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Your tax refund could be smaller than last year. Here's why

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Expecting a tax refund? It could be smaller than last year. And with inflation still high, that money won't go as far as it did a year ago. The more than 100 million taxpayers who have had their returns processed as of April 7 got refunds that were an average of 9.3% less than last year, in part due to pandemic relief programs expiring. The filing deadline for most taxpayers is Tuesday, though it has been extended for parts of California, Alabama, Georgia, New York, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana that were hard hit by severe weather.The average refund is $2,878, down from $3,175, a difference of nearly $300, according to the most recent IRS data available.For many households, especially working families, the tax refund is the biggest one-time financial windfall of the year, said Kathy Pickering, chief tax officer of H&R Block. “We know that working families in general are the most cash-strapped," she said, adding that the expanded earned income tax ...

Presale Codes for Erykah Badu UNFOLLOW ME Tour with Yasiin Bey

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Didn’t Cha Know? Neo-soul queen Erykah Badu just announced a tour that may just bring her to a venue near you. The tour dubbed “UNFOLLOW ME” will hit 25 dates and feature special guest Yasiin Bey. The tour launches June 11 in San Antonio, TX and wraps on July 23 in Dallas, TX, and will include a stop here in Los Angeles on June 17 at the Crypto.com Arena — see below for all dates. Passwords and presale codes for the Erykah Badu UNFOLLOW ME Tour with Yasiin Bey tickets are as follows:Presale codes for Erykah Badu UNFOLLOW ME Tour with Yasiin BeyPresale tickets for Erykah Badu UNFOLLOW ME Tour with Yasiin Bey are currently underway and we’ve been told the following presale codes and passwords may work. Details are subject to change, and vary by event date:Artist presale code or password: APPLETREES122Chase card presale code or password: 541712 (you will need a Chase card to make the purchase)Sales for the general public should go on sale this Thursday, April 20. Take...

Jonathan Majors in jeopardy: Loses manager over ‘personal behavior’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Jonathan Majors’ attorney may have come out with a powerful defense of the actor against domestic violence charges, but that may not be enough to stop the apparent free-fall of his career that was so “red hot” up until a few weeks ago.Deadline reported Monday that Majors’ longtime management company, Entertainment 360, has dropped him as a client, “due to issues surrounding the actor’s personal behavior.” It’s not clear from the Deadline report whether these issues have to do with Majors’ March 25 arrest in New York City, stemming from an alleged altercation with his girlfriend, or whether the management company became aware of other concerns about the actor.HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors speak onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) The 33-year-old star of “Creed III...

Review: Phish had something really special in store for fans in Berkeley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Phish set up shop at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on Monday night (April 17) for the first time in 13 years, performing the first of three sold-out shows before 8,000-plus fans at the historic venue that first opened its doors 120 years ago.The Vermont group — consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman and keyboardist Page McConnell — marked its long-awaited return to the Greek by delivering a nice, but rather routine (at least by Phish’s amazingly high standards) first set.Then it upped the ante in spectacular fashion with an epic second set that illustrated many of the reasons why Phish — now 40 years into its legendary career — remains the world’s greatest jam band.It was still light out as the quartet took the stage at around 6:40 p.m., following the advertised early start time of 6 p.m. in order to comply with weekday curfew restrictions at the open-air venue. The crowd lit up like a Ca...

Jamie Foxx’s mystery medical issue follows ‘meltdown’ on movie set, other production ‘chaos’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Jamie Foxx continues to undergo tests in a Georgia hospital, nearly a week after he suffered an  unidentified “medical complication,” which at one point reportedly left him unable to communicate.While Foxx’s family has declined to reveal the nature of his condition, CNN reported that the 55-year-old Oscar winner continues to undergo tests to “figure out what exactly happened.” The medical emergency also follows reports that Foxx was dealing with the stressful production of his latest film, “Back in Action,” which has been promoted as a vehicle to bring his co-star Cameron Diaz out of retirement.Jamie Foxx remains hospitalized in Georgia nearly a week after his daughter revealed the actor experienced a “medical complication,” a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN on Monday. https://t.co/tATnyJMUcC— CNN (@CNN) April 18, 2023The Sun initially reported last month that production on the Netflix action-comedy, which began in London ...

Best Online Pokies for Australia Travellers: Top Australian Online Pokie Sites for Real Money (Updated List 2023)

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Sponsored Content We get it. You’re abroad and you’re missing the chance to play pokies online. You want to join the best online pokies sites for Australian travellers which – where possible – feel very “Oz.”The good news is that loads of casinos let you play online pokies wherever you are in the world. And we’ve rounded up the very best of them right here!Each casino has been independently verified by our team of experts, who have assessed them for the quality of their online pokies, online casino bonuses, and reputation – with Red Dog at the top of our list.Let’s dive in and find out more about the best online pokies Australia has to offer.Best Online Pokies for Australia TravellersRed Dog Casino (Bubble Bubble 3): Best overallIgnition (777 Deluxe): Best for jackpotsBitStarz (Master of Starz): Top pick for Bitcoin pokiesJoe Fortune (American Jet Set): Best variety of online pokiesNational Casino (Sweet Bonanza): Best for pokies & live dealer games7Bit Casino (Buffalo Trail): N...

Review: ‘Minecraft Legends’ is a strategy spinoff with some flaws

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

“Minecraft” has come a long way from its indie roots. The franchise was once just an experiment focused on free-form and emergent gameplay, but over the years, it has evolved and changed hands, becoming a video game juggernaut since its full release.Today, a generation of kids see it on a par with Lego blocks or “Super Mario Bros.” It’s a touchstone of childhood, and like any good franchise, Microsoft has found a way to spin off and evolve “Minecraft’s” characters, concepts and aesthetic. They’ve done it with titles such as “Minecraft Dungeons” and the defunct “Minecraft Earth.” (Not every spinoff is perfect.)The latest project, “Minecraft Legends,” takes the franchise’s core concepts and adapts them to a real-time strategy game.SAVING THE OVERWORLDIn the campaign, players take on the role of the hero, who’s transported into a world facing a terrible menace. Piglins have invaded fro...

Winning Fantasy 5 lottery ticket sold at Hayward store

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

HAYWARD — A liquor store sold a winning California lottery ticket worth nearly $300,000 on Monday night, according to lottery officials.Karavan Liquors in the 27400 block of Hesperian Boulevard sold the $280,044 Fantasy 5 ticket, according to results of the draw released by the California Lottery. The ticket matched all five numbers.A convenience store in Northridge, in Southern California, also sold a Fantasy 5 ticket with all five numbers matching, according to lottery officials. The winning numbers were 8, 11, 16, 23, 27.Officials did not say whether they had been contacted by the owners of the winning tickets.Related ArticlesCalifornia News | Lottery-fueled Castellano Family Foundation ending operations California News | Powerball jackpot winner drops $4 million on California home, his second luxury real estate buy

Court throws out Berkeley’s ban on natural gas in new construction

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

BERKELEY — A federal appeals court on Monday overturned Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas in new construction, agreeing with restaurant owners who argued the city bypassed federal energy regulations when it approved the ordinance.The measure, which took effect in 2020 to cheers from environmentalists, was intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming. With some exceptions, it banned new residential and commercial buildings from installing natural gas piping in favor of electrical lines.A lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association claimed the regulation violated federal law that gives the U.S. government authority to set energy-efficiency standards for appliances such as stoves, furnaces and water heaters.The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected a lower court judge’s decision two years ago that had upheld the Berkeley ordinance. In her 2021 decision, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Ro...

Tesla reports fatal Bay Area crash this past February involved automated driving

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

By Keith Laing | BloombergTesla Inc. disclosed to US regulators another fatal crash involving automated driver-assist systems, bringing its total to 17 since June 2021 when the government required carmakers to begin submitting data on these accidents.The crash involved a Tesla Model S that collided with an emergency vehicle in February in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the time of the accident, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked the company for more information.The crash was one of 66 reported accidents that were included in the latest public release of data collected by the NHTSA about crashes involving so-called Level 2 automated driving systems, gathered under a June 2021 order demanding carmakers and technology companies report the incidents.Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Safety advocates in Washington have called for regulators and lawmakers to set firmer rules for so-called self-driving cars and technologies that are gaining pop...