WASHINGTON – Facing stiff criticism, the Treasury Department abruptly changed course late Wednesday and announced that Social Security beneficiaries and other Americans who haven’t filed income taxes for the past two years won’t have to take any extra steps to receive one-time checks of up to $1,200 under a new economic recovery program.

“Social Security recipients who are not typically required to file a tax return need to take no action and will receive their payment directly to their bank account,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

Most Americans won’t have to do anything to receive a payment under the $2.2 trillion program designed to help the economy recover from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The checks will be sent automatically within the next three weeks to eligible Americans who filed tax returns in 2018 and 2019.

But the Internal Revenue Service posted a notice on its website earlier this week saying people who typically don’t file taxes would need to file a simple tax return to receive one of the payments. That would have included low-income taxpayers, senior citizens, Social Security recipients, some veterans and individuals with disabilities who are otherwise not required to file a tax return.

https://news.yahoo.com/social-security-beneficiaries-others-dont-191845224.html

This Treasury Dept announcement supposedly reversed the IRS decision to required returns from those who have not been required to file in the last past two years. Frankly, having dealt with those POS at the IRS, it's my belief that they are looking for people to collect from and thereby keep the checks for themselves with the IRS decision about the need to file to get that $1,200 check.

I am so thankful for his briefings. I now realize what my grandparents and my parents as children felt when Franklin Roosevelt came on the air and spoke TO them and not AT them. Not self-serving nor simplistic. Factual and considered. Consoling, supportive, empathetic and kind.

Thank you so much, Gov. Cuomo!

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Thank gawd I stopped coloring the gray years ago or that would be me!!!!

YOU, yes YOU, are the problem. STOP blaming others, Asshole!!!!!!!!!!!!

The MAGAt's reply was, in essence, that tRump did not do this, but transferred the unit elsewhere. Never found out where the unit was allegedly transferred.

Anyone have any info on this? First time I heard this MAGAt claim. IMO, it is as with most tRump supporters a bunch of BS from Faux Snooze.

City Attorney Mike Feuer told Eyewitness News his office is checking online sellers and visiting stores to make sure they don't raise prices on high-demand items like hand sanitizer and bleach.

...

"No retailer, no seller can sell a good, service, medical supplies and so forth for more than 10% more than they sold the item before the emergency," Feuer said via a Skype interview.

"We're seeing numbers much higher than that."

For example, he said, his office staff found and purchased two 1-liter containers of hand sanitizer for $140 and eight half-gallons of bleach for $100.

Sellers who violate the law can face a range of criminal and civil penalties, including a year in jail, a $10,000 fine and restitution to consumers.

https://abc7.com/business/la-officials-cracking-down-on-price-gouging-amid-covid-19/6037224/

Good. The hoarding and price gouging conduct by some is way out of line.

I am self-employed and left my office at 3:00 p.m. yesterday. I have been primarily working at home -- legal work such as discovery which can be served by email with agreement.

Now, my question: I thought I read that a business (other than those deemed essential) has between 10:00 a.m and 6:00 p.m. today (March 20) to shut down and may go in once a week thereafter for a limited time.

Am I dreaming...or does anyone else have any info? TIA

California courts are delaying trials and even temporarily closing their doors in hopes of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus, moves intended to balance public safety with due process that could leave some cases in limbo for weeks.

The Contra Costa County Superior Court is closing until at least April 1. Superior Court in Orange County will not start new civil trials until at least May 1. The Supreme Court of California has suspended in-person oral arguments — instead, lawyers will appear remotely, through video, telephone or other electronic means.

In Los Angeles, a judge postponed the murder trial of multimillionaire New York real estate heir Robert Durst until April 6. Superior Court in Los Angeles is delaying certain trials, and on Monday announced it would shut down through Thursday “in response to the substantial need to control and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”

The court will reopen Friday for handling essential or emergency matters.

https://ktla.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-prompts-ca-courts-to-close-delay-trials/

I have been in communication with many Los Angeles law offices which are opposing counsel in cases in my office. It's a mess out there and some of the soonest continence dates for pending civil trials which start at the end of March or during this April are now in October 2020. Criminal cases and family law cases with child custody have preference over general civil matters.

Pls send again. TIA

I don't give a damn about fed rates.......I care about who is at risk and what is being done!!!!