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Thursday, September 30, 2021

Tax Trailblazers: - Starmer - UK publishes 10-year plan to become ‘A.I. superpower’

 Beer is made by men, wine by God

~ Martin Luther


Apple Newsroom: “Maps users in London, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco can experience a three-dimensional city view with rich detail, enhanced navigation, immersive walking directions, and more…”


COLLUSION:  Lawmakers Demand DOJ Explain Dropping of Cases Against Chinese Researchers Accused of Hiding Military Ties. “Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to explain why prosecutors have dropped a series of cases connected with the Justice Department’s (DOJ) clampdown on Chinese espionage.”



  1. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will address the party's annual conference at 12:00 BST
  2. He will promise to get Labour "back in business" when he delivers his first speech in person as leader to the party's conference
  3. And he will pledge that a Labour government would train thousands of teachers and cut waiting times for mental health services
  4. Sir Keir says he wants to prioritise victory rather than party unity, amid wrangles with the Labour left wing
  5. Members want him to set out a vision that appeals to voters that have turned away from Labour
  6. Elsewhere, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said the army will begin assisting with fuel deliveries to petrol stations in the next couplee of days
  7. He denied there was a crisis in UK fuel supplies but admitted the past few days had been "difficult"

Sir Keir Starmer Conference Speech


U.S. Tax Court's Tax Trailblazers: Judge Juan F. Vasquez

By Paul Caron U.S. Tax Court's Diversity 

  1. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will address the party's annual conference at 12:00 BST
  2. He will promise to get Labour "back in business" when he delivers his first speech in person as leader to the party's conference
  3. And he will pledge that a Labour government would train thousands of teachers and cut waiting times for mental health services
  4. Sir Keir says he wants to prioritise victory rather than party unity, amid wrangles with the Labour left wing
  5. Members want him to set out a vision that appeals to voters that have turned away from Labour
  6. Elsewhere, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said the army will begin assisting with fuel deliveries to petrol stations in the next couple of days
  7. He denied there was a crisis in UK fuel supplies but admitted the past few days had been "difficult"

& Inclusion Series, Tax Trailblazers: Mentoring the Next Generation:

Juan-f-vasquezPlease join the United States Tax Court in honoring National Hispanic American Heritage Month. September's webinar will focus on Tax Court Judge Juan F. Vasquez and his path to and success in-the field of tax law. Today at 7:00-8:15 PM EST (register here).

Judge Juan F. Vasquez was born in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from Fox Tech High School and San Antonio Junior College with an Associate's Degree in Data Processing. He received a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas, Austin, and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. He received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. In addition to being a member of the legal bar, Judge Vasquez is a Certified Public Accountant.

Originally appointed for a 15-year term by President Clinton, Judge Vasquez was reappointed by President Obama for a second 15-year term. Judge Vasquez assumed senior status in 2018 and continues to perform judicial duties on recall.

Tax Trailblazers:


Some Profitable Companies Would Still Pay No Taxes Under Democrats’ Plan.

The bill, however, doesn’t touch the main reasons why profitable companies sometimes don’t pay taxes, including accelerated depreciation of investments and tax credits for activities such as research and development. The bill does strengthen a minimum tax on U.S. companies’ foreign profits, but it doesn’t include the separate minimum tax that Mr. Biden proposed to limit the number of zero-tax companies.

The legislation also expands tax credits for clean energy and low-income housing in ways that could push some companies from paying little to paying nothing.

“Corporations that don’t pay any taxes are still going to be able to go on paying no taxes, and in some ways they may even get a bigger refund,” said Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, a progressive group that advocates higher taxes. “It is remarkable that there is no talk about this in Congress.”

No, it’s business as usual.



JAMES MORROW:  Locked Down Downunder: Do Australia’s leaders really know what they’re doing?

The question thus becomes, both for those of us trapped here in Ozcatraz as well as bemused outside onlookers, how did a free and easy land of opportunity become gripped by a neurotic covid puritanism that truly believes any sort of fun or joy or sociability is deadly, and a place where protesters and cops are having pitched battles in the street over mandatory vaccinations?



Mental health skills shortages emerging in NSW

  • by Anna Patty

UK publishes 10-year plan to become ‘A.I. superpower’ seeking to rival U.S. and China


CNBC: “The U.K. government on Wednesday released its 10-year plan to make the country a global “artificial intelligence superpower”, seeking to rival the likes of the U.S. and China. The so-called “National Artificial Intelligence Strategy” is designed to boost the use of AI among the nation’s businesses, attract international investment into British AI companies and develop the next generation of homegrown tech talent. “Today we’re laying the foundations for the next ten years’ growth with a strategy to help us seize the potential of artificial intelligence and play a leading role in shaping the way the world governs it,” Chris Philp, a minister of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said in a statement. The National AI Strategy includes a number of programs, reports and initiatives. Among them, a new National AI Research and Innovation program will be launched as part of an effort to improve coordination and collaboration between the country’s researchers…”

GOV.UK: “The National AI Strategy builds on the UK’s strengths but also represents the start of a step-change for AI in the UK, recognising the power of AI to increase resilience, productivity, growth and innovation across the private and public sectors.”


EPA Envirofacts


“The preliminary 2020 TRI dataset is now available. The dataset is approximately 99% complete, and will be updated several times in response to data quality analyses and revisions submitted by facilities. For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-preliminary-dataset. The Envirofacts database is now RESTful service-enabled. See the services tab below for documentation and examples, or visit: Envirofacts Web Services…

  • Retrieve information from multiple sources of Envirofacts’ System Data for your area of interest. Enter a location such as address, zip, city, county, waterbody, park name, etc…”




Europol busts online scam group run by the Mafia; 103 arrested; most in Spain
 
Pakistani gets 12 years prison for scheme that unlocked 2 million iPhones; cost $200 million; bribed AT &T employees
 
Virginia: India man gets 22 years prison for call center in India that used robocalls to the US and impersonated IRS, Social Security, FBI, and DEA

Peruvian man sentenced to more than 9 years for operating call center that called Spanish speakers and threatened them with deportation if they did not pay
 
Question of the week: How are boiler rooms financed?   It costs money to rent space, get computers, buy leads, and hire employees.  Who provides the start-up funding?  Organized crime?  And how do they assure that they get their money back if the FTC or DOJ freezes the assets? Answering this might lead to some interesting places.
 
BBB Studies. Here are links to some of the study topics: puppy fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, apartment rental, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud and gift cards.

Fraud News Around the world

Humor 

FTC and CFPB  

Virus Benefit Theft

Ransomware  

IRS and tax frauds ATM skimming

Jamaica and Lottery Fraud (read BBB lottery fraud study)

Romance Fraud and Sextortion (read BBB romance fraud study)


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