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Numerous Glitches Reported With Stimulus Check Distribution

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  • Many Americans have reported problems with the IRS portal that tracks stimulus payments and lets people sign up for direct deposit.
  • Numerous people took to Twitter to say they had received a message that said “Payment Status Not Available,” after entering their information, prompting the topic to trend on Twitter.
  • While an IRS spokesperson said the message was due to the site being overloaded, the IRS posted a contradictory statement, providing no information but insisting the site was working fine.
  • Others have reported that their money was sent to the wrong bank account and that deceased people received checks.

Stimulus Check Portal Problems

Millions of Americans have begun receiving their stimulus checks, but the first week of distributing the money has not gone as smoothly as many hoped.

Several people have taken to Twitter or spoken to reporters about a wide range of issues they have faced with the much-needed checks.

One of the most common problems stems from the “Get My Payment” portal the IRS rolled out Wednesday. The portal is supposed to let people track the status of their payments and allow others who had not signed up for direct deposit to give the IRS their banking information.

But people started having problems with the site early on. Many reported that after entering their personal information in the portal, they were met with the message: “Payment Status Not Available.” 

“According to information that we have on file, we cannot determine your eligibility for a payment at this time,” the message continued.

Numerous Twitter users shared their experiences, causing the topic to trend on the platform. 

Some people said the IRS had their direct deposit information from their taxes, and that they had filed taxes this year or last year.

Others said they could not get through to the IRS and that they did not know what to do next because the FAQ page provided very little information.

IRS Gives Contradictory Information

Currently, the IRS FAQ page does have a section on “Payment Status Not Available,” but all it does is provide four reasons why people might be getting that message.

One of the reasons they provide is simply that the user is not eligible for the money. Other reasons include failing to file taxes when required, filing taxes or providing information through the non-filer portal too recently to process, and being a recipient of Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits.

However, on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for the IRS gave CNBC another explanation.

“What happened is instead of having an error message or a message saying the system is very busy, it just says your information isn’t in here, that was the default,” he said, adding that the problem should be fixed now.

Just be patient, check back later. If you filed last year’s or this year’s taxes we have your information,” the spokesman continued. “Go to the IRS website, literally 99% of all the questions are answered right there.”

But the FAQ page says nothing about the seemingly important fact that a lot of people may be getting the message because the system is overwhelmed.

Around the same time, the IRS posted an official statement on their website about the message.

“The Get My Payment site is operating smoothly and effectively,” the statement asserted. 

“As of mid-day today, more than 6.2 million taxpayers have successfully received their payment status and almost 1.1 million taxpayers have successfully provided banking information, ensuring a direct deposit will be quickly sent.”

The statement also said users will be sent to an online “waiting room” if too many people are on the site, and added that, “Media reports saying the tool ‘crashed’ are inaccurate.”

Despite the fact that a spokesperson said the problem was fixed and the IRS claimed the site was ‘operating smoothly,’ Twitter users continued to report that they were getting the message Thursday morning.

Other Issues

However, for the direct deposit checks that have been delivered, there is still a whole other set of problems.

Some people who were able to get through to the portal found that their payments were sent to the wrong bank accounts. In some cases, people said their stimulus checks are being sent to their old bank accounts, including those who claimed they got their most recent tax refund in their new accounts.

This is a problem some banks have reported as well. JP Morgan Chase told ABC News that they received money for closed accounts, and when they could not locate a new account, they just sent the money back. 

Others have said that their money is being sent to entirely different bank accounts altogether.

Some parents who have young dependent children eligible for the additional $500 per child also told reporters that they either received an incorrect amount of money or no money at all.

Unfortunately, for people who’s checks were sent to the wrong account or for those who received the wrong amount, there is no quick fix.

According to the IRS website, 15 days after someone receives their payment the IRS will mail a letter to their most recent address on file, and that letter will, “provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment.”

Beyond that, however, it is unclear how and when they will get their money.

On top of all that, it has also been reported that some checks have been sent to dead people. The good news here is that multiple financial advisors and former IRS employees have said that relatives will be able to keep that money. 

But, of course, the IRS has not said anything official on the matter.

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (ABC News) (NBC News)

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Disney Renders DeSantis-Appointed Oversight Board Powerless

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The board is looking into avenues for potential legal retaliation, but Disney maintains its actions were “appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums.”


The Fight For Disney’s Special District 

Disney has stripped powers from the board Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) installed to oversee its theme parks, board members claimed. 

According to the Orlando Sentinel, board member Brian Aungst Jr. said Disney’s action “completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.”

DeSantis has been waging a war against the House of Mouse ever since the company condemned his controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law, which heavily restricts the discussion of sexuality in classrooms. To retaliate against the company, he took control of Disney’s special status that allowed it to operate as a self-governing district with autonomy over the land encompassing and surrounding Walt Disney World. 

Disney operated under that special status for decades under the Reedy Creek Improvement District, but after DeSantis took over, it was changed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. DeSantis appointed all members of the board, prompting concerns that it could be used to silence and sway Disney on social and cultural issues, including its content. 

The oversight board gets control over infrastructure, property taxes, issue bonds, road and fire services, and other regulations. When DeSantis seized it, it was considered a big loss for the entertainment giant, but now, board members say the company may have lost little to no power at all. 

As first reported by the Sentinel, Disney and the previous board signed an agreement allowing Disney to retain control over much of its land on Feb. 8, the day before Florida’s House signed the bill that gave DeSantis power to stack the board. Disney now holds veto powers over changes to the park, and any changes must be subject to the company’s “prior review and comment” to ensure thematic consistency. 

The agreement also bars the board from using Disney’s name or trademarked characters like Mickey Mouse.

The Board’s Plan to Fight Back

Board members reportedly did not become aware of this until recently and discussed the issue at a Wednesday meeting. 

“This essentially makes Disney the government,” board member Ron Peri said, via Click Orlando. “This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure.”

The subject of the agreement that has perhaps caught the most public attention is its staying power. The declaration says it will remain “in effect until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England living as of the date of this Declaration.” That means that so long as direct members of the royal family are alive, so is this deal. 

According to BBC News, this is known as a “royal lives” clause and its use dates back to the 17th century, though it is rarely used in the U.S.

The board, however, already has plans to push back against Disney and has voted to hire outside legal counsel to evaluate their options.

“We’re going to have to deal with it and correct it,” Aungst said. “It’s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.”

A spokesperson for DeSantis released a statement claiming that “these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law.”

Disney maintains everything was above board. 

“All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law,” the company said. 

See what others are saying: (Orlando Sentinel) (Click Orlando) (The Washington Post)

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White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.


White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

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Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

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Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 


Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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