August, 2020 | últimas notícias

Do You Have An Uncashed Tax Check? Here’s What To Do & How To Fix Other IRS Issues – Forbes

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If you have an uncashed tax check at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you’re not alone. Scores of taxpayers and tax professionals have been reaching out about uncashed checks. Making matters worse, the IRS has been sending out underpayment or failure-to-pay notices for those payments.

First, you should know that this is clearly a systemic issue. It’s not you, it’s them. What exactly is to blame? A combination of unopened mail and the pandemic. The IRS recently noted that “If a taxpayer mailed a check (either with or without a tax return), it may still be unopened in the backlog of mail the IRS is processing due to COVID-19.”

Second, you should not panic. If you mailed your payment, it will eventually be posted. The IRS says that “Any payments will be posted as the date we received them rather than the date the agency processed them.” Whatever you do, don’t cancel your original check. Just because it hasn’t been cashed or credited doesn’t mean that it has gone missing: it’s likely just temporarily diverted.

Also, don’t spend that money. If you’ve written a hefty check, assume that the IRS will cash it any day now. Don’t assume that you can write other checks on the same funds. While the IRS is providing relief from bad check penalties for dishonored checks the agency received between March 1 and July 15 due to delays in this IRS processing, interest and penalties may still apply. Remember: when the IRS reopened (sort of) in June, the estimated backlog of unopened IRS mail stood at 11 million. The IRS has been tasked with sorting through that mail – and opening new mail – while relying on reduced or stay-at-home staffing.

Finally, don’t call. Due to high call volumes, the IRS says you should wait to contact the agency about any unprocessed paper payments still pending. As a tax professional, it makes me nervous to wait – and the IRS has asked us not to call – so I’ve been sending correspondence on behalf of my clients. I don’t expect to receive an immediate response (that mail is just going into the pile, too) but I’m sending it anyway since I like to have a paper trail. The IRS says it will make things right (eventually), so there’s no need to call, file a second return, or (again) cancel any outstanding checks.

If you have a payment to make and you’re worried about it going missing, there are electronic payment options.

You can pay your taxes directly from your checking or savings account. To make a payment, click on over to the Direct Pay page. You can schedule a payment or pay the same day, but IRS Direct Pay won’t accept more than two payments within 24 hours. And if you owe bunches, note that each payment must be less than $10 million.
Consider a same-day wire from your bank or financial institution. Contact your bank or financial institution – not the IRS – for details, including fees and deadlines. To make a payment, download and complete the Same-Day Payment Worksheet to take with you to make the wire. For information on making international wire transfers, check out this prior post.
Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW) is an option that you can use to pay by direct debit from your bank account. The IRS doesn’t charge a fee to use EFW, but your financial institution might (check first to avoid a last-minute panic). You’ll need to know your bank routing and account numbers (more on those here). For more information about EFW, click here.
You can pay what you owe by debit or credit card. Most of the approved IRS payment processors accept Visa
V
, MasterCard
MA
, Discover
DISCA
, and American Express
AXP
. Generally, there’s no limit on the amount you can pay, but you are restricted to just two credit card payments in one year for the same individual tax bill. High-balance payments of more than $100,000 may require coordination with your credit card or debit card provider.
Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to pay by phone or online. To make a payment using EFTPS by phone, call 1.800.555.3453. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and who have access to TTY/TDD equipment can call 1.800.733.4829. To make a payment using EFTPS online, log in, and follow the prompts. You can schedule your payment by 8 p.m. EST at least one calendar day in advance of the due date. It’s worth noting that your tax payment is due even if the website is not available, so plan ahead.

For more information, see www.irs.gov/payments for options to make payments other than by mail.

Taxpayers who mail tax returns and other correspondence to the IRS should expect to wait longer than usual for a response. While the IRS is now receiving mail, the mail processing functions remain scaled back to comply with social distancing recommendations. The IRS’ ability to correspond with taxpayers about various issues, including requests for information needed to process a tax return, remains limited.

So what about those tax returns?

If you haven’t yet filed your return, the IRS advises that they are still experiencing processing delays for paper tax returns. Taxpayers should file electronically through their tax preparer, tax software provider, or IRS Free File. Remember that the extension deadline is October 15 (it’s six months from the ORIGINAL filing date, not the extended filing date).
If you have already filed a paper return, but have not yet heard from the IRS, don’t panic: the IRS will process your tax return in the order that it’s received. Do not file a second tax return or contact the IRS about the status of your return.

What if you receive an outdated notice? In June, the IRS advised that they would begin mailing more than 20 million backlogged letters and notices to taxpayers in the agency’s steps to return to normal operations. But, because of the COVID-19 shutdown, many of the notices were mailed with past due payment or response dates. In most cases, the IRS will not generate a new notice. Instead, the IRS will include Notice 1052, Important! You Have More Time to Make Your Payment, as an insert that will provide a new, updated pay or response date (you can see what it looks like here). Check your notice and:

Review the last page of the insert to determine if there is a new due date.
Disregard the notice if you’ve already resolved your issue.
Contact the IRS using the number on the notice if you have additional questions. Keep in mind that phone lines remain extremely busy as the IRS resumes operations.
Visit IRS.gov/coronavirus for more information.

And if you’re still looking for information about your stimulus check (economic impact payment or EIP), you’re in luck: as of August 10, 2020, the Taxpayer Advocate can help. You can find out more about your check here.

Things are slowly getting back to normal, it’s just taking time. Remember to keep in mind that patience is key.

Source Article from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2020/08/14/do-you-have-an-uncashed-tax-check-heres-what-to-do–how-to-fix-other-irs-issues/

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Pompeo lashes out as U.N. Security Council rejects extension to Iran arms embargo – POLITICO

Earlier Friday, Pompeo said allowing the embargo to expire would be “just nuts.”

A bipartisan group of 387 members of Congress urged the Trump administration in May to extend the arms embargo. House Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel said at the time that “Iran continues to be a danger to the United States, our interests, and our allies. We need a realistic and practical strategy to prevent Iran from becoming a greater menace.”

Russia and China — two permanent members of the Security Council — had opposed the push for an indefinite extension. The Russian delegation asserted an extension would violate a UNSC resolution that endorsed the Iran nuclear deal. It argued the U.S. forfeited its right to negotiate the terms of an arms embargo under that resolution because it left the nuclear deal in 2018.

Russian President Vladimir Putin invited the heads of the Security Council, Germany and Iran to meet to “outline steps that can prevent confrontation or a spike in tensions in the UN Security Council,” according to a statement from the country’s delegation.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom had also pushed back on a U.S. threat to impose sanctions on Iran if the Security Council voted to let the embargo expire. The U.S. negotiated the right to do so under the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. But the European countries argued the U.S. was not in a position to use the so-called snapback option after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke before the vote and discussed the measure to extend the arms embargo, according to a White House readout. But the French delegation ultimately voted to abstain, saying the measure “does not constitute an appropriate response to the challenges posed by the expiry of the embargo and because it is not likely to advance the security and stability of the region, as it cannot gather the support of the Council, nor is it a sufficient basis for working towards a consensus.”

Speaking in Vienna on Friday, just as the Security Council started voting on the embargo extension, Pompeo brushed aside the Trump administration’s contentious withdrawal from the nuclear deal, saying Iranian arms dealings were a separate issue.

“We don’t think Iran has given any indication that it is in a place remotely where the world [should] sell them high-end weapon systems,” he said.

In his statement, the secretary characterized the Security Council’s vote as neglecting the needs of the Gulf states and Israel, who had also requested an extension to the embargo.

“These countries know Iran will spread even greater chaos and destruction if the embargo expires, but the Security Council chose to ignore them,” Pompeo said in the statement. “The United States will never abandon our friends in the region who expected more from the Security Council.”

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/14/pompeo-unsc-iran-395663

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Red Flag Warning issued across Bay Area – KRON4

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (BCN) – Thunderstorms in the Bay Area forecast could bring lightning strikes overnight, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning for the region starting late Saturday.

The storms are expected to develop in the South Bay and Santa Cruz areas Saturday night, and then move northward, according to the weather service.

The red flag warning is in effect from 11 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday for the region.

A heat wave that began Friday is expected to smother the Bay Area through at least Wednesday, with some locations seeing temperatures in the upper 90s and above 100.

A heat advisory is in place for the region. Those who are vulnerable are urged to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and remain in air-conditioned rooms. Children and pets should never be left in unattended vehicles, the weather service warns.

Anyone who works outside should take extra precautions and when possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening, the weather service advises.

Fox News Flash top headlines for August 15

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) union faced blowback from local Democrats after it endorsed President Trump’s reelection amid budget cuts and tensions between police and city lawmakers.

On Friday night, Trump spoke to members of the New York City Police Benevolent Association (PBA), an organization that represents 24,000 officers, at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. Trump was formally endorsed by the group.

PBA President Pat Lynch said it was the first time he could recall the group ever endorsing a president.

“I have 36 years on this job, 21 as the president of this fine organization. I cannot remember when we’ve ever endorsed for Office of the President of the United States, until now. That’s how important this is,” Lynch said.

“Many times people say that a union like ours, law enforcement groups, give endorsements. Not in the New York City PBA, sir,” Lynch continued. “In the New York City PBA, Mr. President, you earn the endorsement and you’ve earned this endorsement. I’m proud to give it.”

“I’ve admired you my whole life, watched you do a job like nobody else, nobody else done it. Best of the best and I’m grateful happy you’re here,” the president said to the group of officers in attendance.

NYC MAN WANTED FOR TORCHING NYPD CAR BUSTED AFTER TAUNTING FEDS

He mentioned his brother, Robert, who he visited in a New York City hospital Friday. “He’s having a hard time, but he respected you like I respect you.”

He again repeated his law-and-order message, telling the crowd “No one will be safe in Biden’s America.”

“This guy has been taking your dignity away and your respect,” Trump said of former Vice President Joe Biden. “And I’m telling you on Nov. 3 you’re going to be getting it back.”

New York Democrats said the police union’s endorsement of such a highly unpopular politician within the city was exacerbating tensions between them and the community.

“NYPD union endorsed Trump. I’m sure this is part of their neighborhood outreach plan,” tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district spans the Bronx and Queens.

“Also, does anyone else see a potential problem with police unions – enforcement arms of the state with lethal weapons – promoting “preferred” candidates for office or is that just me?” she added.

“I’m speechless. NYC is a beautifully diverse, working class, democratic city. The NYPD is clearly showing they are not interested in working with the people of our city,” tweeted Jamaal Bowman, a progressive newcomer who overthrew longtime Rep. Elliot Engel in a June primary.

“This explains their continued aggression against innocent people. It’s time for dramatic change,” he said.

New York City cops have faced a campaign against them in the wake of police brutality protests following the death of George Floyd.

As New York politicians cut $1 billion from the police budget among other police reforms, crime has spiked throughout the city. In July 2020, there were 244 shootings in New York, a 177 percent increase from the 88 which occurred last July.

Crimes such as murder, burglary and grand larceny auto also rose, but crimes such as rape, robbery and assault fell.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council recently barred officers from using chokeholds and other forms of restraint to detain suspects.

TRUMP SAYS NYC WAS ‘SO GOOD’ BEFORE HE LEFT, NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE

At the same time, state lawmakers passed a law to publicly disclose the disciplinary records of police officers accused of misconduct.

On July 31, Lynch met with the president at the White House to discuss the crime problem.

“In our city, we’re going through a difficult time. We have a progressive mayor that’s anti-police; the city council that’s anti-police; and the statehouse is anti-police. So they’re changing the law where it’s becoming impossible to do our job,” Lynch told the president, as reported by the New York Post.

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“And remember what our job is: to keep folks safe. You do that by helping the good people, going after the bad people. They’re stopping us from doing that.”

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-democrats-angered-nypd-union-endorses-trump

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Protesters gather at Postal Service boss’ home amid concerns over mailed ballots delays – NBC News

Protesters filled the streets outside the head of the U.S. Postal Service’s home in Northwest Washington, D.C., on Saturday, some carrying signs that read “Don’t mess with the USPS” and “Don’t stamp out our democracy.”

The demonstrators blew airhorns and banged pots as a few of them walked to the front door of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s building and pinned fake ballots to his front door, as protesters accused him and the White House of working together to undermine main-in ballots and the election.

“Hey hey, Louis DeJoy, the Postal Service is not your toy!” the protesters chanted. It was not known if he was home.

Shutdown D.C., the group that helped organize the protest, said they decided to make a bunch of noise outside DeJoy’s home to provide a “wake up call” to the longtime Republican donor.

“During a global pandemic, the postal service is essential to democracy: Postal workers are literally delivering democracy by safely delivering Americans’ votes,” the group said in a statement. “And Trump appointed DeJoy, a logistics executive, to gut the safest and most accessible way to vote.”

President Trump did not appoint DeJoy, as the postmaster general is selected by the USPS Board of Governors, but the White House did push to have him put in that position.

On Saturday, as talk of the in-recess House possibly returning to Washington to respond to the postal crisis heated up, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called on DeJoy to resign.

“The Postmaster General must resign,” Schiff tweeted. “He’s slowed delivery, banned overtime & decommissioned mail-sorting machines. Right before an election, During a pandemic.

“The House must demand answers,” he continued. “Hearings should start now. It can’t wait. We won’t let Trump destroy the Post Office.

DeJoy, a Trump ally who has served as postmaster general since May, reshuffled much of the experienced senior leadership in USPS’s organizational chart when he took control of the agency, and he has introduced a number of policy changes that appear to have slowed the delivery of mail.

“He’s trying to streamline the post office and make it great again,” Trump said Saturday as he dismissed questions about whether DeJoy was intentionally trying to delay mail delivery.

Demonstrators gather outside of the condo of President Donald Trump donor and current U.S. Postmaster General Louis Dejoy on Aug. 15, 2020 in Washington, DC.Michael A. McCoy / Getty Images

Outside of delays for people who depend on the USPS for their mail and packages, critics say the repercussions of DeJoy’s restructuring could have an outsized impact on the election this year.

Many states have allowed voters to turn to mail-in ballots because of the ongoing pandemic. With DeJoy’s closeness to the White House and his decision to ban overtime and additional trips made by carriers to deliver mail on time, protesters said it appeared that DeJoy was trying to help undermine the presidential election in November.

DeJoy has also overseen the decommissioning of 671 of the agency’s letter sorting machines, which can individually sort 35,000 pieces of mail per hour. Another call to action was the USPS’s plan to remove a number of blue collection boxes around the country, but a spokesman said Friday that it would wait until after Election Day and reevaluate its needs.

Concerns, however, grew further on Friday when numerous states reported that they had received letters from the Postal Service in recent days warning them that the agency that oversees mail in the United States will not be able to fulfill requests for mail-in ballots in time for the Nov. 3 election.

NBC News reached out to all 50 states to see whether they had received the USPS letter warning of issues relating to mail-in ballots. Eighteen, including critical swing states like Arizona, Florida and Michigan, shared the letters they received. Vermont, Wisconsin and Kentucky said they did not receive a warning from USPS.

Meanwhile, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, attended a rally in support of USPS workers on Saturday in New York City. She railed against President Trump for holding USPS funding hostage amid ongoing negotiations in Congress over pandemic relief because he is trying to undermine mail-in voting.

Trump said on Thursday that holding up the USPS emergency funding would ensure that the federal agency would be unable to “take all of these millions and millions of ballots.”

“Now, if we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money,” he said. “That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. They just can’t have it.”

“His own postmaster general has come out with a series of proposals that would delay the mail,” Maloney said Saturday. “These changes won’t just disenfranchise voters. It will hurt our seniors, our veterans, others that depend on their medications by mail, their packages, other deliveries. And these delays are also happening across our country.”

Maloney sent DeJoy a 10-page letter along with other Democratic leaders in Congress that asked for more information on the planned changes at hundreds of postal facilities across the country that risk jeopardizing the “integrity of the election.” She also confirmed that the USPS Office of Inspector General would be investigating DeJoy’s policies, as well as whether he violated any federal ethics rules.

DeJoy is slated to speak before Maloney’s committee on Sept. 17. Congress is on recess until September.

The criticism and concern of undermining mail-in voting efforts did not only come from Democrats, however, as Sen. Mitt Romney also emphasized on Saturday that tabulating mailed ballots is essential to preserving American democracy.

“We should make every effort to assure that people who want to vote, get the chance to vote,” he told reporters. “And that’s more important even than the outcome of the vote. We’ve got to preserve the principle of democracy or the trend we’re on is going to continue to get worse.”

Source Article from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/protesters-gather-postal-service-boss-home-amid-concerns-over-mailed-n1236874

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Newsweek apologizes for op-ed that questioned Kamala Harris’ citizenship – The Guardian

Newsweek has apologized for an op-ed that questioned the California senator Kamala Harris’ American citizenship and her eligibility to be Joe Biden’s running mate, a false and racist conspiracy theory which Donald Trump has not dismissed.

“This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia. We apologize,” read Newsweek’s editor’s note on Friday, which replaced the magazine’s earlier detailed defense of the op-ed.

“We entirely failed to anticipate the ways in which the essay would be interpreted, distorted and weaponized,” read the apology, signed by Josh Hammer, opinion editor, and Nancy Cooper, global editor-in-chief.

But the pair ended the note by saying that the op-ed would remain on the site, with their note attached.

The op-ed was written by John Eastman, a conservative attorney who argues that the US constitution doesn’t grant birthright citizenship. Eastman attempted to sow doubt about Harris’ eligibility based on her parents’ immigration status. Harris’ mother was born in India and her father was born in Jamaica.

Eastman ran unsuccessfully in the 2010 Republican primary as a candidate for California attorney general. Harris eventually won the election against Republican Steve Cooley.

Newsweek had earlier defended the piece, arguing that Eastman “was focusing on a longstanding, somewhat arcane legal debate” about the 14th amendment and not trying to “ignite a racist conspiracy theory around Kamala Harris’ candidacy”.

The conspiracy theory is false. Harris, who was tapped by Joe Biden to serve as his running mate on the Democratic ticket, was born in Oakland, California, and is eligible for both the vice-presidency and presidency under the constitutional requirements. The question is not even considered complex, according to constitution lawyers.

Trump built his political career on questioning a political opponent’s legitimacy. He was a high-profile force behind the “birther movement” – the lie that questioned whether Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was eligible to serve. Only after mounting pressure during his 2016 campaign did Trump disavow the claims.

Asked about the matter at the White House on Thursday, Trump told reporters he had “heard” rumors that Harris does not meet the requirement to serve in the White House. The president said he considered the rumors “very serious”.

Some Newsweek staff had publicly slammed the decision to run the oped. Christina Zhao, a New York news editor, tweeted: “This is an inflammatory and racist op-ed that should never have been published. That is my opinion.”

Topics

Kamala Harris

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/15/newsweek-kamala-harris-citizenship-apology

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Belarus: Vladimir Putin ‘pledges support’ for President Lukashenko – BBC News

Media captionProtesters chant anti-government slogans in a show of defiance

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that Russia has agreed to offer security assistance in the case of external military threats.

Mr Lukashenko also voiced concerns over Nato military exercises taking place in neighbouring Poland and Lithuania.

The news comes as the embattled president faces mass protests over the disputed 9 August election.

Thousands gathered outside state television on Saturday, demanding full coverage of the demonstrations.

The unrest erupted after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in last week’s election, the result of which has been condemned amid widespread allegations of vote-rigging.

The Central Election Commission says Mr Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80.1% of the vote and the main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya 10.12%.

But Ms Tikhanovskaya insists that where votes were properly counted, she won support ranging from 60% to 70%.

What’s happening politically?

As the unrest continued on Saturday, Mr Lukashenko sought help from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Lukashenko said President Putin had promised to provide what he called comprehensive assistance in the event of external military threats to Belarus.

The announcement came the day after EU foreign ministers agreed to prepare new sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for “falsification”. The US has also condemned the election as “not free and fair”.

In a joint statement on Saturday, meanwhile, the prime ministers of three Baltic republics – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – “expressed deep concern at the violent crackdown… and the political repression of the opposition by the authorities”.

Media caption‘Human life is the most precious thing’: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya speaks out from exile

Lithuania and Latvia have previously said they are prepared to mediate in Belarus, provided the authorities stopped violence against protesters and formed a national council with members of civil society. They warned that the alternative was sanctions.

The leaders said the presidential election was “neither free nor fair” and called for a “transparent” vote “with the participation of international observers”.

“The prime ministers urge the Belarusian authorities to refrain from violence against peaceful demonstrators [and to] release all political prisoners and those that have been detained,” the statement added.

Ms Tikhanovskaya left for Lithuania following the election after she publicly denounced the results. She had sent her children to Lithuania for safety before the vote.

Some 6,700 people were arrested in the wake of the election, and many have spoken of torture at the hands of the security services.

Amnesty International said accounts from released detainees suggested “widespread torture”.

What’s the latest with the protests?

Demonstrations have continued following Ms Tikhanovskaya’s call for further peaceful rallies on Friday.

Some 100 staff came out of the state television building to join Saturday’s protests, saying they planned a strike on Monday, AFP news agency reports. Others have signed a letter in support of a strike.

Image copyright
Reuters

Image caption

Thousands complained that the state broadcaster gave a skewed picture of the protests

“Like everyone we are demanding free elections and the release of those detained at mass protests,” one employee, Andrei Yaroshevich, told AFP.

On election day, Belarusian state channels aired the voices of Lukashenko supporters and did not cover the demonstrations. State TV later showed footage of violence to blame protesters and warn people not to participate.

Several journalists have resigned over the coverage.

Media captionSergiy says riot police in Belarus threatened to burn him alive

Earlier on Saturday, thousands of people waved flags, lit candles and laid flowers at the scene close to the metro station where one of the protesters, Alexander Taraikovsky, died on Monday.

Others held up pictures of injured protesters, while drivers joined in by honking their horns.

Many opposition supporters chanted “Leave!” – a call for President Lukashenko to resign – and some carried signs with slogans against police violence.

The circumstances of Mr Taraikovsky’s death are unclear.

Officials say he died when an explosive device went off in his hand during a protest, but his partner, Elena German, told the Associated Press news agency that she believed the 34-year-old was shot by police.

A “March for Freedom” is also planned in the centre of the city on Sunday, a week after the contested election.

More about the protests in Belarus

LETTER FROM MINSK: Shocked by violence, people lose their fear
SPREADING THE NEWS: How messenger app bypassed blackout
PROFILE: The stay-at-home mum challenging Belarus’s longtime ruler

Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53795871

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Trump campaign plans huge digital ad buy ahead of DNC, as Biden airs first ad with Harris – Fox News

Video

Fox News Poll: Trump gaining on Biden nationally

Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt breaks down the numbers.

The Trump campaign will launch a four-day advertising blitz across some of the nation’s most visited digital platforms during the Democratic National Convention next week.

The DNC, which kicks off Monday, will be a four-day event with dozens of top Democrats giving speeches and voicing their support for the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden.

But as some of the most influential party leaders address the nation, Trump will be aggressively inundating digital platforms with front-page takeovers and banner ads, targeting more than just political programs.

BIDEN, HARRIS HAUL IN $48 MILLION IN 48 HOURS

According to a report by The New York Times Saturday, The Trump campaign will be taking over the YouTube main page banner for a whopping 96 hours. The campaign has also reportedly bought up premium ad space on Hulu — meaning viewers cannot skip the Trump ads before watching their desired content.

“Unheard of scale & saturation,” Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign’s communications director tweeted Saturday. “Never before seen, political or corporate. Millions more will watch TRUMP content than will watch the DNC.”

Other digital platforms such as the Washington Post, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal will all have ad space reserved on their homepages, purchased by the Trump campaign for a reported seven-figure amount, which could even surpass $10 million, depending on ad engagement.

“It’s great that Team Biden let the Trump campaign grab up the best premium real estate on the Internet during Joe’s big week,” Murtaugh told The New York Times. “We’ll show millions of Americans exactly how the radical, leftist takeover of Joe Biden is now complete.”

But a spokesperson for the Biden campaign called the aggressive advertising strategy a “stunt” and a waste of money.

“No smoke and mirrors charade can conceal that Donald Trump’s failed leadership has cost over 167,000 Americans their lives and driven the strong economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden Administration into one of the deepest recessions in our history,” Andrew Bates, director of Rapid Response for Biden’s campaign, told the publication Saturday.

The Biden campaign, which has purchased digital ad space on YouTube during the Republican National Convention alongside the Trump campaign, claims to have spent its advertising funds in a more strategic way.

Digital platforms like Hulu are being utilized to target audiences in specific states by Biden’s campaign, rather than homepage takeovers or banner ads seen nationwide.

But the ad wars are just getting started, and Americans can expect to see greater amounts of ad space consumed by politics as the Nov. 3 election date nears.

HARRIS EMBRACES RUNNING MATE ATTACK DOG ROLE – SAYS CASE AGAINST TRUMP ‘OPEN AND SHUT’

The Biden campaign raised $48 million in the 48 hours following Biden’s announcement for his vice presidential pick, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., a figure that was first reported by Reuters and confirmed with the campaign by Fox News this week.

The Biden-Harris ticket also launched its first advertisement highlighting Harris’ commitment to public service. The 30-second clip was also the Biden campaign’s first bilingual ad, which will be running on YouTube and targeting Latino voters in Arizona and Florida, according to a report by ABC News Saturday.

The Trump campaign had been ahead in funds raised monthly until July, and it is too soon to tell who will come out on top in August – though the selection of Harris seems to have energized Democratic donors.

Biden announced that 150,000 first-time donors contributed within 48 hours of the VP announcement.

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“It’s really palpable, the excitement,” Biden said.

Trump’s campaign, along with the RNC and joint fundraising committees, has raised $165 million so far just during the month of August, and closed July with $300 million on hand.

Biden’s campaign has not announced what it has raised so far in August, but finished July with $294 million in cash – just $6 million shy of the reported Trump campaign contributions.

Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ad-wars-heat-up-trump-makes-big-digital-ad-buy-as-biden-airs-first-ad-with-harris

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Pelosi says stimulus talks are complicated by ‘complete disarray on the Republican side’ – CNN

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/15/politics/pelosi-stalemate-stimulus-talks/index.html

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Graham: UN Security Council rejection of Iran arms embargo extension a ‘major mistake’ | TheHill – The Hill

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin Graham GOP senator draws fire from all sides on Biden, Obama-era probes Has Congress captured Russia policy? Graham on Harris: ‘No issue’ as to whether ‘she is an American citizen’ MORE (R-S.C.) said the United Nations Security Council’s decision to reject the U.S.’s request to extend an arms embargo against Iran was a “major mistake.”

“The United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly rejected an extension of the Iranian arms embargo. This was a major mistake by the UN. It also makes a major conflict with Iran much more likely as they build up their military arsenal,” Graham, a prominent foreign policy hawk, tweeted Saturday.

The United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly rejected an extension of the Iranian arms embargo.

This was a major mistake by the UN.

It also makes a major conflict with Iran much more likely as they build up their military arsenal. https://t.co/lqf39UjShA

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 15, 2020

The rebuke comes a day after the Security Council voted down the Trump administration’s bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran. The result was expected given opposition from Russia and China, which hold veto power.

A Security Council resolution approved in 2015 in support of the nuclear deal between Iran and several world powers included a ban on imports and exports of conventional weapons to and from Iran. That embargo is set to lift Oct. 18.

Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard Pompeo UN Security Council rejects US bid to extend Iran arms embargo Overnight Defense: US seizes Iranian fuel bound for Venezuela | Progressives cool on Biden’s foreign policy | Takeaways from Israel, UAE opening diplomatic ties Whiskey, workers and friends caught in the trade dispute crossfire MORE and Brian Hook, his outgoing top Iran envoy, had been mounting a pressure campaign for months to convince other countries to support extending the embargo, saying dropping the ban would allow Iran to freely move weapons through the Middle East, including to its proxy forces, and to buy more advanced weapons from countries such as Russia and China.

Graham said the vote Friday would make the Middle East more dangerous and set up potential conflicts.

“Iran is still the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. As the Iranian military grows, it sets a collision course with Israel and others threatened by the Iranian regime. A stupid decision by the UN,” he said.

Pompeo also slammed the vote, calling it “inexcusable.”

“It rejected a reasonable resolution to extend the 13-year old arms embargo on Iran and paved the way for the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism to buy and sell conventional weapons without specific UN restrictions in place for the first time in over a decade. The Security Council’s failure to act decisively in defense of international peace and security is inexcusable,” he said in a statement.

Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/512181-graham-un-security-council-rejection-of-iran-arms-embargo-extension-a-major

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Taylor Swift Blasts Trump’s “Calculated Dismantling Of USPS” Amid President’s Efforts To Decommission Services – Deadline

Taylor Swift has once again spoken out against President Donald Trump on Twitter.

The Folklore singer joined a number of Hollywood stars and pop-culture figures who have called out the president on his decisions to roll back funding for the United States Postal Service.

“He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power,” Swift tweeted on Saturday.

The USPS, which is a public service, has undergone difficult times as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in the amount of mail and packages in transit. As universal vote-by-mail measures have entered the conversation, once again prompted by the coronavirus’ spread across the nation, President Trump has dubbed the proposed voting process fraudulent. As a result, many U.S. voters, Swift included, have mobilized to support the USPS.

In her tweets, Swift continued to speak against Trump but also encouraged her fans and followers to request they 2020 election ballots earlier to bypass any delays that may come as a result of Trump’s latest actions.

“Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early,” she said.

Swift’s Saturday tweets are far form the first time the singer has called out Trump. In May the Miss Americana star, who was infamously quiet about her stances on politics and social justice until late 2018, tweeted the president directly saying that voters will give him the boot in the November election as Black Lives Matter protests broke out nationwide in response to George Floyd’s killing in May.

Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early.

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 15, 2020

Source Article from https://deadline.com/2020/08/taylor-swift-blast-trump-usps-twitter-1203014449/