Latest news with #PatrickSemansky
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
IRS Issues Tax Filing Request to Thousands Before Fall Rush
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a request to thousands of taxpayers who sought extensions for their 2024 federal tax returns to file them during the summer months. The IRS emphasized that filing early can help taxpayers avoid the expected fall rush ahead of the October 15 deadline, potentially expediting payment plans or the resolution of issues that may arise during the filing process. The agency promoted its IRS Free File program, which provides free, guided tax preparation online for individuals with an adjusted income of $84,000 or less. The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington D.C. in 2021. The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington D.C. in 2021. Patrick Semansky/AP Why It Matters By encouraging early filing, the IRS seeks to reduce system bottlenecks caused by last-minute submissions in October—a period known for high traffic among extension filers. Missing the filing deadline can trigger penalties, interest and potential complications with future filings. The IRS Free File program's expansion to those earning $84,000 or less reflects ongoing efforts to make tax filing more accessible and cost-effective for everyday Americans. What To Know The IRS Free File program is available around the clock, offering guided, secure federal tax preparation and electronic filing at no cost for many Americans. The IRS' Free File Fillable Forms are also accessible to all taxpayers, regardless of income. These initiatives are designed to streamline the filing process, provide transparency and reduce errors for extension filers. Multiple secure payment methods are available—including IRS Online Account, IRS Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System and major credit or debit cards. Immediate electronic payment confirmation is also provided. Taxpayers unable to pay their full balance may apply for a payment plan online. Short-term plans are available for those who owe less than $100,000, granting up to 180 days to pay. Long-term installment agreements, available for balances under $50,000, offer up to 72 months to pay. While interest and penalties continue, active installment agreements reduce the failure-to-pay penalty by half. What People Are Saying Jay A. Soled, a professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Rutgers Business School, New Jersey, previously told Newsweek: "Even with the tax-filing extension, interest will apply to any 2024 tax payments received after April 15. This means that unpaid tax-year 2024 tax balances will begin accruing interest, currently at the rate of seven percent per year, compounded daily, after April 15, 2025." Richard D. Pomp, a professor of law at the UConn Law School, Connecticut, previously told Newsweek: "We are currently living through a total state of chaos at the IRS. Whenever possible, taxpayers abroad should file electronically and verify with screen shots and saved files, and copies of all documentation." What Happens Next The IRS is set to continue processing early extension filings over the summer. Its Free File resources are available until the October 15 deadline.
Toronto Sun
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
STOSSEL: Times changing as Amazon lifts ban on ‘The War on Children'
This March 19, 2018 file photo shows Amazon's Prime Video streaming app on an iPad in Baltimore. Photo by Patrick Semansky / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Before Robby Starbuck became a problem for leftist companies, alerting consumers to stupid woke indoctrination policies, he directed music videos. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account He worked with some big names, like Snoop Dogg and Natalie Portman. In my new video, I remind him that his Snoop Dogg video includes the lyrics: 'Set the mood, spoon and groom. … I can get you high.' He replies, 'Realizing that this stuff has a negative effect on culture … is something that became present to me when I became a dad.' One day his daughter came home and told him she had to sit through a 'weird white privilege' lecture at school. He investigated and what he found set him on a new path. Now he's won a big following on X by pointing out companies that force employees to obey 'woke' rules. Walmart, Toyota, Pepsi, John Deere, Harley Davidson and others scaled back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mandates after Starbuck's posts. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's great that he's made real change, simply by publicizing what companies do. But I'm skeptical about his new movie, The War on Children . Starbuck says it 'covers everything kids have faced today in the West, from gender ideology to the sort of communist mentality that's entered our schools, to the depression crisis and the mental health crisis.' His movie was banned on Amazon Prime. He was banned by TikTok. 'One reason they might have banned you,' I suggest, 'is you say, 'TikTok intentionally confuses kids about their gender.'' 'TikTok's algorithm has fed young children in this country gender transition content that confuses them about who they are,' he replies. 'This is a social contagion.' But when I signed up for TikTok, the algorithm just gave me short videos I find fun to watch — beach volleyball, emotional family reunions, kittens playing … This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Starbuck says young people get different feeds. 'If the sole information they have about you is you're a teenager and interested in pop culture, that's where they orient you.' But does TikTok intentionally confuse kids about their gender? 'Transitions rarely happen,' I point out. '0.08% of kids get diagnosed with gender dysphoria. If TikTok is converting them, they're not doing a very good job.' 'You're talking about thousands and thousands of kids who get the medical procedures,' he replies. 'It's certainly, in many areas, way beyond the number that you stated. This is a social contagion. Look at the whole area surrounding UC Davis in California in the public schools; the number of kids who believe they're some form of LGBTQ+ is well over 20%.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I ask him, 'Aren't there some people who genuinely feel like they're born in the wrong body?' 'They can believe it all day long. That's fine. It doesn't make it the truth. I'm not going to pretend to affirm something that's not true … I would be doing a disservice by pretending that every delusion is actually real, just because it might make somebody happy.' 'But it does make some people happy,' I say. 'Sure, and if you're an adult and you make a set of decisions I disagree with, that's your prerogative. Knock yourself out. But once you cross a line and you start doing this to children who don't have informed consent, don't understand what they're actually doing and what they're signing up for, I think there's no forgiveness.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While Starbuck and I don't entirely agree on this issue, I'm glad we can talk about it. Now, you can look for yourself — The War on Children is officially unbanned. What changed Amazon's mind? 'The politics have changed,' says Starbuck. 'It's back on Amazon Prime now and I'm unbanned at TikTok … I was right when I warned about the idea of modern communism, where companies act as a proxy for the government, because these things all occurred when the Democrats were in power. Now we're in a new time period where the people on my side are in power. Now these companies are tripping over themselves to go and say, 'We're not banning you. We didn't mean it … ' We need companies to not be prisoners to political ideologies and instead just behave like they're actual companies.' He's right about that. Every Tuesday at Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom. Sports Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists
Toronto Sun
19-06-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Ottawa shows no signs of limiting MAID after UN panel calls for reversal
Published Jun 19, 2025 • 4 minute read A screen displays a patient's vital signs during open heart surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore on Nov. 28, 2016. Photo by Patrick Semansky / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OTTAWA — Ottawa is giving no sign that it intends to amend existing legislation on medical assistance in dying — something a UN committee called for earlier this spring. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The federal minister responsible for disabilities spoke at a hearing of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last week, about two months after the committee called on Canada to repeal the 2021 law that expanded eligibility for assisted dying to those whose deaths were not reasonably foreseeable. Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu gave a speech at the UN last Tuesday to mark 15 years since Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 'It's about, for me, making relationships in this space and making sure that I have a really strong connection with the community, which I think is really important to be a good minister,' she said in an interview after the speech. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Her address did not cite the committee's report, which was released in late March as the federal election got underway. The report said the committee is 'extremely concerned' about Canada's policy on track 2 medical assistance in dying. '(T)he concept of 'choice' creates a false dichotomy, setting up the premise that if persons with disabilities are suffering, it is valid for (Canada) to enable their death without providing safeguards that guarantee the provision of support,' the report said. In a written statement, a spokesperson for Hajdu said the government thanks the committee for its report. 'MAID is a deeply personal choice. We will make sure that the rights of persons with disabilities are upheld and protected,' said Jennifer Kozelj. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Disability rights groups in Canada have argued the law singles out people with disabilities who are suffering because they're unable to access proper support. Last September, Inclusion Canada was among a group of organizations that filed a Charter of Rights challenge against what's known as track 2 MAID. In court documents, they argued the law 'allows people with disabilities to access state-funded death in circumstances where they cannot access state-funded supports they need to make their suffering tolerable.' The organization's CEO, Krista Carr, said she wants to see Ottawa deliver an action plan on implementing the recommendations in the UN report. 'It was crystal clear — the United Nations said they need to repeal track 2 medical assistance in dying,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Garnett Genuis, the Conservative employment critic, said he came away from the UN event worried about Canada's international reputation being harmed by what he called Ottawa's 'failures to uphold our obligations to protect the rights of people with living with disabilities.' 'There is a lot of concern internationally within the disability rights community about what's happening in Canada around euthanasia and people living with disabilities,' he said. Genuis said he would support additional guardrails around track 2 assisted dying. In New Zealand, he pointed out, health professionals cannot suggest assisted dying as an option but are able to provide information to patients who ask for it. 'I think that would be a meaningful way of improving the experience of people living with disabilities who interact with the health-care system,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More The offices of Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Justice Minister Sean Fraser did not say whether Ottawa is considering changes to the assisted dying law as a result of the report. A spokesman for Michel cited strict eligibility requirements and 'multiple robust safeguards' in the current law. Canada's medical assistance in dying law was updated in 2021 after the Quebec Court of Appeal found that limiting access to people whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable amounted to discrimination. The federal government opted not to take that ruling to the Supreme Court, and instead changed the law to broaden eligibility. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The latest annual report on medical assistance in dying shows that 622 of the 15,343 people who had an assisted death in 2023 were part of that track 2. They included 210 people who self-identified as having a disability. The report said that less than three per cent of the people who qualified for an assisted death in 2023 said they did not receive the disability support services they needed. The most frequently reported disabilities among MAID recipients were mobility and pain-related. To be considered eligible to apply for MAID, a person must have a grievous and irremediable medical condition. For people whose death is not reasonably foreseeable, there's a minimum 90-day waiting period between the first assessment and the procedure. The applicant must be informed of counselling, mental health supports, disability supports, community services and palliative care, and must be offered consultations with relevant professionals. The applicant and two different medical practitioners also have to discuss means to relieve the person's suffering and 'agree that the person has seriously considered these means,' according to Health Canada's website. NHL Basketball Canada Editorial Cartoons NHL
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Google, Competition Bureau battle over possible constitutional challenge in case
The Google app on an iPad in Baltimore is seen on March 19, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Patrick Semansky TORONTO — Canada's competition watchdog says it will fight a constitutional challenge from Google in a case alleging the tech giant abused its dominant position in the online advertising market. New filings made in the case say the Competition Bureau will ask the Competition Tribunal to strike Google's proposed motion to proceed with a constitutional challenge because the commissioner feels it is premature and without merit. Constitutional challenges question acts that could violate someone's rights or freedoms and often end up being precedent-setting. Google's challenge takes aim at the monetary penalty the bureau is asking the tech company pay, if it is found to have abused its dominant position in online advertising. The company says the penalty could wind up costing it billions, dwarfing the profits it generates in Canada and amounting to a total that is disproportionate to the allegations Google is facing. It argues the penalties would also breach the company's entitlements under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, necessitating a constitutional challenge. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Judge Hands DOGE Major Win Over Accessing Sensitive Treasury Data
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A federal judge has granted Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) conditional access to sensitive U.S. Treasury Department systems, relaxing an earlier ban. The decision followed ongoing litigation brought by 19 Democratic state attorneys general who challenged DOGE's access over privacy and legality concerns. Under the court's new order, DOGE staff may review payment records and confidential financial information once designated employees complete federal training and submit financial disclosures. Newsweek has contacted DOGE and the Treasury Department for comment outside of regular working hours. A federal judge has granted Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency conditional access to sensitive U.S. Treasury Department systems. A federal judge has granted Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency conditional access to sensitive U.S. Treasury Department systems. Patrick Semansky/Evan Vucci/AP Why It Matters The ruling marks a significant step for the White House's cost-cutting and modernization agenda, as DOGE is tasked with eliminating perceived wasteful federal spending. However, the move has reignited debates over privacy, data security and how much authority the executive branch can exert over sensitive personal data belonging to millions of Americans. What To Know Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled in a written opinion on Tuesday that certain DOGE employees would be permitted access to Treasury payment and data systems after completing required employee security training and financial disclosure filings. Once those conditions are met, the Treasury's DOGE team members will be able to review payment systems and records that include personally identifiable information. The ruling grants increased access to Treasury DOGE team leader Tom Krause, along with DOGE members Linda Whitridge, Samuel Corcos, and Todd Newnam. Another DOGE member Ryan Wunderly had already been granted access in April. The ruling represents a relaxation of a strict ban imposed months earlier, which had barred DOGE members from the systems due to privacy concerns. New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other Democratic attorneys general led the legal challenge, warning that allowing DOGE access to payment and data records risked exposure of personal information, such as Social Security and bank account numbers. The attorneys general also argued that such access could unlawfully allow for interference with congressional spending directives and violate the separation of powers. DOGE, which the Trump administration created in January via an executive order, has sought to cut government waste across multiple federal agencies, including the departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services. What People Are Saying New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on February 7: "President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans' private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress. Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans' private information and some of our country's most sensitive data." Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in February: "This is the largest data breach in American history. DOGE is an unlawfully constituted band of renegade tech bros combing through confidential records, sensitive data and critical payment systems. What could go wrong? They have been given access to re-write code and delete files, and have vowed to use this access to dismantle the federal programs and services. We have no idea what they are doing with this information, and whether the world's richest man is using this information to further enrich himself and his companies. We are suing to protect the functioning of our government and the security of every single American's private data." What Happens Next The outcome of the case may set precedents around the balance between government efficiency initiatives and federal privacy protections.
