– New proposal offering seven days of paid sick leave for railroad workers nears vote
– California residents continue to receive Middle-Class Tax Refunds
– Some residents in South Carolina and Virginia may be eligible for tax relief
– Social Security beneficiaries will soon see an 8.7% boost in their benefits
– Inflation could change Christmas spending habits – what is driving price increases?
– Trucking companies struggle to attract and retain workers as wages continue to fall
– Can you receive two Social Security checks in the same month?
IRS
What is the IRS mileage reimbursement rate for 2022?
SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Security: When and who collects their retirement and disability payment in November and December
US NEWS
What is Biden’s proposal to avert the national rail strike?
CAREERS
How much does a driver earn in the US by hour: what is the average salary?
US NEWS
What are the railroad industry’s reasons for going on strike?
US NEWS
How much money do Americans spend on Cyber Monday deals?
Will inflation spark change in Florida?
Unemployment benefits programs are largely decided by state authorities, with the amount of support on offer varying greatly in different parts of the country. Florida has one of the lowest unemployment benefits in the country, both in terms of the amount of money on offer and the duration that the support lasts.
Currently Floridians only get 12 weeks of jobless support, but with inflation hurting families' household finances there is a real push for change. However lawmakers in Florida have not approved a major change in more than two decades, leaving residents to suffer if they lose their job.
What next for Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness plan?
Widespread student loan relief was a key campaign pledge made during Joe Biden's successful run for the presidency in 2020. It took him 18 months to finally issue his proposal for the program after taking office, but he is facing major hurdles to enact the relief.
A number of Republican-led states launched legal challenges to the Student Loan Forgiveness program, arguing that Biden does not have the authority to unilaterally write off the debts. Here's what the White House had to say when asked for an update on student loan payments…
Will Congress intervene in railroad dispute?
Throughout 2022 inflation has caused major headaches for Americans, with rapid price rises devaluing workers' wages. There have been a number of industries to have pushed for improved conditions and pay this year, but an ongoing dispute between railroad unions and service providers threatens to end in strike before Christmas.
Railroad companies have offered an inflation-busting 24% pay rise and a $5,000 worth of direct annual payments, but the unions are demanding sick leave for workers. It remains to be seen how Congress will act to resolve the dispute and avoid a damaging strike.
INFLATION RELIEF
California inflation relief payments schedule: When will the remaining recipients get their checks?
While those receiving the direct payment to help with the rising cost of living should have already seen the money deposited in their account, the last payments were scheduled to be issued 14 November, the mailing of debit cards follows a separate schedule. The agency responsible for disbursing state tax refunds has finally posted the complete payment schedule.
Around 95 percent of payments to the roughly 23 million eligible Californians are expected to issued by the end of the year.
When are the next California inflation payments going out?
The state of California has sanctioned a round of one-off relief payments to help residents afford the rapid price rises felt during 2022. The Middle Class Tax Refund was approved back in August and around 17 million people have now received the support.
However the program is so vast that there are millions more who are still waisting for a payment. Here's what you need to know about the California inflation payment distribution process…
Gas prices falls to pre-invasion level
The price of gasoline in the United States has been one of the most visible factors contributing to inflation during 2022. Sanctions imposed on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine placed a squeeze on the global supply of fuel and the price rose sharply. Back in June the price of gas hit an all-time high in the US, but nearly six months on the price has fallen to pre-invasion levels.
Home prices decline for third straight month
Higher mortgage rates on top of home prices that had been climbing until June have pushed many would be homebuyers out of the market until things cool down. This trend continued in September, becoming the third straight month to see a decline in home prices registering 0.8 percent. The year-on-year increase dropped to 10.6 percent down from 12.9 percent in August.
US NEWS
Tax relief checks in South Carolina and Virginia: Who will get them and when?
Both South Carolina and Virginia are paying back some of the taxes paid by residents in their 2021 filing.
AS USA's Oli Povey has a look at what the states are offering residents.
How many payments for the Middle Class Tax Refund have been paid?
As the Golden State experienced a second historic budget surplus, some of the revenue will be returned to taxpayers in an effort to help them combat inflation.
The California Franchise Tax Board is making payments through direct deposit as well as sending debit cards to those whose banking information has not been obtained by the state.
So far, 6,955,276 direct deposit payments have been made, with an additional 3,592,026 debit cards mailed. Over $5.7 billion have been received by households across the state, benefiting an estimated 19.1 million people.
The state does not plan to make any additional direct deposits but will continue to send pre-paid cards through the mail until at least mid-January.
The next batch of refunds will be sent to residents who received a Golden State Stimulus Check last year and whose last name begins with the letters W-Z. Those payments will be sent on 4 December and could take up to a week to land in the correct mailbox.
Inflation will continue to affect healthcare costs
Inflation, broadly, is falling in the United States as the economy cools after a rampant year. Prices have soared during 2022 and left typical wages far behind, making the average American poorer in real terms. One of the factors still affected by inflation, however, is healthcare which could well continue to rise in the coming months.
This report from USA Today explains all…
US NEWS
What are the railroad industry’s reasons for going on strike?
President Biden has asked Congress to intervene and prevent a potential railroad strike before the 9 December deadline. For months business leaders and union heads have been in negotiations to improve pay and scheduling procedures for railroad workers.
However those talks stalled and both sides agreed to a cooling-off period, which ends next week. If a deal cannot be found before Friday, 9 December a hugely damaging freight train strike could begin.
“Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy,” Biden said in a statement. “Without freight rail, many US industries would shut down.”
But what are the strikers hoping to achieve from the action?
Welcome to AS USA!
Good morning campers and welcome to the AS USA inflation live feed.
Congress is expected to force through contract changes for rail workers to prevent a strike in December. We'll be following that as it develops through the day.
