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How an unexpected gift reminds us of what matters

Everyone’s favorite Christmas gift giver, the Internal Revenue Service, has announced that it will be doling out more than $2 billion in checks to Americans this month as part of its effort to make sure everyone received their stimulus payments from 2021. The federal tax agency has announced that an internal review showed many Americans had never received their economic impact payments, which were supposed to go out following the filing of 2021 tax returns. Because of this, the agency is paying out the money they still owe Americans who never received their checks. Although most eligible Americans received their stimulus payments, the checks will be sent to those who qualified but filed a 2021 tax return that left the space for recovery rebate credit blank. Those people are eligible for up to $1,400 from the federal government. The payments should be received by late January 2025, at the latest. “These payments are an example of our commitment to go the extra mile for taxpayers. Looking at our internal data, we realized that 1 million taxpayers overlooked claiming this complex credit when they were actually eligible,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “To minimize headaches and get this money to eligible taxpayers, we’re making these payments automatic, meaning these people will not be required to go through the extensive process of filing an amended return to receive it.” Stimulus payments of $1,400 were sent out to Americans as part of a $1.9-trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Millions of Americans were eligible for the payments. To get a check, Americans were required to make less than $75,000 per year or under $150,000 as a household.Click celebrates significant growth milestones while introducing a new initiative to support and empower photojournalists in sharing authentic, impactful stories through the platform. SAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Click , a groundbreaking mobile app that fights misinformation by making it simple to capture and publish authenticated content, powered by the Nodle Network , has recently launched the Click Photojournalism Fellowship, to empower photojournalists to join Click's mission to build a more truthful future. Joining the fellowship will give photojournalists exposure of their work via the Click app and Nodle Network and allow each photojournalist to share their stories and their photos. Additionally, Click has just reached two growth milestones in its first year of operation, passing 50,000 users and over 1,000 new photos authenticated by Click daily. These follow Click's public beta launch in March. The Click camera app is currently available for download on both iOS or Android , and all content captured with Click can be accessed through the app and on Click's website at clickapp.com . The first two photojournalists to join the Click Fellowship are: "We're thrilled to collaborate with photojournalists, empowering them to share their authentic stories through Click. In an era where digital content authenticity is crucial, we're leveraging blockchain to support journalists in building transparency and trust. The Click Photojournalism Fellowship sets a new standard for credibility in journalistic content on social media," says Micha Benoliel , CEO and co-founder of Intergalactic Labs, the team behind Click and Nodle. Click aims to grow the fellowship to over 20 photojournalists in early 2025 and is currently seeking more photojournalist partners. Photojournalists who join the program will share their recent work via Click's blog (both Click and non-Click photos), that represent their photojournalistic perspective, share their journalist story and be promoted across the Click and Nodle communities. Journalists will also provide feedback on the Click app periodically via scheduled sessions with Click's team. To apply and join the fellowship, photojournalists can fill out this short application and share samples of their work. About Click: Click is a new mobile app empowering everyone to easily create authentic media content. Click is on a mission to combat misinformation and bring truthful photos and videos aka "Deep Reals" to everyone via immutable digital proofs of authenticity. With Click, you can confirm content is real and happened at a specific location, time and via a specific mobile device and camera. This is all made possible by ContentSign , Click's proprietary technology which proves the integrity of data from its moment of capture on-chain. Click is built on ZKsync , the leading Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain and is powered by the Nodle DePIN. Click supports the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and is a member of the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI). Download Click on iOS or Android and visit us at clickapp.com to learn more and see recent press coverage. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/click-camera-app-announces-new-photojournalism-fellowship-as-app-reaches-50-000-users-signing-1-000-authenticated-photos-daily-302329583.html SOURCE Nodle

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — RJ Felton had 21 points in East Carolina's 71-64 victory over Stetson on Friday. Felton also added eight rebounds for the Pirates (5-1). Joran Riley scored 14 points while going 4 of 11 and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds. Cam Hayes shot 3 for 7 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. The Hatters (1-5) were led in scoring by Mehki, who finished with 15 points and two steals. Abramo Canka added 14 points for Stetson. Jordan Wood had 12 points. East Carolina led Stetson at the half, 39-33, with Hayes (10 points) its high scorer before the break. East Carolina took the lead for good with 6:56 left in the second half on a free throw from Felton to make it a 60-59 game. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .As TikTok bill steams forward, online influencers put on their lobbying hats to visit Washington

2 strong ASX bank shares to consider before year-endSince Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana in 2022, state regulators have used a lottery system to award 96 microbusiness licenses — a program sold to voters as a way to help victims of the War on Drugs get a toehold in the burgeoning cannabis industry (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent). Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation announced new proposed rules Monday afternoon for its marijuana microbusiness program designed to combat predatory practices during the application process. The division published a draft of the rules on its website and is asking for public feedback before it submits the proposal to the Secretary of State’s office on January 6. “These revisions are intended to ensure microbusiness licenses are issued to eligible individuals... and to address the trend of predatory arrangements in microbusiness licensing,” the division said in a press release announcing the proposed changes. “Specifically, these draft rule revisions should mitigate the ongoing efforts of ineligible entities to acquire licenses by taking advantage of eligible individuals.” Missouri cannabis leader accused of using ‘predatory’ contracts to win social-equity licenses Since Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana in 2022, state regulators have used a lottery system to award 96 microbusiness licenses — a program sold to voters as a way to help victims of the War on Drugs get a toehold in the burgeoning cannabis industry. But of the 96 licenses issued so far, 41 have been either revoked or are currently at risk of being revoked. Another three are under investigation. A majority of those 44 licenses are connected to groups or individuals who flooded the lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business. In June, four legal experts reviewed such a contract The Independent had obtained and concluded it was unfair and potentially predatory. All four agreed state cannabis regulators should reject any license application connected to the contract because it violates the constitutional mandate requiring licenses to be “majority owned and operated” by the eligible applicant. In order to prevent numerous revocations, the division is proposing to adjust when its extensive application-review period occurs. Among the changes include a requirement that the designated contact for a microbusiness applicant must be an eligible individual contributing to the majority ownership of the microbusiness license. Additionally, any entity who was the designated contact for a license that was previously revoked for failure to comply with the ownership and operation requirements will no longer be allowed to be involved in any capacity in a future microbusiness application. All microbusiness applications in which such former designated contact has any involvement would be denied. “Majority owned and operated” would be defined as the eligible individuals who are listed as having majority ownership must have a level of operational control that would be expected of an owner. Eligible individuals must have the power to order or direct the management, managers, and policies of the license, enter into agreements on behalf of the license, and otherwise make decisions for the business. “A purported owner with little to no knowledge, control, agency or decision-making authority in an application or license does not meet the intent or meaning of the” constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana and created the microbusiness program, the division said in its press release. Applicants would also be required to take an online training course that addresses predatory practices, and eligible individuals would have to submit the application themselves and communicate directly with the state rather than through a consultant who often acts as the “designated contact.” While the new rules may delay the full rollout of the program, Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP, believes it’s necessary. “It’s a very simple question with a simple answer for me,” Pruitt told The Independent in October. “Or would you rather continue to try to catch everybody who’s speeding?” The state issued its first round of 48 microbusiness licenses last year. These applicants were picked out of a lottery of 1,600 submissions, and then the division verified they met the basic qualifications — which includes having a low income, a nonviolent marijuana charge on their record, being a disabled veteran or living in a low-income ZIP code. But getting the license is currently just the beginning of the verification process. The licensees must then pass through a rigorous 60-day investigation into all financial and operating agreements to make sure the license will continue to be majority owned and operated by an eligible person, as the state constitution requires. After the investigations last year, the division ended up issuing 11 notices of pending revocation. The licensees had a few months to respond to the division’s concerns, but ultimately all six licenses connected to cannabis investor Michael Halow were revoked — along with two connected to a Michigan-based group — because they couldn’t prove the business would be run by an eligible person. The revocations were the division’s attempt to prevent what some legal experts have called “fronts,” or arrangements where the profits and ownership weren’t going to people that regulators had certified were eligible. Missouri cannabis microbusiness ‘mentor’ connected to licenses under state investigation In July, the division awarded another 57 microbusiness licenses. But after the 60-day investigation that ended earlier this month, regulators sent out 32 notices of pending revocation. Half of the 32 pending revocation letters went to licensees connected to Halow. By law, the state must award a total of 144 licenses to disadvantaged business owners, over the course of three lotteries. The state has already conducted two lotteries, but there’s not a definitive deadline to conduct the final round and meet the goal. Last year, The Independent reported on a Michigan-based company called Canna Zoned was recruiting people on Craigslist to enter Missouri’s social equity license lottery using contracts forcing them to eventually relinquish all control — and profits. The company landed two dispensary licenses last October and both were revoked earlier this year, though the company is appealing that decision. A hearing will be held for these licenses in March. Despite those revocations, Canna Zoned was awarded another license through the July lottery, and once again received a notice of pending revocation in October. Cannabis consultant John Payne also received six notices of pending revocation in October for licenses where he serves as the designated contact. Payne led the campaign to legalize recreational cannabis in 2022 and is connected to nearly 500 applications and 12 licenses since the program’s inception. Cannabis regulators concerned about predatory practices in Missouri’s social equity program But Payne has come under fire this year after The Independent revealed that for some applicants he’d recruited eligible Missourians and had them sign a 47-page contract that would ultimately give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business. Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would bear the lion’s share of the regulatory scrutiny. If they ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee. In addition to the six notices of pending revocation, three current licenses connected to Payne are under investigation by state regulators. According to case documents for these three cases , the division questioned whether the eligible person who submitted the application will continue to be the majority owner and operator of the business. NAACP leaders in Missouri are calling these practices a “predatory attack” on the microbusiness program, which voters intended to allow marginalized or under-represented individuals to participate in the legal marijuana market. “If a Black license owner is not making the most money off the operation, then they’re being robbed of the opportunity to create generational wealth,” Pruitt said. “That’s what the microbusiness program is about. And that’s what’s being robbed.”Nassau County DWI Lawyer Russ Kofman Releases Insightful Article on DWI Laws in Nassau County

Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New JerseySEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks took a bumpy path to sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Sunday's 26-21 win over the Jets featured several special teams miscues, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by New York. On the flip side, the Seahawks got their second pick-6 in as many weeks and just enough production by Geno Smith and the offense. The Seahawks' uneven performance was characteristic of a season in which they started 3-0, then lost five of six before winning another three in a row to take command of their underachieving division. Seattle (7-5) leads Arizona by one game, with a matchup against the Cardinals looming next weekend. Zach Charbonnet gave Seattle its first lead of the day on an 8-yard touchdown run with 5:37 to go, and the Seahawks' defense capped another strong outing with a game-sealing stop on fourth down. After a sack by Leonard Williams gave the Jets a fourth-and-15 at the 34-yard line, Aaron Rodgers threw a desperation pass to Garrett Wilson that fell incomplete, giving Seattle the ball with 33 seconds left. Williams is on a tear. After losing out on NFC defensive player of the week honors last week to teammate Coby Bryant despite 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits, “Big Cat” had an even better game. Williams finished with two sacks, three tackles for loss, a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown that was the longest pick-6 in NFL history by a defensive lineman, and a blocked extra point. The touchdown was the first of Williams’ career. He became the first player since 1982 with multiple sacks, an interception return for a touchdown and a blocked kick in a game. Maybe this week the league will agree he was the NFC's best defender. The special teams could not have been much worse in the first half. The Seahawks fumbled three kickoffs, losing two, and allowed Kene Nwangwu's 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. Dee Williams fumbled on a kickoff in the first quarter to give New York the ball at the 27-yard line, and four plays later, Rodgers hit Isaiah Davis for a touchdown to give the Jets a 14-0 lead. Laviska Shenault Jr. muffed two kicks and fumbled at the Seattle 38-yard line in the second quarter. Seattle also had an extra point blocked. Smith led his third game-winning drive of the season and his 11th since he became Seattle’s starting quarterback in 2022. Facing the team that drafted him in 2013, Smith went 20 of 31 for 206 yards and a touchdown. For the first time in five weeks, he was not intercepted. The Seahawks trailed by 14 points on two occasions, but Smith brought Seattle back while avoiding the untimely picks that dogged him recently. He threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Barner in the second quarter, and led the Seahawks on a go-ahead nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Coach Mike Macdonald and his staff have to address the problem with their kick returners, Shenault and Dee Williams. Two lost fumbles and several muffs could have easily cost Seattle the game. WR DK Metcalf left the game briefly with a knee issue but returned. ... P Michael Dickson was unavailable in the fourth quarter because of back spasms. 38 — The Seahawks decided to go for it on fourth-and-6 at their own 33-yard line with 9:34 left in the game. A primary reason was that Dickson was unavailable to punt because of back spasms. The Jets were flagged for having 12 men on the field after sending a punt returner out, which gave Seattle fourth-and-1 at the 38. The Seahawks got a first down after Jets cornerback Quantez Stiggers was flagged for pass interference on Metcalf, and eight players later, Charbonnet scored to put Seattle ahead. Without going for it on fourth down from their own 38, the Seahawks likely would’ve lost. The Seahawks will seek a season sweep of the Cardinals. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNone