USA OUTLOOK JANUARY 22 TO 26, 2024

USA OUTLOOK WEEKLY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 22 TO 26 10001111NOVEMBER 00

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JANUARY 22, 2024

JANUARY 23, 2024

US IRS wants to simplify tax notices to reduce anxiety, boost compliance The U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday said it was redesigning hundreds of types of notices mailed to taxpayers to make them simpler, clearer, and understandable in the hopes that this will help improve compliance and reduce taxpayer anxiety.

The IRS and the U.S. Treasury rolled out the "Simple Notice Initiative" with 31 redesigned notices for the 2024 tax filing season, which starts on Monday.

Photo REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal Acquire Licensing Rights

US Supreme Court lets Border Patrol remove Texas razor-wire fencing - for now The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to temporarily let U.S. Border Patrol agents cut or remove razor-wire fencing that Texas officials placed along part of the Republican-governed state's border with Mexico to deter illegal border crossings.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The changes are part of the IRS' modernization drive using $80 billion in new funding over a decade, an amount that will be reduced by about $20 billion under a bipartisan top-line spending agreement.

The justices, in a 5-4 decision, granted a request by President Joe Biden's administration to pause a lower court's ruling that temporarily blocked federal agents from disturbing the fencing while litigation over the issue proceeds.

Two conservative members of the court - Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett - joined the three liberal justices in the majority, with conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissenting.

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which issued the disputed interim ruling, is set to hear arguments on Feb. 7 over whether Border Patrol agents violated Texas law by cutting the razor-wire barrier.

Photo REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights Souce: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-lets-border-patrol-removetexas-razor-wire-fencing-now-2024-01-22/

Souce: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-irs-wants-simplify-tax-notices-reduceanxiety-boost-compliance-2024-01-23/

JANUARY 24, 2024

JANUARY 25, 2024

Florida lawmakers vote to restrict children's access to social media

The Florida House of Representatives approved on Wednesday a bill aimed at barring children aged 16 and younger from social media platforms, following similar action in several states to limit online risks to young teenagers.

Photo: REUTERS/Brian Ellsworth/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

US aims to impose tighter curbs on civilian gun exports -Bloomberg

The Biden administration is seeking to reduce the use of U.S.-made guns in foreign crimes and human rights violations by tightening oversight and rules governing commercial exports of semiautomatic weapons, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. This follows a review by the U.S. Commerce Department of its support for American gunmakers after a Bloomberg investigation linked increasing civilian gun exports to higher rates of global gun crime, according to the report, which cited draft rules obtained by Bloomberg.

Passed by a bipartisan vote of 106 to 13, the measure would require social media platforms to terminate the accounts of anyone under 17 years old and use a third-party verification system to screen out the underaged.

"We must address the harmful effects social media platforms have on the development and well-being of our kids," said Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.

"Florida has a compelling state interest and duty to protect our children, their mental health, and their childhood."

Commerce Department officials described the proposed changes to advocacy groups and others last week, telling them that the U.S. State Department would have more influence over vetting exports to countries with poor human-rights records, the Bloomberg report said, citing people who were briefed.

Souce: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-aims-impose-tighter-curbs-civilian-gunexports-bloomberg-2024-01-24/

Souce:

Photo REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/florida-lawmakers-vote-restrict-childrensaccess-social-media-2024-01-25/

JANUARY 26, 2024

Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Biden pauses approval of new LNG export projects in win for climate activists President Joe Biden paused pending approvals of exports from new liquefied natural gas projects on Friday, a move cheered by climate activists that could delay decisions on new plants until after the Nov. 5 election.

The Department of Energy (DOE) will conduct a review during the pause that will look at the economic and environmental impacts of projects seeking approval to export LNG to Europe and Asia where the fuel is in hot demand.

The review will take months and then will be open to public comment which will take further time, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters in a teleconference.

Biden said in a statement: "During this period, we will take a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America's energy security, and our environment." He said the pause "sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time."

Souce: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/biden-pauses-approval-new-lng-exportprojects-win-climate-activists-2024-01-26/