Fake Progressive Tells Morning Joe That Biden Is Great

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaPYtF3rEpQ

‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

[Report from The Onion, May 27, 2014]




Maybe we should light more candles?


https://www.theonion.com/no-way-to-prevent-this-says-only-nation-where-this-r-1819576527




ISLA VISTA, CA—In the days following a violent rampage in southern California in which a lone attacker killed seven individuals, including himself, and seriously injured over a dozen others, citizens living in the only country where this kind of mass killing routinely occurs reportedly concluded Tuesday that there was no way to prevent the massacre from taking place.




“This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them,” said North Carolina resident Samuel Wipper, echoing sentiments expressed by tens of millions of individuals who reside in a nation where over half of the world’s deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the past 50 years and whose citizens are 20 times more likely to die of gun violence than those of other developed nations.




“It’s a shame, but what can we do? There really wasn’t anything that was going to keep this guy from snapping and killing a lot of people if that’s what he really wanted.”




At press time, residents of the only economically advanced nation in the world where roughly two mass shootings have occurred every month for the past five years were referring to themselves and their situation as “helpless.”


[vanishingmediator: All owners of firearms should be required to take a PET Scan to test for psychopathy. No psychopath (including psychopathic police officers) should possess weapons.]

Eight workers killed in late-night shooting massacre at Indianapolis FedEx Ground facility

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/04/17/fede-a17.html




Jacob Crosse
12 hours ago







Nine people are dead following the 45th mass shooting to occur in the US in the last month after 19-year-old Brandon Scott Hole opened fire on workers at the FedEx Ground facility located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

A body is taken from the scene where multiple people were shot at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Friday, April 16, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Michael Conroy]

The sprawling 382,330 square foot warehouse, located near the Indianapolis International Airport, was transformed into a mass casualty site after Hole began firing what has been described in reports as a “rifle” or “AR” as some 100 workers at the facility were in midst of changing shifts or on a break.

Four people were shot and killed outside the facility while another four were killed inside according to Deputy Chief Craig McCartt of the Indianapolis Police department. Hole reportedly died by suicide just prior to police arriving. Multiple people were injured with five requiring hospitalization according to McCartt who said the whole incident, “did not last very long.”

McCartt said that the shooting began shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday. Hole apparently got “out of his car, and pretty quickly started some random shooting outside the facility.” After shooting multiple people outside the facility, Hole, whom FedEx confirmed on Friday was an employee as late as 2020, “went inside” and continued his rampage according to McCartt.

One eyewitness and current FedEx worker, Levi Miller, told NBC’s “Today” he saw a “hooded figure” with an “AR in his hand” who was “yelling” as he fired indiscriminately. Miller also said he also saw another man “pull a gun out of his trunk” and “try to engage the shooter, he died because of it.”

Miller said that the only conclusion he could draw as to a possible motive was that Hole was “specifically targeting our head manager” who Miller said was not there Thursday night.

Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor stated during a Friday press conference that a “significant” number of the employees at the facility are members of the Sikh community. The Washington Post reported that two Sikh men, Jasvinder Kaur, 50 and Amarijit Sekhon, 49, are among the eight dead, according to Rimpi Girn, a family member.

The Post also identified Jaswinder Singh as a victim after speaking to his nephew, 27-year-old Harry Singh.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that Sikh community members are among those injured and killed by the gunman in Indianapolis last night,” Satjeet Kaur, Executive Director of The Sikh Coalition said in a Friday statement.

Compounding the stress that workers faced during the shooting was the fact that worried family members did not know for hours if their loved ones were safe due to draconian FedEx company rules which forbid rank-and-file workers from carrying a cell phone on their person inside the facility.

“When you see notifications on your phone, but you’re not getting a text back from your kid and you’re not getting information and you still don’t know where they are...what are you supposed to do?” Monday Carson told the AP through tears Friday morning. Carson later confirmed that she heard her daughter was ok.

In a statement defending their invasive “no cell phone” policy, FedEx said that cellphone access was limited to a small number of managers at dock and package sorting areas to, “support safety protocols and minimize potential distractions.”

As police locked down the facility and began to process the massive crime scene, families of employees who may have been affected were sent to a nearby Holiday Inn Express to meet with police. The New York Times reported that by 2:45 a.m. Friday morning, about 110 people were anxiously waiting for news.

Thursday’s shooting was the third mass shooting in Indianapolis this year. According to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot or killed, not including the shooter, there have been 147 mass shootings so far this year in the US. The Archive has catalogued 12,395 people killed in the US via gun violence this year, which includes suicide.

In 2020, the Gun Violence Archive tabulated a record high 610 mass shootings, the most since the organization began tracking in 2014, resulting in 43,549 deaths. This year, the US is on pace to record 511 mass shootings, nearly 100 more than the 417 recorded in 2019.

Multiple press outlets confirmed on Friday that local and federal authorities had been aware of Hole prior to Thursday's shooting. Paul Keenan, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis field office, said Friday that the agency had become aware of Hole last March after his mother had called local police to report that her son might commit “suicide by cop.”

As is the case with millions of working class families in the US, the evisceration of social services and the privatization of health care has left many no option but to call the police during a mental health emergency, putting themselves and their family at great risk.

In a statement, Agent Keenan confirmed that last March “a shotgun was seized at his residence,” after Hole’s mother had called the police. It continued: “Based on items observed in the suspect’s bedroom at the time, he was interviewed by the FBI in April 2020. No Racially Motivated Violent Extremism (RMVE) ideology was identified during the course of the assessment and no criminal violation was found,” the statement said. “The shotgun was not returned to the suspect.”

On Friday morning, multiple news agencies confirmed that agents with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched the suspect’s home on the eastside of Indianapolis. Federal agents were observed removing at least two computers and a large cardboard box.

While more information has yet to be released, the latest mass shooting has once again exposed the dysfunctional and anti-social character of American capitalist society. The United States has been at war for the entirety of Hole’s life. During the same time, period mass shootings have become a tragic fixture in American life. Meanwhile, the police harass and kill youth and workers with impunity.

While millions of workers and young people have struggled to survive following pandemic-related job losses and reduction in hours, pandemic profiteers and Wall Street speculators have added trillions to their wealth thanks to the passage of government “relief” packages.

Even for those that have not lost work, the prospect of being forced to work in factories and warehouses where they will be exposed to COVID-19 has obviously had a detrimental effect not only on the physical, but mental health of millions of people. An August 2020 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that rates of depression and anxiety had tripled since the previous year, with 26 percent of young adults ages 18-24 having considered suicide during the previous month.

The indifference to human life exhibited by Hole during his shooting spree is a reflection of the callous attitude of the heads of capitalist politicians and corporate executives who refuse to allow any restrictions on their right to profit off the labor of the working class, no matter the cost in life.

During FedEx’s annual shareholder meeting held in a virtual format last September, Judy Edge, corporate vice president of human resources, said that the infection rate among FedEx’s global workforce was “pretty low” at 1.7 percent, with fatalities at “a fraction of percent,” though Edge declined to state the number.

While FedEx package handlers, which in Indianapolis start at the poverty wage of $13.50 an hour, are scraping to survive, last month FedEx announced that its profits had “nearly tripled” in its third quarter, reporting a net income of $892 million for the three months ending February 28. During the same period last year, FedEx posted $315 million in profit.

Thousands protest police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/04/17/tppk-a17.html




Trévon Austin
12 hours ago







Chicago residents reacted with outrage and grief to newly-released bodycam footage showing police officer Eric Stillman fatally shooting thirteen-year-old Adam Toledo after a brief foot chase as the boy turned and faced the officer with his hands in the air.

A demonstrator carries a sign bearing images of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin and others, during a protest Thursday, April 15, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minn. [Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo]

Stillman and other officers were responding to reports of shots fired in Little Village, a predominantly Hispanic, working-class neighborhood in Chicago’s southwest side, at around 3 a.m. on March 29. Stillman confronted Toledo and 21-year-old Ruben Roman before chasing Toledo on foot into an alley.

Stillman yelled at Toledo to stop and to drop a gun he had in his hand. The teenager slowed down before dropping the gun and turning with his empty hands raised. In less than a second Stillman opened fire, striking Toledo in the chest. Nineteen seconds elapsed from when the officer got out of his squad car to when he shot the boy.

Dozens of protestors marched in Chicago just hours after the video was released. Local news stations reported a demonstration in downtown Chicago and a later one right outside the Chicago Police Department headquarters. Protestors were reported to have blocked traffic but remained peaceful.

A larger protest was held Friday night in Logan Square, near the home of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. More than 2,000 people said they would attend the event or were interested in doing so on Facebook, with videos of the demonstration already showing that thousands of people had gathered in the streets. Police were expected to block off Lightfoot’s home with barricades and officers.

Lightfoot, a Democrat, appealed for calm and defended Stillman at a Thursday news conference, saying anyone who saw footage of the incident would “see that officer spring into action to try to revive Adam, to call for medical assistance.” Lightfoot claimed most officers go their entire career without shooting their weapon and added that officers are traumatized whenever they do shoot someone.

Although protestors have declared they will remain peaceful, police have preemptively made preparations for violent confrontations. Officers were deployed throughout the downtown area and city vehicles were set aside to be used to block traffic if necessary. Business owners boarded up windows and barricaded stores in anticipation of violence.

According to news site Block Club Chicago, police began preparations for protests as early as Monday, stating it was “closely monitoring events across the country,” one day after the police murder of Daunte Wright sparked protests in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. That day, some officers had their days off canceled, and police presence was heavy throughout the city. Officers sat in their cars with their flashing lights on and closed off Oak Street, an affluent commercial area, to drivers.

The footage of Toledo’s murder adds to the outrage among the American population over police violence and brutality. The video was released amid the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020, and the recent killing of Wright in a Minneapolis suburb.

Wright was pulled over by police who said they later discovered he had a warrant for his arrest for a misdemeanor weapons charge. While he was being arrested, Wright pulled away from officers and attempted to sit down in his driver’s seat. Potter pulled her pistol on Wright, which she allegedly mistook for her taser, and shot him seconds later. Wright died at the scene. Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter on Wednesday.

For five nights in a row, sometimes in snowy weather, protestors marched in Brooklyn Center. Protestors chanted Wright’s name and demanded justice outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department. The first three nights of protests were marked by violence and chaos, as police deployed tear gas on protestors and made dozens of arrests. The National Guard was deployed to back up the police. Officers threatened to arrest journalists during the protests, openly stating that they would be arrested if they did not leave the area.

Police reported 72 people were arrested on Tuesday and another 24 on Wednesday. Protestors returned Thursday but no arrests were made. However, police said they will remain alert and prepare for demonstrations to continue as the trial of Derek Chauvin approaches its final stages next week.

How to file your taxes for free in 2021

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-to-file-your-state-and-federal-taxes-for-free-in-2021




Most Americans are eligible for free tax-preparation services, but the truly free options can be hard to find. If you’re not careful, you could end up using a service that says it’s free but demands payment after you’ve spent time entering your information.

Now that the IRS has pushed the deadline for 2020 taxes to May 17, you have even more time to make sure you’re using the service that’s right for you.
How do you file online for free?

If you make less than $72,000 a year, you can find free tax filing options at the IRS Free File webpage.



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Here are Free File options from TurboTax, TaxSlayer and others. (H&R Block has left the Free File program since last year.)

Each site has its own eligibility requirements, so be sure to find one that will be free for you.

It can take a bit of effort to find an option that fits your situation. Try using the IRS lookup tool to find the right one. Most of the options provide tax prep for both federal and state returns.

Best for: People who make less than the income cap and want a convenient and easy way to file online.

If you make more than $72,000 a year, you may have access to free options offered by several commercial tax prep companies, like Intuit (TurboTax), H&R Block or TaxAct.

But buyer beware: Some companies use a variety of tactics to try to wring money out of you, often only throwing up a paywall after you’ve gone through the trouble of inputting most of your information.

The widely advertised “free” options are typically only really free based on which tax forms you need to file. Which forms are free and which will trigger a demand for a fee depends on the company. So read the fine print before you decide.
Here is the list of forms supported by H&R Block’s “free online” version.
Here is the list of forms supported by TaxAct’s “free” offer. Click the tab labeled “forms.”
Here is the list of forms supported by TurboTax “Free Edition.”



Credit Karma also offers a free tax filing service for “all supported forms,” but the company tries to monetize your personal tax data by using it to target you with advertising.

Best for: People who don’t qualify for Free File but have income only from a standard job and perhaps a bank account, and who want to file online.

If you’re in the military, you can use MilTax, a service provided by the Department of Defense that uses a version of H&R Block’s tax software. It is available for free to active-duty service members as well as those in the National Guard or the reserves, as well as their families. There are no income or tax form restrictions. There are also free, in-person options to get tax help if you are in the military or family — see the section below.

You can also get free advice from a professional who understands tax issues specific to the military. The phone number is 800-342-9647, or you can live chat with them.

Best for: People in the military, guard or reserves and their families.
How can I get personal tax help for free?

You can qualify for the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program if you:
Make less than around $57,000 a year, OR
Live with a disability, OR
Speak limited English.

You can qualify for the IRS’ Tax Counseling for the Elderly program if you:
Are at least 60 years old.



These programs match you with IRS-certified volunteers across the country who can help with free basic income tax preparation and electronic filing. You can use the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance locator tool or call 800-906-9887 to find someone to help you. Keep in mind that some locations may require an appointment.

Best for: People who are confused by the tax process and want someone to help walk them through the process.

If you’re in the military and want individual tax help, you can get freein-person tax help on many U.S. military bases worldwide. Military.com’s base guide is a good place to start.

Best for: People in the military and their families who want advice from someone who knows the ins and outs of military tax filing.
Why is TurboTax charging me?

If you make less than $39,000 a year (or $72,000 if you’re in the military) and TurboTax is telling you it costs money to file, you are probably using the wrong version of TurboTax. Don’t worry, there is a way to access the truly free version.

As ProPublica reported in 2019, TurboTax purposely hid its Free File product and directed taxpayers to a version where many had to pay, called the TurboTax Free Edition. If you clicked on this “FREE Guaranteed” option, you could input a lot of your information, only to be told toward the end of the process that you need to pay.

You can still access TurboTax’s Free File version. This version is offered through the Free File agreement.

TurboTax’s misleading advertising and website design directed users to more expensive versions of the software, even if they qualified to file for free. After our stories published, some people demanded and got refunds. Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, faces several investigations and lawsuits over this practice. The company has denied wrongdoing, and has moved to acquire other free tax-preparation companies like Credit Karma.

Following ProPublica’s reporting, the IRS announced an update to its agreement with the tax-preparation companies. Among other things, the update bars the companies from hiding their Free File offerings from Google search results. It also makes it so each company has to name their Free File service the same way, using the format: IRS Free File Program delivered by [COMPANY NAME].
What’s the difference between TurboTax’s “Free Guaranteed” and IRS Free File Delivered by TurboTax?

TurboTax Free Edition is not always free. It has only been free for tax returns that the company defines as “simple.” That often means people with student loans and freelance income actually have to pay to file. Look for Intuit’s “IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax.” This year, you are eligible if you:
Make less than $39,000 a year, OR
Make less than $72,000 a year and serve in the military.



What is Free File, and who is the Free File Alliance?

The Free File Alliance is actually a group of tax companies that — contrary to the name — is in the business of charging people to help them file their taxes. They spent a lot of money to make sure that the IRS didn’t develop its own free tax filing service that would compete with what they have to offer. As part of the new Free File Alliance deal, the IRS is now able to offer a competing service, but it’s not doing so this year.

The Free File Alliance companies have agreed to offer free tax filing for a certain percentage of the population based on income. Head to the IRS website to see which option is the best for you. These are the companies in the alliance:

What Forms Do I Need to File My Taxes and Where Can I Get Them?
1040NOW Corp.
ezTaxReturn.com
FileYourTaxes
Free Tax Returns
Intuit
OnLine Taxes
TaxACT
TaxHawk
TaxSlayer


About this guide:

ProPublica has reported extensively about taxes, the IRS Free File program and the IRS. Specifically, we’ve covered the ways in which the for-profit tax preparation industry — companies like Intuit (TurboTax), H&R Block and Tax Slayer — has lobbied for the Free File program, then systematically undermined it with evasive search tactics and confusing design. These companies also work to fill search engine results with tax “guides” that sometimes route users to paid products. This guide is not personalized tax advice, and you should speak to a tax professional about your specific tax situation.


Update, March 17, 2021: This post was updated to reflect that the IRS has pushed the deadline for 2020 taxes to May 17.


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For more coverage, read ProPublica's previous reporting on the IRS or the tax prep industry.

Pfizer CEO Says 3rd Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Is ‘Likely’ Needed

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpcxuvq4Fuw

CDC Reports 5,800 COVID-19 Infections in Fully-Vaccinated People

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYI716MM9Xs