Paradise News

Tag: General News

  • We Didn’t Give N10tn Loans To FG, PenCom DG Debunks Misleading Reports

    aisha-dahir-umar

    …Says PFAs Investments In Securities Not Loan To FG

    The Director-General of National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, has described as “totally misleading” widespread reports that the Commission gave a N10tn loan to the federal government.

    She also responded to claims that PenCom was owing Federal Government retirees arrears of pensions as well as insinuations that Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) are not fulfilling their obligations to retirees with regards to access to their retirement savings.

    Dahir-Umar, in a media interview, said that apart from the fact that PenCom is not a bank and does not warehouse or manage pension funds, the federal government did not take a loan of N10tn from the Commission.

    “Investments by the PFAs in the securities of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) are not loans as erroneously portrayed, but investments in securities, through bonds and treasury bills, as approved by the relevant government agencies, in this case the Debt Management Office (DMO) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They are traded on authorized capital markets. That is, the Nigerian Exchange Limited and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange,” she explained.

    “Moreover, pension fund assets are not managed by PenCom. I have said it repeatedly that when we say pension assets have grown to N15tn, that does not mean PenCom has N15tn locked somewhere in its office or bank accounts.

    “Pension fund assets are managed by the licensed PFAs and held in custody by the licensed Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs). The PFAs are responsible for investing pension fund assets in allowable asset classes, including FGN debts instruments.

    “The objectives are safety and fair returns. All these are in line with the provisions of the enabling law, the Pension Reform Act 2014, and the rules issued by the Commission. It is obvious from the above that what is referred to ‘loan to FGN’ is just investment in FGN securities by the PFAs, as is done by other institutional investors such as banks, insurance companies, asset managers, etc.”

    The PenCom DG added that it is an international best practice to invest in investible instruments issued or backed by the sovereign authority and that the FGN securities meet the objectives of safety and fair returns.

    “The FGN has consistently met its repayment obligations, both principal amount and accrued interest, for all investments in bonds and T-bills to all investors including pension funds. The information is always in the open and accessible on our website, www.pencom.gov.ng,” she said.

    The PenCom DG further clarified claims about outstanding benefits to federal government retirees.

    “The delayed payment of retirement benefits to some federal government retirees and deceased employees is because of the inadequate and delayed funding for the payment of Accrued Pension Rights for those who were in service before the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was introduced when PenCom was established in 2004.

    “Payment of the accrued rights is subject to release of funds by the federal government. So, it is beyond the powers of the Commission. However, we have been engaging the Federal Ministry of Finance for more funds to be released to settle these liabilities, but it is not a secret that the government itself has budgetary constraints,” she added.

    She said all those enrolled under the CPS have been receiving their benefits through their PFAs and there is no unsolved complaint before the Commission.

    We Didn’t Give N10tn Loans To FG, PenCom DG Debunks Misleading Reports is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Some fans in Las Vegas wear ‘S-E-L-L’ shirts while watching A’s play spring training game – Paradise Post

    LAS VEGAS – Shawn and Aubrey Bitter drove eight hours from Salt Lake City with their young son basically to watch the Oakland A’s and Milwaukee Brewers play a spring training game at Las Vegas Ballpark on Saturday.

    And also to make a statement.

    Shawn, standing in a crowded concourse while watching the A’s beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 at the Las Vegas Aviators’ Triple-A stadium, had a green T-shirt on, but instead of the team logo, the front spelled out S-E-L-L.

    The Bitters, as their name implied, were not happy about this whole situation with the team moving out of Oakland. The couple lived in Pleasant Hill before moving to Salt Lake City last summer. They are tried and true A’s fans and went to “a ton” of games in the Coliseum before moving.

    They are still very much fans of the team, just not the ownership. They even went to the protest game last season.

    “I believe the Oakland A’s are the Oakland A’s and that’s where they belong,” Aubrey said. “Vegas could get its own team and that would be great.”

    That being said, the Bitters are hoping the team decides to make a temporary home in Salt Lake City while the new stadium is being built in Las Vegas. Shawn said they would immediately buy season tickets.

    “That would be a dream come true for us,” Aubrey said.

    Shawn has two brothers who live in Las Vegas, but they are Cardinals fans so he can’t get a true feel how the locals feel about the move.

    “I’m curious to hear from Vegas people about whether they even want the team,” he said.

    Las Vegas residents Brian Rich and Sean Jurebie have lived in Las Vegas for more than 10 years apiece and attended Saturday’s game donned in their Aviators caps and jerseys. In fact, they walked to the ballpark from Rich’s home in the nearby Summerlin community.

    “I think the A’s are going to be a great addition to what we have here in Las Vegas,” said Rich, who moved to Las Vegas from Sacramento 13 years ago. “The Aviators are a local base, but the A’s will add the next level to this. It’s going to be amazing.”

    Oakland Athletics infielder Max Muncy (72) signs autographs before a spring training baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
    Oakland Athletics infielder Max Muncy (72) signs autographs before a spring training baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

    Jurebie said the success of the Golden Knights and the Raiders are a good barometer of what Major League Baseball can do in Las Vegas. He also said the affiliation between the A’s and the Aviators will connect the two fan bases.

    “It’s like with the Golden Knights with the (IHL) Silver Knights,” Rich said of the Golden Knights’ top minor league team in nearby Henderson. “This is still neighborhood baseball, but then you get a chance to go to the Strip to watch Major League Baseball.”

    At the same time, though, it would take something special to make that 30-minute drive from Summerlin to the Strip and fight the traffic to watch the A’s there. Not to mention the inflated costs associated with a major league game.

    “The Strip can be a hindrance,” Rich said. “Because once something hits the Strip, the monetary cost skyrockets.”

    A’s games against the Yankees and Red Sox would be a big draw, but he also said he would go to watch some of the prospects they’ve gotten familiar with in Triple-A make their big league debuts.

    “We get to know some of the guys (from the Aviators) because they live right near us,” Rich said. “If they get called up, I’m gonna go down and watch them.”

    Although the team won’t be in Las Vegas until at least 2028, Rich is talking about players such as Lawrence Butler, who played last season with the Aviators but was called up to the big leagues in August and enjoyed his time in Nevada.

    “Vegas is a cool city,” Butler said. “My time here had been pretty fun. The fans always came out showing up. It would be pretty cool to play here.”

    Catcher Kyle McCann spent all of last season with the Aviators, but since he hasn’t even made his major league debut yet, he isn’t even thinking about what city he’ll play in once he does get called up. Still, he was impressed with the fan support the Aviators received.

    “I know at least on Friday and Saturday games, we got a lot of fans,” he said.

    EARLY VEGAS DEBUT?: Team president Dave Kaval is looking for a place for his team to play the next three seasons, but it’s also possible that some of those regular-season games could be in the Aviators’ Las Vegas Ballpark.

    He told MLB.com it’s likely they’ll try to play one or two series in their future home city early in the season, maybe even for home openers.

    “The MLB season starts earlier than Triple-A, so you could come here and play one or two series,” Kaval said. “That would give the community here a little taste. It would be a nice revenue generation opportunity for the folks here. … This venue is practically a Major League venue. They did a really nice job here, so I think that’s an interesting aspect to what we could do as well.”

    GAME NOTES: Saturday’s game was a sellout with 9,342 in attendance. The two-game total attendance was 17,280.

    The A’s won 4-2 on Saturday to split the series. A’s prospect Armando Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a home run for Oakland. JP Sears started and went three innings, allowing one earned run with one walk and three strikeouts. Gerardo Reyes picked up the win, pitching the fourth inning with no runs allowed, no walks and two strikeouts. Tyler Ferguson earned the save, with a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.

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  • Liz Cheney & January 6 Committee Suppressed Exonerating Evidence Of Trump’s Push For National Guard at Capitol


    J6 Committee buried exculpatory evidence of Trump to advance their “insurrection” narrative in hopes of derailing Trump’s 2024 run.

    Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and the January 6 Committee suppressed evidence that former President Donald Trump pushed for 10,000 National Guard troops to protect the U.S. Capitol building, according to a bombshell report.

    Cheney and the J6 committee falsely claimed they had “no evidence” to support Trump officials’ claims the White House had called for 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of the mass demonstration in Washington, D.C. against the rigged 2020 election.

    But a transcribed interview from Jan. 2022 conducted by the committee that’s been obtained by The Federalist included that very evidence from a key source.

    “The interview, which Cheney attended and personally participated in, was suppressed from public release until now,” Mollie Hemingway reported Friday.

    From The Federalist:

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    Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato’s first transcribed interview with the committee was conducted on January 28, 2022. In it, he told Cheney and her investigators that he overheard White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows push Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to request as many National Guard troops as she needed to protect the city.

    He also testified President Trump had suggested 10,000 would be needed to keep the peace at the public rallies and protests scheduled for January 6, 2021. Ornato also described White House frustration with Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller’s slow deployment of assistance on the afternoon of January 6, 2021.

    Not only did the committee not accurately characterize the interview, they suppressed the transcript from public review. On top of that, committee allies began publishing critical stories and even conspiracy theories about Ornato ahead of follow-up interviews with him. Ornato was a career Secret Service official who had been detailed to the security position in the White House.

    Hemingway noted that Cheney frequently cited the Government Publishing Office for “transcripts, documents, exhibits & our meticulously sourced 800+ page final report,” but its website only features fewer than half of the 1,000 interviews conducted.

    After hiding the testimony, Cheney then claimed that President Trump “never gave any order to deploy the National Guard on January 6th or on any other day. Nor did he instruct any Federal law enforcement agency to assist.”

    Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight, said the J6 committee only selectively published interviews which advanced the Democrats’ “insurrection” narrative.

    “The former J6 Select Committee apparently withheld Mr. Ornato’s critical witness testimony from the American people because it contradicted their pre-determined narrative. Mr. Ornato’s testimony proves what Mr. Meadows has said all along: President Trump did in fact offer 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the U.S. Capitol, which was turned down,” Loudermilk told the outlet.

    “This is just one example of important information the former Select Committee hid from the public because it contradicted what they wanted the American people to believe. And this is exactly why my investigation is committed to uncovering all the facts, no matter the outcome.”

    Former National Security Council official Kash Patel, who offered similar testimony to the J6 committee, further broke down the Federalist’s report Saturday on Bannon’s War Room:

    “The January 6 Committee withheld and suppressed a transcript from a senior Secret Service officer that completely corroborates what we have said on your show and what we have been saying for years…that days before January 6, Donald Trump authorized 10,000 National Guardsmen and women.”

    “But the mainstream media hid it and the committee suppressed Tony Ornato’s transcript. Liz Cheney and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) buried this exculpatory evidence of Donald Trump,” he added.

    Follow Jamie White on X | Truth | Gab | Gettr | Minds



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  • ‘Tinubu Must Explain Who Padded 2024 Budget With N3tn’ – Northern Senators Forum Speaks

    President Bola Tinubu

    …Says North Won’t Accept Budget Skewed Against Them

    Crisis appears to be brewing which may affect the implementation of the 2024 Budget as the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has said President Bola Tinubu must explain who padded 2024 budget with N3 trillion.

    This was disclosed on Saturday by the chairman of the forum, Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), during an interview on the BBC Hausa Service.

    Tinubu has already signed the budget into law and the House of Representatives during the past week raised the possibility of reviewing the budget in view of the economic crisis and currency problem.

    Ningi said the National Assembly did not pass N28 trillion but N25 trillion and expressed shock where the extra N3 trillion came from.

    The forum also said the budget is not in favour of the North and that, that section of the country would not accept it.

    On how the forum arrived at the padding allegation, he said, “For the past three months, we have engaged consultants to review the budget for us. We have some experts who are working on it line by line.

    “We have seen the huge damage that was done not only to the north but to the entire country in that budget. We are supposed to sit with the Senate President to inform him about what we have observed.

    “We want to show him what we have seen in the budget that is not acceptable; we will not accept them, and we don’t want the country to continue spending money on those things.

    “Apart from what the National Assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground, which we didn’t know.

    “The new things we have discovered in the budget were not known to us. We haven’t seen them in the budget that was debated and considered on the floor of the National Assembly.”

    Ningi, citing an example of what was discovered said, “It was said that there was a budget of N28 trillion, but what was passed was N25 trillion. So there is N3 trillion on top.

    “Where are they? Where is it going? So, we need to know this. There are a lot of things. We are coming up with a report, and we will show the president himself and ask him if he is aware or not.

    “This is what we intend to do. We are to meet the president. We will talk to him about the Mambilla power project, Ajaokuta, and the River Niger dredging. We will talk to him about the Niger Republic. Recently, they said they would construct a dam; this is not good for us.”

    Speaking on how the crisis in ECOWAS has affected Nigeria, Ningi said, “The action taken by ECOWAS has affected the relationship between Nigeria and Niger. There was an agreement that they would not construct a dam so that the Kainji Dam would be intact, and we would give them electricity in return.

    “Over one billion US dollars was spent on Mambila, the BBC has reported. Where is that money? Who collected the money? We need to know and see what can be done. This Mambila is like the future of the North. Every part of the country has its own symbol that will save it in the future.

    “One of our weaknesses in the north is that we don’t love ourselves and our region so much that we don’t care about the future. We are just living anyhow. We just love the region in our mouths, not at heart, and I am seriously worried about that.”

    The NSF Chairman is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said his revelation is not political but an act of patriotism.

    He explained, “First of all, I want you to know that I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a representative of the people. Based on my opinion, the government hasn’t performed to our expectations.

    “Things are getting worse compared to when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the leadership of the country. People are going through a lot of difficulties. We live in villages.

    “We are going there to interact with them, and they are lamenting seriously. They have nowhere to go, so they have no one to express their grievances to other than us.”

    He lambasted the President saying, “I think Bola Ahmed Tinubu didn’t even understand this country, and he didn’t understand the difficulties of ruling a country like Nigeria. Probably he has his own idea of what governance is, but I don’t blame him so much because when he was campaigning for the seat, there was no agreement or promise between him and the people.

    “People were just blinded and voted for him because he supported former president Muhammadu Buhari when he was contesting. Some even voted for him because he is a Muslim; as such, he needed their vote on whether he could or could not do the right thing for the country,” he said.

    Decrying that the North is at the receiving end of the Tinubu administration despite voting for him as a Muslim and his association with Buhari, Ningi said, “The most painful thing is that Northerners stood for him and did all they could to bring him to power, but unfortunately, there was no agreement between them and the president on what should be done to the North and the Northerners.

    “Especially taking into consideration the importance and significant projects that North has been yearning for and aspiring to get for a long (time).

    “For example, the Ajaokuta project, the Mambilla power project, the dredging of the Niger River, and other notable projects.

    “What mostly disturbs my sleep is that we had a budget in 2013 and 2014 in which we earmarked billions of naira, but it was neglected by President Goodluck Jonathan. When President Buhari came, we thought it was one of the projects he would pay attention to, but unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for over eight years.

    “Even road construction like Kano-Abuja is not yet completed, as if it were cursed by someone, despite the road being the soul of our travellers in the North.

    “Indeed, we don’t attack the government as the opposition is supposed to do. But this is a result of the situation and the government we have. These so-called leaders they forced on us were not voted for by us.

    “They brought religious issues and ethnic and tribal issues into the process; they used propaganda, saying that no Hausa/Fulani would be trusted to lead the opposition because there would be no peace.

    “If you look at it from this scenario, the majority of those in opposition are from the Northeast and the Northwest, but we were not allowed to be the leaders of the opposition in the Senate.

    “This is one of the reasons why we said we would go back and look at what is happening under the umbrella of the Northern Senators Forum, which is under my leadership.

    “But you can’t do everything here because it involves members of the ruling and opposition parties. It is very difficult to challenge the ruling party under that umbrella once you want the unity of the North.“

    On the Federal Government’s decisions to transfer some departments of federal agencies to Lagos, Ningi said, “I will speak not as a member of the opposition but as a northerner. As a Northerner, I know that this is going to happen. We heard about it, and we saw several examples in the past that tell us that all this is possible.

    “But as I speak, our people, especially the leaders, are yet to take any action to find the solution. That is why I am not even surprised.

    “These things that are happening are of two categories. Some affect the North only, and some affect the entire country. What we are doing now as leaders of the Forum of Northerners is trying to address the problem or reduce its strength without allowing politics to come in.

    “These security challenges are happening in the North. There is nowhere in the South where someone will be abducted and spend seven days in custody of the abductors.

    “Look at Katsina, Zamfara, and Benue. I am even afraid that one day we will wake up and see that states like Zamfara have been taken away from the country. It is possible, going by what is happening.”

    ‘Tinubu Must Explain Who Padded 2024 Budget With N3tn’ – Northern Senators Forum Speaks is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Thomas Bordeleau, San Jose Sharks beat Ottawa Senators

    SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks now have 19 games left and may be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention by early next week. They have some players who thought they might get traded but weren’t, and as of earlier this week, were playing games in front of only a few thousand fans.

    And they just watched their best player get traded to their fiercest rival.

    It hasn’t been the easiest set of circumstances for anyone in teal.

    Still, the expectations for everyone inside the Sharks organization remain the same – carry a professional and positive attitude and compete as hard as possible even as everyone plays out the string.

    A challenging week on a positive note Saturday, as Thomas Bordeleau had his first career two-goal game in the NHL, and goalie Magnus Chrona made 31 saves to earn his first victory in the league as the Sharks beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 before an announced crowd of 17,008 at SAP Center.

    Mikael Granlund, playing in his 800th career NHL game, assisted on both of Bordeleau’s power-play goals as the Sharks snapped a nine-game losing streak.

    “Just a good performance against a good team,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “I don’t care what that team’s record is. They’re good. They’ve got a lot of talent. They’re well-coached. They’re a challenge.”

    Granlund is now the team leader in points with 40 after Tomas Hertl was dealt to the rival Vegas Golden Knights on Friday just minutes before the NHL trade deadline at noon (PST).

    Also on Friday, the Sharks traded goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils and defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk to the Calgary Flames. On Thursday, winger Anthony Duclair was sent to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

    It was a fire sale.

    Still, the loss of Hertl, a leader from both a production and emotional standpoint, probably stings the Sharks the most.

    “We’re professionals and we’ve got to put emotion aside. You’ve got a job to do,” Sharks coach David Quinn said before Saturday’s game. “Your career is on the line every time you step on the ice and if you’re not mentally tough enough to approach it that way, then you’re going to have a short career in the National Hockey League.

    “If you’re going to let these types of things get in the way of your performance, then you’re not going to make it long.”

    With Saturday’s win, the Sharks (16-40-7) ended a three-game homestand with a 1-1-1 record. The two games earlier this week, against Dallas and the New York Islanders, drew two of the three smallest crowds of the season at 10,070 and 10,077, respectively.

    The Sharks now begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

    “It’s a 20-game season,” Quinn said. “It’s been a tough go here the last 48 hours. But there should be relief, too, that there’s clarity and there’s certainty of who’s here and you know what you have to do.

    “Careers are on the line. People watch and people evaluate, you can’t unsee what you see. You don’t get a redo, so you better come out ready to play.”

    Chrona was making his third career NHL start and was two days removed from a 7-2 loss to the New York Islanders in which he had a .788 save percentage, although he was on the receiving end of a couple of unlucky bounces.

    “Just joy,” Chrona said of his first NHL win. “Something I dreamt of my entire life. It was close in Dallas (on March 2) and kind of came into the same situation this time with a 2-1 lead coming into the third. I think the guys played great in front of me.”

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  • Tax season is underway. Here are some tips to navigate it

    NEW YORK (AP) — It’s tax season in the U.S., and for many people, filing tax returns can be a daunting task that’s often left until the last minute. But if you want to avoid the stress of the looming deadline, start getting organized as soon as possible.

    Whether you do your taxes yourself, go to a tax clinic or hire a professional, navigating the tax system can be complicated and stressful. Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate for Credit Karma, recommends you go easy on yourself.

    “Take a breath. Take some time, set out an hour, or go through it over the weekend. You’ll hopefully see that it’s a lot simpler than you think,” Alev said.

    If you find the process too confusing, there are plenty of free resources to help you get through it.

    Here are some things you need to know:

    WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO FILE TAXES?

    Taxpayers have until April 15 to submit their returns from 2023.

    WHAT DO I NEED TO FILE MY TAX RETURN?

    While the required documents might depend on your individual case, here is a general list of what everyone needs:

    —Social Security number

    —W-2 forms, if you are employed

    —1099-G, if you are unemployed

    —1099 forms, if you are self-employed

    —Savings and investment records

    —Any eligible deduction, such as educational expenses, medical bills, charitable donations, etc.

    —Tax credits, such as child tax credit, retirement savings contributions credit, etc.

    To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

    Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, recommends gathering all of your documents in one place before you start your tax return and also having your documents from last year if your financial situation has drastically changed.

    O’Saben also recommends taxpayers create an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

    HOW DO I FILE MY TAXES?

    You can either file your taxes online or on paper. However, there is a great time difference between the two options. Paper filing can take up to six months for the IRS to process, while electronic filing cuts it down to three weeks.

    WHAT RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE?

    The IRS is piloting a program where you can file your federal taxes online for free called Direct File. This program is now available in 12 states, which include California and New York, and for people who have very simple W-2s, an employee’s wage and tax statement.

    Aside from Direct File, IRS offers free guided tax preparation that does the math for you. This is available for people who make $79,000 or less per year. If you have questions while working on your tax forms, the IRS also offers an interactive tax assistant tool that can provide answers based on your information.

    Beyond the popular companies such as TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

    The IRS also funds two types of programs that offer free tax help: VITA and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program (TCE). People who earn $64,000 or less a year, have disabilities or are limited English speakers, qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older, qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations hosting VITA and TCE clinics.

    If you have a tax problem, there are clinics around the country that can help you resolve these issues. Generally, these tax clinics also offer services in other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

    HOW CAN I AVOID MISTAKES IN MY TAX RETURN?

    Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. Here’s how to avoid some of the most common ones:

    —Double check your name on your Social Security card.

    When working with clients, O’Saben always asks them to bring their Social Security card to double-check their number and their legal name, which can change when when people get married.

    “You may have changed your name but you didn’t change it with Social Security,” O’Saben said. “If the Social Security number doesn’t match to the first four letters of the last name, the return will be rejected and that will delay processing.”

    —Search for tax statements when you have opted out of paper mail.

    Many people like to opt out of snail mail but when you do, it can also include your tax documents.

    “If you didn’t get anything in the mail doesn’t mean that there isn’t an information document out there that you need to be aware of and report accordingly,” O’Saben said.

    —Make sure you report all of your income.

    If you had more than one job in 2023, you need the W-2 forms of each.

    WHAT ABOUT THE CHILD INCOME CREDIT?

    Earlier this year, Congress announced a bipartisan agreement to enhance the current child tax credit. Currently, the tax credit is $2,000 per child, but only $1,600 is refundable. The bill would incrementally increase the maximum refundable child tax credit to $1,800 for 2023 tax returns, $1,900 for the following year and $2,000 for 2025 tax returns.

    If this agreement goes through, around 16 million children in low-income families would benefit from this child tax credit expansion, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Lawmakers are hoping to move this bill as soon as possible.

    WHAT IF I MAKE A MISTAKE?

    Mistakes happen, and the IRS takes different approaches depending on each case. In general, if you make a mistake or you’re missing something in your tax records, the IRS will audit you, Alev said. An audit means that the IRS will ask you for more documentation.

    “Generally, they are very understanding and willing to work with folks. You’re not going to get arrested if you type in the wrong field,” Alev said.

    WHAT IF I HAVEN’T FILED FOR YEARS?

    You can file taxes late and, if you were supposed to get a refund, you might still get it. If you haven’t filed for years and you owe money to the IRS, you may be hit with penalties but the agency will can work with you to manage payment plans.

    HOW CAN I AVOID SCAMS?

    Tax season is prime time for tax scams, said O’Saben. These scams can come via phone, text, email and social media. The IRS uses none of those means to contact taxpayers.

    Sometimes scams are even operated by tax preparers so it’s important to ask lots of questions. If a tax preparer says you will get a refund that is larger than what you’ve received in previous years, for example, that may be a red flag, O’Saben said.

    If you can’t see what your tax preparer is working on, get a copy of the tax return and ask questions about each of the entries.

    HOW LONG SHOULD I KEEP COPIES OF MY TAX RETURNS?

    It’s always good practice to keep a record of your tax returns, just in case the IRS audits you for an item you reported years ago. O’Saben recommend keeping copies of your tax return documents for up to seven years.

    HOW DO I FILE A TAX EXTENSION?

    If you run out of time to file your tax return, you can file for an extension. However, it is important to remember that the extension is only to file your taxes, not to pay them. If you owe taxes, you should pay an estimated amount before the deadline so you avoid paying penalties and interest. If you expect to receive a refund, you will still receive your money when you file your taxes.

    Filing an extension will give you until Oct. 15 to file your taxes. You can file for an extension through your tax software or preparer of preference, the IRS Free File tool or via mail.

    WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FILE TAXES LATE?

    If you missed the tax deadline and you don’t file for an extension, there are several penalties that you might receive. If you missed the deadline you might receive a failure-to-file penalty. This penalty will be 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month the tax return is late, according to the IRS.

    If you owe taxes and you didn’t pay them prior to the tax deadline, you will receive a failure-to-pay penalty. Interest will also be charged on both taxes and penalties owed. If you are due for a refund, you will not receive a penalty and you will receive your tax return payment. If you had special circumstances that meant you were unable to file or pay your taxes on time, you might be able to remove or reduce your penalty.

    If the amount of taxes you owe becomes too large, you can apply for a payment plan. Payment plans will allow you to pay off over time.

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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  • Roger Stone Exposes Deep State Plan To Steal 2024 Election


    Hear what’s planned for the election and what can be done to counter the cheating!

    Alex Jones is joined by the legendary Roger Stone to expose the leftist agenda to steal the 2024 election as they prepare for an all but inevitable Trump victory.



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  • Women Protest On Abuja Streets Against Child Molestation, Urge Parents To Speak Up

    Abuja Mom

    A group of women under the umbrella of Abuja Moms has protested over the rising cases of rape and child molestation in Nigeria while calling on parents to speak up when such incidents occur for the child to get justice.

    The protesters with placards bearing inscriptions like “Say no to child molestation,” “Shatter the silence, report molesters,” “Uphold the Child Rights Act always,” “See something, say something,” among others, demanded an end to molestation carried out against children by those who are most often relatives or close people to the parents of the victims.

    The protest tagged ‘Walk Against Child Molestation’ took off from Millennium Park at 8 a.m., to other parts of the city where the women sensitise the residents on the dangers of keeping silent when their children are molested.

    Speaking during the protest, the founder of the Abuja Moms Empowerment Foundation, Happiness Ani, stated that there were rising cases of child molestation because parents did not speak up when it occurred.

    Ani pointed out that sometimes, when parents dare to speak out and report to the police, they are usually urged to drop the case and settle at home.

    She stated that the Walk, which is an annual event, was aimed at reminding parents to speak up, adding that speaking up will not only bring justice to the child but will serve as a healing process.

    “This is our annual walk against child molestation. I was molested at age 10, and I know the trauma that I had to deal with. It took me over 20 years before I was able to speak out about it.

    “We are trying to let the world know that these crimes do happen, and it is important that children are protected.

    “I feel that every year, if we have the opportunity to educate women, mothers, and fathers on the dangers that some children go through, most times when we do this, we have people who call to say my child was molested. How do we get help?

    “So, we are always saying to them, don’t drop it. My mother was convinced not to press charges against my aunt’s husband because people would consider me a dis-virtuous child. I imagined the trauma that I went through, even though there was no penetration. I feel that people who get penetrated will pass through the worst trauma that I have gone through,” she said.

    Ani disclosed that apart from the sensitization, the group has taken up a lot of cases, some of which are ongoing in courts.

    She explained that the Abuja Moms, which is an all women platform on Facebook with more than 48,000 members, has a legal team that is always on hand to support women and men who go through such circumstances pro bono, saying the Foundation had recently secured a judgment where the suspect was sentenced to jail.

    She advised parents to keep an eye on everybody around them as paedophiles could be someone who has their trust, like a brother, nephew, neighbour, or even a sister.

    Women Protest On Abuja Streets Against Child Molestation, Urge Parents To Speak Up is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Fact Check: Fact-checking Rep. Katie Porter’s claims that billionaires ‘rigged’ California’s Senate primary

    After losing her California Senate bid on March 5, Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat, used language reminiscent of election denialism to cry foul. 

    Thanking her supporters in a March 6 X post, Porter wrote: “Because of you, we had the establishment running scared — withstanding 3 to 1 in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires spending millions to rig this election.”

    Facing criticism of her use of the term “rig” — including from Democrats — Porter later elaborated. 

    “‘Rigged’ means manipulated by dishonest means,” she wrote in a statement posted to X. “A few billionaires spent $10 million+ on attack ads against me, including an ad rated ‘false’ by an independent fact checker. That is dishonest means to manipulate an outcome.”

    In that statement, she wrote, “I said ‘rigged by billionaires’ and our politics are — in fact — “manipulated by big dark money.” 

    “At no time have I ever undermined the vote count and election process in CA, which are beyond reproach,” she added.

    When contacted for comment, a Porter campaign spokesperson pointed us back to her statement on X and to Merriam-Webster’s definitions of the verb “rig,” one of which reads, “to manipulate or control usually by deceptive or dishonest means.” Another of the definitions says “rig” is “to fix in advance for a desired result.”

    Porter’s posts landed in a fraught political environment in which former President Donald Trump and his supporters have consistently asserted that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged.” The allegations have been widely rebutted by the courts. PolitiFact has repeatedly rated false and misleading claims about “rigged” U.S. elections.

    Sometimes Democrats have joined in with similar language. In 2019, after Democrat Stacey Abrams lost the 2018 Georgia governor race to Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, Abrams claimed the “system is rigged” and repeatedly suggested the election was stolen. (PolitiFact found no proof that voter suppression kept Abrams from winning the 2018 governor’s contest.) 

    Rigging an election might refer to buying votes, tampering with voting machines or stuffing a ballot box.

    In Porter’s case, she faced an onslaught of opposition spending, some of it by wealthy entities with little or no disclosure required. However, spending unlimited amounts of money to buy ads is legal, as long as the spenders do not coordinate with candidates. 

    Democracy and elections experts said people might disagree about whether such tactics should be legal, but this spending did not assure Porter’s loss or amount to a “rigged” election.

    California’s Senate primary

    California uses an unusual top-two primary system in which the candidates who finish in first and second place both advance to the general election — regardless of their party affiliation.

    Although votes are still being counted, Porter is headed toward a third-place finish behind Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, a former Major League Baseball player. 

    Garvey entered the race in October, following months of rumors about his possible candidacy. Garvey often polled below Schiff and close to Porter, according to FiveThirtyEight data.

    Some news reports before the election characterized the race as one for second place between Porter and Garvey.

    The effect of California Senate race spending

    In February, Schiff’s campaign released a television ad contrasting him with Garvey. This tactic was expected to accomplish two goals for Schiff: to burnish his image for Democrats, and to make Republican voters aware of Garvey, potentially vaulting him above Porter and making the general election contest easier for Schiff in the solidly blue state. 

    Outside money played a role, too.

    A pro-Schiff political action committee bankrolled a 30-second ad in February that criticized Garvey for his conservative views and noted his past support for Trump. Around the same time these ads appeared, polling showed Garvey’s support increasing.

    Polling showed that after the ads aimed at boosting Garvey began airing, Porter saw a modest increase in support.

    In her post-election comments, however, Porter highlighted a different example of outside spending. 

    Fairshake, a political action committee linked to cryptocurrency industry leaders, paid for the campaign ad Porter called “dishonest” and that she alleged “rigged” the election against her.

    In the 2024 election cycle so far, Fairshake has spent $11.2 million on federal elections, with about $10 million of that spent opposing Porter, according to data from Open Secrets, a nonpartisan research group that tracks federal money in politics. 

    Fairshake’s ad claimed Porter accepted donations “from Big Pharma, Big Oil and the Big Bank executives” — a claim The Sacramento Bee fact-checked and rated “mostly false,” describing it as “misleading to viewers.” 

    Spending such as this is legal under the 2010 Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

    “That’s a fact, whether we like it or not,” said Daniel Weiner, director of the Elections and Government Program at New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice, a group that advocates for expanding voting rights. Billionaires spending unlimited amounts of money on ads opposing Porter would not be considered “illegal acts designed to change the outcome of the election,” he said.

    Political action committees cannot be financed by prohibited sources such as foreign groups and cannot coordinate with campaigns, Weiner said. He characterized the Federal Election Commission’s rules for what constitutes coordination as “pretty weak.”

    Other political experts said that what occurred fell well short of rigging.

    They agreed that Porter’s failure to secure one of the top two spots owes more to Schiff’s yearslong cultivation of California voters and Porter’s political shortcomings than rigging. 

    “If a well-endorsed established politician beats a relative newcomer, that’s politics,” said Robin Kolodny, a Temple University political scientist.

    In American politics, experts say, money is a necessary component of a winning campaign but it is not the only one. In 2022, eight of the 10 congressional candidates with the most self-funding lost. In California, it is not uncommon to see well-financed candidates lose.

    Voters cast their ballot on Super Tuesday, at the Ranchito Elementary School polling station March 5, 2024, in Los Angeles’ Panorama City section. (AP)

    Some Democrats, democracy experts didn’t support Porter’s term 

    Experts said Porter’s use of “rigged” echoes rhetoric she’s used against financial institutions during her political career.

    “Populist candidates and activists are especially prone to blaming the system, because it maintains their belief that the system needs radical change for justice and social justice to prevail,” said Wayne Steger, a DePaul University political scientist.

    Democrats, including Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Alex Padilla of California, a former California secretary of state, criticized Porter’s use of the term “rigged.” Steve Schale, a longtime Democratic strategist based in Florida, also rebutted Porter’s statement in an X post.

    Schale told PolitiFact he believes it’s unhealthy rhetoric.

    “All you are doing is playing into the narrative that nobody actually loses,” Schale said. “One thing that makes our democracy work is people acknowledge they lose elections. There is nothing more important to our democracy than people acknowledging they lose elections.”

    Michael Thorning, structural democracy director at the Bipartisan Policy Center, agreed with Schale, calling Porter’s comment that billionaires spent money to rig the election “completely irresponsible and unserious” in a March 7 X post. 

    The Brennan Center’s Weiner said Porter was calling attention to a “very real structural problem” that can disadvantage voters and candidates with less money. But he said he would not have used the term “rig” to discuss the issue because in the current political environment false claims about election rigging are “designed to delegitimize our democratic institutions.” 

    Our ruling

    Porter said billionaires “rigged” the California senate primary election through “dishonest means,” citing outside funding that supported attack ads against her. 

    Outside funding for ads is legal and is not equivalent to predetermining a particular result. Rigging typically refers to things such as vote buying, ballot box stuffing or tampering with voting machines. It is based on limiting voter choice, and in the California race voters were free to choose among the candidates as they saw fit.

    We rate this claim False. 

    PolitiFact Senior Correspondent Amy Sherman contributed to this report.

    RELATED: Trump’s new ‘evidence’ that Biden lost in 2020 is ridiculously wrong (and dusty). We reviewed it.

    RELATED: All of our fact-checks about elections



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  • Without Curry, Warriors take embarrassing loss to Spurs

    SAN FRANCISCO — Life without Steph Curry has never been fun for the Warriors, and nothing about this year’s group changed that on Saturday.

    For as much development Jonathan Kuminga has shown, as impressive as rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis has been, as much as veteran Chris Paul can bring, they won’t have much of a chance without Curry. He remains their sun, and they tend to fall out of orbit when he goes dark.

    Without Curry, the Warriors couldn’t even keep pace with the last-place Spurs, who entered at 13-50 and were missing Victor Wembanyama — by far their best player. The Spurs led by as much as 21 and maintained a healthy lead by shooting 51.5% from 3-point distance in the Chase Center.

    Kuminga struggled early but scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and Klay Thompson dropped a game-high 217, but the Warriors needed much more in a 126-113 defeat. For the first leg of a home-and-home with the Spurs, Golden State (33-30) absorbed a disconcerting loss to the Western Conference’s worst team.

    The Warriors knew finding rotations that worked with Curry sidelined could be an adventure. But this loss was a tribulation no one could have foreseen. The only encouraging note is that the two-time MVP isn’t expected to miss serious time, as he’s set for re-evaluation on Tuesday.

    Without Curry, the Warriors ran more offense through their new point guard, Chris Paul, and ascending young wing Jonathan Kuminga — who came alive late. They ran more sets with off-ball actions instead of the freestyling drive-and-kicks Curry tends to generate.

    The results were rarely promising.

    Several possessions ended with tough, contested jump shots. Instead of the elegant ball and player movement that has defined Steve Kerr’s Warriors offensive system, there were much more isolations and no-pass possessions. With fewer 3-point shooting threats on the floor, the paint was much more clogged than usual.

    Golden State’s lack of outside shooting was particularly evident when the Spurs’s 2-3 zone swallowed up their halfcourt offense. In the first five minutes of the second quarter, the Warriors mustered just five points. Dario Saric, who was summoned from out of Kerr’s rotation for shooting, broke a two-minute Warriors scoring drought.

    The Warriors trailed the Spurs by 19 at half, having scored just 16 points in the second quarter.

    Ranked 24th in defensive rating, San Antonio is hardly the defensive machine. And without Wembanyama, the generational rookie who disrupts everything in the paint, they’re even worse. San Antonio was also without rotation players Cedi Osman and Devin Vassell.

    It’s unlikely the Warriors thought it would be as difficult to score as it was. They’ve played without Curry before, and Klay Thompson said on Thursday that “we’ll do well without him, we’ll rely on our history and how to execute without him.”

    That’s easier said than done. The Warriors came into the Spurs matchup 0-3 in games without Curry this year and had lost to the Bulls after he exited with the ankle sprain. In 2019-20, they went 15-50 when he missed almost the entire year.

    The Warriors didn’t hang tough defensively, either, though that has less to do with Curry’s absence. During one stretch in which the Warriors threatened to make a run, they let Julian Champagnie a wide-open corner 3 in semi transition to quell their momentum.

    Golden State started the second half small, with DraymondGreen at center and Thompson in for spacing. It worked initially, with the Warriors opening the third quarter on a 16-8 run.

    The strategy worked, at least on one end. Golden State put together a 36-point frame, but continued to bleed open looks from behind the arc on the other end. Every time Thompson drilled a 3 or Jackson-Davis made an acrobatic finish, it seemed like a Spur canned a batting practice triple to answer.

    After three quarters, San Antonio — the second worst 3-point shooting team in the league — shot 61.5% from deep and led by 17.

    Kuminga, who was quiet for most of the game, dropped 11 points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. Golden State’s most consistent offense of the night was Kuminga playing bully ball.

    Kuminga continued to score, and his gliding finish in transition cut San Antonio’s lead to 13 with 3:59 left. But a full court trap and foul game wasn’t fruitful enough. That’s the position Golden State found themselves without Curry: playing out the string in desperation mode against a depleted version of one of the league’s least talented teams.

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