March 31, 2020

U.S. deaths from the coronavirus exceed 700 in one day, overall toll surpasses China

Source: Washington Post

The coronavirus death toll in the United States for the first time exceeded 700 in one day, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. The total number of deaths nationwide on Tuesday surpassed 3,400 — more than the number of people who died in the initial Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and surpassing the number of deaths attributed to the viral outbreak in China, where it was first reported late last year.

The confirmed number of infections worldwide continues to grow, surpassing 800,000 on Tuesday. In the United States, there are more than 175,000 confirmed cases. Health officials have warned the virus could kill as many as 200,000 people in America.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/31/coronavirus-latest-news/

March 31, 2020

IRS releases more info on how to get coronavirus stimulus checks ASAP

Source: NBC

WASHINGTON — New information from the IRS on Monday shines more light on what people can do to get the checks from the government as quickly as possible while many families worry about paying the bills and buying food during the coronavirus crisis that has cost millions of people their jobs.

For Americans eligible for stimulus cash under the new relief law, the fastest way to receive it is to make sure they've filed a tax return for 2019 or 2018 with bank information so the government can directly deposit the money.

The IRS says it will use a person's 2019 return to calculate eligibility and automatically send the money to those who qualify. If they haven't filed a 2019 return, it'll be based on the 2018 return.

Payments up to $1,200 per person, with an additional $500 per child under 17, will be made to U.S. residents with a Social Security number who earn under $75,000. The amount decreases by $5 per every $100 earned after that, zeroing out at $99,000. For married couples, the phaseout range is $150,000 to $198,000.

The IRS said Americans who weren't required to file taxes in the last two years will have to file a "simple tax return" with basic information like filing status, number of dependents and bank information so the government can send the money.

"Low-income taxpayers, senior citizens, Social Security recipients, some veterans and individuals with disabilities who are otherwise not required to file a tax return will not owe tax," the IRS said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said payments will go out "within three weeks" for people who have their direct deposit information on file with the IRS.

"We will create a web-based system for people where we don't have their direct deposit they can upload it, so that they can get the money immediately as opposed to checks in the mail," Mnuchin said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."




Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/irs-releases-more-info-how-get-coronavirus-stimulus-checks-asap-n1172676

March 27, 2020

Pedestrian bridge collapses on WB I-94 in Detroit, all lanes closed, we still dealing with our

crumbling infrastructure thanks to repukes and their fear of taxes

https://twitter.com/freep/status/1243524444926234627

March 26, 2020

Here is a better explanation for those one time Coronavirus checks

Q: How much will I get?
Depends on how much you make.

If you made less than $75,000 in 2019, you will be eligible for the full payment of $1,200. Couples who filed jointly and made less than $150,000 will get $2,400. An individual who filed as "head of household" and earned $112,500 or less gets $1,200.
For every child in the household, you will receive an additional $500.


If you made more than $75,000, your payment will be reduced by $5 for every $100 of income that exceeds the limits. So if you made $80,000 in 2019, you will receive $950. The payment decreases to zero for an individual making $99,000 or more or a couple making $198,000 or more.

If you're a family of four, you’ll be eligible for a maximum of $3,400.

Q: When is the money coming?
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday the checks will be sent out "within three weeks" to people for whom the IRS has information. You don't need to sign up or fill out a form to receive a payment if you've been working and paying taxes since 2018.

The Treasury Department will also run a "public awareness campaign" with information about the program, including for people who didn’t file a tax return for 2018 or 2019.

Q: Will there be multiple payments?
No, this legislation only authorizes one-time payments. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested on CNN that Congress could revisit the issue: "We think we'll get more direct payments in another bill."

Q: Where do I sign up?
You don't. There's no sign up. The payments will be automatic for people who have filed a tax return or gotten Social Security benefits recently. The IRS asks people not to call with questions, but to keep checking this website where they will post updates about the program once they are available.

Q: How will the money be sent?
If you've gotten a tax refund in the last two years by direct deposit, that's where the money will be sent. If not, the IRS can mail a check to your "last known address," and it has 15 days to notify you of the method and amount of the payment. They'll send a phone number and appropriate point of contact so you can tell them if you didn't receive it.

If you’ve moved recently, it may be a good idea to notify the IRS as soon as possible. The IRS also suggests that if you haven't yet filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019, do it as soon as you can, so that the government has your up-to-date information on file.

Q: How does the gov't calculate how much I earned?
Have you filed your taxes for 2019 already? If so, the checks will automatically be based on your 2019 return. Look for your "adjusted gross income" (Line 7 on your Form 1040 tax return in 2018, or line 8B on a 2019 return.) If you haven't filed your 2019 taxes yet, it'll be based on your 2018 return.

Q: I'm on Social Security, or don’t make enough to file a tax return. Will I get a check?
Yes. Even if you didn't file a tax return for 2018 or 2019 or pay taxes in those years, you will be eligible if you received a Form SSA-1099 for the year 2019. That's a form that the Social Security Administration sends each year to people who receive Social Security benefits, including retirement and disability.

Q: I’m a disabled vet but don't pay taxes. Do I qualify?
Yes, although some of the details still need to be worked out. The IRS is expected to set up a system so that disabled veterans don't fall through the cracks.

Q: I'm a college student. Do I get a check?
If your parents claim you as a dependent on their taxes, you're ineligible. But if you've been working and filing taxes independently in recent years, you may qualify.

Q: I made too much money in 2019 to qualify. But now I've been laid off. Am I out of luck?
Not necessarily, but you'll have to wait.
The IRS is expected to create a system to ensure help for people who fall into this category.

Q: I'm not an American citizen. Do I qualify?
Yes — as long as you're living and working in the U.S. with a valid Social Security number. That includes green card holders, and it generally includes those on work visas, such as an H-1B and H-2A. But it generally excludes visitors and people who are in the U.S. illegally.

Q: Are the cash payments taxable?
Nope.

Q: I live in Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory. Is that a problem?
Not at all. There’s a special provision ensuring that people living in U.S. territories, even ones that have a different tax system, are still eligible.

Q: What if I'm homeless or recently got out of prison? Will I get help?
As long as you have a Social Security number, you should be eligible to apply for the relief payments under the new system created by the IRS.

Q: I owe back taxes. Will the IRS snatch my check?
The bill doesn't exclude you from getting a payment if you owe past due taxes. That said, the IRS has yet to set up the new system.


https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/coronavirus-checks-direct-deposits-are-coming-here-s-everything-you-n1168936

March 25, 2020

Prince Charles has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is now self-isolating in Scotland.

per CNN: "He has been displaying mild symptoms, but otherwise remains in good health," according to a statement from his office.

March 24, 2020

Tx Lt Gov says grandparents would be willing to die to save the economy for their grandchildren

https://twitter.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1242245135129346050

March 23, 2020

Hungary to consider bill that would allow Orbn to rule by decree, I bet tRump is salivating overit

Hungary’s parliament will consider an emergency bill this week that would give prime minister Viktor Orbán sweeping powers to rule by decree, without a clear cut-off date.

The bill seeks to extend the state of emergency declared earlier this month over coronavirus, and could also see people jailed for spreading information deemed to be fake news. The government has portrayed the move as a necessary response to the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, but critics immediately labelled the legislation as dangerously open-ended and vulnerable to abuse.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/hungary-to-consider-bill-that-would-allow-orban-to-rule-by-decree

March 22, 2020

I notice there is a lot of covid-19 misinformation on twitter targeting Blue states, some of this

false crap is even trending, started from fresh accounts & we were warned that Russia is behind a lot of this. Be careful of any info you get off of twitter, facebook, ect...

March 22, 2020

Michigan Executive Order 2020-20 (COVID-19) Temporary restrictions on the use of public places

I knew about the ban on 50 or more but this order seems to have been placed since yesterday/ last night?

Beginning as soon as possible but no later than March 22, 2020 at 9:00 am, and continuing until April 13, 2020 at 11:59 pm, the following places of public accommodation are closed to ingress, egress, use, and occupancy by members of the public:


Restaurants, food courts, cafes, coffeehouses, and other places of public accommodation offering food or beverage for on-premises consumption;


Bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, special licensees, clubs, and other places of public accommodation offering alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption;


Hookah bars, cigar bars, and vaping lounges offering their products for on-premises consumption;


Theaters, cinemas, and indoor and outdoor performance venues;


Libraries and museums;


Gymnasiums, fitness centers, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, and facilities offering non-essential personal care services;


Casinos licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, racetracks licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, and Millionaire Parties licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board; and


Places of public amusement not otherwise listed above.


Places of public accommodation subject to this section are encouraged to offer food and beverage using delivery service, window service, walk-up service, drive-through service, or drive-up service, and to use precautions in doing so to mitigate the potential transmission of COVID-19, including social distancing. In offering food or beverage, a place of public accommodation subject to this section may permit up to five members of the public at one time in the place of public accommodation for the purpose of picking up their food or beverage orders, so long as those individuals are at least six feet apart from one another while on premises.



This section does not prohibit an employee, contractor, vendor, or supplier of a place of public accommodation from entering, exiting, using, or occupying that place of public accommodation in their professional capacity.



The restrictions imposed by this order do not apply to any of the following:


Places of public accommodation that offer food and beverage not for on-premises consumption, including grocery stores, markets, convenience stores, pharmacies, drug stores, and food pantries, other than those portions of the place of public accommodation subject to the requirements of section 1;


Health care facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities, and juvenile justice facilities;


Crisis shelters or similar institutions; and

Food courts inside the secured zones of airports.

“Non-essential personal care services” includes but is not limited to hair, nail, tanning, massage, traditional spa, tattoo, body art, and piercing services, and similar personal care services that require individuals to be within six feet of each other. This does not include services necessary for medical treatment as determined by a licensed medical provider.


“Place of public accommodation” means a business, or an educational, refreshment, entertainment, or recreation facility, or an institution of any kind, whether licensed or not, whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations are extended, offered, sold, or otherwise made available to the public. Place of public accommodation also includes the facilities of private clubs, including country clubs, golf clubs, boating or yachting clubs, sports or athletic clubs, and dining clubs.


“Place of public amusement” means a place of public accommodation that offers indoor services or facilities, or outdoor services or facilities involving close contact of persons, for amusement or other recreational or entertainment purposes. A place of public amusement includes an amusement park, arcade, bingo hall, bowling alley, indoor climbing facility, skating rink, trampoline park, and other similar recreational or entertainment facilities.


The director of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, and the executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board must issue orders and directives and take other actions pursuant to law as necessary to implement this order.


This order does not alter any of the obligations under law of an employer affected by this order to its employees or to the employees of another employer.


Consistent with MCL 10.33 and MCL 30.405(3), a willful violation of this order is a misdemeanor.


On March 22, 2020 at 9:00 am, Executive Order 2020-9 is rescinded.



Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of Michigan.

https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90499_90705-522576--,00.html

March 21, 2020

This from CNN: Why does Russia, population 146 million, have fewer coronavirus cases than Luxembourg

Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week his country managed to stop the mass spread of coronavirus -- and that the situation was "under control," thanks to early and aggressive measures to keep more people from getting the disease.

Does Russia have coronavirus under control? According to information released by Russian officials, Putin's strategy seems to have worked. The number of confirmed Russian coronavirus cases is surprisingly low, despite Russia sharing a lengthy border with China and recording its first case back in January.
The numbers are picking up, but Russia -- a country of 146 million people -- has fewer confirmed cases than Luxembourg, with just 253 people infected. Luxembourg, by contrast, has a population of just 628,000, according to the CIA World Factbook, and by Saturday had reported 670 coronavirus cases with eight deaths.
Russia's early response measures -- such as shutting down its 2,600-mile border with China as early as January 30, and setting up quarantine zones -- may have contributed to the delay of a full-blown outbreak, some experts say.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/21/europe/putin-coronavirus-russia-intl/index.html