Budget is approved, shutdown is avoided Biden signs $1.2T package six months into fiscal year. By COLLEEN LONG, KEVIN FREKING and MARY CLARE JALONICK • Associated Press

WILMINGTON, DEL. 
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills after Congress had passed the long overdue legislation just hours earlier, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown.

"This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted," Biden said in a statement. "But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border. ... That's good news for the American people."

It took lawmakers six months into the current budget year to get near the finish line on government funding, the process slowed by conservatives who pushed for more policy mandates and steeper spending cuts than a Democratic-led Senate or White House would consider.

The impasse required several short-term spending bills to keep agencies funded.

The White House said Biden signed the legislation at his home in Wilmington, where he was spending the weekend. It had cleared the Senate by a 74-24 vote shortly after funding had expired for the agencies at midnight.

The White House had sent out a notice shortly after the deadline announcing that the Office of Management and Budget had ceased shutdown preparations because there was a high degree of confidence that Congress would pass the legislation and the Democratic president would sign it Saturday.

The first package of fullyear spending bills, which funded the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and the Interior, among others, cleared Congress two weeks ago with just hours to spare before funding expired for those agencies. The second covered the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, as well as other aspects of general government.

When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion.

That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, or financing the country's rising debt.

On Ukraine aid, which Biden and his administration have argued was critical and necessary to help stop Russia's invasion, the package provided $300 million under the military spending umbrella.

That funding is separate from a large assistance package for Ukraine and Israel that is bogged down on Capitol Hill.

Biden, in his statement, again pressed Congress to pass additional aid.
"The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests.

And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement — the toughest and fairest reforms in decades — to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border. It's time to get this done."

The spending package largely tracks with an agreement that then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California worked out with the White House in May 2023, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.

The Club PUBlication 

Report shows which scams had the biggest impact in 2023
by: Jennifer Bullock Posted: Mar 14, 2024 / 06:30 PM EDT Updated: Mar 14, 2024 / 06:11 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – On the heels of National Consumer Protection Week, the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio released its Scam Tracker Risk Report, which highlighted how scams are carried out, who is targeted by them and which ones have the biggest impact each year. “We know that scams are a major problem, scammers are very smart, and really, education is the best way to protect ourselves and avoid falling victim to scams,” said Judy Dollison, President of the BBB of Central Ohio.

According to the report, the riskiest type of scam for consumers in 2023 was investment scams, including those involving cryptocurrency.
Dollison said more than 80% of people targeted by this scam type reported losing money. Keeping it consistent in the second spot — employment scams. In fact, the BBB said reports increased 54.2% from the year before. At number three, dropping from the top spot for the first time since 2019, online purchase or shopping scams.

“Online shopping is, like you said, consistently in the top three of scams in terms of exposure,” said Dollison. Last year, the BBB said 41.9% of scams reported to its Scam Tracker were online purchase scams, and 82.6% reported losing money to them. “You are either dealing with a fake retailer who doesn’t exist at all, whose name you don’t even recognize, but they have a really great website and it looks like a legitimate product,” Dollison said. “Or, they’re an imposter of a legitimate company but they have stolen their names and logos, they’ve created a site that looks like a brand that you might know, but it’s not, it’s a scammer.” Dollison said any business conducted online is more susceptible to money loss. So, consumers should do research before they buy.

“Just make sure that it is a legitimate retailer before you put in your credit card information and make purchases,” said Dollison. “You want to look at the website to make sure there are no misspellings in the URL. And if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. So, if you see a really good price on something, if it just doesn’t seem right, I would avoid it.”

Don’t let tax stress take over this year ADRIANA MORGA

Tax season has begun and for many people filing U.S. tax returns — especially those doing it for their first time — it can be a daunting task that's often left to the last minute.

Whether you do your taxes yourself, go to a tax clinic or hire a professional, the first step is to get organized. Navigating the tax system can be complicated and stressful.

"Take a breath. Take some time, set out an hour, or go through it over the weekend.

You'll hopefully see that it's a lot simpler than you think," said Courtney Alev of Credit Karma.

First off, the deadline is April 15 to submit returns from 2023.
What do I need?

Required documents vary, but for sure you'll need your Social Security number; W-2 forms if you are employed, 1099-G if you are unemployed or 1099 if you are selfemployed; savings and investment records; and evidence of any deductions like educational or medical expenses or charitable donations.

Tom O'Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, recommends gathering all of your documents in one place before you start your tax return and also having your documents from last year if your financial situation has drastically changed.

O'Saben also recommends taxpayers create an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.
Are resources available?

For those who make $79,000 or less per year, the IRS offers free guided tax preparation that does the math for you.

If you have questions while working on your tax forms, the IRS also offers an interactive tax assistant tool that can provide answers based on your information.

Beyond the popular companies such as TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two types of programs that offer free tax help. People who earn $64,000 or less a year, have disabilities or are limited English speakers, qualify for the VITA program.

Those who are 60 or older, qualify for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program (TCE).

How can I avoid scams?

Tax season is prime time for tax scams, said O'Saben. These scams can come via phone, text, email and social media.

The IRS uses none of those means to contact taxpayers.

Sometimes scams are even operated by tax preparers so it's important to ask lots of questions. If you can't see what your tax preparer is working on, get a copy of the tax return and ask questions.
Morga writes for the Associated Press.