U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
DHS Spawns New Types Of ‘Domestic Extremism’ Out Of Thin Air
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants Americans to believe since 2011, when the word “extremists” was just starting to take root in the public’s consciousness, there has been an explosion of violent extremism
In 2011, DHS published the “Empowering Local Partners To Prevent Violent Extremism In The United States” report while at the same time calls for ending America’s never-ending war on terror started taking hold.
The DHS report made dubious claims like al-Qa‘ida was trying to recruit Americans and radicalize terrorism across the country, which coincidentally was also the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The report mentions extremists and violent extremists interchangeably during a time when Americans were beginning to question the war on terror.
In May 2011, National Public Radio wrote, “Why We Must End The War On Terror” and asked in September, “Is It Time To End The War On Terror?” Similar articles were being published across the country asking the same thing.
Fast forward eleven years, to 2022 and the war on terror shows no signs of abating.
DHS, who could be mistaken for magicians if it were not so ironic, have convinced law enforcement that America now has at least twenty-three different types of extremists.
There does not appear to be a master list of American extremists published by DHS or the Department of Justice.
United States to Ban Real Meat
Evidence that The Great Reset is rapidly approaching can be seen in the recent decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban real meat, and if history is any indication, the same decision may be taken by other countries as well. The U.S. ban is slated to take effect April 1, 2024
The decision comes on the heels of repeated public appeals to the Western world by Bill Gates to stop eating real meat as a climate control effort
According to the FDA, natural beef production is a primary culprit of climate change. University of California researchers have measured the amount of methane emitted by the average cow, concluding cattle “are the No. 1 agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide”
Each year, a single cow produces about 220 pounds of methane, and methane from cattle is 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide
Livestock raised in massive industrial farming arrangements, aptly called “confined animal feeding operations” (CAFOs), have also been identified as a source of foodborne illness, and is yet another reason why the FDA has decided to ban real meat in favor of synthetic beef
NOTICE: This is an April Fool’s article and the FDA ban on real meat is a fictional scenario. A primary reason why we post April Fool’s articles is to act as warnings. We want to wake people up to see what could happen if actions aren’t taken to protect and preserve freedom.
Over the years, many of our April Fool’s “jokes” have come true, including our fictional prediction of adult vaccine mandates and internment camps. This isn’t a coincidence. This is planned, and you can see it happening around you. The future of your personal and medical freedoms has not yet been decided. The ending will depend on you.
White House Fires Dr. Oz From Presidential Council Amid US Senate Race
U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, best known among Americans as the daytime TV host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” announced on Wednesday the Biden administration fired him from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
“One week and three different explanations later, President [Joe] Biden finally informed me today why he fired me from the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition,” Oz, 61, said in a March 30 statement released by his campaign.
“This was a political firing because I’m calling out Biden’s failures on inflation, immigration, and COVID,” he added. “The Woke Left will not silence or stop me from being a bold, conservative voice in the U.S. Senate.”
Oz, who is running for office in Pennsylvania, received letters from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel earlier this month, asking him to resign or be terminated from the presidential council.
According to a White House official, Oz was asked to resign because he is in violation of the Biden administration’s policy to have federal candidates serve on boards. Oz, who is a Republican, was appointed in 2018 by President Donald Trump to serve on the council.
Maryland Lawmakers Approve New Congressional Map After Judge Tossed Old Version
Lawmakers in Maryland have approved a congressional map to replace a version deemed unconstitutional by a judge, even as the state’s attorney general is appealing the judge’s ruling.
Both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly this week approved the new map, contained in Senate Bill 1012. The state Senate passed the measure 30–10 and the state House of Delegates passed it 94–41. Most lawmakers who supported the legislation are Democrats; most Republicans remained unsatisfied and opposed it.
Anne Arundel County Senior Judge Lynne Battaglia ruled on March 25 in favor of two groups that sued over the previous map, finding that it was unconstitutionally aimed at reducing the power of Republican voters because it shifted the only Republican member of Congress representing Maryland, Rep. Andy Harris, into a different district, where he was likely to lose.
The map was a “product of extreme partisan gerrymandering,” according to Battaglia.
Lawmakers, facing a March 30 deadline to enact a new map, introduced one on March 28 (pdf) and passed it after airing supportive and opposition views in Annapolis.
“This map makes every effort to meet the judge’s requirements in the order. It is a map that I think the people of Maryland can be proud of,” House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke, a Democrat, said before the vote.
Inspector General Finds Significant Problems With Postal Service’s Surveillance Program
Days after its sweeping covert internet surveillance operation was exposed through media reports, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) changed the program’s name and told analysts to stop monitoring the keyword “protest,” according to a recently released inspector general’s report.
The March 25 IG report comes nearly a year after the USPIS “Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP)” was revealed by Yahoo News. The iCOP program alarmed both sides of the political aisle due to its surveillance of right- and left-wing protest movements, prompting the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to request the IG audit.
The IG report said iCOP—renamed the “Analytics Team” in April 2021, the same month as Yahoo published its exposé—used an automated intelligence tool that scoured the internet for keywords. But more than 25 percent of the cases reviewed had no relation to postal crime, the IG said.
“The keywords iCOP used for one of the profiles during this time did not include any terms related to the mail, postal crimes, or security of postal facilities or personnel,” the IG said. “Examples of the keywords include ‘protest,’ ‘attack,’ and ‘destroy.’”
One keyword that posed particular concern was “protest.” Following Yahoo’s April 21, 2021, report, a USPIS internal counsel advised nine days later for analysts to stop monitoring the term “protest.”
The IG also said the USPIS does not document the surveillance activities that underpin its various intelligence reports.
“As a result, we could not confirm whether the work associated with these reports was authorized,” the IG said.
Further, the IG criticized analysts for failing to protect privacy rights.
‘Door Shut With Superglue’: Russians in America Say They Face Harassment Following Ukraine Invasion
There was a time not long ago when Valentina Cerkas could tell the world she was from Russia.
Now, she feels uncomfortable saying it out loud following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
“It’s embarrassing to me—I hate to say that,” Cerkas told The Epoch Times. “I just say I’m me. I’m a nice person.”
Cerkas admits it’s not a good time to be a Russian or Russian speaker in America these days, with “Russophobia”—the fear of all things connected with that country—a concern for her now.
“I’m sure everybody is concerned [about Russophobia],” Cerkas said. “I’m sure every Russian who is here is worried about that.”
Sveta, a popular restaurant in New York City, recently began receiving hate emails and phone calls despite co-owner Alan Aguichev being Ukrainian.
“Luckily, everything is great now,” Aguichev told The Epoch Times, citing a wellspring of community support.
Still, Aguichev said he is “not surprised” by acts of Russophobia given the volatile relations between Russia and the West.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
US Households Brace for $5,200 Inflation Tax in 2022, Estimate Warns
U.S. households will face an average of $5,200 in additional costs in 2022 from a year ago as 40-year high inflation hurts Americans’ wallets, a new estimate finds.
The top quintile of households will brace for approximately $10,000 in cost pressures, while the bottom quintile will grapple with roughly $2,300 in more inflationary expenses.
More households will be able to withstand the extra $433 per month because of pandemic-era pent-up savings and an increase in wages, economists said in the Bloomberg Economics survey. This could support heightened consumer spending until accumulated cash reserves have been exhausted, they explained.
At the same time, analysts say, rapid depletion of savings may force more people to return to work. This would increase the labor supply and reduce wage growth.
Many Americans anticipate higher inflation over the next year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s (FRBNY) Survey of Consumer Expectations in February.
Report: ‘Cashless Society’ Would Leave Millions Struggling
A report into the potential effects of implementing a ‘cashless society’ has found that millions of people would be left struggling, with many vulnerable people being heavily reliant on physical tender.
A report published on Wednesday has found that a shift to cashless society would considerably disadvantage and disenfranchise millions of people, and would also risk harming many vulnerable people reliant on physical notes and coins.
In particular, the study found that 15 million people in the UK are heavily reliant on physical currency for budgeting purposes, with ATM use also remaining high in some of the country’s most economically vulnerable areas compared to pre-pandemic levels.
According to research conducted by the Royal Society of Arts, a number of demographics are extremely reliant on the use of physical cash, including older people, as well as many young people who use tangible currency to help with budgeting.
The research also found that, while ATM use overall went down during the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic and has not since returned to pre-2020 levels, one in seven people found themselves using cash more because of the crisis.
Ultimately, one in five people reportedly said that they would struggle in a cashless society, with the researchers also saying that there is an urgent need for legislation ensuring people’s access to physical cash in the future.
“For millions of people, their relationship with cash is critical to the way they manage their weekly budget,” Mark Hall, who penned the paper, reportedly said. “Despite online banking and shopping becoming more common, our research shows the percentage of the population wholly reliant on cash is unchanged in the past three years.”
“It’s vital that the dash to digital doesn’t disenfranchise anyone, especially with the cost-of-living crisis putting such significant strain on family finances right now,” he also said.
“People are increasingly using less cash and embracing contactless and digital payments,” noted John Howells — the CEO of ATM network LINK — regarding the study. “However, it’s clear that digital does not currently work for everyone and for those living on tight budgets, where every penny counts, there is no better alternative to notes and coins, and they are in no rush to turn to money management tools.”
Two NFT Rugpullers Arrested for a $1.1 Million NFT Scam
NFT scammers that accumulated over a million in ETH and rugpulled the project were arrested in the United States.
The US Justice Department announced that two men have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering “in connection with a million-dollar scheme to defraud purchasers of NFTs advertised as Frosties.”
The suspects, Ethan Nguyen and Andre Llacuna, were accused of lying about benefits promised to NFTs buyers and withdrawing the cryptocurrency proceeds out of the Frosties account through multiple transactions.
Their real-life identities were disclosed after investigators looked into the relevant record of transactions permanently stored on Ethereum’s blockchain and analyzed the associated transfers to accounts on Coinbase.
$1.1 Million NFT Project Rugpulled
According to the criminal complaint released by the court, on January 9, 2022, a total of 8,888 Frosties tokens worth roughly $1.1 million were sold out 48 minutes after the public sale had gone live. Each NFT went for 0.04 ETH, at that time equivalent to around $130.
The complaint pointed out that approximately three hours after the sale, “the proceeds of the Frosties NFT sale that had been transferred to Frosties Wallet Address-1 were then transferred to a separate cryptocurrency wallet address (“Fraud Wallet Address-1″).” In total, 356.56 ETH was sent to the “Fraud wallet address,” as later identified by the investigators.
Biden Nixes Offshore Oil Leases Thru 2023 While Tapping Strategic Oil Reserve
Joe Biden is trying to have his cake and eat it too as he shuts down exploration and production of oil and gas on onshore federal lands while acknowledging the importance of fossil fuels in the U.S. energy landscape.
The Oil Price dot com website reported on the Biden Administration shutting down lease sales for offshore oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico as prices for the fossil fuels soar. The reported was based on a Bloomberg analysis of the president’s budget plan for fiscal year 2023:
In the budget plan for the fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Administration expects oil and gas rents and bonuses of just $25 million in the fiscal year 2023, compared to $395.5 million for fiscal year 2022. The drop of $370 million, Bloomberg notes, is the typical haul for the government from two oil and gas lease auctions in the Gulf of Mexico.
On Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) released a new analysis outlining the potential economic consequences of delaying the Department of the Interior’s five-year program for leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. The next five-year offshore leasing program must be in place by July 1, 2022, but is well behind schedule, and no offshore lease sales can be held unless DOI implements a new program, the API and NOIA said. A delayed five-year program could jeopardize an average of $5 billion in U.S. GDP, they added.
“A delay in the offshore oil and gas leasing program could mean nearly 500,000 barrels per day produced here in the US. At a time of geopolitical uncertainty and rapidly rising energy prices, Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production is more important than ever,” NOIA said.
API also responded to Biden’s announcement about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. API President and CEO Mike Sommers said in an email sent to the media.
There are many factors behind rising energy costs, from geopolitical volatility and supply chain constraints to policy uncertainty, and the American people deserve real solutions. The SPR was put in place to reduce the impact of significant supply chain disruptions, and while today’s release may provide some short-term relief, it is far from a long-term solution to the economic pain Americans are feeling at the pump.
“The best thing the White House can do right now is to remove barriers to investment in American energy production and infrastructure,” Sommers said. “Unfortunately, today we heard more mixed signals about developing affordable, reliable and secure American natural gas and oil.” He went on to say:
The administration once again has a fundamental misunderstanding of how leases work, The percentage of producing leases is at a two-decade high, with nearly two out of three leases producing natural gas and oil. With nearly 5,000 permits awaiting approval from the administration and thousands more tied up in litigation, we stand ready to work with the administration to expand domestic production and ensure the U.S. and our allies have access to the affordable, reliable energy that’s needed not only today but for years to come.
The Washington Post reported on Biden’s policies, including his “use it or lose it” ultimatum to oil and gas companies that have leases that are not actively producing:
Biden faces political pressure to show he is tackling high gas prices, and he sought to deflect voters’ anger, blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching the war against Ukraine and citing oil companies for leaving drilling prospects idle and land untapped. The president also noted that the country’s rapid recovery from the pandemic had unleashed a torrent of demand for fuel.
During his 14-minute speech, Biden mentioned Putin’s name about a dozen times — “Putin’s war,” “Putin’s actions,” “Putin’s price hike” — almost once a minute.
Saying some U.S. oil companies are putting profits over production, he called on Congress to impose fees on companies that do not take full advantage of the leases allowing them to extract oil from federal land. “It’s not the time to sit on record profits. It’s time to step up for the good of your country,” Biden said.
HEALTH
A Mortal Enemy of Your Liver, It’s Not Alcohol
Choline, found in ample amounts in egg yolks, is an essential nutrient for brain, nervous system, cardiovascular and liver function, and is essential for prevention of fatty liver disease, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
An estimated 90% of the U.S. population are deficient in choline, a nutrient required to move fat out of your liver
NAFLD is the most common form of liver disease in the U.S., with an estimated prevalence of 30 to 40% among the adult population
Choline deficiency appears to be a far more significant trigger of NAFLD than excess fructose, and the rise in NAFLD may be largely the result of the widespread avoidance of liver and egg yolks
In the absence of sufficient choline, even healthy saturated fats can contribute to fatty liver. Choline minimizes liver fat no matter what the source, and the more dietary fat you consume — even if the fat itself is healthy — the higher your requirement for choline
COVID RELATED NEWS
WHO Outlines Strategy to End Global COVID-19 Emergency in 2022
The World Health Organization on Wednesday unveiled an updated plan for COVID-19 that, if implemented “rapidly and consistently” this year, will allow the world to end the emergency phase of the pandemic.
The plan—the WHO’s third on COVID-19—includes three potential scenarios for how the virus might evolve in the next 12 months: a base case, a best case, and a worst case. Key objectives include reducing COVID-19 infections, and effectively diagnosing and treating COVID-19 cases to reduce deaths.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the plan’s foreword that the world now stands at “a pivotal and dangerous moment in the fight against COVID-19.”
“Although it is impossible to predict precisely how the SARS-CoV-2 virus will evolve, we know that new variants will arise as transmission continues and, in many cases, intensify,” he wrote. “And yet, we can look to the future with a sense of hope that we can end the COVID-19 pandemic as a global emergency through our actions.”
The world now has “the tools to plan for and respond to every eventuality,” he said.
The director-general said during a press briefing that, based on current research, the most likely scenario is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve, but the severity of COVID-19 disease reduces over time as immunity increases due to vaccination and infection.
In the WHO’s base case planning scenario, which serves as the WHO’s working model, the virus continues to evolve, but causes less severe outbreaks due to sustained and sufficient immunity against severe disease and death. There will likely be periodic spikes in transmission as immunity wanes. Booster shots might be needed periodically for those most at risk. The virus would likely fall into a seasonal pattern, with peaks in colder months—similar to influenza.
The WHO’s best case scenario envisions future variants as being “significantly less severe,” while protection from severe disease would be maintained without the need for periodic boosting or significant changes to current vaccines.
The worst case scenario sees the emergence of a more virulent and highly transmissible variant against which vaccines are less effective, and/or immunity against severe disease and death wanes rapidly, particularly in the most vulnerable groups. This would require significant changes to current vaccines and full redeployment and/or broader boosting for those most at risk.
To help end the emergency phase of the pandemic, WHO called on countries to continue or increase their virus surveillance capabilities to allow for early warning signs of significant changes in the virus. It also called for improved detection of long COVID, to track and reduce long-term disability after the pandemic has ended.
Countries also must continue to do diagnostic testing for the novel coronavirus, which helps identify leading strains causing infections and guide community-level decision making. Countries also must track virus evolution within animal populations, according to the WHO.
“We have global systems to better understand the virus as it changes, and we have the vaccines, diagnostic tools, treatments, and other public health and social measures to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the director-general said.
“Focus, vigilance, and commitment now will end the emergency of the pandemic and lay the foundations for a more effective response to the future threats that will undoubtedly emerge. But the pandemic remains far from over,” he added.
PROPAGANDA
WEF Spews Propaganda, Says Consumers Don’t Blame Climate Policies For Soaring Energy Prices
The WEF promotes all UN climate change policies to kill oil, coal and natural gas in favor of alternative energy like windmills and solar. The world is reeling from skyrocketing energy prices, but now the WEF informs us that it wasn’t climate change policies that did it.
This is the proverbial snake that ate its own tail. The WEF is gaslighting the entire world while virtue signaling to its own, saying everything is just peachy. They say that price increases do not reflect an alternative energy crisis, although it is totally clear that wind and solar can never power the entire world, and wherever they have been implemented, energy prices have increased. ⁃ TN Editor
- Most people around the world don’t blame climate policies for rising energy costs, finds a new survey.
- Consumer support for ending the use of fossil fuels remains strong.
- But they expect surging energy prices to reduce their spending power.
Wherever you live in the world, energy prices are surging upwards. But a new global survey shows that people don’t blame climate policies for rising energy costs and strongly support moves to end the use of fossil fuels.
A survey of over 22,500 adults in 30 countries, conducted by Ipsos for the World Economic Forum, found that, on average, more than half of consumers expect rising energy costs to significantly reduce their spending power in 2022.
Results varied by country, however, with two-thirds of people living in South Africa, Japan and Turkey saying they expect to have less money to spend this year, compared to just over one-third in Switzerland and the Netherlands. People on low incomes and those aged 35 to 49 were most worried about their financial future.
Climate policies aren’t to blame
But despite the impact on their financial situation, people remain strongly supportive of climate policies, with an average of 84% saying that it is important to them personally that their country moves away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources.
This view was strongly held in all countries, ranging from 72% of people in Russia and 75% in the United States to 93% in South Africa and Peru; the strongest feelings about the importance of ending reliance on fossil fuels was found in emerging nations.
Although support was strong among all demographic groups, slightly more women (87%) thought it was important to move away from fossil fuels than men (81%).
OTHER
When ‘Loof Lirpa’ goes awry, enter the lawyers
On April 1, 2004, the Glastonbury Citizen, a weekly newspaper, reported that John Sakon, a real estate developer, was planning to build a 250,000-square-foot Walmart and the state’s largest Hooters restaurant in the Connecticut town. The story wasn’t true. Sakon demanded a retraction. When he didn’t get one, he filed suit for defamation.
But the developer’s case was dismissed because the story had appeared in the publication’s clearly designated “April Fool’s Day” edition. The Connecticut court, in Victoria Square v. Glastonbury Citizen (2006), ruled that to any reasonable reader—who “is no dullard”—it was obviously a parody. That the Hooters was to be positioned to face a church and elementary school, the court concluded, “would almost certainly get the point across.”
First day of April tomfoolery sometimes goes awry. Enter the lawyers—and then it’s no laughing matter.
On March 31, 2002, Harrods, the iconic London department store, issued a press release announcing that its chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, planned to “‘float’ Harrods” and further details would be revealed the following day. Those seeking additional information were invited to contact “Loof Lirpa.”
Instead of waiting for the forthcoming particulars or confirmation, the Wall Street Journal published an on-line and print story that Harrods was planning a public stock offering. It turned out to be an April Fools’ joke: Al Fayed’s idea to “float” Harrods meant building a ship version of the store and mooring it in the Thames River. “Loof Lirpa” is “April fool” spelled backward.
A few days later, a story appeared in the Wall Street Journal headlined “The Enron of Britain.” It recounted the April Fools’ joke and stated that if Harrods ever did go public, “investors would be wise to question its every disclosure.”
Harrods sued the newspaper in London for defamation. The Wall Sreet Journal launched its own attack on these shores—asking a New York federal court to adjudicate the dispute. As the publication saw it, the defamation action was “plainly antithetical to historic rules, traditions and policies established to protect free speech and freedom of the press in the United States.” But the Southern District, in an opinion you wouldn’t want to drop on your toe, declined to get newsprint on its hands. The Second Circuit affirmed that the case did not belong in the U.S. The suit moved forward in London, however.
Nearly two years after the hoax, the Wall Street Journal published another story on its website about the Knightsbridge shopping landmark: “Harrods Loses Libel Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal.”
‘Orbeez Challenge’: Police are warning against this dangerous new TikTok challengeTake one look at the #OrbeezChallenge hashtag on TikTok and you’ll see videos of people playing with the Orbeez toys.
- But others show people shooting the small gel balls out of airsoft guns, a trend that’s become increasingly worrisome for police.
What is the #OrbeezChallenge?
The #OrbeezChallenge hashtag on TikTok has become dangerous as people shoot the Orbeez gel balls out of real guns.
What are the Orbeez challenge incidents?
In Florida, a man is being charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle, child abuse and two counts of battery after he shot several people with Orbeez out of an electric rifle, according to WNDB Daytona Beach.
- Police in Draper, Utah, shared reports of incidents related to the “Orbeez Challenge,” too.
Police warn of the consequences of the ‘Orbeez Challenge’
Police in Peachtree City, Georgia, said that participating in the challenge could lead to serious charges, for children and their parents.
- “In some cases, it could result in felony charges and parents could also be liable for the actions of their kids,” said Peachtree City police, according to NPR.
- Scott Allen, a police captain in Winter Garden, Florida, stated: “These kids think it’s funny. They’re violating the law. They’re committing battery. If the pellet happens to injure the person to the point it breaks the skin, could be looking at a felony charge. These things don’t go away. Could affect your future,” Allen told Fox 35 Orlando.
Orbeez creator says the product is meant only for playing
Spin Master, the company that makes Orbeez, named a playset after the TikTok challenge, seemingly unaware about the recent negative outcomes of the challenge.
In a statement to NPR the company said:
- “Children’s product safety is a paramount at Spin Master, and we are committed to providing children and their families with the highest quality toys, games and activities. Spin Master does not manufacture or sell gel guns. Orbeez are designed for educational, creative, and sensory play and are not intended to be used as projectiles or inserted in mechanisms.”
March 27th – The 94th Academy Awards are on Sunday, and while Hollywood A-listers pile into Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater in hopes of walking out with an Oscar statuette, 25 of the nominees will receive a gift bag worth just over $137,000.
The “Everybody Wins” gift bag is distributed by LA-based Distinctive Assets to the five nominees in each of the four acting categories and the nominees for “Best Director.” It’s a collection of gifts that includes everything from gold-infused olive oil to $10,000 worth of plastic surgery.
But if accepted, it can create a hefty tax burden for the recipients.
The gift bags are taxable because they are not actually “gifts” that were given “solely out of affection, respect or similar impulses for the recipients,” according to a dedicated page on the IRS’s website about gift bags given to members of the entertainment industry.
“If you think about it as ‘what is the intent of providing those items, products or services?’, obviously it’s the hope that the celebrity is going to use that product, go on that vacation,” Eric Bronnenkant, head of tax at Betterment, tells CNBC Make It. “They’re trying to influence behavior.”
The value of the gifts is counted as income on the recipients’ taxes. For high earners in California, like many Hollywood actors are, that can mean a tax rate over 50%, Bronnenkant says.
The Academy actually stopped giving out gift bags to presenters and performers in 2006 due to IRS scrutiny. “It seemed a little inappropriate to offer a gesture of thanks that then carried with it a [tax] obligation,” an Academy spokesperson told CNN in 2006.
Taylor Hawkins’ heart weighed double that of an average man: report
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died Friday in Colombia, had a heart that weighed double the average for men his age, according to a new report.
Forensic experts during an examination found Hawkins’ heart weighed “at least 600 grams,” double the average of 300 to 350 grams (three-quarters of a pound), the Daily Mail reported Sunday.
Hawkins, 50, was found dead Friday in a hotel room at the Four Seasons Casa Medina in Bogota. In his room, multiple drugs were found, according to a report that cited Colombian authorities.
“Colombian authorities found: marijuana, antidepressants, opioids, heroine [sic]. At least 10 different substances found,” journalist Luis Carlos Velez tweeted Saturday afternoon, citing Fiscalia Colombia, the national attorney general’s office.
Velez initially reported that Hawkins, a California native, had overdosed, but later backtracked in a follow-up tweet.
“Colombian authorities press release confirming 10 substances found #TaylorHawkins – Official release does not say overdose. Investigation continues,” he wrote.
Hawkins died of a cardiovascular collapse, the Daily Mail reported Sunday morning, citing Colombian news magazine Semana.
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