aunts, cousins have come out to say that those photos were taken in 2012. And they're not recent photos in which he did not, after being discovered at this church, did not go to the hospital to get any of the help that he may have needed. Um, the yesterday and the investigation. Police chief had said that they had many run ins with their family and that the entire time his mom would just say he is still missing if they would ask who he is in the house, because at this point he's gotten older, she would say, this is my nephew and give him a fake name.Sam Stone: [00:45:17] So So he was around. They they like set him up with a fake ID or something and were telling people he wasn't him.Kylie Kipper: [00:45:25] Yeah. Yeah. Um, and so the weird part about it is, is when they did the investigation with him and his mom, Rudy obviously would not speak about any wrongdoing of his mom the past eight years. So he would just say, you know, yeah, I was living at home. She just wanted me to keep it private. X, Y, z, until he got separated from his mom, which then he was doing an interview with a detective and this community activist named Quanell X. So this is where it gets like, all kind of. Different sides of the story. So the police chief in the interview yesterday said Rudy did not report any sexual assault charges by his. Or sexual assault wrongdoing by his mom. However, this Cornell gentleman who came out and was speaking and seemed very passionate about it was crying in the interviews. He was in the interview with the detective, and he clearly stated many times of sexual encounters with his mom that ultimately led him to run away after eight years, which is how he ended up at the church. So he had stolen his mom's car to get away from his mom. And some of these can be a bit disturbing, but you know, many things. So a little backtrack, a little history about his parents is his dad was also a part of the Houston Police Department until he committed suicide in around 2011, I believe, after they were investigating him for being corrupt. So people think that that has something to do with why the police chief is saying that there was that Rudy did not report any of this. However, Quanell has come out and done a bunch of interviews on Newsnation and Fox and is just saying he's reported that his mom would make him play daddy and would sleep naked in bed together.Chuck Warren: [00:47:19] And oh my gosh.Kylie Kipper: [00:47:21] Can use that kind of imagination, which ultimately would lead him to try to escape his mom again. After eight years. He would take she would take Rudy to work and make her or make him do her job.Sam Stone: [00:47:35] Um, she what was her job, do we know?Kylie Kipper: [00:47:38] It just seemed like some, like, low level.Chuck Warren: [00:47:41] Clerical type job.Kylie Kipper: [00:47:42] Yeah. Um.Sam Stone: [00:47:44] Was there any, like, financial incentive? I mean, was she, like, raising money for the search for him or something? What's the.Kylie Kipper: [00:47:50] Yes, she did have, um, a fundraiser online, which her goal was 75,000. I have not been able to find if she actually raised that money. But something else that came up was in Texas. If you have a child that goes missing after three years, you get a basically like a life insurance payout. So that's another thing that their goodness to see if she got that money. Um, but an ex-husband came out and said this is a little background about his mom now is an ex-husband came out and said that she was a bigamist. And what I could find is in 1997, she married some she married a guy. Then again in 1998, she married another guy in that same year. She wanted a annulment on the basis that she was already married to the previous guy, which neither of these is the police detective. In 2007. She then marries the detective for the Houston Police Department. And then in 1999 to 2010, there's another marriage that's been found and then a fourth marriage from 2009 to 2012 that has also been found.Chuck Warren: [00:48:56] Boy, some kid sure draw the short end of the stick who they get stuck with, parents and folks for you if you don't know, bigamy is when the crime of marrying someone while you're still married to someone else. In case you don't know that term, I hope it doesn't come up a lot in your conversations at home, but nonetheless, that's what it means. So what do you think happens now? What are the police saying? Or I guess we'll know more tonight, right? I mean, that's really the key.Kylie Kipper: [00:49:16] So everyone so after this investigation between his mom and his and Rudy, the detective that sat there with Quanell X, this community activist, left the room and Quanell, said, I'm going to do interviews on this. Is there anything you don't want me to say? And he said, No, you can say whatever you want. The detective then went into the next room and arrested or put handcuffs, not arrested, put handcuffs on the mom, which indicated that Quanell says this detective thought his mom had committed a crime. However, at the end of the day, they ended up just walking both of them out and they left together. So now no one is 100% positive where Rudy or his mom are located today.Chuck Warren: [00:49:54] Well, how old was he when he disappeared?Kylie Kipper: [00:49:56] He was 17 and.Chuck Warren: [00:49:58] He's been missing. They may say he was of sound mind to be in a relationship. I bet. I bet that's part of it. So we're going to have you talking about this again next week. You'll keep us up to date when you're back in the studio now, folks, so you don't understand. Kylie is in Houston today, not because she loves the summer weather of Houston, but nobody.Sam Stone: [00:50:16] Nobody loves the summer weather or the smell of Houston in the.Chuck Warren: [00:50:19] Summer. Her fiance, Isaiah Campbell, who's been playing Double A for the Seattle Mariners affiliate in Little Rock, was called up to the big league club, the Mariners, yesterday. And Kylie hopped on a plane and flew out there. And Kylie, just what was that experience like? What were your feelings? I mean, it's you know, look, a lot of people don't get to do this. So how was it for you?Kylie Kipper: [00:50:41] I mean, sometimes still to this moment, it doesn't feel real. Um, I think I did an interview yesterday with an MLB TV reporter, and it was very hard to articulate how I was feeling. And, you know, just like the emotions that go into it because he has just had this dream For him since he was little. And it's finally coming true. He is. Yesterday he was not in the game yet, so we're still waiting for his. Actual official debut. But he is on the roster and we're hoping it's. Tonight or tomorrow.Chuck Warren: [00:51:10] Well, folks, as you know, Sam and I adore Kylie and the great work she does on the show and Jamie. And so I was last night watching two teams. I could care less about the Astros and Mariners waiting for her to pitch. And apparently Isaiah's good teammate was the starter last night and decided like, let me pitch like a Cy Young Award winner this year. It's what he did. So Isaiah did not get in the game. So this weekend, if he can pull up the Mariners and Houston Astros and look for Isaiah Campbell to come in late innings to help the team out.Kylie Kipper: [00:51:39] Yeah.Sam Stone: [00:51:40] Can we just get Kylie to post a clip of his appearance so I don't have to watch a mariners Astros game?Chuck Warren: [00:51:45] Chuck Yeah, no, I agree. I agree. So before you get Kylie off and end the podcast, we just want to give a congratulations. And since Kylie is engaged, she'll appreciate this. Jimmy, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter today are celebrating their 77th anniversary. Now, folks, let me let me talk about this for a minute here. The US census says 6% of married couples in the United States make the 50th wedding anniversary, one tenth of a percent make their seventh of those 75 years or more. They don't even keep the statistic. So that's that's how rare that is. And Sam makes a good point. You know, it's the longevity. The lifespan of.Sam Stone: [00:52:23] A man is like 79.Chuck Warren: [00:52:24] Years. There's a lot to this, but there's a lot of people who just don't want to be together 77 years. So there's something to this, right?Sam Stone: [00:52:30] It's an amazing it's an amazing thing. And congratulations to both of them, without a doubt. And it speaks to great character on both.Chuck Warren: [00:52:37] It really does. It really does. And it speaks to a great partnership. Yeah. So happy anniversary to the Carters. Kylie, We're very excited for you and we're excited for his first pitch to Major League Baseball this weekend. And so we'll keep in touch with you on that, folks. This is breaking battlegrounds. You can follow us on breaking battlegrounds vote. Besides the radio stations we're on, you can also catch us on podcasts wherever you listen to a podcast, please share. Please rate. Thanks a million. We'll be back next week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com

The first female board member for BLOCS, Dorae Sudell talks about raising funds through the EITC tax credits in PA, which are available to individuals and corporations.  Plus, real estate agents Leigh Nunno and Jaimie Meehan talk about hosting The American Dream - Selling Philadelphia. Her Story is hosted by Kathy Romano and airs Sunday mornings at 7:30am on 95.7 BEN-FM.

Improving Life for Michigan Families Increasing the Michigan Agricultural Surplus System line item is an important investment we need to make in MI farmers and the families who are struggling. The faces of the individuals in need of food are changing. They are often in and out of food security, have enough for most of the month, but need help for a short time. Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet came to Lansing to get things done by passing bills that impact all of us, especially the families served by MI's food banks. EITC, MASS, and economic development are some of her priorities. Check out this week's edition of Food First for an important conversation about these issues with Senator McDonald Rivet.

Abuse and infidelity. University of Chicago sociologist Linda Waite found that "16 percent of cohabiting women reported that arguments with their partners became physical during the past year, while only 5 percent of married women had similar experiences." Most cohabiting couples have a faithful relationship, but Waite's surveys also demonstrated that 20% of cohabiting women reported having secondary sex partners, compared to only 4% of married women. According to an article by Judith Treas and Deirdre Giesen, cohabiting couples are twice as likely to experience infidelity within the relationship than married couples. Fertility. Regarding cohabitation as a fertility factor, a large survey in the United States came to the result that married women had an average of 1.9 children, compared to 1.3 among those cohabiting. The corresponding numbers for men were 1.7 and 1.1, respectively. The difference of 0.6 children for both sexes was expected to decrease to between 0.2 and 0.3 over the lifetime when correcting for the confounder that married people have their children earlier in life. A study of the United States and multiple countries in Europe came to the result that women who continue to cohabit after birth have significantly lower probability of having a second child than married women in all countries except those in Eastern Europe. Another study, on the contrary, came to the result that cohabiting couples in France have equal fertility as married ones. Also, Russians have a higher fertility within cohabitation, while Romanians rather tend to have childless marriages. Survey data from 2003 in Romania came to the result that marriage equalized the total fertility rate among both highly educated and low educated people to approximately 1.4. Among those cohabiting, on the other hand, a lower level of education increased fertility rate to 1.7, and a higher level of education decreased it to 0.7. On the other hand, another study came to the result that Romanian women with little education have about equal fertility in marital and cohabiting partnerships. Financial effects. In the United States, married couples that submit a combined tax return may face a marriage penalty, where tax credits for low-income single earners are not applied to the combined income. In October 1998, Senate GOP leader Trent Lott decided to pull a bill to abolish "the marriage penalty," "which in the tax code reflects the fact that married couples who both work for wages frequently pay more in taxes than if they earned the same amount of income but weren't married. And the more equal the incomes of the couple, the steeper the marriage tax penalty." The earned income tax credit (EITC) is cash welfare for low-income workers, but the problem is the EITC is not for married couples because they have to combine their wages, which again leads to "the marriage penalty." If couples do not get married then their wages do not have to combine and the EITC in a way is "paying for" low-income couples not to marry. Opponents of cohabitation believe that some cohabiting couples choose not to marry because they would suffer a tax penalty. Despite the perceived disincentive to marry that the EITC provides, cohabiting couples suffer many financial losses as their unions are not recognized with the same legal and financial benefits as those who are legally married. These financial penalties can include the costs of separate insurance policies and the costs of setting up legal protections similar to those that are automatically granted by the state upon marriage. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/law-school/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/law-school/support

Roughly 700,000 low-income families in Michigan that claim the earned income tax credit (EITC) could get checks in the mail later this year. Plus, Metro Detroiters march to support survivors of crime, and more. Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Tom Davies is the latest special guest on the Official Everton in the Community podcast. The Blues midfielder joins EitC deputy CEO Mike Salla and host Darren Griffiths. Tom is a regular and enthusiastic supporter of the Clubs official charity and he speaks about how some of the participants have helped him as well as him helping them. The podcast focuses on the brand new People's Place facility on Spellow Lane and Mike explains just why such a venue is essential to the local area. It's an insightful and honest conversation with Tom opening up on the mental side of professional football and how he feels on hearing what an impact his many EitC visits have had on programme attendees and staff alike.

It's more important than ever to find ways to save as much money as possible.  Marlo Oaks, the Utah State Treasurer and Susan Speirs, CEO of Utah Association of CPAs, say paying down debt and changing your behavior about spending are key. Oaks also says Utah revieved $77 MILLION dollars in unclaimed property last year (mycash.utah.gov).  The U.S. has over $68 Billion dollars of money that people forgot is theirs.  FInd out how to see if some of it is yours. You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal Twitter page. Be sure to email Heather your questions and request topics you'd like her to cover here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is first episode as part of our new series called "Info. Sessions" in which we will feature our tax-credit program with Katie Dufala '98VMA. Katie has been a Senior Tax Preparer at Felix & Gloeckler for 17 years now focusing on business and personal taxes. She uses her experience in the industry to help us understand how the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program works, how you can participate in it, and how it benefits our students at Cathedral Prep.

If you are handling tax returns with the EITC, tax preparers beware! In this week's program, Dawn Brolin joins Eric Green to talk about the EITC, what practitioners should be doing, and how the IRS is bringing the hammer down on practitioners.     Join Eric on Feb 20, 2023 for Intuit's EITC Enforcement: How to Avoid Becoming an IRS Target: https://taxrepllc.com/eitc 

If you are handling tax returns with the EITC, tax preparers beware! In this week's program, Dawn Brolin joins Eric Green to talk about the EITC, what practitioners should be doing, and how the IRS is bringing the hammer down on practitioners.

The first million-selling hit from Motown is our theme this week. (RIP Barrett Strong, 1941-2023) Virtually all political scandals involve either seeking greater power, or money. This week's discussion focuses on the latter. We are joined in the podcast by two national leaders in the drive to disrupt the political money machine: Gabe Lezra from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (better known as CREW), and Lisa Gilbert from Public Citizen. Topping the political news this week: legislative Democrats move quickly on economic development, two major tax cuts and the presidential primary; Haley Stevens rules out a Senate race; Republicans double down on whining about 2020 and the Big Lie; and Florida provides a preview of the Big Brother mentality that could be the mantra of our next President. Lisa Gilbert is the Executive Vice President at Public Citizen. She advocates for government transparency and integrity, financial reform, civil justice, and consumer protections. Lisa has testified before Congress, and been quoted in publications such as the New York Times, the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post and NPR. She was also a featured contributor to the National Journal's "Expert Blog" on lobbying and ethics, and writes frequently for USA Today, Yahoo Finance, and The Hill. Gabe Lezra is the Federal Policy Manager and a Senior Counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), where he specializes in anti-corruption, democracy reform, and government ethics law. He also serves as the Policy Working Group Leader at the Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD) coalition, where he has helped develop the coalition's democracy reform agenda. Prior to joining CREW, Gabe served as a counsel at the American Association for Justice and as a financial institutions and consumer law associate at Debevoise and Plimpton LLP in New York. Gabe received his J.D. with honors from Georgetown Law and his B.A. with high honors from Wesleyan University. This week in politics Michigan moves for early slot for 2024 presidential primary | AP News Michigan slated for early slot in 2024 presidential primary Haley Stevens on Twitter: Not running for US Senate Democrats win, GOP upset as Michigan votes to move up presidential primary | Bridge Michigan Whitmer: Pension tax rollback and EITC should be 2023's first laws Whitmer signs spending bill, allocates $240M in federal COVID-19 funds Business group to Michigan Legislature: Extend tax cuts to more seniors | Bridge Michigan Some seniors may be left out of Lansing's rush to cut taxes Gretchen Whitmer on guns: ‘The time for only thoughts and prayers is over.' | Bridge Michigan Minimum wage increase set for February blocked by Michigan court | Bridge Michigan Livengood: Whitmer's messaging has a ring of national aspiration GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel defeats rival in fierce campaign | AP News The crimes Trump or his allies could be charged with in Fulton County - The Washington Post The GOP gameplan… GOP report shows plan to ramp up focus on disproven election fraud claims - The Washington Post RNC urges GOP candidates to ‘go on offense' on abortion in 2024 - The Washington Post Inside the audacious new scheme to erase LGBTQ people from Michigan schools Fighting misinformation in U.S. history GOP-led committees plan to issue subpoenas in Biden probes without consulting Democrats | CNN Politics =========================== This week's podcast is underwritten in part by EPIC-MRAEPIC ▪ MRA is a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research

Natalie Price on Twitter: @VoteNPrice Natalie Price at the Michigan House Democrats' website: HouseDems.com/Natalie-Price Erika Geiss on Twitter: @SenErikaGeiss Erika Geiss at the Michigan Senate Democrats' website: SenateDems.com/Geiss Follow the Michigan Democrats and their legislative agenda at Legislature.MI.gov Anna Gustafson at Michigan Advance: After years of misogyny, racism and threats in Lansing, progressive women are in charge Ken Coleman at Michigan Advance: Advocates make the case for an EITC hike before the State of the State address Laina Stebbins at Michigan Advance: House, Senate pass bills to boost Earned Income Tax Credit, repeal pension tax Chris Savage can be found on Twitter at @Eclectablog. MoReno Taylor II can be found on Twitter at @MI_MADE_Man. Support the pod by becoming a Patreon donor HERE! Give us a five-star review at iTunes! The GOTMFV Show Facebook page is HERE! Music clips Intro and transition music: Tell Me What I Want to Hear by Mike Wagner/Total Strangers Outro music: Complain (from the movie Bob Roberts) by David Robbins & Tim Robbins

Since 1988, Everton's official charity, Everton in the Community has been serving the Merseyside community through its life-saving work. During that time, the charity has celebrated a number of notable ‘firsts' – from being the first Premier League Club to address mental health with a dedicated programme, to being the first Club to host a GP on its premises. As the charity marks 35-years since it first began operating in a converted house close to Goodison Park, Evertonians can enjoy a special edition of the Official Everton Podcast as we celebrate the award-winning Everton in the Community. Hosted by Darren Griffiths and featuring guests, Men's Club Captain, Seamus Coleman, Everton in the Community's CEO Sue Gregory, and long-serving member of staff, Michael King, the podcast provides listeners with an insight into the charity's everyday impact in the community. "We've been doing it [getting involved in Everton in the Community] for years and I've heard stories from numerous Everton in the Community participants, male and female some really tough stories over the years, who are not necessarily over the worst of it but are coping and Everton in the Community is playing a massive part in that," Coleman said on the podcast. "Since I've been at the Club, being part of Everton in the Community has always gone hand-in-hand. You'd be asked to do something and slowly but surely you'd understand what it is all about. It's so important to go out and see who needs help in all different types of ways, and when you're there you really do realise the difference you make. "I often talk about this and I'm not sure who came up with the slogan, but it doesn't just change lives, it saves lives." We also hear from a member of staff whose journey started at Everton in the Community 17-years ago, whilst CEO Sue Gregory also explains how a £1 donation to Everton in the Community generates £29.86 of impact to support the local community and economy.

On this midweek show, Misha Werschkul of the Washington State Budget & Policy Center talks with Crystal about the opportunity this legislative session to align the laws and budget of the state with our values and provide bright futures for all Washingtonians. As legislators prepare to set the State Budget for the next two years, Crystal and Misha discuss how important issues like housing and homelessness are receiving a lot of attention in contrast with less fanfare around education, before diving into impactful cash assistance programs targeted at addressing the wealth gap such as Guaranteed Basic Income and baby bonds. They then turn to the subject of ending Legal Financial Obligations, as it is a practice of wealth taking from the least-resourced to fund our court system, and have a philosophical discussion on unpacking the question of - what does real public safety look like? Finally, they cover progress on much-needed reform of the tax code - the long-awaited launch of the Working Families Tax Credit, movement towards implementation of the capital gains tax, and the anticipated introduction of a wealth tax proposal. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii, find our guest Misha Werschkul at @mishaanne and the Washington State Budget & Policy Center @budget_policy.   Misha Werschkul Misha (she/her) is a leading voice shaping the debate in Washington state on budget priorities and economic policies. She's a policy wonk at heart and a relentless believer in the importance of people joining together to make change. She has more than two decades of policy and legislative experience and is eager to build on this experience with an openness to new ideas and approaches, especially about how to bring racial equity into policymaking and organizational processes. You're most likely to find Misha working with partners to craft policy proposals and build coalitions around statewide progressive revenue, economic, and racial justice issues. She also serves on the board of directors of Balance Our Tax Code and the SEIU Benefits Group. In her spare time, Misha tries to be outside as much as possible. Some of her favorite activities are gardening in her taxpayer-supported neighborhood community garden, backpacking with friends in the publicly funded Olympic National Park, and paddleboarding in Lake Washington.   Resources Washington State Budget & Policy Center   2023 State of the State Address: Bold actions for building a stronger Washington | Washington Governor Jay Inslee   “Washington Should Tax the Rich to Save Our Public Schools” by Robert Cruickshank for The Stranger    “The U.S. Could Help Solve Its Poverty Problem with a Universal Basic Income” by Michael W. Howard for Scientific American   “How Tacoma's yearlong guaranteed income experiment fared” by Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks from The Seattle Times   HB 1045 - Creating the evergreen basic income pilot program   “To address wealth gap, WA to consider $4,000 ‘baby bonds'” by Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks from The Seattle Times   “Budget funds key first step in State Treasurer's wealth gap initiative” by Adam Johnson for Office of the State Treasurer   SB 5125 | HB 1094 - Creating the Washington future fund program   “A tragic Seattle story explains the decline of American welfare” by Shaun Scott for Crosscut    “Getting rid of legal financial obligations can protect the economic security of thousands of Washingtonians” by Evan Walker for Washington State Budget & Policy Center   “It's Time to Reform Washington's Harmful System of Fines and Fees” by Evan Walker & Andy Nicholas for Washington State Budget & Policy Center   “Beyond Policing: Investing in Offices of Neighborhood Safety" by Betsy Pearl for The Center for American Progress   “The Working Families Tax Credit will reduce hardship across Washington” by Margaret Babayan for Washington State Budget & Policy Center   Working Families Tax Credit Coalition   “In Washington State, the Left Won a Major Victory for Taxing the Rich” by Galen Herz for Jacobin   “Share the Wealth, Washington!” by Carolyn Brotherton for Economic Opportunity Institute   WA Possible - podcast about what is possible for economic justice in Washington state by Washington State Budget & Policy Center   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Today I am excited to be welcoming Misha Werschkul, who's the Executive Director of the Washington State Budget and Policy Center - welcome. [00:01:01] Misha Werschkul: So glad to be with you, Crystal. Thanks for having me. [00:01:04] Crystal Fincher: Thanks for joining us. I just want to start off by talking about - a lot of people are familiar with the Washington Budget and Policy Center, but for those who aren't, what is it? What do you do? And what brought you to this work? [00:01:14] Misha Werschkul: Thanks so much for starting with that. The first thing that I just want to share is - at the Washington State Budget and Policy Center - we're a nonprofit advocacy organization, so we're not part of State government. We actually work doing research and analysis, work in coalition with other organizations. And really, our goal is to make sure that the laws and the budget of Washington State are in alignment with the values of our state and really setting up a bright future for all Washingtonians. So we primarily work on state policy, although we do a little bit of work on local issues from time to time and federal issues. And all of our work is, as I mentioned, in coalition partnership - so we work with other organizations that do grassroots organizing and power building, communications, more political work - and really work together to try to make sure that when the Legislature comes together, as they are right now, that they're doing the things that match the values in our community. So it's really actually super fun work that allows us to bring those skills of research and analysis in what we hope to be service for social justice. A little bit about me is just - I came to this work really through a path of advocacy work. So prior to being with the Budget and Policy Center, I worked with a labor union in our state that represents home care and nursing home workers, and had a chance to be a frontline lobbyist down in Olympia trying to advance the interests of the long-term care workforce. And I saw through that work the incredible impact of the Budget and Policy Center, the power of the team here, and the importance of working on structural issues like the state budget, tax policy, economic justice - and now get the chance to work still in collaboration and partnership with organizations like the labor union that I worked with. [00:03:12] Crystal Fincher: You talk about the structural impact that can be made - and so much of that is impacted at the state level. What are you looking to have accomplished in this legislative session that just started? [00:03:24] Misha Werschkul: We always talk about the most important piece of legislation that the Legislature tackles each year is the state budget. And that is hundreds of pages of decisions - embedded in the state budget - around what are we going to spend money on, and how are we going to collect the revenue that pays for those things. And so our state has been really in a good situation with being able to receive federal dollars through all of the COVID relief that has happened over the past few years. And we've been able to do a lot - our legislators have - to be able to invest in our communities and help, really, us weather a really horrific pandemic. And this year, the Legislature is going to be putting together the budget for the next two years, so the end of 2023 through 2025. And I would say, always, that the most important thing that they can do is put together a budget that really meets the needs of communities, reflects community input, and ideally collects the revenue to pay for those investments in an equitable way. So there's millions of things within the state budget that matter to folks all across our state, and that's something that we'll be watching super carefully this legislative session - and frankly, every legislative session. [00:04:44] Crystal Fincher: What are the most important things you believe are going to be the components of the budget that will make a positive impact for the state? [00:04:52] Misha Werschkul: Some of the things that are getting a lot of attention and are going to be really important are really what is the level of investment in housing and homelessness. That's something that - I live in Seattle - that is something we're talking about a lot in Seattle, but is also really an issue all across the state - folks in rural communities, other urban areas, suburban areas - dealing with the homelessness crisis and the lack of access to affordable housing. And so this year, the governor has proposed a really big investment in housing and homelessness services - much bigger than has been talked about in previous years - and really, I think, embraced the need for a statewide solution that really matches the scale of what the crisis is that folks are experiencing. And so we're going to be watching that really carefully to see what can be done in that area. The governor is also talking about behavioral health as an important area for investment, climate change. One area we'll be paying attention to at the Budget and Policy Center is education - that is actually the biggest part of the state budget - is funding for public schools. And we know that schools all across our communities - kids need to be invested in, right? And that that is something that is going to be important this year - special education, how are we supporting teachers, what are we really doing to make sure that kids' mental health are taken care of. There's a lot more to do in that area and a lot of conversation to be had in the next 100-ish days of the legislative session. [00:06:29] Crystal Fincher: Certainly a lot of conversation to be had. And while we have heard a lot of talk, fortunately, about taking action on housing and homelessness, we haven't heard as much about education after, surprisingly, seeing so many teachers and educators bringing to the fore the crisis, basically, that we're facing in terms of funding, special education resources, and the ability to really give kids the education that will equip them for their future and that we're constitutionally obligated to give them. What are the prospects for action and what do you think is possible this legislative session? [00:07:06] Misha Werschkul: I think the Legislature is going to step up and do something for our kids. So there hasn't been as much talk about it - there are a number of different challenges that the Legislature is grappling with, a number of different things the Legislature is dealing with. But ultimately, education is the most important thing when it comes to the state budget and the paramount duty of Washington State. And so last year there was investment in counselors and other types of support professionals in the schools - that's going to be rolling out and making a difference for kids this year, but more has to be done. And I think that that is an area where we're hearing folks - really from both political parties - talk about the need to invest in education. And so I'm actually pretty hopeful about what's going to be done in that area for kids all across the state because the need is really present. And as you mentioned, the calls that teachers made at the start of the school year, folks' experience of the first few months of the school year, kids back to school in January - the needs there are very visible. And I think legislators will listen to that. [00:08:23] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. You have also, and the Budget and Policy Center has done a lot of work and highlighted a lot of research about the importance of cash assistance policies in addressing poverty and strengthening communities. Starting with Guaranteed Basic Income, that we've heard a lot from Representative Liz Berry on - what is that? What kind of record does it have? And why is it important? [00:08:48] Misha Werschkul: I love that you're asking about this because I think this is actually one of the most important things the Legislature can and should act on this year. So the idea of Guaranteed Basic Income is really a concept that's really been brought forward by - historically by Black leaders, Black women, also by tribal governments - as a way to really recognize the inherent dignity of people and the fact that people can make the best choices with resources that can meet the needs of themselves individually, their families, and their communities. And it's really a rejection of the paternalistic approach of a lot of policy approaches where - too often - you have government agencies really making decisions on behalf of people and taking away that ability for people to make their own decisions. And so this concept of Guaranteed Basic Income has been around for a long time. There has been a dramatic emergence of local pilots of Guaranteed Basic Income programs all across the country in recent years - and huge successes of those programs. The Magnolia Mother's Trust is one of the first, the Stockton SEED [Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration] program - also those two pilot programs really sparked action in every part of our country, including right in Tacoma where there's been a pilot that Mayor Woodards led with United Way of Pierce County. And so we're seeing a lot of success historically and even in the last few years of really the approach of getting cash to people in a way that's not restrictive and that lets people make choices that meet their own needs and the needs of their families and communities. The opportunity this year - and what Representative Berry is talking about - is the opportunity to really move that from local pilots to state policy. And she's proposing a statewide pilot that is limited in certain ways in scope, but would be the first state in the country to really have a statewide program for Guaranteed Basic Income. And it's an opportunity to take all of the things that we know from all of the local pilots and the past work on Guaranteed Basic Income and really try it out in a new context of a state program. That bill has gotten a lot of excitement and energy, and hopefully we'll see it get all the way to the finish line this year because it really is, I think, a transformative way to think about the role of state government and a move away from what really are pretty failed paternalistic policies that we've had in the past towards - one, policies that recognize the inherent dignity and the ability of people to make choices for themselves. [00:11:52] Crystal Fincher: Another program that is really interesting and that you have talked about is the Baby Bonds savings program. What is that? [00:12:01] Misha Werschkul: Okay, so the Baby Bonds program is something that I think is complementary to Guaranteed Basic Income, and also complementary to other approaches like the Working Families Tax Credit and existing public benefits, like TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] and the Housing and Essential Needs program. So it's important to think about it as a complementary, not a replacement for any of these other programs. But the idea of Baby Bonds is really a concept that was developed by an economist, Darrick Hamilton, to think about how do we really address the issue of wealth disparities - primarily by race - that exists. And we know that little bits of money, changing people's income doesn't actually get to that core issue of how people build wealth over time and how people build wealth intergenerationally. So white folks like me, in a lot of cases, have been able to build wealth in our families that we passed down through generations. And I, for example, was able to go to college because my parents were able to help me pay for the cost of going to college. The idea of Baby Bonds is how could we really give every Washingtonian the opportunity to have that little additional seed investment to be able to invest in themselves and their future. And so the State Treasurer, Mike Pellicciotti, has championed this approach for our state. Other states are already moving forward on this, but the idea would be to create an account for every kid who's eligible - to be able to have a little bit of resources that grow over time that they could then use to invest in college, to invest in starting a business, or to invest in buying a home. And really start to move the needle on those intergenerational inequities around wealth. In and of itself, Baby Bonds isn't going to fix everything - it is a piece of the puzzle but is an important one. And it's been exciting to see bipartisan support for that proposal and a lot of energy from local communities to really think about really a proposal that isn't going to have a huge impact in 2024 or 2025, but is setting kids up for success over the long-term and giving people the access to opportunity. [00:14:31] Crystal Fincher: So this is an interesting area. So we talked about Guaranteed Basic Income, which is something that definitely has an immediate impact, Baby Bonds savings, which is a long-term impact - both of which are direct cash assistance. And we are so used to, in our society, and hearing pushback on - Well, just giving people cash, are they going to just waste it? How do we know that they're not going to spend it on different things? People are in poverty - as some people say - because they're bad at managing their money, so we can't just hand it over. We need to really prescribe how it can and can't be used. How do you battle that mindset and address those kinds of worries? [00:15:15] Misha Werschkul: I think for us at the Budget and Policy Center, it comes back to - what does the research say? And those narratives that exist are just not supported by anything that we see in the research. And so what we've seen is that programs that are out there that give people direct cash - that folks use it in ways that really do meet the needs of themselves and their communities. And I can't remember the number right now, but I feel like there's something like more than 100 local pilots that have operated around Guaranteed Basic Income in the last several years. And so we're not talking about just one example - we are talking about example after example after example. I also think it is actually really important to tackle those narratives a little bit head-on and talk about - where do those narratives come from, and why are they so compelling for some folks? And these ideas of - for example, with regards to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and welfare and the dialogues over the years around that program - the kind of myth of the welfare queen - that is a created story that serves a particular purpose. It's not rooted in any sort of reality and we have to actually talk about, we have to actually name those myths that are out there, name those narratives, and call them out for what they are. Because so often it's deeply rooted in racism, deeply rooted in classism and sexism. And to be able to - our hope at the Budget and Policy Center, and other folks play different roles in this, is that by really looking at actually what does the research say and what are the facts on the ground, that that will help to begin to dismantle these narratives that have been built over time. So that's our hope at the Budget and Policy Center - is showing the success of the local pilots, showing what works, and really building some different narratives out there that actually are more rooted in reality. [00:17:42] Crystal Fincher: So another thing that you've talked about that is really important is the impact of Legal Financial Obligations on poverty and people's ability to get out of poverty. What are Legal Financial Obligations and what can the Legislature do about it? [00:17:57] Misha Werschkul: This is such an important area that hasn't been actually talked about as much when it comes to the upcoming legislative session, so I'm really glad you're asking about it, Crystal. So Legal Financial Obligations are essentially fines and fees that are put on folks based on their interactions with the criminal legal system. And it is one of the primary ways that we actually currently fund our court system. It is probably obvious, as I'm saying this, how inequitable this system is and how ineffective it is, but I'll just elaborate just a little bit. So basically what happens is that folks who are interacting with the criminal legal system - through those interactions - are building up debt over time that oftentimes folks don't have the ability to pay, so that - and there's an expectation that folks will pay those debts in the future. Most of the time, as I said, folks don't have the ability to pay - the money can't be collected. And so really what you have is a situation where folks are shouldering this debt that carries with them after their interaction with the criminal legal system. And the courts don't get the resources that they need to actually fund their operations. So it's a super ineffective way to fund operations - based on trying to collect money from people who, for the most part, really don't have any money to pay those fines and fees. Our goal at the Budget and Policy Center, and in coalition with a lot of other organizations, is to really end the practice of Legal Financial Obligations. There are infinite number of better ways to fund our court systems than through the collection of fines and fees. So the goal - the big goal - is to actually end the practice of Legal Financial Obligations as a whole. Not surprisingly, that's not something that's likely to happen in one legislative session. We do have legislative champions who are working towards incremental changes to Legal Financial Obligations, a greater recognition of ability to pay in terms of how fees are assessed and collected - and there we hope to see some progress this legislative session. But in the work around trying to end poverty, people talk about not just the importance of giving people money to be able to afford their basic needs, but actually stopping the practice of wealth taking, which is basically what Legal Financial Obligations are - is another way that any resources that people have are taken from them and that folks are in a system of indebtedness based on an interaction that is already deeply racialized with the criminal legal system. So Representative Tarra Simmons is really leading a lot of that work in the Legislature, groups like Civil Survival and Living with Conviction - want to lift up their work. And I also will just, as I'm answering this question, take this opportunity to say I am so appreciative to be able to be here and share this information with you, and I'm also doing that work on behalf of an amazing team of folks at the Budget and Policy Center - so Evan Walker is the person on our team who leads the work on Legal Financial Obligations, Emily Vyhnanek and Tracy Yeung lead the work on direct cash assistance, and other folks are leading other pieces of the work. So I just want to take the opportunity to celebrate their deeper work in each of these areas and how they engage with our coalition partners, even though I'm the one here sharing it with you. [00:21:49] Crystal Fincher: And I really appreciate that, and appreciate the work of your entire team - and the work over years that you've been doing - this is not work that you or the Budget and Policy Center is new to. It's really been just a long-term labor, and so really appreciate that. And also just appreciate the importance in you working on issues like Guaranteed Basic Income, Legal Financial Obligations - because we're so used to hearing sometimes in common discourse - things like, If you do the crime, then you do the time. If you don't want something, you should follow the law. Now you got to pay up. And viewing it as we need to hold people accountable and really focusing on a lot of the punitive and punishment aspects of these things, when really we're all losing as a result of those - trying to implement these punitive policies are creating worse outcomes for everyone in every way. When you look at the percentage of our budgets going towards supporting the court systems and jails, clearly fines are not cutting it. And also we say that we want a safe community. We say that we want people to be able to make a mistake, to do their time, fulfill their obligation, and then become a productive member of society - we commonly hear. But we do things that really impair their ability to do that and trap them in cycles of criminalization and poverty - and it just is counterproductive and we wind up paying for it as a community. How do you address people who focus on the punitive aspects - and really wanting to hold people accountable or punish people - and not realizing the other impacts that come from that? [00:23:40] Misha Werschkul: I think that's such a big question and I don't know if I have the full answer to it. I will say I was listening to the governor's State of the State address, and he said some things that I really agreed with and then some things that I didn't agree with as much. But one thing he said that I thought was interesting was - he talked about public safety, which we know is a term that means certain things to, and maybe different things, to different people. And he talked about how we actually need to unpack what public safety is and recognize that there's a lot of different aspects of that. And then he actually talked about the work around gun responsibility as an aspect of public safety. And it got me thinking about - just these terms and how they're code, in a lot of ways, for certain things - like public safety is code for policing. And how can we actually really talk about public safety for all of us? And what does it actually look like for all of us to be safe in our communities? And policing - heavy policing - is clearly not providing safety for all of us. In fact, I don't think it's really providing safety for any of us. And if we can think about - what is that aspiration around safety and what does that value for us in our lives and for our families and communities? How do we actually build that together? And a lot of times that does mean a lot of different things - it actually means people having the resources to be able to afford their basic needs so that they can put food on the table, it means that people have shelter - that people are not homeless. It means talking about gun responsibility. And I think a lot of times we fall into, again, these sort of narrative traps of - Oh, yeah, like crime - punish - yeah, if you do the crime, you have to do the time. And sort of believe in a way that that is going to make us safer. And actually I don't know that - it doesn't. And so I think just - I don't know, I think we just have to have those conversations in a real way - because, as a white person, a white woman, doing this work, I did believe for a long time that having a police presence was a way that my safety was - was about my safety. But actually, as I unpack that - it's not true, even for me as the model person that the police are here, supposed to protect. And I think we have to just actually talk about that a little bit more and actually have a higher aspiration for safety for all of us, because sometimes it's like walking around certain parts of maybe cities with a heavy police presence might make someone feel - it might make someone feel a little bit safe in the immediate term, but I actually hope for something a lot more. I hope that we can get to a place where - I don't know - safety, just - it's not actually true safety. And so I'm just trying to get at - what is that higher aspiration of safety that we could be striving towards and building towards, and not feeling like our only definition of safety is having armed police officers walking around - to what - shoot someone if something happens? That actually doesn't make me feel super safe - to think about people wielding guns on the streets shooting people to protect me. And so I think that's just something we need to be talking about and grappling with. But I do think - I really appreciated Governor Inslee starting to peel open that conversation a little bit. Now, he then did go on - I want to acknowledge - to talk about the importance, I think he did go on to talk about the importance of investing in policing as well. So he still has that as part of his solution. But I think at least he was starting to unpack - what does public safety look like and maybe open up a different conversation. [00:28:34] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I appreciate your thoughts on that. And unpacking what public safety looks like, unpacking what accountability looks like, and really trying to reduce harm all the way around. We don't want people to be victimized. We don't want people to be trapped in cycles that create and produce harm. What does accountability look like if it's not our court system and jails, which are not doing an effective job. What does public safety look like if it's not only police officers who, I think everyone agrees, can't do the job alone. If not, other models being more successful and effective. The final thing I want to talk about and cover today is what our tax code looks like. It is so foundational to everything in society. It is underneath, it impacts the revenue that we collect that enables every public service to be possible, which public services are possible, and to what degree. There's been lots of talk about how regressive our system has been, how much needs reform. Where do we stand on that? What needs to happen? And what's possible this legislative session? [00:29:56] Misha Werschkul: My favorite topic, Crystal - at the Budget and Policy Center, we love talking about taxes. And the reason is because it is super important how we collect revenue as a state and local government. And there are a lot of policy choices embedded in - a lot of values embedded in how we collect revenue. So I think probably most of your listeners know that Washington State has the most inequitable tax code in the country, meaning those with the lowest incomes pay the highest percentage of their income in state and local taxes. And in fact, we're way out of sync with most other states on this. So low income people in Washington State are paying basically double someone with a similar income in Oregon, simply because of the structure of our tax code. This is obviously a pretty bad deal for most Washingtonians. It's a super good deal for the wealthiest Washingtonians who are paying a minute share of their income in state and local taxes. And this is a big problem. This is not something that there's a quick and easy fix for, but there is some really exciting stuff happening. So in 2021, the Legislature took two big actions to start to make progress to reform our state tax code. One is they passed a capital gains tax to fund early learning investments in education. The other is they passed a Working Families Tax Credit set up to benefit 420,000 households in Washington State with direct cash sales tax refunds. Both of these policies are happening. So the Working Families Tax Credit launches February 1st. I'm so nerdy excited about this - it's not even funny. But starting very soon, people - 420,000 households - will be able to apply to be able to get a refund check of up to $1,200 in our state. We have been talking about this for so long, it feels like - and the day is finally almost here where this is happening. It is a step in the right direction of balancing our tax code in and of itself. It's not enough. It needs to be expanded. We'll be working this legislative session to try to expand eligibility to younger adults, so folks who are 18-24 and actually older adults as well - 65+ - who aren't currently eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit - to basically bring them in and allow them to be eligible. There's a great website called wataxcredit.org, I think - I hope it's org now - that has a ton of information about this. And I want to just share that out so folks know to spread the word because folks do need to actually proactively apply. One way to think about it is - really anybody who's eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit is going to be eligible for the Washington Working Families Tax Credit too. Plus anyone who files their taxes with an ITIN number who is being excluded right now from the EITC will be eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit. So I'm super excited. It's happening soon. There's going to be action in the Legislature on this, but more importantly, the policy is happening. Folks can get the money if they take the step to apply with Department of Revenue. Capital gains tax is being challenged, not surprisingly, by wealthy individuals who would pay the tax. They're trying to get the court to basically intervene and rule that the tax is unconstitutional. The State Supreme Court is hearing that case on January 26th and this is a wonky legal issue that needs to get sorted out before the tax can be fully implemented. And I could go on and on about the legal part of it, but I will stop because you actually asked about also what's happening this legislative session. And I will just pitch the efforts that some of our partners, especially Economic Opportunity Institute and Balance Our Tax Code, are leading with regards to a wealth tax and really thinking about big solutions that make a real difference in making our tax code more equitable. We have to get to the root of it, which is wealth. And so it's exciting to see this proposal coming forward this session that Representative Noel Frame has been a huge leader in. [00:35:01] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely and appreciate that. We will include the wataxcredit.org link in our episode notes to make it convenient for people to visit. And also thanks for mentioning your partners - we did have a conversation with Summer Stinson of the Economic Opportunity Institute, and she did talk a lot about that court case and how important it is to have a capital gains tax, what it really means, how few people it actually impacts - it is the wealthiest portion of the wealthy - and we'll see how this court case turns out. I really do appreciate you joining us today. If people want to learn more about the organization, where can they visit? [00:35:51] Misha Werschkul: Our website is www.budgetandpolicy.org so you can check us out on the website. We're also on social media - I'll share those links with you for the show notes hopefully. And I also will share - April Dickinson on our team has led the effort just to launch a new podcast called WA Possible that we hope is a great complement to Hacks & Wonks and a bit of a deeper dive into some of what could be possible when it comes to economic justice in Washington state. There's a great episode there talking about the Black Women Best framework that some national partners launched and some of the policies we talked about today, so just would share that as well. [00:36:37] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much, and April Dickinson is awesome. Thank you for all the work. Thank you for joining us today and we'll talk to you all next time. [00:36:44] Misha Werschkul: Thank you so much Crystal - appreciate you. [00:36:46] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Closing out the business year requires a lot of work. Among other things, you may have year-end bonuses to provide, W-2s to deliver, and annual notices to furnish. In this episode, we'll provide guidance to help you successfully navigate your end-of-year responsibilities. [0:41] End-of-year bonuses and what employers should keep in mind [3:22] What are the tax implications of bonuses that employers should consider? [4:18] W-2s, timelines, and how to handle paper and electronic versions [6:41] Other required tax notices, like EITC, and key things to know   Copyright © 2022 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved. This content may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, sold or used without the written permission of ADP. The information is provided "as is" without any expressed or implied warranty, is based on generally accepted HR practices and is advisory in nature. This content is provided with the understanding that neither the presenters nor the writers are rendering legal advice or other professional services. Employers are encouraged to consult with legal counsel for advice regarding their organization's compliance with applicable laws. This material is current as of the date of this episode (December 2022).

Today on Maine Source of Truth, I speak to the guy behind the Eye Inside The Classroom, owner of the Twitter page @EITC_Official with a secret agent who we will call “Jay,” who is using the woke teacher's own words and videos against them in exposing the craziness that is happening, inside the classroom. His tip line has led to some massive exposure and some teachers being disciplined, or hopefully fired for their own idiocy.

Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has used all kinds of tricks to keep our tax system complicated and expensive. Most Americans pay the price, especially those who can least afford it. But there is legislation in Congress that would fix the problem, creating a truly free and simple tax filing system for most folks. Guests: Janet Bauer of The Oregon Center for Public Policy and Susan Harley of Public Citizen.

Katie Moore was recently named Campaign Manager of the Year for her role managing Eric Adams' winning NYC Mayoral Campaign last year. In this conversation, she talks her roots as a "farm kid" in Western Kentucky, how she fell in love both with New York City and political organizing, and a deep dive into NYC politics and the 2021 Adams' victory.IN THIS EPISODE…Katie talks her rural roots in Marshall County in Western KY…Katie takes inspiration from the Clinton / Gore ticket…How Katie gets to NYC and develops a passion for political field work…Katie talks her time working for ACORN and its political legacy…Katie crosses path with Bill de Blasio in his first City Council race in 2001…Katie talks her passion for political field work…Katie gives her 101 on how she thinks of NYC politics…Katie's time leading the political operation for the city's Hotel Trades Council…Katie's sabbatical from politics as a yoga instructor…Katie takes the helm of the 2021 Eric Adams Mayoral Campaign…The winning story and message behind the Adams' campaign…Katie talks the Andrew Yang factor in the mayoral…The political impact of NYC's new Ranked Choice Voting system…The challenges of managing a big race during Covid and with two small kids…Katie talks her current role as a Partner at Red Horse Strategies…AND 1199 SEIU, 32BJ, Steve Banks, blue collar mayors, Brooklyn, canvassing on crutches, college-ruled spiral notebooks, Martha Layne Collins, Dennison University, Ruben Diaz Jr., DC 37, Ditch Mitch stickers, expanded EITC, field elitists, Kathryn Garcia, Rudy Giuliani, Al Gore, Aaron Hecht, infinite pockets, Tish James, Corey Johnson, John Kess, Kendrick Lamar, the Legal Aid Society, Bertha Lewis, Connor Martinez, miso soup, music degrees, the NYT spelling bee, nasty hit jobs, non-verbal cues, Paducah, Rand Paul, the Plaza Hotel, rock star moments, Nathan Smith, Scott Stringer, twin boys, union cards, vegans, the Village Voice, Maya Wiley, Jumaane Williams, Emma Wolfe, World Book Encyclopedias, XXL…& more!

Michigan's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax credit for workers and families with low incomes, and it helps them meet basic spending needs like groceries, transportation, child care and home maintenance. In 2012, the credit was cut back, and the League and our partners have been advocating for it to be boosted every since. And NOW IS OUR CHANCE! There's bipartisan support for increasing the EITC to 30% of the federal credit. To make sure we understood just how much the EITC means to working Michiganders and their communities, we invited Bethany Broom-Dombrowski, a United Way VITA site coordinator, to talk to us about how the families she serves—most of them in rural areas—benefit. Bethany herself received the EITC when her daughter was younger, so she knows first-hand how important the credit is. Learn more about the EITC here. Take action and ask your lawmakers to support a boost here. Learn more about the United Way VITA Program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) by calling 2-1-1 or contacting your local United Way.

In this episode, we outline the history of the EITC, recent proposals to modify and expand the credit, and evidence on its effectiveness.

The tax filing deadline is fast approaching, and there is a benefit that's new to the 2.8 million adults over age 65. It's the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Those who quality could receive up to $1,500 on their federal return when they file their taxes. This week, we discuss everything you need to know about the benefit with Jackie Lynn Coleman, a director at AARP Foundation who helps lead the team on expanding access to tax benefits for older adults who are living on low income.

EITC NM Youth Montage by Generation Justice

Weeds co-hosts Dylan Matthews and Dara Lind are joined by Vox policy editor Libby Nelson (@libbyanelson) to talk about some hot! tax! policy! But mostly, why it's so annoying to file our taxes every year. The three discuss why the tax code is so complicated to begin with; compare our filing system to other countries; and daydream about what could be done to fix the system. Plus, a white paper about, you guessed it: taxes. References: How to get free tax prep, or volunteer to provide tax prep to others TR Reid's A Fine Mess Justin Trudeau's return-free tax promise Dylan explaining near-term options to reform tax filing “What is return-free filing, and how would it work?” The benefits of return-free filing Option one: the pre-filled return Option two: pay-as-you-earn ProPublica on Intuit/H&R Block lobbying that's kept taxes complicated White paper: “Inertia and Overwithholding: Explaining the Prevalence of Income Tax Refunds” by Damon Jones Does the EITC promote work? Hosts: Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox Dara Lind (@dlind), Weeds co-host, Vox Credits: Sofi LaLonde, producer and engineer Libby Nelson, editorial adviser Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weedsletter  Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Young folks who are trying to make ends meet deserve some extra cash! Generation Justice discusses the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) with Deneisha Thompson, Senior Associate of the EITC Funder's Network! Denisha spoke about the EITC and encourages that if you worked last year, were 19-24 years old, and made $21,000 or less - go to GetYourRefund.org to find out if you qualify! Be sure sure to listen in every SUNDAY @7PM on 89.9 KUNM OR stream on KUNM.org!

Michigan's Children President & CEO Matt Gillard sat down with former State Treasurer Nick Khouri to discuss the most recent state tax proposals under debate in Lansing, and the potential impact on state revenues and future investments in programs serving children, youth and families . Tune in to hear them breakdown the EITC, Pension Tax, and a possible General Income Tax Cut, and what advocates need to know to continue championing better services for our kids and families!

Nancy Sasaki, President & CEO, United Way of San Diego County, and Bill York, President & CEO, 2-1-1 San Diego, two stalwarts serving the San Diego community, discuss their collaboration to help San Diego citizens and families learn the ins and outs of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable cash-back tax credit for low-income working families and individuals. It is one of the most effective tools in America to lift families out of poverty, yet thousands of eligible families in San Diego miss out on the EITC,For more information on the EITC, please visit www.uwsd.org and www.211sandiego.org

En medio de uno de los peores escándalos de corrupción en un gobierno que apenas lleva 1 año y que toca, al menos a 5 alcaldes y asesores del PNP, el Gobernador Pierluisi parte hoy a la República Dominicana. Será recibido por el presidente Luis Abinader para firmar declaración conjunta. ¿Hablarán del Anti-Pulpo y los 7 operativos anticorrupción y lavado de dinero que lleva el gobierno dominicano y que involucran a empresarios con negocios en Puerto Rico? Exalcalde de Cataño y dos más se declararon culpables en el foro federal por conspiración y ''kickbacks''. “El Cano” Delgado firmó un acuerdo con el FBI que empezó a indagar por su estilo de vida lujoso con la colección de relojes Rolex, zapatos Ferragamo, vestidos de diseño de modas para la esposa y pago de cirugías estéticas. Lo dijimos aquí ayer y se confirmó: ASES le dio contrato de $40 millones a Abarca Health, empresa impulsada por contribuyente político Borshow. El Departamento de Justicia recomienda designar otro FEI contra el exalcalde de Santa Isabel Quique Questell, a quien se le imputa un nombramiento ilegal en la dirección de la Oficina de Finanzas del municipio. Y siguen botando dinero. Gobierno paga $9.6 millones en ‘overtime' a escoltas de exgobernadores y funcionarios públicos. Gran potencial del crédito por trabajo para sacar de la pobreza a 125 mil personas. El Crédito por trabajo (Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC local) podría ayudar a promover mayor seguridad económica a alrededor de 420,683 personas (216,393 contribuyentes)en Puerto Rico. Estados Unidos detecta primer caso de variante ómicron en California. Justo después de que Austria se convirtió en el primer país en hacer mandatoria la vacunación contra el Covid, la jefa de la Unión Europea, quien es austriaca, Ursula von Der Leyen, pide que se impoga el Código de Nuremberg y que se obligue a que todos los países de Europa obliguen a la vacunación. Pero la cadena británica BBC evidencia la relación de amistad entre la austriaca y el presidente de Pfizer, Albert Bourla. Éstas y otras noticias, hoy En Blanco y Negro con Sandra. - - - Este programa se transmite por las siguientes emisoras, y por sus respectivas plataformas digitales, y aplicaciones para dispositivos Apple y Android: Radio Grito 1200AM: Lares Radio Grito 93.3 FM Aguadilla X61 610 AM: Patillas y toda la zona sureste X61 94.3 FM: Patillas-Guayama WLRP 1460 AM Radio Raíces: La voz del Pepino en San Sebastián Cadena WIAC - WYAC 930 AM: Cabo Rojo-Mayagüez Cadena WIAC – WISA 1390 AM Isabela Cadena WIAC - WIAC 740 AM: Área metropolitana Mi Podcast: Anchor, SoundCloud y demás. https://anchor.fm/sandrarodriguezcotto Redes Sociales: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN E-mail: Enblancoynegroconsandra@gmail.com BLOG: http://enblancoynegromedia.blogspot.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sandrarodriguezcotto/support

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) are the two most effective tools we have to lift children out of poverty. But what are they, exactly? In summary, these tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the income tax someone owes to the federal or state government. By either reducing the amount of money owed or providing refundable credits, these tax programs create lifelong benefits for kids and families. Currently, tax code in Colorado is highly inequitable and often benefits those who do not need it. By advocating for an expansion of EITC and CTC this legislative session, we can take one step toward more equitable access for those who need it most.   Sarah Barnes and Esther Turcios break down these two highly beneficial tax codes in episode 6 of The West Steps. After providing an overview of both the EITC and CTC, Sarah and Esther detail current opportunities for expansion at the state level, and recent changes at the federal level. By centering equity in tax policy, we can begin to dismantle the racist roots of our tax code and use tax dollars in a more broadly beneficial way. Interested in being a part of the conversation? Click here to find ways to support and engage with the Colorado Fiscal Institute and their current tax policy initiatives. Support the show (https://www.coloradokids.org/)

This week, Carla introduces the MVP (Momentum & Value for People of Color) program, the Earned income tax credit (EITC) and the upcoming awareness day, and steps to change the way you think about challenges to get the most out of every situation! "Job-Seeking Empowerment News," hosted by Carla Leininger of KZSU's Global Ginga, provides the latest labor market news, employment trends, technology, and job searching tips! Let's get you working again!

SUBSCRIBE TO GET ALL EPISODES SUPERCAST: https://thebruenigs.supercast.tech/ PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/thebruenigs Matt is here with a special midweek bonus episode, talking to returning guest Marshall Steinbaum about the advanced tax rebate in the Coronavirus emergency legislation and the interesting ways in which that rebate was handled in the discourse. Ultimately we learn the EITC is bad, once again.

Does the Earned Income Tax Credit suck. Or is it actually good? And if it does suck, precisely why does it suck? These are the questions the expert panel get into.

Matt is here with a solo ep (dual ep releasing soon) about one of his great wonk irritations: policies that seem to have a big impact only because they take advantage of quirks in the way we measure certain things like poverty and wealth inequality. These policies achieve great "success" defined as getting a certain statistic to move a lot but actually do not meaningfully address the bigger evil -- the reduction of material deprivation in the case of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the wealth difference between the black and white community in the case of baby bonds.