Michelle Obama (17 to 18 Jan) James P and Paul celebrate a big day today Paul Keating
Most workplace wellness programs don’t boost well-being
Taxpayers will soon notice a key difference in text messages sent by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), as the agency announces a crackdown on scams.
The ATO has committed to removing hyperlinks from all outbound unsolicited SMS text messages by tax time this year. The government agency said there had been “significant growth” in cybercriminals targeting taxpayers via text messages.
“Throughout the 2022–23 financial year, SMS scams impersonating the ATO brand, products, services, and our people, increased by over 400 per cent,” the ATO said.
Renee Sharman: NSW Police officer pleads not guilty to making and using false documents
An Illawarra police officer has denied she altered timesheets to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars, as she was charged following a Professional Standards investigation by NSW Police.
The alleged misconduct was unearthed by Strike Force Gingham which was established by the Professional Standards Command in February, 2022
Twitter changed my life for good. But the platform I loved no longer exists Guardian
How to get rich in the 21st century Economist
Don’t Sell Your Old Phone or Laptop Without Doing These 10 Things First
- Always back up your data before disposing of any hardware. Transfer valuable data to multiple mediums to ensure it is safe before disposal.
- Remove connected accounts, log out of all applications, and remove devices from accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
- Make hard drive data unreadable by utilizing data-wiping software or encryption methods to protect sensitive data on your hard drive.
Disposing of old tech is risky. Today, our devices, such as phones, laptops, and even TVs, are treasure troves of personal information. Selling your old phone or computer is a great way to make a few bucks, but make sure you’ve completely cleaned your data from it first.”
Report: Thomas May Also Be Dodging Tax Bill With Failure to Report Gifts
The Lever – “If billionaires’ largesse was designed to keep the justice on the high court, experts say the money could be considered a taxable payment… Much of the public outcry over Thomas’ long history of undisclosed gifts has centered on whether the activities violate federal ethics laws. Lawmakers have also zeroed in on one particular donation — a $267,000 loan Thomas used to purchase a RV — arguing that if part of that loan was forgiven, Thomas would have to pay taxes on that amount. Thomas has denied that the gifts were granted in exchange for favorable court rulings. Explaining that some of these donors were “among [his] dearest friends,” he declared in an April 7 statement via the Supreme Court’s public information office that the cushy trips they bankrolled were just vacations: “As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them.” But if these billionaires’ largesse were designed to retain the conservative judge on the country’s highest court, the donations might fall outside of the definition of tax-free gifts, which according to the Supreme Court must stem from “detached and disinterested generosity.” If the benefits showered on Thomas were designed to elicit court actions or job decisions, they could be considered taxable income, whether or not there is definitive proof of quid pro quo on Thomas’ part.
What Clarence Thomas has done would result in not only any judges in America being removed from the bench, but there is a good chance it would result in criminal prosecution for income tax fraud and for false filings in his mandatory financial ethics disclosure statements,” David Cay Johnston, a visiting lecturer at Syracuse University’s College of Law, told The Lever. Taxation of unreported income recently emerged as a political flashpoint and focus of federal prosecutors: In January, President Donald Trump’s longtime financial chief was sentenced to five monthsat the Rikers Island jail complex for failing to report or pay taxes on $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation…”
MAN, DON’T LET ANYONE IN THE HERTZ DEI DEPARTMENT HEAR ABOUT THIS…: Hertz is selling 20,000 electric vehicles to buy gasoline cars instead.
Hertz, which has made a big push into electric vehicles in recent years, has decided it’s time to cut back. The company will sell off a third of its electric fleet, totaling roughly 20,000 vehicles, and use the money they bring to purchase more gasoline powered vehicles.
Electric vehicles have been hurting Hertz’s financials, executives have said, because, despite costing less to maintain, they have higher damage-repair costs and, also, higher depreciation.
“[C]ollision and damage repairs on an EV can often run about twice that associated with a comparable combustion engine vehicle,” Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr said in a recent analyst call.
And EV price declines in the new car market have pushed down the resale value of Hertz’s used EV rental cars.
An over-used engine can be rebuilt but there’s really nothing to be done with a battery that’s endured too many charge cycles except replace the whole damn thing.
High blood pressure, cholesterol before age 55, even if treated, can boost heart disease risk
AI SLEEPER AGENTS? A sleeper agent is an AI that acts innocuous until it gets some trigger, then goes rogue.
