🌞 46 Days Left – September 18 2020

In Case You Missed It

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• A new study shows that yellow is the least flattering color to wear unless you’re a member of The Wiggles.
• If you’re counting plagues, add this to the mix: Thousands of migrating birds have fallen dead out of the Southwest sky. Ornithologists are attributing this to climate change. We’re going to go out and watch for bodies of water to turn to blood next. WTF.
• The PlayStation 5 sold out in one day of preorders.
• Amazon is adding podcasts to its Music service, helping you to listen to podcasts on Alexa. You can test it out by saying “Alexa play The Investing In Real Estate Podcast with Clayton Morris” It’s a good podcast. You should try it. We just added it so it might take a few hours to update.

Coronavirus Update: Total confirmed U.S. cases as of 10 p.m. ET: 6,674,070 — Total deaths: 197,615 — Total recoveries: 2,540,334

Former Pence aide says she plans to vote for Joe Biden, accusing Trump of costing lives in his coronavirus response.

The Lead: Finally my kids can earn me some cheddar

credit: reuters

Joe Biden unveiled another tax plan on Thursday, which expands the child tax credit, allowing families with children under 17 to claim up to $3,000 per child, plus an extra $600 if the child is under six years old.

This was part of the Heroes Act passed in May, and Biden wants to keep it around. Currently, families can claim a $2,000 credit per child. This plan would also allow families to draw on this credit in the form of a monthly payment rather than wait until the spring’s file taxes. This would result in an extra $250 to $300 per month per child.

Of course, this is just a proposal. Biden has to win the Presidency first for any of this to go into effect.

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It’s in the mail

credit: getty 

A judge has blocked the Postal Service from implementing changes that slowed the mail in the run-up to the November election. The judge called these changes “a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service.”

This applies to the 14 states that were suing the Trump Administration for these changes, such as removing sorting machines and drop off boxes. This is a preliminary injunction.

Meanwhile, internal records were released from the Post Office yesterday, showing that the US Treasury Department tried to seize USPS operational control in exchange for a $10 billion loan. Documents point to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnunchin’s directive that they wanted control of the mail service. The demands ceased after USPS hired a law firm that advised them that this was illegal.

News By The Numbers

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10.75%. That is the new state income tax rate for anyone with an income over $1 million in New Jersey, starting now for taxes you will file for the year 2020. The Democratic Governor is hoping this will bring the cash-strapped state $390 million in revenue. The Republicans worry that it will light a fire under more people to leave the already high-tax state. Recall that New Jersey and New York have seen the most significant population flight from any other state since the pandemic.

10 minutes. That is how long it took for Quantas Airlines to sell out their flight to nowhere. Closed borders must have travel-loving Australians going berserk because 134 seats were snatched right up for a flight that will take off and land in the same place after doing some scenic passes of the Great Barrier Reef and other Pacific spots. Seats ranged from $575 to $2,765.

48,000 years old. That is the approximate age of a tooth found in Italy, which researchers think was from a Neanderthal.

Hello, I’d like to make a reservation.

credit: Giphy

Hospital Emergency Rooms in the UK are now taking reservations. The new program is called Help Us Help You, a name they clearly stole from Jerry Maguire.

The hospitals ask that anyone with emergency medical needs call 111 ahead of time, which is the British version of 911. This will help them guide patients to the correct place and avoid overcrowded ERs due to the pandemic and the upcoming flu season. For instance, someone with a mental health emergency could skip the ER altogether and go straight to the appropriate place if some triage is done on the phone first.

Of course, anyone who does not call ahead because it was, you know, a real emergency, can still get in, but they warn of long wait times without advance notice. The government plans to spend 24 million pounds to bring this program to the public’s attention.

Which dinosaur lived next door?

credit: variety

Would you like to know which dinosaurs once lived in your ‘hood? Who wouldn’t!? A new interactive map lets you see just that!

The map was made by a paleontologist named Ian Webster. It not only shows which fossils have been found in and around where you live, but it also shows what the landmass looked like when they lived there millions of years ago, tracking plate tectonic movements in intervals of millions of years.

I have always wondered what fossils I might dig up if I go outside with a shovel! Now I know that if Grover digs up a bone, it very well could be an iguanodon!

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