Credit: MGN WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS says it’s taken steps to address a wide disparity in audit rates between Black taxpayers and others filers. And the agency is more closely examining the returns of larger numbers of wealthy people and major companies. The IRS says in an annual report that it’s overhauling compliance efforts as it strives to “hold ourselves accountable to taxpayers we serve.” A 2023 study involving university researchers and the Treasury Department found that IRS data-driven algorithms selected Black taxpayers for auditing at up to 4.7 times the rate of non-Black taxpayers ..read more

credit: MGN ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13 million. Smart surpasses Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who is set to make $11 million in 2024. Smart gets a bump in salary of $1.75 million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs through 2033. He could also receive up to $1.55 million per year in bonuses based on the new 12-team playoff structure, an increase from $1.3 million under the previous terms. Athletic director Josh Brooks got an extension that ra ..read more

Credit: MGN (Associated Press) – Apple has posted its steepest quarterly decline in iPhone sales since the pandemic’s outset. The results reflect a deepening a slump that’s increasing the pressure on the trendsetting company to spruce up its products with more artificial intelligence. The 10% drop in year-over-year iPhone sales for the January-March period is latest sign of weakness in a product that generates most of Apple’s revenue. It marked the biggest drop in iPhone sales since July-September period in 2020 when production bottlenecks caused by factory closures during the pandemic resulte ..read more

Young Asian woman with passport carrying suitcase walking in the airport concourse WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators wants restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology by the Transportation Security Administration. The lawmakers say they’re concerned about travelers’ privacy and civil liberties. In a letter Thursday, 14 lawmakers are calling on Senate leaders to use the upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration to limit use of the technology so Congress can put in place some oversight. TSA has been rolling out the technology at select airports i ..read more

Credit: MGN (Associated Press) – Peloton is cutting about 400 jobs worldwide as part of a restructuring effort and its CEO Barry McCarthy is stepping down after two years as the company continues to work on turning around its business. Peloton Interactive Inc. said Thursday that the job reductions amount to approximately 15% of its global headcount. The restructuring efforts, which are expected to lower its annual run-rate expenses by more than $200 million by fiscal 2025’s end, also include continuing to close retail showrooms ..read more

Attorney Ben Crump in Canton speaking of the death of 53-year-old Frank Tyson while in police custody. (WHBC News) CANTON, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – “Justice for Frank Tyson”. That was the theme of a gathering of over 60 people at St Paul AME Church in Canton on Thursday. That’s where attorney Ben Crump was introduced as part of the legal team representing Tyson’s family as they seek justice for the 53-year-old Canton Township man. Crump says the police body-camera footage of the arrest of Tyson just over two weeks ago at the AMVETS post on Sherrick Road SE shows Canton police using excessi ..read more

Credit: MGN LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage climbed this week to its highest level in more than five months, pushing up borrowing costs for prospective homebuyers in what’s typically the housing market’s busiest stretch of the year. The rate rose to 7.22% from 7.17% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.39%. When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers. That limits how much homebuyers can afford at a time when a relatively limited number of homes on the market coupled with heig ..read more

Credit: MGN (ASSOCIATED PRESS) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week and remains historically low as the labor market continues to show resiliency in the face of high interest rates and elevated inflation. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims for the week ending April 27 was 208,000, the same as the previous week. That’s the fewest since mid-February. Weekly unemployment claims are considered a proxy for the number of U.S. layoffs in a given week. In total, 1.77 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits during t ..read more

Police advance on pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has defended the right to free speech but says “order must prevail” on college campuses where pro-Palestinian protests are happening. The Democratic president says protests haven’t prompted him to rethink his Middle East policies and he opposes sending in the National Guard. Biden’s comments Thursday broke days of silence as police crack down on encampments erected to show solidarity with Gaza. Republicans have tried to turn scen ..read more

SVHS The Sandy Valley Varsity Boys Basketball Program will have a new head coach for the first time in 25 years! Gary Offenberger has submitted his resignation and given a recommendation for his successor.   Sandy Valley Local School District Superintendent, David Fischer, will be recommending to the Board of Education that they hire Nate Provance as the new head coach.  Provance is currently the assistant boys’ basketball coach. After 25 successful seasons, Offenberger has submitted his resignation.  Fischer stated, “Nate Provance has received a glowing recommendation from ..read more