(NewsUSA) - Filing your taxes can be stressful and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. As the deadline for filing taxes approaches, don’t let the pressure overwhelm you. Follow these five tips for a smooth tax season.

Know the different types of taxes you might have to pay.

Federal Taxes: Your money is taxed at a rate between 0% and 37%, depending on how much you earn. Your employer will deduct the money for these taxes, and the taxes listed below, from your paycheck each payday.

State Taxes: Not all states require you to pay state income taxes, but those that do typically take 3% to 11%.

Local Taxes: These apply only to certain large cities, such as New York City, and can be as much as 10% of your gross paycheck.

Social Security: Your employer will withhold 6.2% of your pay to cover Social Security taxes.

Medicare: For this tax, 1.45% of your pay is withheld from your check.

Understand what getting a tax refund means.

People make big plans for tax refunds, but most Americans are unclear on why they’re getting a refund. A refund indicates that you overpaid your federal and state taxes, essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. Adjust your tax withholding through your payroll to have less money deducted from your paycheck.

Understand the different tax forms you might receive.

These are the different forms needed to file your taxes:

• W-2: This comes from your employer and summarizes wages, taxes and deductions throughout the year.
   
• 1099: These are used to report other types of income you’ve received, including bank interest (1099-INT). Not every taxpayer receives these forms.
   
• 1098: This form and its variants show payments you’ve made that may qualify you for tax benefits. For example, a regular 1098 shows mortgage interest paid, a 1098-T shows money paid for school tuition and expenses, and a 1098-E shows student loan interest paid.

Understand due dates.

Your tax return is usually due on April 15, although this year’s deadline has been extended to April 18. If you’re not ready, you can request a six-month extension, but this is only an extension for filing the return. The money you owe is still due by the regular tax deadline.

Understand what to do if you owe taxes and don’t have the money to pay right away.

Don’t panic, but don’t ignore the problem either. Contact the IRS to set up a payment plan. You’ll have to pay the government eventually, and until you do the IRS can add costly interest and late fees to what you owe. Get started, pay what you can as soon as possible, and then continue making payments.

Just as you can change your withholding to have your employer deduct fewer taxes from your paycheck, you can increase the amount to keep from owing in the future. Contact your HR/Payroll department to learn more.

For help in figuring out how your income taxes impact your financial situation, reach out to a CFP^® professional at LetsMakeAPlan.org.

(PointSpreads.com) - Not all heroes wear capes. Many of them wear football pads, cleats, sneakers, and skates, and some even carry a bat or a stick. We’re talking about transcendent athletes who can make the jump from the field of battle to the silver screen.

With the release of Air - a movie inspired by Michael Jordan - PointSpreads.com, known for its reporting on the latest sports betting news (and the latest point spreads, of course), has compiled a shortlist of athletes whose larger-than-life personas, accomplishments or backstory would be worthy of the big screen - as well as the best actor to portray each one.   Which athlete will be the subject of the next Hollywood megahit?

“That sounded like a fun bet, so we decided to put some odds to it,” says Robert Jones, a former bookmaker at a major sportsbook and senior contributor at PointSpreads. 

Tom Brady

Now that he’s retired, Brady is the glamor boy who showed the world he was much more than a pretty face. Brady had a career spanning two decades, rarely got injured, and has more records than Motown.

A handsome face and an ‘aw-shucks’ demeanor is what is needed to play the seven-time Super Bowl champ. So, who is the perfect fit? We believe Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Patrick, would be the man to do justice to the role, according to PointSpreads.com.

“We think Brady has great odds of a Hollywood portrayal of his life and career.  The man is a legend.  The consensus around our office would be +300, or 3-to-1 odds, just behind Kobe Bryant,” Jones says.

Kobe Bryant

The Black Mamba needs to be memorialized in film, and not just any movie, but one that will stand the test of time. An all-time classic with superb directing and cinematography worthy of capturing one of the most electrifying ball players ever to grace the hardcourt.

His tragic death, made even more heart-wrenching when his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other souls lost their lives in a plane crash on that fateful day in January of 2020, will have the audience misty-eyed and searching for Kleenex. PointSpreads.com’s pick to play Kobe is Michael B. Jordan. 

“There must be a Kobe film coming. I’d give it +150 odds,” Jones says.

Conor McGregor

Another celebrity that is no stranger to the pages of PointSpreads.com is Conor McGregor. Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to ignore him. The Irish MMA superstar exploded onto the scene with outrageous trash-talking and a unique fighting style that seamlessly blended a hammer-fisted boxing approach with the nuanced techniques of capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art rarely seen within the confines of the Octagon.

McGregor is a natural southpaw but can switch to orthodox at the drop of a dime and his Billionaire Strut, fashioned after WWE founder Vince McMahon’s imperious swagger, is cinematic gold. Tom Hardy, an acclaimed martial arts practitioner himself, gets the gig with no audition required.

“McGregor’s personality, backstory and Irish heritage appeal to a big demographic and there must be a producer in Hollywood wanting to make this happen.  I’d give it a solid +450,” Jones says.

Simone Biles

Considered to be the greatest gymnast in the history of the sport, Simone Biles is a 4’8” pixie mounted on a pair of hydraulic lifts and a body of twisted steel that allows her to do what few others have been able to do.

Seven Olympic and 25 World Championship medals comprise her gymnastics resume but the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to her by Joe Biden in 2022 reflects how truly transcendent and entrenched in the fabric of American culture she has become. Marsai Martin has our full support to recreate the wonder that is Simone Biles on the big screen.

“Simone captured our hearts and attention and any movie about her would most certainly be well received.  I’d give it 6-to-1, or +600 odds that we’ll be seeing a trailer with her likeness in the near future,” Jones says.   

Image credit: Brian BAHR / AFP (PointSpreads.com)

(Point Spreads) - Whether you’re a player, fan, coach or bettor, this NBA season has been wild, featuring moments that have shocked and delighted many across the country.

Caught on Camera - The season started with a bang… rather more of a hook, as the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors would witness their inner-turmoil shown to the world following a fight between veteran Draymond Green and rising star Jordan Poole.

Green, known to instigate confrontation with opponents, teammates, or anyone really, would step to Poole during a practice and land a massive right hand on to the side of the fourth year player out of Michigan.

This is not the first, nor the last time teammates would fight at practice, but with the rise of social media and cameras being everywhere, the footage would be leaked to the press and instigate a messy situation into a messier one with record-breaking speed.

Green would be suspended and Poole would deal with having to relive an embarrassing moment now confined to the annals of history.

The multiple time NBA Champion, Green, would be contrite in his apology to Poole, claiming in the days after the suspension that he would give his teammate space and only attempt reconciliation or communication if the younger player was ready or interested in doing so.

As of this writing the Warriors are in contention for the playoffs, standing at the #7th seed, but the impact that this fight had on the chemistry, comfort, and potential for the Warriors to run it back in 2023 has certainly been mitigated.

Despite all of this, the Warriors are currently the fifth best bet to win the NBA Championship this season as per experts at Point Spreads, trailing the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, and the current favorite, the Boston Celtics.

The Brooklyn Shuffle - One team that went from an odds favorite to a team in a drastic rebuild are the Brooklyn Nets. 

Following multiple seasons of injuries, coaching disputes, protests and more distractions than anyone else could bear, the next “Big 3”, consisting of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, which then turned into Durant, Kyrie, and Ben Simmons, is now reduced to Ben Simmons.

Harden would be traded for Simmons in 2022, following numerous alleged issues between the three stars, which would bring out the player in Simmons, who despite his many gifts has had a very public battle with anxiety and numerous injuries that would leave him on the sidelines during the 2022 playoffs.

The next casualty would be Steve Nash, who amidst his first NBA coaching job would be put into a political chess match with Durant, who allegedly demanded that either Nash goes or he goes. Joe Tsai, the Nets owner, would side with Nash and GM Sean Marks - until seven games into the season, when he’d fire Nash amidst a 2-5 start and Irving landed in hot water over promoting a documentary that was alleged to be antisemitic. 

Three months later, Irving would be the next to go, as he would be shipped to Dallas to help Luka Doncic and company in their quest for an NBA Title.

It would seem that the Mavericks are the winner of the trade as they are the sixth seed in the west (half game up on the Warriors), and the Nets are a +25,000 underdog to win the NBA Championship this season and are out of playoff contention, according to PointSpreads.com. 

With Simmons’ injury issues following him to Brooklyn and sidelining him for the foreseeable future. Durant would read the tea leaves himself and force a trade to the Phoenix Suns.

The most shocking was the sudden personality change in Ja Morant.

Morant, who has become one of the best players in the NBA and a leader of the tenacious Memphis Grizzlies, was cause for concern in 2022, when he allegedly threatened a fan on Twitter.

From there, Morant would allegedly threaten a security guard in a Memphis Shopping Mall, due to a supposed confrontation between Morant’s mother and a store employee, which could have been exacerbated by the nine or so people in Morant’s entourage.

Less than a week later, Morant was accused of beating up a teenager due to a basketball accidentally thrown at his head.

These incidents coupled with a confrontation between Morant’s father and Fox Sports 1 Analyst Shannon Sharpe, two confrontations between his friends and members of the Indiana Pacers, and the recent controversy involving Morant brandishing a handgun and leaked photos of him in a strip club with nearly $250,000 spread across the room, Morant was suspended for eight games by the NBA and has entered counseling. He's now back on the court and the fans are loving him.

These are just a few of the biggest surprises that have shaken up fans – and the betting odds – this NBA season, according to PointSpreads.com analysts. 

With the NBA Play-in tournament and the NBA Playoffs just a few games away, what else will have an effect on the NBA season?  

Image credit: Loren Elliott / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP for PointSpreads.com

(NewsUSA) - What a winter is has been, but spring is finally here!  If you're looking for a sweet and healthy addition to spring celebrations and snacks, fresh Chilean grapes are the perfect pick.

Grapes come in different colors (green, red, black), but did you know that there are also numerous varieties?  Each variety has its own unique size, shape, flavor and texture.  The next time you're in the produce department, check to see what your supermarket is selling and try different varieties to see which is your favorite!  

In addition to their great taste, grapes from Chile pack a powerful nutritional punch. Grapes contain various phytonutrients that can help strengthen the immune system. Grapes are also high in vitamin C, which helps the body fight infections. But wait, there's more!  Chilean grapes are a great source of potassium, as well as bone-building vitamin K, and a standard ¾-cup serving contains just 90 calories.

When you purchase grapes, you might notice that they have a waxy white film. That's called "bloom" and it's good!  Bloom is produced by the plant itself and it helps to keep the grapes fresh, so best not to wash it off until you're ready to eat the grapes. 

There's another reason why you should wait to wash your grapes. Washing adds moisture that can cause the grapes to start to decompose faster than they normally would.  Comments Karen Brux, managing director for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, "Just clean what you plan to eat right then and there.  Put the grapes in a colander, rinse with cold water, dry and eat!" Chilean grapes are an easy, healthy choice for kids' lunches and on-the-go snacks during springtime travels; no peeling, coring, or cutting. Rinse, dry, pack, and enjoy anywhere, anytime.

Grapes from Chile are available in the winter and spring, the opposite season of domestic grapes. You can find them at your local retailer through early May.

Looking for some fresh ideas for spring celebrations? Try a Grape and Granola Breakfast Bowl, Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Grapes or festive Grape Easter Eggs.

For a dazzling dessert, consider a gorgeous grape tart that takes just a few ingredients: a store-bought crust, a mixture of mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and whipping cream, and fresh grapes for the topping.

For recipes and more information, visit fruitsfromchile.com/recipes.

(NewsUSA) - Volunteering is a great way to help others and give back to our communities—and it’s good for our mental and physical health. People who volunteer for as little as two hours a week may experience improved mental, emotional and physical health—benefits that many older volunteers are gaining because, on average, they volunteer almost twice as much as people in other age groups.

Because volunteers can often set their own hours, volunteering doesn't have to mean a big-time commitment. So, decide what you're interested in—and spend time doing something that is meaningful to you! Whether you participate in a volunteer transportation program, make calls to someone who may be lonely, read to children at a local school or participate in a community day of service, you can decide what you want to do! The possibilities for volunteering are endless!

There’s no better time than now to explore the volunteer opportunities available in your community. Chances are, you’ll be in good company as you reconnect with old friends or make new ones.

Area Agencies on Aging, Title VI Native American Aging Programs and other organizations provide a variety of services for older adults and can connect older adults to volunteer opportunities. Do you want to volunteer but don’t know where to start? Through its website, eldercare.acl.gov, and national Call Center at 1-(800)-677-1116, the Eldercare Locator can inform and connect older adults to local or virtual volunteer opportunities.

Did you know?

An Eldercare Locator publication, Ready to Volunteer…Now What? A Guide on Giving Back for Older Adults, that can help older adults learn about the benefits of volunteering and how to find a volunteer opportunity. Consider reading this publication to help ensure that you learn how to get connected to in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities.

(NewsUSA) - You have worked hard for your professional license, and protecting it is essential to your professional success. Unfortunately, a single accusation could derail your hard work and effort in establishing a professional reputation, especially if you work in state-regulated areas such as law, child care, or real estate.

The right legal expert can be a game-changer in helping you protect your license and in developing an effective defense in any litigation. The goal of your attorney should be to help you avoid disciplinary action, and protect you from having your license revoked, according to Scott Stewart, a professional license defense attorney in Arizona and author of the book, How to Protect Your Arizona License: What Professionals Need to Know.

“Each licensing board maintains unique procedures and requires sensitive legal representation,” says Stewart. “When you are being investigated for a possible license revocation, your best interests are not necessarily being considered, which is why strong legal representation is so important and why you need to hire a professional license defense lawyer near you,” he explains.

To mount the strongest and most effective defense, take the offense. Don’t wait until a state governing board notifies you of a complaint. Instead, hire a lawyer as soon as you know that someone has a complaint against you.

In his ebook, available online at azlicensedefense.com, Stewart addresses two main aspects of successfully managing a challenge to your professional integrity.

-Short-term steps. Stewart spells out the steps to take now to minimize further damage, such as gathering key relevant documents, staying off social media, and delegating authority to manage your patients/clients.

-General principles. If your professional license is threatened, don’t panic. Instead, meet with an experienced professional license attorney who can guide you through the process. Do some journaling and write out worst-case scenarios, even the crazy ones. Keep track of deadlines, don’t procrastinate. Don’t contact your local board or commission, because anything you say could be used against you, Steward notes.

Finally, choose the right attorney, one with experience in difficult licensing cases. “The good news is that a positive outcome is possible,” Stewart says. “The right steps could translate to a triumphant return to your profession.”

Visit azlicensedefense.com for more information.  

(NewsUSA) - ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. Since its release in November 2022, OpenAI’s chatbot has scored a 1020 on the SATs, passed a medical licensing exam, successfully negotiated a user’s cable bill, and even drafted legislation for how to regulate AI. But what does ChatGPT mean for national security?

Nations want to harness AI models for economic, military, and national security advantages, according to experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a bipartisan nonprofit organization.

Companies worldwide are driving Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT for a range of applications.

SCSP has used LLMs to help generate content in recent months, but LLMs not only talk about the national security landscape; they are actually starting to shape it. Some potential uses for LLMs in U.S. national security include:

LLM as interface: A ChatGPT-like LLM could be the interface through which humans access a wide range of AI-powered tools, including computer vision and robotics.

LLM as processor: ChatGPT and other emerging technologies have the capacity to enable a stronger and faster Intelligence Community across all intelligence disciplines (INTs) and phases of the intelligence cycle, and for the military across all levels of war.

LLM as decision support: Those who harness AI models as decision support tools will have an advantage. With the right combination of AI, data, modeling and simulation capabilities, and predictive insights, LLM models will game out policy options and provide analysis to human decision-makers.

Some other considerations for optimizing the power of ChatGPT:

The information landscapes: LLMs such as ChatGPT could generate unique texts at speed and scale that evade existing filtering systems. More people may question whether what they read on social media or elsewhere was generated by AI. However, LLMs are not oracles, and are only as good as the data on which they were trained.

AI vs. AI: As AI capabilities are integrated into national security, the AI of the United States will go up against that of our adversaries. We need ensure that our LLMs are the best in the world, but also that our tools are interoperable with those of our allies and partners.

The “black box” problem: As we increasingly rely on AI systems, we need a way to explain and understand why an AI system made a certain decision in order to establish trust.

Cybersecurity and code: LLMs will affect national security at a fundamental computer science level via coding, with implications for the national security apparatus, businesses, and consumers.

Moving at the speed of technology: Procurement processes and governance frameworks must be made sufficiently flexible that they can evolve at the pace of AI.

The United States has advantages at the cutting edge of LLM R&D today, according to SCSP, but long-term advantage will be shaped by the adoption of such tools.

For more information, visit scsp.ai.

(NewsUSA) - Presence, the Play by William Jefferson is an allegorical tale woven across multiple levels: Christian theology, media critique, the hero’s journey, and poetic reimagining of classic works, including Dante’s Inferno and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The storyline leads readers to the depths of hell, where they encounter the Reservoirs of Bewilderment, which all inductees to hell must enter. 

The reservoirs number five: Fragmentation, Static, Confusion, Chatter, and Delusion. They function as a horrifyingly surreal training camp for Satan’s kingdom. Jefferson deploys the reservoirs as an allegorical device for addressing the discarnate, fragmenting nature of modern media, underpinned algorithms, and AI. Yet beyond the twists, turns, and bewilderment, Presence, the Play offers a hope-filled message of perseverance that leads from hellish darkness to a celebration of Easter light.  

The story opens at the majestic Theatre Portesque on the fictional Isle of Estillyen. There, a monk named Script eagerly is attending the premier performance of his long-awaited play. Portesque is abuzz with excitement—patrons rushing, bells ringing, stalls and balconies filling—when suddenly tragedy strikes. 

The beloved playwright Script suffers a wicked fall, cracking his skull on the brass guard rail. Unconscious, Script is rushed to the Estillyen infirmary, where a team of doctors monitor his minute-by-minute condition. Nonresponsive, Script drifts into a deep, prolonged coma, in which his harrowing hell experience commences.  

Lucifer himself has taken notice of Script’s play and rejects its premise of presence. The evil one schemes to undo humanity with his message of presence passé—propelled by AI, algorithms, social media, and all manner of “mediated matter.” His goal is to lead humankind down the path of discarnate life and away from incarnate presence.

A brief excerpt from Lucifer’s speech to captives in the netherworld:

“The Race reels in confusion and delusion. They know not what to believe. They are like vipers. And we will it so. We’ve woven a narrative most propitious. It brims with efficacy. It’s called Bewilderment.

Soon, high above a tiny isle, our tower will reach to the heavens and carry our message to an ever-increasing discarnate world. And I promise you this: The isle will have hordes of whitewashed tombs with Estillyen bones.” 

To uncover Satan’s plan, Script must venture to hell and back many times over. It’s an insane mission, one Script is most reluctant to undertake. Although, not unlike Dante guided by the poet Virgil, Script, too, has a trio of wise encouragers who join the mission and nurture him along. 

Two of the three possess rather historic resumes: Melchizedek, the mysterious King of Salem, who blessed Abraham, and Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross of Christ. The third is known only as Sage, who introduces himself to Script early on: “I’m a crier of olden days, of papyrus, print, and page; just call me Sage.”

The Lenten season can be described as a period of grief that ends with the celebration of Easter. In Easter Orthodox tradition, the season is known as “Bright Sadness.”

It’s safe to say that the tale of Presence, the Play is one of brightness, and sadness not at all.  Particularly when the Estillyen Ferry, packed with Easter lilies, docks in Port Estillyen one early Easter morn.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3VCxepm

(Revised April 6, 2023)

(NewsUSA) - Nothing says annoying like having bird poop on your car, and the arrival of spring means even more unwanted bird activity. Why do birds like to poop on cars? No one knows for sure, but bird poop on your car is more than an unsightly mess. In fact, the uric acid in bird poop can damage your vehicle’s paint.  

Fortunately, Take 5 Car Wash® is welcoming the season with a giveaway of over 60,000 free car washes in select markets across the United States including Dallas, Nashville, Denver, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Little Rock, Birmingham, New Orleans, and Columbus, Ohio. Free washes will be gifted starting on March 28, National Car Wash Day, to people who claim their car was pooped on by Take 5’s new, pesky mascot, the Take 5 Official Pigeon.

If you live in one of the select markets and suspect that the Take 5 pigeon has visited you, visit www.Take5.com/Pigeon for your chance at a free wash, and to see where the pigeon may strike next.

Take 5 Car Wash is the largest express car wash operator in the U.S. with 400 sites nationwide and is part of the Driven Brands family of automotive services. The retailer's washes tackle the seven signs of car aging: dull paintwork, fine lines, markings, permeability, surface dirt, under chassis rust, and fading color. Its washes are equipped with Take 5’s proprietary Pro5™ five-step process for a professional clean, powered by Armor All Professional® wash and wax formulas, including a Ceramic Shield formula with UV Protection exclusive to Take 5 Car Wash.

Visitors to Take 5 Car Wash also have access to Take 5 Car Wash’s complimentary Pro5 Detail Center, with high-power vacuums, Pro5, Armor All Professional®, Interior Cleaner, and Window Cleaner, and microfiber towels.

Driven Brands, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., also includes Take 5 Oil Change®, Meineke Car Care Centers®, Maaco®, 1-800-Radiator & A/C®, Auto Glass Now®, and CARSTAR®. Driven Brands has more than 4,800 locations across 15 countries, and services over 50 million vehicles annually. Visit take5.com/car-wash for more information.

(NewsUSA) -            Fifty thousand people in the U.S. have had their skin cancer cured without going to hospitals or undergoing traditional Mohs surgery, avoiding that treatment’s pain, bleeding, surgical scarring and, often, need for follow-up reconstructive surgery.

          The nation’s 50,000^th case of curing common (nonmelanoma) skin cancer with GentleCure™, the non-surgical treatment using Image-Guided Superficial Radiation Therapy or Image-Guided SRT, occurred at Reading Dermatology, the private Pennsylvania practice of Jason Hendrix, DO.

          The patient was Jeffrey Keating, D.P.M., a 74-year-old retired podiatrist from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, whose lifelong habits of golfing, sailing and driving in his top-down convertible likely contributed to his history of skin cancer.

          “I had Mohs surgery years earlier for a lesion on my calf,” Keating said, “but this time, with three lesions on my face, my doctor and I chose non-surgical GentleCure and the results were outstanding.”

          With GentleCure, doctors treat nonmelanoma skin cancer (basal and squamous cell carcinomas) using ultrasound imaging to direct low-level X-ray energy to targeted areas of the skin, killing cancer cells without surgery. Research shows that the technology produces a 99.3 percent cure rate for early stage nonmelanoma skin cancer, making it just as effective as Mohs surgery, and treatments are covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.

          Dr. Hendrix noted, "More than three million Americans are diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer each year, making it the most common form of cancer. Sun exposure is the primary cause and year-round sun effects are cumulative over one's lifetime, so those who spend a lot of time outdoors plus seniors, those with light skin, users of tanning beds and people with family histories of skin cancer are especially susceptible. With all its advantages, GentleCure is the new non-invasive standard of care."

           Patient Keating added, “As a physician myself, I know that it’s critically important for patients to understand all their treatment options. Having experienced Mohs surgery, the idea of no pain or scarring with GentleCure was very attractive. Actually seeing the cancer shrink and disappear on the ultrasound imaging screen was so reassuring. I have a friend who had Mohs surgery on a facial lesion, and he had a flap of skin cut from his scalp and stretched over the site of his excised lesion; that was not something I wanted to experience. Today, I am fully cured and could not be happier with the GentleCure process and results.”

           For more information and to learn where Image-Guided SRT is available, visit GentleCure.com.