Nation

IRS Warns About Filing Fake Documents

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IRS News:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conitues to warn taxpayers – Beware of the “Dirty Dozen” – a list of tax scams for the 2015 filing season. One of the items on this list is hiding taxable income by filing false Form 1099s or other fake documents.

“The mere suggestion of falsifying documents to reduce tax bills or inflate tax refunds is a huge red flag when using a paid tax return preparer,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “People should watch out for this type of scam especially when someone else prepares their returns.”

Compiled annually, the “Dirty Dozen” lists a variety Read More

Bandelier Seeks Written Or Online Comments On Possible Fee Changes

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Ancestral Pueblo cavates in Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier National Monument. Courtesy/NPS

BANDELIER News:

Bandelier National Monument is seeking public comment on possible increases in the park’s entry fees. 

Snow limited the number of people attending the public meetings earlier in the month, but there is still time for anyone interested to submit comments by mail or online. 

Current entrance fees, which allow re-entry into the monument for up to seven days, are $12 per private vehicle or motorcycle and $6 per person/bicycle. These fees date Read More

President’s Budget Request For National Parks Includes $3 Billion For Conservation, Preservation, Recreation

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BANDELIER News:

President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2016 – the centennial year of the National Park Service (NPS) – includes $3 billion for the bureau’s critical conservation, preservation and recreation mission.

This provides a boost of $432.9 million toward the NPS’s essential programs and operations. The NPS was established in 1916 to administer America’s national parks, monuments, and related areas. In 2016, its 100-year anniversary, the system preserves 405 areas, 23 national scenic and national historic trails and 60 wild and scenic rivers.

The budget proposal would Read More

Luján Statement On Black History Month

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement today in recognition of Black History Month, which is celebrated in February.

“This month we celebrate Black History Month and reflect on the enduring contributions of a community whose vibrant culture and rich traditions are an integral part of the fabric of our great nation.  In all sectors of American society – as business owners, educators, members of the armed services, and more – the African American community has played a leading Read More

IRS: Stay Away From Abusive Tax Shelters

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IRS News:

  • Attempting To Evade Paying Taxes Through Abusive Tax Shelters Gets People In Trouble With IRS

PHOENIX – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today said using abusive tax shelters and structures to avoid paying taxes continues to be a problem and remains on its annual list of tax scams known as the “Dirty Dozen” for the 2015 filing season.

“The IRS is committed to stopping complex tax avoidance schemes and the people who create and sell them,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “The vast majority of taxpayers pay their fair share, and we are warning everyone to watch Read More

Heinrich, Flake Applaud Bipartisan Senate Gathering

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U.S. Senators Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., left, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., checking out the border with Mexico. Courtesy photo

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., today issued the following statement applauding the announcement that Senate Republicans and Democrats would gather together Wednesday for a bipartisan lunch.

“We believe that regular bipartisan gatherings, such as the one scheduled for Wednesday, can help foster the productive relationships necessary for the Senate to be effective again. These gatherings Read More

Importance Of Earth Science Recognized In President’s Budget Proposal

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By CHRISTINE MCENTEE, ED/CEO
American Geophysical Union
  • Cuts to Planetary Research Remain a Concern, says American Geophysical Union

WASHINGTON, D.C.— American Geophysical Union Executive Director/CEO Christine McEntee has announced that the AGU is very pleased to see the President’s budget proposal recognize the transformative power of science to drive American prosperity and to protect our communities.

“After years of underfunding for non-defense discretionary science and the destructive impacts of sequestration, the President’s proposed budget would repair the damage Read More

Heinrich On President’s 2016 Budget Proposal

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., released the following statement on President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget proposal:

“Recognizing that our nation’s deficit has been cut by two-thirds since 2009, the president’s budget proposal acknowledges that it’s time to propel our economic recovery forward by investing in our country again. To that end, I am very interested in his proposal to build a 21st century infrastructure to create jobs and improve our nation’s competitiveness. 

“I’m pleased Read More

Researchers: Smoke From Fires Can Intensify Tornadoes

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A tornado in Shoal Creek Valley in Alabama during a historic severe weather outbreak April 27, 2011. A new study finds that a severe weather outbreak in 2011 was caused mainly by environmental conditions leading to a large potential for tornado formation and conducive to supercells, and that smoke particles intensified these conditions. Photo by Wjalex4/Wikimedia Commons
 
AGU News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Can smoke from fires intensify tornadoes? “Yes,” say researchers, who examined the effects of smoke –- resulting from spring agricultural land-clearing fires in Central America
Read More

HSNW: Smart Gun Technology Faces Many Hurdles

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Courtesy/smallarmssurvey.org

HSNW News:

Homeland Security News Wire (HSNW) reports that at Wednesday’s Seattle International Smart Gun Symposium, lawmakers, smart-gun industry representatives and gun-safety advocates met to discuss the future of “authorized” guns, which only discharge in the hands of pre-authorized owners.

Absent from the meeting were gun-rights advocate, gun manufacturers, or organizations such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), but attendees and the panelists did discuss the issue of how smart-gun technology may be viewed with the Second Amendment Read More