DETROIT — James Howarth has a question about small change for the IRS.
The Detroit defense attorney received a letter in November saying the government was due 5 cents. The Detroit Free Press reported Saturday that that Howarth was notified to pay “to avoid additional penalty and/or interest.”
Howarth said a second letter told him he’s due 4 cents, but he would have to request the refund since it’s under $1.
Howarth said he’s not sure whether there is connection between the nickel bill or the 4-cent refund. He’s also not sure if he now owes the government a penny or if he’s benefiting from a 9-cent swing.
COOLIN, Idaho — Wildlife authorities said it’s not a good idea, but some 30 volunteers started their new year by rescuing a moose from an icy lake in northern Idaho.
The female moose had crashed through the ice at Priest Lake near the town of Coolin. Residents spotted the struggling animal shortly after daybreak Thursday about 100 yards from shore. A woman on snowshoes lassoed the moose’s neck, while six men ventured onto the ice, pushing a small boat just in case the ice broke under them. They managed to loop a rope around the animal’s rump and hoist it out of the water.
WASHINGTON — The government program that subsidizes TV converter boxes is about to run out of money.
The devices will be needed to convert analog televisions to digital reception by Feb. 17. As many as 8 million households are still unprepared.
Most of the converter boxes cost between $40 and $80. To subsidize them, the government has been letting consumers request up to two $40 coupons per home. But any day now, the coupon program is expected to hit a $1.34 billion funding ceiling set by Congress.
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council is set to hold emergency consultations Saturday night to address the escalation of violence in Gaza.
Gaza Conflict: How Israel, Hamas Prepared
The decision came after Israeli tanks and infantry rolled into Gaza in a ground offensive in a widening war against Hamas.
CHICAGO — In the face of a massive economic crisis and just two and a-half weeks away from moving into the White House, President-elect Barack Obama is urging congressional leaders to move quickly on a recovery plan.
During his weekly radio address, Obama argued economists from across the political spectrum agree that failing to act quickly and boldly could lead to “a much deeper economic downturn” that includes “double-digit unemployment.”
Obama said his plan is designed to create 3 million jobs. Congressional aides briefed on the measure say it’s likely to blend tax cuts of $500 to $1,000 for middle-class individuals and couples with about $200 billion to help revenue-starved states. (Read the full post about ‘Obama: Country Needs Economic Stimulus Plan’…)
NEW YORK — A New York matron is out of a job and facing reckless endangerment charges after authorities accused her of knowingly leaving a 22-year-old disabled man on a bus by himself for more than 17 hours over New Year’s.
Authorities said Linda Hockaday told them she knew Edwin Rivera hadn’t gotten off the bus, but since she was in a rush to get somewhere she kept quiet to avoid a trip to Rivera’s East Harlem home on New Year’s Eve.
Rivera, who has cerebral palsy and can’t communicate verbally, was left buckled up inside the bus overnight while temperatures outside dropped as low as 15 degrees.
Hockaday’s lawyer said some of the blame should fall on the bus driver.
The bus company said that drivers rely on matrons to make sure everyone has gotten off, and that matrons get monthly training emphasizing that.
Previous Stories:
January 2, 2009: Complaint: Disabled Man Knowingly Left On Bus
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Officials said they’ve been unable to get any information on casualties or damage from a series of powerful earthquakes that have struck remote areas of eastern Indonesia.
Power lines are down and buildings have been damaged.
NEW YORK — Filmmaker George Butler wants his friends to know he’s very much alive. That’s after a premature obituary on “The Charlie Rose Show.”
During Rose’s annual New Year’s Eve tribute to notable figures who passed away during the year, he included Butler, whose 1977 film “Pumping Iron” featured a then-unknown bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger. The screen even flashed a Butler tombstone, 1943-2008.
The PBS show had confused him with another George Butler, a longtime jazz record executive who signed Wynton Marsalis, who died April 9.
NORMAL, ILL. — Police in Illinois said actor and playwright Sam Shepard has been arrested on preliminary charges of speeding and drunken driving.
Police Lt. Mark Kotte said officers stopped Shepard early Saturday in the central Illinois town of Normal.
Kotte said the 65-year-old Shepard was driving 16 mph over the 30 mph speed limit.
Kotte said a breath test indicated Shepard’s blood-alcohol level was double the legal limit.
Shepard told police he had been at a tavern in nearby Bloomington and was heading to a hotel. He said he was on his way to his home in Kentucky from Minnesota.
Shepard won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play “Buried Child.”