MEXICO
 CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president posted a photo on his social media 
accounts Saturday showing what he said appeared to be a mythological 
woodland spirit similar to an elf.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not seem to be joking when <a href="https://twitter.com/lopezobrador_/status/1629617208899895296">he posted the photo</a> of an “Aluxe,” a mischievous woodland spirit in Mayan folklore.

López
 Obrador wrote the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it 
appears to be an aluxe," adding “everything is mystical.”

The 
nighttime photo shows a tree with a branch forming what looks like a 
halo of hair, and what may be stars forming the figure’s eyes.

López
 Obrador has long expressed reverence for indigenous cultures and 
beliefs. Engineers and workers are in the Yucatan peninsula, 
constructing a tourist train that is the president's pet project.

According
 to traditional Mayan belief, “Aluxes” are small, mischievous creatures 
that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on 
people, like hiding things. Some people leave small offerings to appease
 them.

The ancient Mayan civilization reached its height from 300 
A.D. to 900 A.D. on the Yucatan Peninsula and in adjacent parts of 
Central America, but the Mayas’ descendants continue to live on the 
peninsula.

Many continue speaking the Mayan language and wearing 
traditional clothing, while also conserving traditional foods, crops, 
religion and medicine practices, despite the conquest of the region by 
the Spanish between 1527 and 1546.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Les comparto dos fotos de nuestra supervisión a las obras del Tren Maya: una, tomada por un ingeniero hace tres días, al parecer de un aluxe; otra, de Diego Prieto de una espléndida escultura prehispánica en Ek Balam. Todo es místico. <a href="https://t.co/Tr5OP2EqmU">pic.twitter.com/Tr5OP2EqmU</a>&mdash; Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) <a href="https://twitter.com/lopezobrador_/status/1629617208899895296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>MEXICO
 CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president posted a photo on his social media 
accounts Saturday showing what he said appeared to be a mythological 
woodland spirit similar to an elf.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not seem to be joking when <a href="https://twitter.com/lopezobrador_/status/1629617208899895296">he posted the photo</a> of an “Aluxe,” a mischievous woodland spirit in Mayan folklore.López
 Obrador wrote the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it 
appears to be an aluxe," adding “everything is mystical.”The 
nighttime photo shows a tree with a branch forming what looks like a 
halo of hair, and what may be stars forming the figure’s eyes.López
 Obrador has long expressed reverence for indigenous cultures and 
beliefs. Engineers and workers are in the Yucatan peninsula, 
constructing a tourist train that is the president's pet project.According
 to traditional Mayan belief, “Aluxes” are small, mischievous creatures 
that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on 
people, like hiding things. Some people leave small offerings to appease
 them.The ancient Mayan civilization reached its height from 300 
A.D. to 900 A.D. on the Yucatan Peninsula and in adjacent parts of 
Central America, but the Mayas’ descendants continue to live on the 
peninsula.Many continue speaking the Mayan language and wearing 
traditional clothing, while also conserving traditional foods, crops, 
religion and medicine practices, despite the conquest of the region by 
the Spanish between 1527 and 1546.

Mexican president posts photo of what he claims is an elf

By TERRY TANG Associated Press

Since its debut in 1971, an anti-pollution ad showing a man in Native American attire shed a single tear at the sight of smokestacks and litter taking over a once unblemished landscape has become an indelible piece of TV pop culture. It's been referenced for decades on shows like "The Simpsons" and "South Park" and in internet memes. But the "Crying Indian" public service announcement has been painful for some Native Americans who saw it as a trope. That's why Keep America Beautiful, the nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, announced Thursday that ownership of the ad's rights will be transferred to the National Congress of American Indians. NCAI plans to retire the use.

Since its debut in 1971, an anti-pollution ad showing a man in Native American attire shed a single tear at the sight of smokestacks and litter taking over a once unblemished landscape has become an indelible piece of TV pop culture.

It's been referenced over the decades since on shows like "The Simpsons" and "South Park" and in internet memes. But now a Native American advocacy group that was given the rights to the long-parodied public service announcement is retiring it, saying it has always been inappropriate.

The so-called "Crying Indian" with his buckskins and long braids made the late actor Iron Eyes Cody a recognizable face in households nationwide. But to many Native Americans, the public service announcement has been a painful reminder of the enduring stereotypes they face.

The nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, Keep America Beautiful, had long been considering how to retire the ad and announced this week that it's doing so by transferring ownership of the rights to the National Congress of American Indians.

"Keep America Beautiful wanted to be careful and deliberate about how we transitioned this iconic advertisement/public service announcement to appropriate owners," Noah Ullman, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, said via e-mail. "We spoke to several Indigenous peoples' organizations and were pleased to identify the National Congress of American Indians as a potential caretaker."

NCAI plans to end the use of the ad and watch for any unauthorized use.

"NCAI is proud to assume the role of monitoring the use of this advertisement and ensure it is only used for historical context; this advertisement was inappropriate then and remains inappropriate today," said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. "NCAI looks forward to putting this advertisement to bed for good."

When it premiered in the 1970s, the ad was a sensation. It led to Iron Eyes Cody filming three follow-up PSAs. He spent more than 25 years making public appearances and visits to schools on behalf of the anti-litter campaign, according to an Associated Press obituary.

From there, Cody, who was Italian American but claimed to have Cherokee heritage through his father, was typecast as a stock Native American character, appearing in over 80 films. Most of the time, his character was simply "Indian," "Indian Chief" or "Indian Joe."

His movie credits from the 1950s-1980s included "Sitting Bull," The Great Sioux Massacre," Nevada Smith, "A Man Called Horse" and "Ernest Goes to Camp." On television, he appeared in "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "Rawhide" among others. He also was a technical adviser on Native American matters on film sets.

Dr. Jennifer J. Folsom, a journalism and media communication professor at Colorado State University and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, remembers watching the public service announcement as a child.

"At that point, every single person who showed up with braids and buckskins, on TV or anywhere in the movies, I glommed on to that because it was such a rare thing to see," said Folsom, whose areas of study include Native American pop culture. "I did see how people littered, and I did see how the creeks and the rivers were getting polluted."

But as she grew up, Folsom noticed how media devoted little coverage to Native American environmental activists.

"There's no agency for that sad so-called Indian guy sitting in a canoe, crying," Folsom said. "I think it has done damage to public perception and support for actual Native people doing things to protect the land and protect the environment."

She applauded Keep America Beautiful's decision as an "appropriate move." It will mean a trusted group can help control the narrative the ad has promoted for over 50 years, she said.

The ad's power has arguably already faded as Native and Indigenous youths come of age with a greater consciousness about stereotypes and cultural appropriation. TikTok has plenty of examples of Native people parodying or doing a takedown of the advertisement, Folsom said.

Robert "Tree" Cody, the adopted son of Iron Eyes Cody, said the advertisement had "good intent and good heart" at its core.

"It was one of the top 100 commercials," said Robert Cody, an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona.

And, it reminded him of time spent with his father, said Cody, who lives at Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico.

"I remember a lot, even when he went on a movie set to finish his movies and stuff," Cody said. "I remember going out to Universal (Studios), Disney, places like that."

His wife, Rachel Kee-Cody, can't help but feel somewhat sad that an ad that means so much to their family will be shelved. But she is resigned to the decision.

"You know, times are changing as well. You keep going no matter how much it changes," she said. "Disappointment. ... It'll pass."

Tang is a member of The Associated Press' Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at @ttangAP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677380816931.jpeg" alt="Iron Eyes Cody, the ''Crying Indian'' whose tearful face in 1970s TV commercials became a powerful symbol of the anti-littering campaign, is pictured in this 1986 photo. Keep America Beautiful, the nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, announced Thursday that ownership of the ad's rights will be transferred to the National Congress of American Indians. (AP Photo/File)" />
 <figcaption>Iron Eyes Cody, the ''Crying Indian'' whose tearful face in 1970s TV commercials became a powerful symbol of the anti-littering campaign, is pictured in this 1986 photo. Keep America Beautiful, the nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, announced Thursday that ownership of the ad's rights will be transferred to the National Congress of American Indians. (AP Photo/File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TERRY TANG Associated PressSince its debut in 1971, an anti-pollution ad showing a man in Native American attire shed a single tear at the sight of smokestacks and litter taking over a once unblemished landscape has become an indelible piece of TV pop culture. It's been referenced for decades on shows like "The Simpsons" and "South Park" and in internet memes. But the "Crying Indian" public service announcement has been painful for some Native Americans who saw it as a trope. That's why Keep America Beautiful, the nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, announced Thursday that ownership of the ad's rights will be transferred to the National Congress of American Indians. NCAI plans to retire the use.Since its debut in 1971, an anti-pollution ad showing a man in Native American attire shed a single tear at the sight of smokestacks and litter taking over a once unblemished landscape has become an indelible piece of TV pop culture.It's been referenced over the decades since on shows like "The Simpsons" and "South Park" and in internet memes. But now a Native American advocacy group that was given the rights to the long-parodied public service announcement is retiring it, saying it has always been inappropriate.The so-called "Crying Indian" with his buckskins and long braids made the late actor Iron Eyes Cody a recognizable face in households nationwide. But to many Native Americans, the public service announcement has been a painful reminder of the enduring stereotypes they face.The nonprofit that originally commissioned the advertisement, Keep America Beautiful, had long been considering how to retire the ad and announced this week that it's doing so by transferring ownership of the rights to the National Congress of American Indians."Keep America Beautiful wanted to be careful and deliberate about how we transitioned this iconic advertisement/public service announcement to appropriate owners," Noah Ullman, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, said via e-mail. "We spoke to several Indigenous peoples' organizations and were pleased to identify the National Congress of American Indians as a potential caretaker."NCAI plans to end the use of the ad and watch for any unauthorized use."NCAI is proud to assume the role of monitoring the use of this advertisement and ensure it is only used for historical context; this advertisement was inappropriate then and remains inappropriate today," said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. "NCAI looks forward to putting this advertisement to bed for good."When it premiered in the 1970s, the ad was a sensation. It led to Iron Eyes Cody filming three follow-up PSAs. He spent more than 25 years making public appearances and visits to schools on behalf of the anti-litter campaign, according to an Associated Press obituary.From there, Cody, who was Italian American but claimed to have Cherokee heritage through his father, was typecast as a stock Native American character, appearing in over 80 films. Most of the time, his character was simply "Indian," "Indian Chief" or "Indian Joe."His movie credits from the 1950s-1980s included "Sitting Bull," The Great Sioux Massacre," Nevada Smith, "A Man Called Horse" and "Ernest Goes to Camp." On television, he appeared in "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "Rawhide" among others. He also was a technical adviser on Native American matters on film sets.Dr. Jennifer J. Folsom, a journalism and media communication professor at Colorado State University and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, remembers watching the public service announcement as a child."At that point, every single person who showed up with braids and buckskins, on TV or anywhere in the movies, I glommed on to that because it was such a rare thing to see," said Folsom, whose areas of study include Native American pop culture. "I did see how people littered, and I did see how the creeks and the rivers were getting polluted."But as she grew up, Folsom noticed how media devoted little coverage to Native American environmental activists."There's no agency for that sad so-called Indian guy sitting in a canoe, crying," Folsom said. "I think it has done damage to public perception and support for actual Native people doing things to protect the land and protect the environment."She applauded Keep America Beautiful's decision as an "appropriate move." It will mean a trusted group can help control the narrative the ad has promoted for over 50 years, she said.The ad's power has arguably already faded as Native and Indigenous youths come of age with a greater consciousness about stereotypes and cultural appropriation. TikTok has plenty of examples of Native people parodying or doing a takedown of the advertisement, Folsom said.Robert "Tree" Cody, the adopted son of Iron Eyes Cody, said the advertisement had "good intent and good heart" at its core."It was one of the top 100 commercials," said Robert Cody, an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona.And, it reminded him of time spent with his father, said Cody, who lives at Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico."I remember a lot, even when he went on a movie set to finish his movies and stuff," Cody said. "I remember going out to Universal (Studios), Disney, places like that."His wife, Rachel Kee-Cody, can't help but feel somewhat sad that an ad that means so much to their family will be shelved. But she is resigned to the decision."You know, times are changing as well. You keep going no matter how much it changes," she said. "Disappointment. ... It'll pass."Tang is a member of The Associated Press' Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at @ttangAP.

Rights to 'Crying Indian' ad to go to Native American group

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop in Russell County.

Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents and investigators executed search warrants at two properties in Russell, Kansas, and on a vehicle that KHP stopped along I-70, around 3 miles east of Dorrance, according to a media release from the KBI.

The vehicle was occupied by Richard Kerns, 63, of Russell, and Beverly Driscoll, 65, of Russell.

During the searches, law enforcement located over 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine, and approximately 15 firearms.

Kerns and Driscoll were arrested on requested charges that include distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with the intent to distribute on or within 1,000 feet of a school, and several weapons violations. They were booked into the Russell County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677252690910.png" alt="Driscoll-photo Russell County" />
 <figcaption>Driscoll-photo Russell County</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop in Russell County.Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents and investigators executed search warrants at two properties in Russell, Kansas, and on a vehicle that KHP stopped along I-70, around 3 miles east of Dorrance, according to a media release from the KBI.The vehicle was occupied by Richard Kerns, 63, of Russell, and Beverly Driscoll, 65, of Russell.During the searches, law enforcement located over 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine, and approximately 15 firearms.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677252661427.png" alt="Kerns-photo Russell County" />
 <figcaption>Kerns-photo Russell County</figcaption>
 </figure>Kerns and Driscoll were arrested on requested charges that include distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with the intent to distribute on or within 1,000 feet of a school, and several weapons violations. They were booked into the Russell County Jail.

KBI finds meth,15 firearms after Russell Co. investigation

WASHINGTON — With the 2023 tax filing season in full swing, the 
Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to gather their necessary 
information and visit IRS.gov for updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-law-questions">resources</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tools">tools</a> to help with their 2022 tax return.

This news release is part of a series called the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-time-guide">Tax Time Guide</a>, a resource to help taxpayers file an accurate tax return. Additional guidance is available in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-17">Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax (For Individuals)</a>.

Taxpayers should wait to file until they receive all their proper <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/steps-to-take-now-to-get-a-jump-on-next-years-taxes">tax documents</a>, or they risk making a mistake that could cause delays.

They should also review their documents carefully. If any of the information is inaccurate or missing, taxpayers should <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc154">contact the payer</a> right away for a correction or to ensure the issuer has their current mailing or email address.

Creating an IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a> can help taxpayers securely access information about their federal tax account, including payments, tax records and more.

Organized tax records make preparing a complete and accurate tax return easier and may help taxpayers find overlooked <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions-for-individuals">deductions or credits</a>.

Taxpayers with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number">ITIN</a>
 may need to renew it if it's expired and is needed on a U.S. federal 
tax return. If they don't renew an expiring or expired ITIN, the IRS can
 still accept their return, but it may delay processing or credits owed.

Changes to credits and deductions for tax year 2022

Unlike 2020 and 2021, there were no new stimulus payments for 2022, 
so taxpayers should not expect to get an additional payment in their 
2023 tax refund.

However, taxpayers may still qualify for temporarily expanded eligibility of the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/the-premium-tax-credit-the-basics">Premium Tax Credit</a>,
 a refundable credit that helps eligible individuals and families cover 
the premiums for their health insurance purchased through the Health 
Insurance Marketplace. To get this credit, taxpayers must meet <a href="https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/eligibility-for-the-premium-tax-credit">certain requirements</a> and file a tax return with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8962">Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit</a>.

Also, eligibility rules changed to claim a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/plug-in-electric-vehicle-credit-irc-30-and-irc-30d">Clean Vehicle Credit</a> under the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/news-on-the-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022">Inflation Reduction Act of 2022</a>.

Some tax credits return to 2019 levels. This means that taxpayers will likely receive a significantly smaller refund compared with the previous tax year.

Changes include amounts for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc">Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit">Child Tax Credit (CTC)</a>&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-and-dependent-care-credit-information">Child and Dependent Care Credit</a> will revert to pre-COVID levels.

Finally, taxpayers that don't itemize and take the standard deduction cannot deduct their charitable contributions this year.

There are no changes to what counts as income or how tax is 
calculated, including income from the sale of personal assets. Taxpayers
 must report all their income on their tax return unless it's excluded 
by law.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-k">Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third-Party Network Transactions</a>,
 is an IRS information return used to report certain payment 
transactions and helps to improve voluntary tax compliance. Taxpayers 
use this information return with their other tax records to determine 
their correct tax liability. 2022 Forms 1099-K should have been 
furnished to the payee by Jan. 31, 2023.

The American Rescue Plan of 2021 changed the reporting threshold for 
third-party settlement organizations, including payment apps and online 
settlement organizations. The new threshold requires reporting of 
transactions in excess of $600 per year; changed from the previous 
threshold of an excess of $20,000 and an excess of 200 transactions per 
year. Third-party settlement organizations are required to report 
payments for goods and services.

On Dec. 23, 2022, the IRS announced that calendar year 2022 will be treated as a transition year for the reduced reporting threshold of $600.

Even though the Form 1099-K reduced reporting requirement for 
third-party settlement organizations is delayed, some individuals may 
still receive a Form 1099-K who have not received one in the past. Some 
individuals may receive a Form 1099-K for the sale of personal items or 
in situations where they received a Form 1099-K in error (i.e. for 
transactions between friends and family, or expense sharing).

Money received as a gift or to reimburse shared meals or rent should 
not be reported on a 1099-K. Payments should indicate whether they are 
personal to family and friends or a business transaction for goods and 
services.

If the information is incorrect on the 1099-K, taxpayers should 
contact the payer immediately. The payer's name appears in the upper 
left corner on the form. The taxpayer should keep a copy of all 
correspondence with the payer with their records.

If a Form 1099-K is received in error and a corrected Form 1099-K can't be obtained, follow the IRS' updated guidance at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k">Understanding Your Form 1099-K</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — With the 2023 tax filing season in full swing, the 
Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to gather their necessary 
information and visit IRS.gov for updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-law-questions">resources</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tools">tools</a> to help with their 2022 tax return.This news release is part of a series called the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-time-guide">Tax Time Guide</a>, a resource to help taxpayers file an accurate tax return. Additional guidance is available in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-17">Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax (For Individuals)</a>.<h2>Things to consider before filing</h2>Taxpayers should wait to file until they receive all their proper <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/steps-to-take-now-to-get-a-jump-on-next-years-taxes">tax documents</a>, or they risk making a mistake that could cause delays.They should also review their documents carefully. If any of the information is inaccurate or missing, taxpayers should <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc154">contact the payer</a> right away for a correction or to ensure the issuer has their current mailing or email address.Creating an IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a> can help taxpayers securely access information about their federal tax account, including payments, tax records and more.Organized tax records make preparing a complete and accurate tax return easier and may help taxpayers find overlooked <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions-for-individuals">deductions or credits</a>.Taxpayers with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number">ITIN</a>
 may need to renew it if it's expired and is needed on a U.S. federal 
tax return. If they don't renew an expiring or expired ITIN, the IRS can
 still accept their return, but it may delay processing or credits owed.<h2>Changes to credits and deductions for tax year 2022</h2>Unlike 2020 and 2021, there were no new stimulus payments for 2022, 
so taxpayers should not expect to get an additional payment in their 
2023 tax refund.However, taxpayers may still qualify for temporarily expanded eligibility of the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/the-premium-tax-credit-the-basics">Premium Tax Credit</a>,
 a refundable credit that helps eligible individuals and families cover 
the premiums for their health insurance purchased through the Health 
Insurance Marketplace. To get this credit, taxpayers must meet <a href="https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/eligibility-for-the-premium-tax-credit">certain requirements</a> and file a tax return with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8962">Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit</a>.Also, eligibility rules changed to claim a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/plug-in-electric-vehicle-credit-irc-30-and-irc-30d">Clean Vehicle Credit</a> under the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/news-on-the-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022">Inflation Reduction Act of 2022</a>.Some tax credits return to 2019 levels. This means that taxpayers will likely receive a significantly smaller refund compared with the previous tax year.Changes include amounts for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc">Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit">Child Tax Credit (CTC)</a>&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-and-dependent-care-credit-information">Child and Dependent Care Credit</a> will revert to pre-COVID levels.<ul>
 <li>For the EITC, eligible taxpayers with no children who received roughly $1,500 in 2021 will now get $500 for the 2022 tax year.</li><li>Those who got $3,600 per dependent in 2021 for the CTC will, if eligible, get $2,000 per dependent for the 2022 tax year.</li><li>The Child and Dependent Care Credit returns to a maximum of $2,100 in 2022 instead of $8,000 in 2021.</li>
 </ul>Finally, taxpayers that don't itemize and take the standard deduction cannot deduct their charitable contributions this year.<h2>Transition year for 1099-K reporting</h2>There are no changes to what counts as income or how tax is 
calculated, including income from the sale of personal assets. Taxpayers
 must report all their income on their tax return unless it's excluded 
by law.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-k">Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third-Party Network Transactions</a>,
 is an IRS information return used to report certain payment 
transactions and helps to improve voluntary tax compliance. Taxpayers 
use this information return with their other tax records to determine 
their correct tax liability. 2022 Forms 1099-K should have been 
furnished to the payee by Jan. 31, 2023.The American Rescue Plan of 2021 changed the reporting threshold for 
third-party settlement organizations, including payment apps and online 
settlement organizations. The new threshold requires reporting of 
transactions in excess of $600 per year; changed from the previous 
threshold of an excess of $20,000 and an excess of 200 transactions per 
year. Third-party settlement organizations are required to report 
payments for goods and services.<h2>On Dec. 23, 2022, the IRS announced that calendar year 2022 will be treated as a transition year for the reduced reporting threshold of $600.</h2>Even though the Form 1099-K reduced reporting requirement for 
third-party settlement organizations is delayed, some individuals may 
still receive a Form 1099-K who have not received one in the past. Some 
individuals may receive a Form 1099-K for the sale of personal items or 
in situations where they received a Form 1099-K in error (i.e. for 
transactions between friends and family, or expense sharing).Money received as a gift or to reimburse shared meals or rent should 
not be reported on a 1099-K. Payments should indicate whether they are 
personal to family and friends or a business transaction for goods and 
services.If the information is incorrect on the 1099-K, taxpayers should 
contact the payer immediately. The payer's name appears in the upper 
left corner on the form. The taxpayer should keep a copy of all 
correspondence with the payer with their records.If a Form 1099-K is received in error and a corrected Form 1099-K can't be obtained, follow the IRS' updated guidance at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k">Understanding Your Form 1099-K</a>.

Tax Time Guide: Things to consider when filing 2022 tax return

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue 
Service today issued final regulations amending the rules for filing 
returns and other documents electronically (e-file). These regulations 
will require certain filers to e-file beginning in 2024.

<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2023-03710/electronic-filing-requirements-for-specified-returns-and-other-documents">T.D. 9972</a>
 affects filers of partnership returns, corporate income tax returns, 
unrelated business income tax returns, withholding tax returns, certain 
information returns, registration statements, disclosure statements, 
notifications, actuarial reports and certain excise tax returns. The 
final regulations reflect changes made by the Taxpayer First Act (TFA) 
to increase e-filing without undue hardship on taxpayers.

To help with this process, the IRS created a new, free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-opens-free-portal-to-file-information-returns-new-electronic-option-can-reduce-millions-of-paper-forms-1099-estimated-to-be-filed-by-businesses-in-2023">online portal</a>
 last month to help businesses file Form 1099 series information returns
 electronically. Known as the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS), 
this free electronic filing service is secure, accurate and requires no 
special software. Though available to any business of any size, IRIS may
 be especially helpful to any small business that currently sends their 
1099 forms on paper to the IRS.

In recent years there has been tremendous growth in the availability 
of e-file services and the use of e-file across the tax filing spectrum.
 In 2021, about 82% of all corporate income tax returns were e-filed, 
and almost 90% of partnership tax returns were e-filed. Further reducing
 the volume of paper returns filed frees up staff and resources to 
further enhance services for taxpayers and improves overall efficiencies
 while reducing postage, printing, shipping and storage and their 
associated costs and burdens.

In 2021, about 82% of all corporate income tax returns were e-filed, 
and almost 90% of partnership tax returns were e-filed. The IRS receives
 nearly 4 billion information returns per year and expects to receive 
nearly 5 billion by 2028. In 2019, the IRS still received nearly 40 
million paper information returns, even though approximately 99% of all 
information returns for that year were e-filed.

The final regulations generally provide hardship waivers for filers 
that would experience hardship in complying with the e-filing 
requirements and administrative exemptions from the e-filing 
requirements to promote effective and efficient tax administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue 
Service today issued final regulations amending the rules for filing 
returns and other documents electronically (e-file). These regulations 
will require certain filers to e-file beginning in 2024.<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2023-03710/electronic-filing-requirements-for-specified-returns-and-other-documents">T.D. 9972</a>
 affects filers of partnership returns, corporate income tax returns, 
unrelated business income tax returns, withholding tax returns, certain 
information returns, registration statements, disclosure statements, 
notifications, actuarial reports and certain excise tax returns. The 
final regulations reflect changes made by the Taxpayer First Act (TFA) 
to increase e-filing without undue hardship on taxpayers.Specifically, the final regulations:<ul>
 <li>reduce the 250-return threshold enacted in prior regulations to 
generally require electronic filing by filers of 10 or more returns in a
 calendar year. The final regulations also create several new 
regulations to require e-filing of certain returns and other documents 
not previously required to be e-filed;</li><li>require filers to aggregate almost all information return types 
covered by the regulation to determine whether a filer meets the 
10-return threshold and is required to e-file their information returns.
 Earlier regulations applied the 250-return threshold separately to each
 type of information return covered by the regulations;</li><li>eliminate the e-filing exception for income tax returns of 
corporations that report total assets under $10 million at the end of 
their taxable year, and</li><li>require partnerships with more than 100 partners to e-file 
information returns, and they require partnerships required to file at 
least 10 returns of any type during the calendar year to e-file their 
partnership return.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>To help with this process, the IRS created a new, free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-opens-free-portal-to-file-information-returns-new-electronic-option-can-reduce-millions-of-paper-forms-1099-estimated-to-be-filed-by-businesses-in-2023">online portal</a>
 last month to help businesses file Form 1099 series information returns
 electronically. Known as the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS), 
this free electronic filing service is secure, accurate and requires no 
special software. Though available to any business of any size, IRIS may
 be especially helpful to any small business that currently sends their 
1099 forms on paper to the IRS.In recent years there has been tremendous growth in the availability 
of e-file services and the use of e-file across the tax filing spectrum.
 In 2021, about 82% of all corporate income tax returns were e-filed, 
and almost 90% of partnership tax returns were e-filed. Further reducing
 the volume of paper returns filed frees up staff and resources to 
further enhance services for taxpayers and improves overall efficiencies
 while reducing postage, printing, shipping and storage and their 
associated costs and burdens.In 2021, about 82% of all corporate income tax returns were e-filed, 
and almost 90% of partnership tax returns were e-filed. The IRS receives
 nearly 4 billion information returns per year and expects to receive 
nearly 5 billion by 2028. In 2019, the IRS still received nearly 40 
million paper information returns, even though approximately 99% of all 
information returns for that year were e-filed.The final regulations generally provide hardship waivers for filers 
that would experience hardship in complying with the e-filing 
requirements and administrative exemptions from the e-filing 
requirements to promote effective and efficient tax administration.

IRS, Treasury issue final regulations on e-file for businesses

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — At age 103, Sister Jean awakes daily at 5 a.m. She 
sits up quickly to avoid going to sleep again — "I’ve got too much to 
do,” she says. After prayers for the day ahead, she reads the Gospel on 
her tablet.

“I guess there aren’t too many 103-year-old nuns using
 iPads these days – there aren’t too many 103-year-olds, period,” she 
writes in her memoir that will be published Feb. 28. “But I’m pretty 
comfortable with modern technology. I’ve always said, ‘If you’re not 
moving forward, you’re going to get left behind real quick.’ 
Adaptability is my superpower.”

In “Wake Up with Purpose: What 
I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years,” Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt 
tells her life story, offers spiritual guidance and shares some of the 
lessons she's learned.

The beloved Catholic nun captured the sports world’s imagination and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jean-north-america-ap-top-news-basketball-college-sports-d9353b1405bc46e2be0b9506d2fb23a9">became something of a folk hero</a> as the chaplain for the Loyola Chicago men’s basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2018.

She has been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/5039ad4aaf5d4fb5b7dfda18a13e0f5f">featured by newspapers and TV stations</a> across America. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jean-north-america-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-college-sports-c3e72770c49645af8da02971e170b16b">Her NCAA news conference</a>,
 she was told, had more journalists than Tom Brady drew at the Super 
Bowl. Her likeness appears on socks, bobbleheads, even a Lego statue at <a href="https://www.luc.edu/luma/collections/srjeandoloresschmidtbvmgallery/">her gallery in Loyola’s art museum</a>.
 She sees the attention as a holy opportunity to tell her story and 
share what she’s learned; to help others wake up with purpose. Among her
 priorities, there’s little that she enjoys more than talking with young
 people.

“I love life so much and enjoy being with young people,” 
she told The Associated Press. “They’re the ones who keep me going 
because they bring such joy into my life -- and they keep you updated on
 what’s happening in their world.”

She arrived in a wheelchair for
 the interview at her office in the university's student center. She 
wore purple Nike Air Max sneakers with the words “Sister” and “Jean” 
written on the back, and her maroon and gold Loyola scarf that often 
gets compared to Harry Potter’s. She smiled warmly and waved to 
prospective students and shook hands with current students, asking them 
about their classes.

“What’s your dream?” she asked some of them.

Samuel
 Grebener, a 19-year-old freshman, told her he was thinking about 
medical school. They then talked about their shared love for the Loyola 
Ramblers. “She knows more about basketball than me,” Grebener said.

It
 was 9 a.m. and by then, she had already written her usual scouting 
report and emailed the players on the team to congratulate them on a 
victory.

“I believe this was a turning point and that we’re now in
 a winning streak” she wrote. “Our next game will be challenging, but 
just keep working hard. I will be there in prayer and in spirit and 
bless your hands virtually.”

In her office — surrounded by 
bobbleheads, posters and pins with her image — she studied game stats 
carefully in preparation to meet with the team at practice. Before a 
pizza lunch at the nearby cafeteria, she met other students.

Catharina
 Baeten, a 20-year-old-junior, told Sister Jean she had decided to 
attend Loyola because of its excellent programs in psychology and 
women-and-gender studies. “And also because of you,” she told the nun.

“Everyone
 loves Sister Jean,” Baeten said later, recalling that she first met the
 nun during a tour of Loyola when she was in high school. “There’s not a
 single unkind bone in her body and she represents our values… she’s the
 embodiment of compassion.”

Born in San Francisco in 1919, Sister 
Jean grew up in a devoutly Catholic family. She witnessed the impact of 
the Great Depression, World War II and the building of the Golden Gate 
Bridge, which she recalls crossing on foot when it opened in 1937.

Her
 religious calling, she said, came at the age of 8. She was in third 
grade when she met a kind, joyful teacher who belonged to the Sisters of
 Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Brimming with admiration, she would
 pray every day: “Dear God, help me understand what I should do, but 
please tell me I should become a BVM sister,” she recounts in her 
memoir, co-written with sportswriter/broadcaster Seth Davis.

“I guess God listened to me on that one,” she writes.

She
 followed her calling to the order’s motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa, where
 she made her vows. She went on to teach at Catholic schools in Chicago 
and southern California, where she also coached girls’ basketball, 
before she ended at Mundelein College — on the Chicago lakefront —in the
 1960s. The school became affiliated with Loyola in 1991, and Sister 
Jean was hired to help students with the transition.

In 1994, she 
was asked to help student basketball players boost their grades – “the 
booster shooter” she called herself, and later that year she was named 
chaplain of the men’s basketball team. The role, she writes in her 
memoir, became "the most transformational and transcendent position” of 
her life.

“Sports are very important because they help develop 
life skills,” she said. “And during those life skills, you’re also 
talking about faith and purpose.” Her motto: “Worship, Work, Win.”

“I know that God will call me when he wants me. So, I just feel I have a lot more work to do,” she said.

During
 a recent practice, she watched from the sideline in her wheelchair. On a
 break, the players on the men's and women’s teams took turns shaking 
her hand.

“Her consistency is incredible,” said senior forward Tom
 Welch, 22. “She does it every day, every game. She brings the same 
energy to our pregame prayers.”

She also breaks down the strengths
 and weaknesses of the rivals in her scouting report. She’s “letting us 
know who’s good at shooting, who to send to the free throw line… pretty 
in-depth details,” Welch said. “And then sometimes, you know, she’ll 
make us laugh, feel good for a game.”

The laughter has been needed this season. The team is 9-16 overall and last in the Atlantic 10 conference with a 3-10 record.

Allison Guth, the women’s basketball coach, called Sister Jean a legend.

“Every
 day I walk in the office and she’s in her office. You talk about being 
there at 103. It’s because it’s a passion for her. It’s about love,” 
Guth said. “I think they should be telling stories about her forever.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676641480416.jpeg" alt="Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Loyola University men's basketball chaplain and school celebrity, sits for a portrait in The Joseph J. Gentile Arena, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Chicago. The beloved Catholic nun captured the world's imagination and became something of a folk hero while supporting the Ramblers at the NCAA Final Four in 2018. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)" />
 <figcaption>Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Loyola University men's basketball chaplain and school celebrity, sits for a portrait in The Joseph J. Gentile Arena, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Chicago. The beloved Catholic nun captured the world's imagination and became something of a folk hero while supporting the Ramblers at the NCAA Final Four in 2018. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)</figcaption>
 </figure>By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Associated PressCHICAGO (AP) — At age 103, Sister Jean awakes daily at 5 a.m. She 
sits up quickly to avoid going to sleep again — "I’ve got too much to 
do,” she says. After prayers for the day ahead, she reads the Gospel on 
her tablet.“I guess there aren’t too many 103-year-old nuns using
 iPads these days – there aren’t too many 103-year-olds, period,” she 
writes in her memoir that will be published Feb. 28. “But I’m pretty 
comfortable with modern technology. I’ve always said, ‘If you’re not 
moving forward, you’re going to get left behind real quick.’ 
Adaptability is my superpower.”In “Wake Up with Purpose: What 
I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years,” Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt 
tells her life story, offers spiritual guidance and shares some of the 
lessons she's learned.The beloved Catholic nun captured the sports world’s imagination and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jean-north-america-ap-top-news-basketball-college-sports-d9353b1405bc46e2be0b9506d2fb23a9">became something of a folk hero</a> as the chaplain for the Loyola Chicago men’s basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2018.She has been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/5039ad4aaf5d4fb5b7dfda18a13e0f5f">featured by newspapers and TV stations</a> across America. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jean-north-america-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-college-sports-c3e72770c49645af8da02971e170b16b">Her NCAA news conference</a>,
 she was told, had more journalists than Tom Brady drew at the Super 
Bowl. Her likeness appears on socks, bobbleheads, even a Lego statue at <a href="https://www.luc.edu/luma/collections/srjeandoloresschmidtbvmgallery/">her gallery in Loyola’s art museum</a>.
 She sees the attention as a holy opportunity to tell her story and 
share what she’s learned; to help others wake up with purpose. Among her
 priorities, there’s little that she enjoys more than talking with young
 people.“I love life so much and enjoy being with young people,” 
she told The Associated Press. “They’re the ones who keep me going 
because they bring such joy into my life -- and they keep you updated on
 what’s happening in their world.”She arrived in a wheelchair for
 the interview at her office in the university's student center. She 
wore purple Nike Air Max sneakers with the words “Sister” and “Jean” 
written on the back, and her maroon and gold Loyola scarf that often 
gets compared to Harry Potter’s. She smiled warmly and waved to 
prospective students and shook hands with current students, asking them 
about their classes.“What’s your dream?” she asked some of them.Samuel
 Grebener, a 19-year-old freshman, told her he was thinking about 
medical school. They then talked about their shared love for the Loyola 
Ramblers. “She knows more about basketball than me,” Grebener said.It
 was 9 a.m. and by then, she had already written her usual scouting 
report and emailed the players on the team to congratulate them on a 
victory.“I believe this was a turning point and that we’re now in
 a winning streak” she wrote. “Our next game will be challenging, but 
just keep working hard. I will be there in prayer and in spirit and 
bless your hands virtually.”In her office — surrounded by 
bobbleheads, posters and pins with her image — she studied game stats 
carefully in preparation to meet with the team at practice. Before a 
pizza lunch at the nearby cafeteria, she met other students.Catharina
 Baeten, a 20-year-old-junior, told Sister Jean she had decided to 
attend Loyola because of its excellent programs in psychology and 
women-and-gender studies. “And also because of you,” she told the nun.“Everyone
 loves Sister Jean,” Baeten said later, recalling that she first met the
 nun during a tour of Loyola when she was in high school. “There’s not a
 single unkind bone in her body and she represents our values… she’s the
 embodiment of compassion.”Born in San Francisco in 1919, Sister 
Jean grew up in a devoutly Catholic family. She witnessed the impact of 
the Great Depression, World War II and the building of the Golden Gate 
Bridge, which she recalls crossing on foot when it opened in 1937.Her
 religious calling, she said, came at the age of 8. She was in third 
grade when she met a kind, joyful teacher who belonged to the Sisters of
 Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Brimming with admiration, she would
 pray every day: “Dear God, help me understand what I should do, but 
please tell me I should become a BVM sister,” she recounts in her 
memoir, co-written with sportswriter/broadcaster Seth Davis.“I guess God listened to me on that one,” she writes.She
 followed her calling to the order’s motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa, where
 she made her vows. She went on to teach at Catholic schools in Chicago 
and southern California, where she also coached girls’ basketball, 
before she ended at Mundelein College — on the Chicago lakefront —in the
 1960s. The school became affiliated with Loyola in 1991, and Sister 
Jean was hired to help students with the transition.In 1994, she 
was asked to help student basketball players boost their grades – “the 
booster shooter” she called herself, and later that year she was named 
chaplain of the men’s basketball team. The role, she writes in her 
memoir, became "the most transformational and transcendent position” of 
her life.“Sports are very important because they help develop 
life skills,” she said. “And during those life skills, you’re also 
talking about faith and purpose.” Her motto: “Worship, Work, Win.”“I know that God will call me when he wants me. So, I just feel I have a lot more work to do,” she said.During
 a recent practice, she watched from the sideline in her wheelchair. On a
 break, the players on the men's and women’s teams took turns shaking 
her hand.“Her consistency is incredible,” said senior forward Tom
 Welch, 22. “She does it every day, every game. She brings the same 
energy to our pregame prayers.”She also breaks down the strengths
 and weaknesses of the rivals in her scouting report. She’s “letting us 
know who’s good at shooting, who to send to the free throw line… pretty 
in-depth details,” Welch said. “And then sometimes, you know, she’ll 
make us laugh, feel good for a game.”The laughter has been needed this season. The team is 9-16 overall and last in the Atlantic 10 conference with a 3-10 record.Allison Guth, the women’s basketball coach, called Sister Jean a legend.“Every
 day I walk in the office and she’s in her office. You talk about being 
there at 103. It’s because it’s a passion for her. It’s about love,” 
Guth said. “I think they should be telling stories about her forever.”

At 103, Sister Jean publishes memoir of faith and basketball

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that 
taxpayers who receive certain notices requiring them to send information
 to the IRS now have the option of submitting their documentation online
 through IRS.gov.

This new secure step will allow taxpayers or their tax professional 
to electronically upload documents rather than mailing them in, helping 
reduce time and effort resolving tax issues.

In this stage of the ongoing effort, nine notices will be available 
for this feature. This potentially can help more than 500,000 taxpayers 
each year who receive these notices, which include military personnel 
serving in combat zone areas and recipients of important credits like 
the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

"This capability is another step forward by the IRS to help taxpayers
 and improve service," said IRS Acting Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. 
"This provides immediate benefits to taxpayers, who have nearly instant 
confirmation that documents were received by the IRS. In turn, this will
 dramatically speed up the resolution of issues by removing a 
time-consuming step in the process. This means people can have their 
issues resolved much faster, including getting refunds to affected 
taxpayers faster. We will continue to look at improvements like this as 
we work to transform the IRS following passage of the Inflation 
Reduction Act last year."

Initially, the online correspondence feature will be available to 
taxpayers who receive one of nine IRS notices. For the most part, the 
IRS sends these notices to individual tax filers claiming various tax 
benefits, such as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc">Earned Income Tax Credit</a> for low- and moderate-income workers, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit">Child Tax Credit</a> for families with dependents, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/the-premium-tax-credit-the-basics">Premium Tax Credit</a> for those who obtain health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and members of the military claiming <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/military/tax-exclusion-for-combat-service">combat zone tax benefits</a>.

Taxpayers receiving these notices can respond securely to IRS online, regardless of whether they have an IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a>.

IRS information technology specialists developed a prototype for the 
Document Upload Tool in 2021. Since then, the IRS has been testing this 
feature on a limited number of exam-related notices, and 38% of the 
responses to these notices have used the agency's secure electronic 
communications rather than traditional mail.

Language on the notice informs the taxpayer to, "Send us your 
documents using the Documentation Upload Tool within 30 days from the 
date of this notice." It includes the link and a unique access code.

Taxpayers who receive one of the following notices with the link and access code can choose to upload their documents:

In the coming months and years, the IRS plans to expand this 
capability to dozens of other notices. In addition, the IRS will offer 
digital correspondence on a variety of other taxpayer interactions. 
During live interactions such as phone calls with taxpayers, IRS 
employees will be able to grant upload access by providing the link and 
unique access code.

With secure digital correspondence, everybody wins

For taxpayers and tax professionals working with the IRS, this new 
capability reduces the correspondence burden, ensures tax compliance and
 improves the customer experience. For IRS employees, this reduces paper
 correspondence, decreases processing time and speeds case resolution.

For more information, see the Fact Sheet 2023-05,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-expands-secure-digital-correspondence-for-taxpayers">IRS expands secure digital correspondence for taxpayers</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that 
taxpayers who receive certain notices requiring them to send information
 to the IRS now have the option of submitting their documentation online
 through IRS.gov.This new secure step will allow taxpayers or their tax professional 
to electronically upload documents rather than mailing them in, helping 
reduce time and effort resolving tax issues.In this stage of the ongoing effort, nine notices will be available 
for this feature. This potentially can help more than 500,000 taxpayers 
each year who receive these notices, which include military personnel 
serving in combat zone areas and recipients of important credits like 
the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit."This capability is another step forward by the IRS to help taxpayers
 and improve service," said IRS Acting Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. 
"This provides immediate benefits to taxpayers, who have nearly instant 
confirmation that documents were received by the IRS. In turn, this will
 dramatically speed up the resolution of issues by removing a 
time-consuming step in the process. This means people can have their 
issues resolved much faster, including getting refunds to affected 
taxpayers faster. We will continue to look at improvements like this as 
we work to transform the IRS following passage of the Inflation 
Reduction Act last year."Initially, the online correspondence feature will be available to 
taxpayers who receive one of nine IRS notices. For the most part, the 
IRS sends these notices to individual tax filers claiming various tax 
benefits, such as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc">Earned Income Tax Credit</a> for low- and moderate-income workers, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit">Child Tax Credit</a> for families with dependents, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/the-premium-tax-credit-the-basics">Premium Tax Credit</a> for those who obtain health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and members of the military claiming <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/military/tax-exclusion-for-combat-service">combat zone tax benefits</a>.Taxpayers receiving these notices can respond securely to IRS online, regardless of whether they have an IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a>.<h2>IRS created the Document Upload Tool</h2>IRS information technology specialists developed a prototype for the 
Document Upload Tool in 2021. Since then, the IRS has been testing this 
feature on a limited number of exam-related notices, and 38% of the 
responses to these notices have used the agency's secure electronic 
communications rather than traditional mail.<h2>How it works</h2>Language on the notice informs the taxpayer to, "Send us your 
documents using the Documentation Upload Tool within 30 days from the 
date of this notice." It includes the link and a unique access code.<ul>
 <li>The taxpayer can open the link in any browser and then input 
their unique code, their first and last name and their Social Security, 
Individual Taxpayer Identification or Employee Identification number.</li><li>The taxpayer can then securely upload scans, photos or digital copies of documents (maximum of 15MB per file, up to 40 files).</li><li>The taxpayer receives a confirmation that the IRS received their 
documents, and the IRS employee assigned the case can manage the 
transmitted documents.</li>
 </ul><h2>What notices qualify?</h2>Taxpayers who receive one of the following notices with the link and access code can choose to upload their documents:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp04-notice">CP04</a>, relating to combat zone status.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp05a-notice">CP05A</a>, information request related to a refund.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp06-notice">CP06</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp06a-notice">CP06A</a>, relating to the Premium Tax Credit.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp08-notice">CP08</a>, relating to the Child Tax Credit.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp09-notice">CP09</a>, relating to claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp75-notice">CP75</a>, relating to the EITC.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp75a-notice">CP75a</a>, relating to the EITC.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp75d-notice">CP75d</a>, relating to the EITC and other credits.</li>
 </ul><h2>Future expansion planned</h2>In the coming months and years, the IRS plans to expand this 
capability to dozens of other notices. In addition, the IRS will offer 
digital correspondence on a variety of other taxpayer interactions. 
During live interactions such as phone calls with taxpayers, IRS 
employees will be able to grant upload access by providing the link and 
unique access code.<h2>With secure digital correspondence, everybody wins</h2>For taxpayers and tax professionals working with the IRS, this new 
capability reduces the correspondence burden, ensures tax compliance and
 improves the customer experience. For IRS employees, this reduces paper
 correspondence, decreases processing time and speeds case resolution.For more information, see the Fact Sheet 2023-05,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-expands-secure-digital-correspondence-for-taxpayers">IRS expands secure digital correspondence for taxpayers</a>.

IRS: New online options available for filing 2022 taxes

Susan Wojcicki, a longtime Google executive who played a key role in 
the company's creation, is stepping down as YouTube's CEO after spending
 the past nine years running the video site that has reshaped 
entertainment, culture and politics.

In an email to YouTube employees that <a href="https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/a-personal-update-from-susan/">was shared publicly</a>
 Thursday, the 54-year-old Wojcicki said she is leaving to “start a new 
chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m 
passionate about." She didn't elaborate on her plans.

Neil Mohan, who has worked closely with Wojcicki for years, will replace her as YouTube's CEO.

Although
 she became one of the most respected female executives in the 
male-dominated tech industry, Wojcicki will also be remembered as 
Google's first landlord.

Shortly after Google co-founders Larry 
Page and Sergey Brin incorporated their search engine into a business in
 1998, Wojcicki rented the garage of her Menlo Park, California, home to
 them for $1,700 a month.

Page and Brin — both 25 at the time — 
continued to refine their search engine in Wojcicki's garage for five 
months before moving Google into a more formal office and later 
persuaded their former landlord to come work for their company.

“It would be one of the best decisions of my life," Wojcicki wrote in the announcement of her departure.

In
 2006, Google bought Wojcicki's home to serve as a monument to the roots
 of a company now valued at $1.2 trillion. During Wojcicki’s career at 
Google, Brin became her brother-in-law when he married her sister, Anne,
 in 2007. Brin and Anne Wojcicki divorced in 2015.

Wojcicki's 
departure comes at a time when YouTube is facing one of its most 
challenging periods since Google bought what was then a quirky video 
site facing widespread complaints about copyright infringement in 2006 
for an announced price of $1.65 billion. The all-stock deal was valued 
at $1.76 billion by the time the transaction closed.

Although 
Google was initially derided for paying so much for a video service 
whose future appeared to be in doubt, it turned out to be a bargain. 
Besides becoming a cultural phenomenon that attracts billions of 
viewers, YouTube also has become a financial success with ad revenue 
totaling $29 billion last year. That was up from annual ad revenue of $8
 billion in 2017 when Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., began to
 disclose YouTube's financial revenue.

But YouTube's ad revenue 
during the final six months of last year dropped 5% from the previous 
year — the first extended downturn that the video service has shown 
since Alphabet peeled back its financial curtain. Analysts are worried 
the slump will continue this year, one of the reasons Alphabet's stock 
price has fallen by about 10% since it released its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-alphabet-inc-business-41aace747d296cf45df82aee2821590b">most recent quarterly report</a> two weeks ago.

Wojcicki
 is also leaving just days before the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to
 hear oral arguments in a case threatening the freewheeling style that 
has long been one of YouTube's biggest advantages.

The case stems 
from the 2015 death of an American woman killed in Paris during an 
attack by Islamic State in an incident that spurred the victim's family 
to file a lawsuit alleging YouTube’s algorithms aided the terror group’s
 recruitment. If the court decides that tech companies can be held 
liable for material posted on their sites, experts say the effects could
 not only destroy YouTube but shake up the entire internet.

That’s
 because under the U.S. law, internet companies are generally exempt 
from liability for the material users post on their networks. Section 
230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act — itself part of a broader 
telecom law — provides a legal “safe harbor” for internet companies — a 
protection that YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen seized 
upon as an opportunity to launch as video site to “broadcast yourself."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676581335502.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Associated PressSusan Wojcicki, a longtime Google executive who played a key role in 
the company's creation, is stepping down as YouTube's CEO after spending
 the past nine years running the video site that has reshaped 
entertainment, culture and politics.In an email to YouTube employees that <a href="https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/a-personal-update-from-susan/">was shared publicly</a>
 Thursday, the 54-year-old Wojcicki said she is leaving to “start a new 
chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m 
passionate about." She didn't elaborate on her plans.Neil Mohan, who has worked closely with Wojcicki for years, will replace her as YouTube's CEO.Although
 she became one of the most respected female executives in the 
male-dominated tech industry, Wojcicki will also be remembered as 
Google's first landlord.Shortly after Google co-founders Larry 
Page and Sergey Brin incorporated their search engine into a business in
 1998, Wojcicki rented the garage of her Menlo Park, California, home to
 them for $1,700 a month.Page and Brin — both 25 at the time — 
continued to refine their search engine in Wojcicki's garage for five 
months before moving Google into a more formal office and later 
persuaded their former landlord to come work for their company.“It would be one of the best decisions of my life," Wojcicki wrote in the announcement of her departure.In
 2006, Google bought Wojcicki's home to serve as a monument to the roots
 of a company now valued at $1.2 trillion. During Wojcicki’s career at 
Google, Brin became her brother-in-law when he married her sister, Anne,
 in 2007. Brin and Anne Wojcicki divorced in 2015.Wojcicki's 
departure comes at a time when YouTube is facing one of its most 
challenging periods since Google bought what was then a quirky video 
site facing widespread complaints about copyright infringement in 2006 
for an announced price of $1.65 billion. The all-stock deal was valued 
at $1.76 billion by the time the transaction closed.Although 
Google was initially derided for paying so much for a video service 
whose future appeared to be in doubt, it turned out to be a bargain. 
Besides becoming a cultural phenomenon that attracts billions of 
viewers, YouTube also has become a financial success with ad revenue 
totaling $29 billion last year. That was up from annual ad revenue of $8
 billion in 2017 when Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., began to
 disclose YouTube's financial revenue.But YouTube's ad revenue 
during the final six months of last year dropped 5% from the previous 
year — the first extended downturn that the video service has shown 
since Alphabet peeled back its financial curtain. Analysts are worried 
the slump will continue this year, one of the reasons Alphabet's stock 
price has fallen by about 10% since it released its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-alphabet-inc-business-41aace747d296cf45df82aee2821590b">most recent quarterly report</a> two weeks ago.Wojcicki
 is also leaving just days before the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to
 hear oral arguments in a case threatening the freewheeling style that 
has long been one of YouTube's biggest advantages.The case stems 
from the 2015 death of an American woman killed in Paris during an 
attack by Islamic State in an incident that spurred the victim's family 
to file a lawsuit alleging YouTube’s algorithms aided the terror group’s
 recruitment. If the court decides that tech companies can be held 
liable for material posted on their sites, experts say the effects could
 not only destroy YouTube but shake up the entire internet.That’s
 because under the U.S. law, internet companies are generally exempt 
from liability for the material users post on their networks. Section 
230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act — itself part of a broader 
telecom law — provides a legal “safe harbor” for internet companies — a 
protection that YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen seized 
upon as an opportunity to launch as video site to “broadcast yourself."

YouTube CEO steps down, severing longtime ties to Google

WASHINGTON — With the nation entering a peak period for filing taxes,
 the Internal Revenue Service urges taxpayers to use online tools to get
 answers quickly and avoid phone delays during a traditional peak period
 for IRS phone lines around Presidents Day.

Presidents Day weekend, when many people prepare their taxes, 
historically marks a peak period for IRS phone lines. During the two 
week February period following Presidents Day, the IRS recommends 
turning first to the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tools">self-help tools</a> available online on IRS.gov to avoid delays.

"The IRS continues to see improvements this tax season compared to 
previous years, including better phone service," said IRS Acting 
Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. "But we always see a significant surge in 
phone traffic around Presidents Day. With the calendar advancing, 
millions of people turn their attention to taxes during this period. To 
avoid potential delays, we encourage people to check IRS.gov first, 
which can provide much of the same information instantly to taxpayers."

Easy-to-use and available anytime, the IRS website can help taxpayers <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing">file</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">pay taxes</a>, find information about their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">accounts</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">determine eligibility for tax credits</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-law-questions">get answers to tax questions</a>.

And when it comes time to file, taxpayers are encouraged to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">e-file</a> and choose <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a> to get their refunds as quickly as possible.

Available IRS tools to help taxpayers through tax filing season

The IRS recommends trying the following self-help resources available
 to taxpayers 24/7 for a smooth and easy tax filing experience.

For those who need to talk to someone, the IRS has hired an 
additional 5,000 customer service representatives to help staff its 
toll-free customer service line. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers or TACs
 are another resource for individuals who need more than online tools or
 the IRS toll-free customer service line to solve a tax matter. Anyone 
who needs face-to-face service should <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">make an appointment</a> or check for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help">special Saturday hours</a> before visiting.

Taxpayers should call employers for missing Forms W-2. Those who did 
not receive a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from one or more 
employers by Jan. 31 should contact the issuer to inform them of the 
missing form.

Those who do not get a response from an issuer must still file on time and may need to use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4852">Form
 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or Form 1099R, 
Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing 
Plans, IRA's Insurance Contracts, Etc.</a>

For a copy of Form 1099 or 1042 to report Social Security income, 
visit the Social Security Administration's website. These forms can be 
downloaded through <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security&nbsp;account</a>. It's fast and secure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — With the nation entering a peak period for filing taxes,
 the Internal Revenue Service urges taxpayers to use online tools to get
 answers quickly and avoid phone delays during a traditional peak period
 for IRS phone lines around Presidents Day.Presidents Day weekend, when many people prepare their taxes, 
historically marks a peak period for IRS phone lines. During the two 
week February period following Presidents Day, the IRS recommends 
turning first to the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tools">self-help tools</a> available online on IRS.gov to avoid delays."The IRS continues to see improvements this tax season compared to 
previous years, including better phone service," said IRS Acting 
Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. "But we always see a significant surge in 
phone traffic around Presidents Day. With the calendar advancing, 
millions of people turn their attention to taxes during this period. To 
avoid potential delays, we encourage people to check IRS.gov first, 
which can provide much of the same information instantly to taxpayers."Easy-to-use and available anytime, the IRS website can help taxpayers <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing">file</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">pay taxes</a>, find information about their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">accounts</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">determine eligibility for tax credits</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-law-questions">get answers to tax questions</a>.And when it comes time to file, taxpayers are encouraged to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">e-file</a> and choose <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a> to get their refunds as quickly as possible.<h2>Available IRS tools to help taxpayers through tax filing season</h2>The IRS recommends trying the following self-help resources available
 to taxpayers 24/7 for a smooth and easy tax filing experience.<ul>
 <li>IRS.gov offers a variety of online tools to help taxpayers answer common tax questions. For example, taxpayers can search the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics">Tax Topics</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</a> to find answers. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit/use-the-eitc-assistant">Earned Income Tax Credit Assistant (EITC)</a>&nbsp;allows
 taxpayers to check eligiblity for this valuable credit. Taxpayers can 
also calculate how much EITC they may get and find answers to EITC 
questions. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a>
 gives taxpayers secure access to personal tax account information 
including balance, payments and tax records with previous year's 
adjusted gross income information. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The IRS offers basic tax information in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/languages">several languages</a> to help taxpayers get the information they need to file a federal tax return and pay any tax owed. 
	&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS Free File</a> provides eligible taxpayers who want to prepare their own returns free tax preparation and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/find-a-location-for-free-tax-prep">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs</a> offer free tax help from certified volunteers at thousands of sites across the country. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go</a>
 app allow taxpayers to check the status of their refund within 24 hours
 after the IRS accepts their e-filed tax return. Where's My Refund? 
updates once every 24 hours, usually overnight, so taxpayers don't need 
to check more than once a day. Tax law prevents the IRS from issuing 
refunds that include the EITC and/or the Additional Child Tax Credit 
before Feb. 15. But not to worry, Where's My Refund?&nbsp;should provide an 
updated refund status for most early filers by Feb. 18 and EITC/ACTC 
related refunds should be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on 
debit cards by Feb. 28 if they chose direct deposit and there are no 
other issues with their tax return. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>&nbsp;can
 help taxpayers determine&nbsp;the right amount of tax to have withheld from a
 paycheck. Taxpayers should submit a new Form W-4 to their employer if 
an adjustment is needed. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5136.pdf">IRS Services Guide</a>PDF and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance">Let Us Help You</a> page on IRS.gov can help taxpayers find additional ways to get help.</li>
 </ul>For those who need to talk to someone, the IRS has hired an 
additional 5,000 customer service representatives to help staff its 
toll-free customer service line. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers or TACs
 are another resource for individuals who need more than online tools or
 the IRS toll-free customer service line to solve a tax matter. Anyone 
who needs face-to-face service should <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">make an appointment</a> or check for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help">special Saturday hours</a> before visiting.<h2>Missing information?</h2>Taxpayers should call employers for missing Forms W-2. Those who did 
not receive a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from one or more 
employers by Jan. 31 should contact the issuer to inform them of the 
missing form.Those who do not get a response from an issuer must still file on time and may need to use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4852">Form
 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or Form 1099R, 
Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing 
Plans, IRA's Insurance Contracts, Etc.</a>For a copy of Form 1099 or 1042 to report Social Security income, 
visit the Social Security Administration's website. These forms can be 
downloaded through <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/">my Social Security&nbsp;account</a>. It's fast and secure.

IRS: Get your tax help this month to avoid delays

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission today announced it is committing over $24 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country.  Today’s funding commitments support applications from the third application window, benefiting approximately 50,000 students across the country, including students in Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

“We need all our students to have access to digital tools for connecting with teachers and keeping up with homework assignments,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  “This program continues to make progress in our ongoing work to close the Homework Gap.”

The Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched in 2021, has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows” for schools and libraries to apply for support.  Today’s announcement will support over 140 schools, 8 libraries, and 3 consortia.

The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure students across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education.  To date, the program has provided support to approximately 11,000 schools, 1,000 libraries, and 100 consortia, and providing nearly 13 million connected devices and over 8 million broadband connections.  Of the nearly $6.6 billion in funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $833 million from Window 2; and $1.6 billion from Window 3.  

More details about which schools and libraries have received funding commitments can be found <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission today announced it is committing over $24 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country. Today’s funding commitments support applications from the third application window, benefiting approximately 50,000 students across the country, including students in Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.“We need all our students to have access to digital tools for connecting with teachers and keeping up with homework assignments,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “This program continues to make progress in our ongoing work to close the Homework Gap.”The Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched in 2021, has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows” for schools and libraries to apply for support. Today’s announcement will support over 140 schools, 8 libraries, and 3 consortia.The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure students across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education. To date, the program has provided support to approximately 11,000 schools, 1,000 libraries, and 100 consortia, and providing nearly 13 million connected devices and over 8 million broadband connections. Of the nearly $6.6 billion in funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $833 million from Window 2; and $1.6 billion from Window 3. More details about which schools and libraries have received funding commitments can be found <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund">HERE</a>.

FCC announces another $24M in broadband connectivity funding

By WILLIAM F. ZORZI <a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/02/14/federal-grand-jury-indicts-pair-who-planned-attack-on-baltimore-area-electrical-grid/">Maryland Matters</a>

A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted a Catonsville woman and a 
neo-Nazi residing in Orlando, Fla., on one count of conspiring to 
destroy an electrical transmission substation resulting in damages that 
would have exceeded $100,000, court documents show.

Federal authorities had arrested Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 34, and 
Brandon Clint Russell, 27, on a criminal information earlier this month,
 alleging that the two conspired to shoot up five BGE substations that 
would cause a “cascading failure” in the power grid, an FBI affidavit 
showed.

Clendaniel specifically mentioned destroying electrical substations 
in Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall, and two more in and around 
Baltimore City, the affidavit alleged.

Much of the information that led to the charges was obtained from an 
unnamed FBI confidential informant, who communicated with Clendaniel and
 Russell, who was known to authorities for his affiliations with 
pro-Nazi groups.

As part of the indictment, a forfeiture notice was filed for any and 
all assets that could be traced to the crime of terrorism, should the 
two be convicted. The forfeiture notice listed property already seized 
by the FBI, including:

If convicted, Russell and Clendaniel each face a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676414256052.png" alt="A woman believed to be Sarah Beth Clendaniel is shown wearing tactical gear containing a swastika, holding a rifle and with a pistol in a drop holster on her left leg. Photo from FBI Affidavit. " />
 <figcaption>A woman believed to be Sarah Beth Clendaniel is shown wearing tactical gear containing a swastika, holding a rifle and with a pistol in a drop holster on her left leg. Photo from FBI Affidavit. </figcaption>
 </figure>By WILLIAM F. ZORZI <a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/02/14/federal-grand-jury-indicts-pair-who-planned-attack-on-baltimore-area-electrical-grid/">Maryland Matters</a>A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted a Catonsville woman and a 
neo-Nazi residing in Orlando, Fla., on one count of conspiring to 
destroy an electrical transmission substation resulting in damages that 
would have exceeded $100,000, court documents show.Federal authorities had arrested Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 34, and 
Brandon Clint Russell, 27, on a criminal information earlier this month,
 alleging that the two conspired to shoot up five BGE substations that 
would cause a “cascading failure” in the power grid, an FBI affidavit 
showed.Clendaniel specifically mentioned destroying electrical substations 
in Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall, and two more in and around 
Baltimore City, the affidavit alleged.Much of the information that led to the charges was obtained from an 
unnamed FBI confidential informant, who communicated with Clendaniel and
 Russell, who was known to authorities for his affiliations with 
pro-Nazi groups.As part of the indictment, a forfeiture notice was filed for any and 
all assets that could be traced to the crime of terrorism, should the 
two be convicted. The forfeiture notice listed property already seized 
by the FBI, including:<ul>
 <li>A Kral Av Sanayi semiautomatic 12-gauge shotgun;</li><li>A P80 Glock-style handgun, with no serial number or manufacturer;</li><li>559 rounds of 9-mm ammunition;</li><li>953 rounds of 7.62-mm ammunition; and</li><li>77 shotgun cartridges.</li>
 </ul>If convicted, Russell and Clendaniel each face a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.

Pair who planned attack on Baltimore-area electrical grid indicted

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

Peyton Reed’s “Ant-Man” films have generally served as a kind of 
palate cleanser to the world-ending stakes of the larger Marvel 
Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is just an ordinary dude, or 
so they keep telling us, who still can’t really believe that he’s part 
of the Avengers at all. He gets to be the wide-eyed middle-aged fanboy 
of the group in those films. In his own films, he’s just living a 
blue-sky life in San Francisco as an affable single dad and ex-con who 
was once fired from Baskin Robbins and who has occasional enemies to 
defeat.

In this third film, “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlNFpri-Y40">Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania</a>,”
 in theaters Thursday, he’s coasting on his own post-Blip celebrity with
 a best-selling memoir out, lots of fans around town and a generally 
sunny disposition — when he’s not breaking his teenage daughter Cassie 
(now played by Kathryn Newton, always an enjoyable presence) out of jail
 for civil disobedience.

There is a fun, light, sitcom-y touch to 
these early scenes in which he and his makeshift family, Hope Van Dyne 
(Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym 
(Michael Douglas) sit around the table for takeout pizza. They use their
 particle technology to blow up the tiny pie.

“I just saved us $8,” Pym declares proudly.

But
 Ant-Man is part of the larger chess board of the MCU, so naturally he’s
 doomed to be sucked into the multiverse mess, setting up pieces for 
more Avengers films to come with the introduction of a new villain, Kang
 (played with a maniacal sorrow by the great Jonathan Majors). And the 
results are mixed. Reed has returned to direct with a new writer, Jeff 
Loveness, who has also been tapped to write “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty”
 and it’s hard not to empathize with both for the logic gymnastics 
required to back Ant-Man and his gang into this conflict.

Loveness,
 who cut his teeth in comedy and has an affinity for comic book and 
B-movie absurdities, gives Ant-Man his own “Star Wars”-adjacent 
adventure. There’s quite a bit of unrest in the Quantum Realm, with 
scrappy rebels battling against a powerful ruler with an army of 
faceless soldiers. But he takes that conceit further and gives the 
rebels some personality and humor, including William Jackson Harper as 
the mind-reading Quaz. The villain's a killing machine, M.O.D.O.K., that
 looks (knowingly) straight out of a “Mystery Science Theater 3000” 
movie and it is quite entertaining. It’s both a nod to the fun of the 
ridiculousness in sci-fi and a reminder that Serious Superhero Films are
 sometimes just one crazy special effect away from being Silly Superhero
 Films.

“Quantumania” also gives Pfeiffer a lot more to do as we, 
and Hank and Hope, learn a little bit more about Janet’s 30 years in the
 Quantum Realm and the various compromises and allegiances she made to 
stay alive. Pfeiffer is an unambiguous delight and the real center of 
the movie despite what the title might claim. Ant-Man just finds himself
 in the middle of the mess, which starts to drag on in a muddle of 
sci-fi furnishings that individually are probably quite inspired and 
interesting but together just blend into a dreary mess.

It’s a 
shame because Reed’s films are generally so crisp and styled and are 
best when focused on characters, not worlds and Quantum Realms. 
“Quantumania” shines when it is keeping things light and quippy.

But
 Kang, for what we can assume are bigger story needs, needs to be more 
serious. Majors is certainly chilling and captivating, but Kang seems 
like a mismatched foe for a standalone Ant-Man film and the result is a 
“Quantumania” that is trying to be too many things. One thing it is not 
is a Wasp movie, though. Lilly gets a lot to do but not a lot of — or 
any — character development.

“Quantumania” sticks the ending, 
however. Without giving anything away, we'll just say that Reed and Rudd
 get to return to their sweet spot, with a bit of a twist.

“Ant-Man
 and the Wasp: Quantumania,” a Walt Disney release in theaters Thursday,
 is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “some sci-fi 
action violence.” Running time: 122 minutes. Two and a half stars out of
 four.

MPA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film WriterPeyton Reed’s “Ant-Man” films have generally served as a kind of 
palate cleanser to the world-ending stakes of the larger Marvel 
Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is just an ordinary dude, or 
so they keep telling us, who still can’t really believe that he’s part 
of the Avengers at all. He gets to be the wide-eyed middle-aged fanboy 
of the group in those films. In his own films, he’s just living a 
blue-sky life in San Francisco as an affable single dad and ex-con who 
was once fired from Baskin Robbins and who has occasional enemies to 
defeat.In this third film, “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlNFpri-Y40">Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania</a>,”
 in theaters Thursday, he’s coasting on his own post-Blip celebrity with
 a best-selling memoir out, lots of fans around town and a generally 
sunny disposition — when he’s not breaking his teenage daughter Cassie 
(now played by Kathryn Newton, always an enjoyable presence) out of jail
 for civil disobedience.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667933757340.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>There is a fun, light, sitcom-y touch to 
these early scenes in which he and his makeshift family, Hope Van Dyne 
(Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym 
(Michael Douglas) sit around the table for takeout pizza. They use their
 particle technology to blow up the tiny pie.“I just saved us $8,” Pym declares proudly.But
 Ant-Man is part of the larger chess board of the MCU, so naturally he’s
 doomed to be sucked into the multiverse mess, setting up pieces for 
more Avengers films to come with the introduction of a new villain, Kang
 (played with a maniacal sorrow by the great Jonathan Majors). And the 
results are mixed. Reed has returned to direct with a new writer, Jeff 
Loveness, who has also been tapped to write “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty”
 and it’s hard not to empathize with both for the logic gymnastics 
required to back Ant-Man and his gang into this conflict.Loveness,
 who cut his teeth in comedy and has an affinity for comic book and 
B-movie absurdities, gives Ant-Man his own “Star Wars”-adjacent 
adventure. There’s quite a bit of unrest in the Quantum Realm, with 
scrappy rebels battling against a powerful ruler with an army of 
faceless soldiers. But he takes that conceit further and gives the 
rebels some personality and humor, including William Jackson Harper as 
the mind-reading Quaz. The villain's a killing machine, M.O.D.O.K., that
 looks (knowingly) straight out of a “Mystery Science Theater 3000” 
movie and it is quite entertaining. It’s both a nod to the fun of the 
ridiculousness in sci-fi and a reminder that Serious Superhero Films are
 sometimes just one crazy special effect away from being Silly Superhero
 Films.“Quantumania” also gives Pfeiffer a lot more to do as we, 
and Hank and Hope, learn a little bit more about Janet’s 30 years in the
 Quantum Realm and the various compromises and allegiances she made to 
stay alive. Pfeiffer is an unambiguous delight and the real center of 
the movie despite what the title might claim. Ant-Man just finds himself
 in the middle of the mess, which starts to drag on in a muddle of 
sci-fi furnishings that individually are probably quite inspired and 
interesting but together just blend into a dreary mess.It’s a 
shame because Reed’s films are generally so crisp and styled and are 
best when focused on characters, not worlds and Quantum Realms. 
“Quantumania” shines when it is keeping things light and quippy.But
 Kang, for what we can assume are bigger story needs, needs to be more 
serious. Majors is certainly chilling and captivating, but Kang seems 
like a mismatched foe for a standalone Ant-Man film and the result is a 
“Quantumania” that is trying to be too many things. One thing it is not 
is a Wasp movie, though. Lilly gets a lot to do but not a lot of — or 
any — character development.“Quantumania” sticks the ending, 
however. Without giving anything away, we'll just say that Reed and Rudd
 get to return to their sweet spot, with a bit of a twist.“Ant-Man
 and the Wasp: Quantumania,” a Walt Disney release in theaters Thursday,
 is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “some sci-fi 
action violence.” Running time: 122 minutes. Two and a half stars out of
 four.MPA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Review: A Marvel villain comes into focus in ‘Ant-Man 3’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democratic Sen. <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dianne-feinstein">Dianne Feinstein</a>,
 whose groundbreaking political career shattered gender barriers from 
San Francisco's City Hall to the corridors of Capitol Hill, said Tuesday
 she won't seek reelection in 2024.

The senator, who turns 90 in 
June, is the oldest member of Congress and has faced questions in recent
 years about her cognitive health and memory, though she has defended 
her effectiveness representing a state that is home to nearly 40 million
 people.

The announcement came after several prominent Democrats, including U.S. Reps. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-politics-california-dianne-feinstein-united-states-senate-172759fa83faa0a70a2195a91dedb6f3">Katie Porter</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/adam-schiff">Adam Schiff</a>,
 already had declared Senate campaigns. With Feinstein a now 30-year 
veteran of the Senate, there hasn’t been a wide open competition for her
 seat in decades.

Feinstein plans to remain in Congress through 
the end of her current term. Speaking to reporters in Washington on 
Tuesday, she said “there's times for all things under the sun.”

“I think that will be the right time, towards the end of next year," she said.

Feinstein
 is one of the Senate's few remaining veterans of the so-called Year of 
the Woman, referring to several women who were elected to the 
male-dominated chamber during the 1992 election. But even before she 
moved to Washington, Feinstein was one of the most prominent women in 
American politics.

She was the first woman to serve as president of the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/san-francisco">San Francisco</a>
 Board of Supervisors in the 1970s and the first female mayor of San 
Francisco. She ascended to that post after the November 1978 
assassinations of then-Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey 
Milk by a former supervisor, Dan White. Feinstein found Milk’s body.

In
 the Senate, she was the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence 
Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary Committee’s top 
Democrat. She gained a reputation as a pragmatic centrist who left a 
mark on political battles over issues ranging from reproductive rights 
to environmental protection.

Feinstein is particularly closely 
associated with efforts to broaden gun restrictions. Early in her 
career, the Senate approved her amendment to ban manufacturing and sales
 of certain types of assault weapons as part of a crime bill that 
President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bill-clinton">Bill Clinton</a>
 signed into law in 1994. The ban expired 10 years later and was never 
replaced, but it remained a trademark issue in a career that was molded 
by gun violence.

She was also known for reaching out to 
Republicans to find middle ground. While that may have helped her notch 
legislative accomplishments in Washington, it chafed some in a 
Democratic Party that has moved increasingly to the left in recent 
years.

That frustration was on display during her last reelection 
campaign in 2018. The California Democratic Party endorsed a liberal 
rival for the seat over her, with some delegates complaining Feinstein 
had been in Washington too long and hadn’t stood strong enough for 
immigrants.

She <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-amy-coney-barrett-dianne-feinstein-voting-rights-366d70dcde6aa681e540dd6a0e3a25de">infuriated liberals</a>
 in 2020 when she closed out confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney
 Barrett with an embrace of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey 
Graham, a Republican, and a public thanks to him for a job well done.

Liberal
 advocacy groups that had fiercely opposed Barrett’s nomination to 
replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were furious 
and called for her to step down from the committee leadership. A month 
later, she announced she would remain on the Judiciary Committee but 
step down as the top Democrat.

But such tension was forgotten on 
Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where Democrats praised Feinstein's career. At a
 closed door lunch of Democratic senators, the lawmakers broke into 
rounds of applause for Feinstein after Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sen-chuck-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a> announced her decision.

“She’s
 a legend,” Schumer later told reporters. “A legend in California as the
 first woman senator; a legend in this Senate. She was the leader on so 
many different issues, assault weapons, environment, women’s rights, and
 so much else. She approached everything studiously and carefully.”

At
 the lunch, Feinstein told her colleagues how hard her husband’s death 
was and that she would be ready to step away from public life after 
finishing this term, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said afterward. 
Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum, died last year.

“Senator 
Feinstein made history,” said Warren. “She changed this country and she 
was a woman on the front lines in fights, like access to assault 
weapons, and national security and intelligence.”

Warren added: “Every other woman in public office owes a special debt to Dianne Feinstein.”

In
 her home state, where Feinstein is the longest serving U.S. senator, 
she was lionized for her historic tenure in public service.

Democratic
 U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, called her San 
Francisco neighbor “a titan” of the Senate who, among her 
accomplishments, steered billions of federal dollars to California for 
environmental protection. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called Feinstein a
 mentor and credited her with “blazing a trail for a new generation of 
female lawmakers.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democratic Sen. <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dianne-feinstein">Dianne Feinstein</a>,
 whose groundbreaking political career shattered gender barriers from 
San Francisco's City Hall to the corridors of Capitol Hill, said Tuesday
 she won't seek reelection in 2024.The senator, who turns 90 in 
June, is the oldest member of Congress and has faced questions in recent
 years about her cognitive health and memory, though she has defended 
her effectiveness representing a state that is home to nearly 40 million
 people.The announcement came after several prominent Democrats, including U.S. Reps. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-politics-california-dianne-feinstein-united-states-senate-172759fa83faa0a70a2195a91dedb6f3">Katie Porter</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/adam-schiff">Adam Schiff</a>,
 already had declared Senate campaigns. With Feinstein a now 30-year 
veteran of the Senate, there hasn’t been a wide open competition for her
 seat in decades.Feinstein plans to remain in Congress through 
the end of her current term. Speaking to reporters in Washington on 
Tuesday, she said “there's times for all things under the sun.”“I think that will be the right time, towards the end of next year," she said.Feinstein
 is one of the Senate's few remaining veterans of the so-called Year of 
the Woman, referring to several women who were elected to the 
male-dominated chamber during the 1992 election. But even before she 
moved to Washington, Feinstein was one of the most prominent women in 
American politics.She was the first woman to serve as president of the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/san-francisco">San Francisco</a>
 Board of Supervisors in the 1970s and the first female mayor of San 
Francisco. She ascended to that post after the November 1978 
assassinations of then-Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey 
Milk by a former supervisor, Dan White. Feinstein found Milk’s body.In
 the Senate, she was the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence 
Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary Committee’s top 
Democrat. She gained a reputation as a pragmatic centrist who left a 
mark on political battles over issues ranging from reproductive rights 
to environmental protection.Feinstein is particularly closely 
associated with efforts to broaden gun restrictions. Early in her 
career, the Senate approved her amendment to ban manufacturing and sales
 of certain types of assault weapons as part of a crime bill that 
President <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bill-clinton">Bill Clinton</a>
 signed into law in 1994. The ban expired 10 years later and was never 
replaced, but it remained a trademark issue in a career that was molded 
by gun violence.She was also known for reaching out to 
Republicans to find middle ground. While that may have helped her notch 
legislative accomplishments in Washington, it chafed some in a 
Democratic Party that has moved increasingly to the left in recent 
years.That frustration was on display during her last reelection 
campaign in 2018. The California Democratic Party endorsed a liberal 
rival for the seat over her, with some delegates complaining Feinstein 
had been in Washington too long and hadn’t stood strong enough for 
immigrants.She <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-amy-coney-barrett-dianne-feinstein-voting-rights-366d70dcde6aa681e540dd6a0e3a25de">infuriated liberals</a>
 in 2020 when she closed out confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney
 Barrett with an embrace of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey 
Graham, a Republican, and a public thanks to him for a job well done.Liberal
 advocacy groups that had fiercely opposed Barrett’s nomination to 
replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were furious 
and called for her to step down from the committee leadership. A month 
later, she announced she would remain on the Judiciary Committee but 
step down as the top Democrat.But such tension was forgotten on 
Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where Democrats praised Feinstein's career. At a
 closed door lunch of Democratic senators, the lawmakers broke into 
rounds of applause for Feinstein after Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sen-chuck-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a> announced her decision.“She’s
 a legend,” Schumer later told reporters. “A legend in California as the
 first woman senator; a legend in this Senate. She was the leader on so 
many different issues, assault weapons, environment, women’s rights, and
 so much else. She approached everything studiously and carefully.”At
 the lunch, Feinstein told her colleagues how hard her husband’s death 
was and that she would be ready to step away from public life after 
finishing this term, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said afterward. 
Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum, died last year.“Senator 
Feinstein made history,” said Warren. “She changed this country and she 
was a woman on the front lines in fights, like access to assault 
weapons, and national security and intelligence.”Warren added: “Every other woman in public office owes a special debt to Dianne Feinstein.”In
 her home state, where Feinstein is the longest serving U.S. senator, 
she was lionized for her historic tenure in public service.Democratic
 U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, called her San 
Francisco neighbor “a titan” of the Senate who, among her 
accomplishments, steered billions of federal dollars to California for 
environmental protection. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called Feinstein a
 mentor and credited her with “blazing a trail for a new generation of 
female lawmakers.”

Misc