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Democrats often complain that tax cuts primarily benefit “the rich,” but apparently they only think it’s a problem when rich conservatives get a tax break, because they’re outraged that President Trump’s tax cuts scaled back a generous subsidy enjoyed by well-off taxpayers in liberal states.
A key provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a new cap on the so-called State and Local Tax (“SALT”) Deduction, which allows taxpayers to deduct state and local taxes on their federal tax return. This provision forces taxpayers in low-tax states such as Florida and Texas to effectively subsidize those in high-tax states such as New York and California.
For years, blue-state Democrats have been able to raise state income and property taxes far higher than voters might normally tolerate. That’s because the SALT deduction softened the impact for taxpayers in those states, particularly for the rich campaign-donor class. Since the SALT deduction only applies to taxpayers who itemize their returns, its benefits naturally accrue to those in the highest income bracket.
There was previously no limit to how much taxpayers could deduct through SALT, but even though the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act capped the deduction at $10,000, almost 93 percent of American taxpayers will be unaffected. It’s likely that fewer taxpayers will elect to take advantage of SALT, since the law also doubled the standard deduction, but about 11 million of the highest-earning Americans living in high-tax states are seeing their federal income tax liabilities increase.
It’s curious that liberals who criticized Trump so vociferously for “cutting taxes on the wealthy” are so upset by an element of the tax reform plan that merely takes away a tax break enjoyed disproportionately by the wealthy.
Take New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for instance. His state has some of the highest tax rates in the country, yet it is nonetheless facing a $2.3 billion budget deficit. Cuomo is blaming the changes to the SALT deduction, saying that wealthy New Yorkers are now shifting their assets to other states or utilizing tax shelters to avoid the state’s punitive taxes.
It turns out that without low-tax states paying a share of their taxes, rich New Yorkers and Californians have discovered that it makes more sense to relocate. I certainly did. California, where I used to live, has a top marginal income tax rate of 13.3 percent. Tennessee, where I hang my hat now, has none — at least on regular income. The barbeque is better here, too!
In Cuomo’s case, most of his wealthy New Yorker donors were probably wintering in Florida anyway. Bad luck for him that Florida doesn’t have a state income tax, either, because if they start lining up for Florida driver’s licenses in any significant numbers, it’s going to bankrupt the Empire State.
Most of the high earners left in these predominately coastal liberal strongholds have stuck around mainly because the SALT deduction gave them a hefty discount on their state taxes. In New York, for instance, the average SALT deduction was $22,000 before the reform. That money came straight out of the pot that pays for national defense, interstate transport, national parks, and all the other federally funded services that Americans depend on.
Donald Trump’s historic tax reform has put an end to all of that, and Democrats are up in arms. Four high-tax states are even suing to get their money back, arguing that the federal government has a responsibility to provide lavish tax breaks to their richest residents.
Next time you hear Democrats complain about “tax cuts for the rich,” remember that they’re the same ones who are going to the mat to protect tax breaks for wealthy liberals at the expense of middle-class Americans in low-tax states.
Apr 5, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard forward Jeremy Lamb (3) passes the ball as he is defended by Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol (33) and guard forward Danny Green (14) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
April 6, 2019
Jeremy Lamb was the star again, and the Charlotte Hornets remained alive in the playoff race with a thrilling 113-111 win over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining to give the Hornets the lead, and then Charlotte held on when Kawhi Leonard’s 3-point attempt wedged between the rim and the backboard with one second remaining.
This was the first meeting of the teams since the Hornets stunned the Raptors 115-114 in Toronto on March 24, on Lamb’s miracle bank shot from behind the half-court line at the final buzzer.
The Hornets had lost three of their previous four and were in a total “must-win” mode Friday night. They still sit two games back of Detroit and Brooklyn, who are tied for the seventh spot in the East, and one game back of ninth-place Miami in the Eastern Conference.
Thunder 123, Pistons 110
Paul George scored 30 points, and Russell Westbrook sealed his third consecutive season averaging a triple-double as Oklahoma City beat visiting Detroit.
The game was critical to both teams’ playoff positioning, and it was the Thunder who came out ahead, winning for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in seven games.
The Thunder remain in seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs with a game at hand. The Pistons lost for the third consecutive game and for the sixth time in their past eight to fall into a tie with idle Brooklyn just above the East playoff cutline.
Celtics 117, Pacers 97
Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, and Gordon Hayward added 21 as Boston took over sole possession of fourth place in the East with a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.
The result puts the Celtics on track for home-court advantage in the upcoming NBA playoffs. A first-round postseason series between the Celtics and Pacers is likely, though Boston moved within 1 1/2 games of Philadelphia for the No. 3 seed.
Kyrie Irving scored 17 points for the Celtics while Hayward was 9 of 9 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. The Pacers have lost eight of their last 11 games despite entering play Friday on a two-game win streak.
Magic 149, Hawks 113
Orlando set an offensive season high in a rout of Atlanta in its final home game of the regular season, getting a key victory for playoff positioning.
It was the third-highest point total in Orlando’s history. The Magic’s scoring record is 155, set back in 1990. The Magic set a franchise record for points scored in a first half with 81 and led by as much as 38 in the opening half.
The record-setting performance couldn’t have come at a better time. Orlando moved up to sixth in the East with its victory, a half-game ahead of Brooklyn and Detroit, though the Magic have one fewer game remaining than both.
Timberwolves 111, Heat 109
Dario Saric and Gorgui Dieng scored 19 points each to lead host Minnesota over Miami.
The loss was the third in a row for the Heat, who must make up a one-game deficit in the playoff race with three games remaining. Dwyane Wade led Miami with 24 points, including a steal at midcourt and a layup with 10 seconds left that cut the Heat’s deficit to 110-109.
Minnesota is out of playoff contention but played spoiler. Karl-Anthony Towns struggled with 11 turnovers, including four offensive fouls. He had an odd triple-double along with his 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Warriors 120, Cavaliers 114
Stephen Curry rebounded from his lowest-scoring game of the season with one of his best, bombing in a game-high 40 points as Golden State outlasted Cleveland at Oakland, Calif., in a rematch of the past four NBA Finals.
The victory allowed the Warriors to move within one win of clinching the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, which start next weekend. The Warriors swept the Cavaliers, then led by LeBron James, in last season’s Finals.
In sweeping the season series from the Cavaliers for the second consecutive season, the Warriors led wire-to-wire but saw a 21-point lead shrink to 115-112 with 2:52 to play.
Nuggets 119, Trail Blazers 110
Nikola Jokic finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Paul Millsap scored 25 points, and Denver outlasted visiting Portland.
Jamal Murray scored 23 points to help the Nuggets clinch the Northwest Division and at least the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Denver has a slim chance at the top seed but leads Houston by 1 1/2 games for the second seed with a game in hand.
Enes Kanter had 24 points, Rodney Hood had 17 points and Al-Farouq Aminu had 12 points and 14 rebounds for Portland. Damian Lillard scored 14 points but missed all six of his 3-point attempts.
Rockets 120, Knicks 96
James Harden scored 26 points in 29 minutes as host Houston cruised to a wire-to-wire victory over league-worst New York.
The Rockets earned their fifth straight win and 19th in 22 games by seizing control early. They led by double digits for the final 40:04, and by at least 20 points for the final 29:20. They went in front by as many as 42 points.
Harden shot 8 of 21 and hit five of Houston’s 22 3-pointers. He added eight assists and eight rebounds.
Jazz 119, Kings 98
Grayson Allen scored a career-best 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting as Utah won its season-best seventh straight game, an easy triumph over Sacramento in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz scored the game’s first 13 points and never trailed. Donovan Mitchell recorded 23 points and nine assists as red-hot Utah won for the 12th time in 13 games.
The Jazz have won by 20 or more points on seven occasions during the 13-game stretch. The Kings must win their final two games to end a streak of 12 straight losing seasons.
Lakers 122, Clippers 117
Alex Caruso scored 32 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 25 as the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers beat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers.
Caruso, who is on a two-way contract with the Lakers and did not make his first start with them until Thursday, shot 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He had career highs in points and rebounds (10) while adding five assists.
Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20. The host Clippers lost their second consecutive game after a stretch when they had won eight of nine. They remain sixth in the West, a game clear of the Thunder.
Spurs 129, Wizards 112
LaMarcus Aldridge led eight San Antonio players in double figures with 24 points, and the visiting Spurs routed Washington.
Rudy Gay had 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills scored 17 points each for the Spurs. Coming off a 28-point loss at Denver, San Antonio shot 56 percent from the field for the game and outrebounded Washington 42-34.
Bradley Beal scored 25 points in 31 minutes for the Wizards, who have lost two straight games. Thomas Bryant had 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting.
Suns 133, Pelicans 126 (OT)
Josh Jackson scored 35 points, including eight in overtime, as host Phoenix held off New Orleans.
Jamal Crawford added 28 points and Ray Spalding had a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who went 2-3 on a five-game homestand. Phoenix was without five key players, including Devin Booker, who sustained a season-ending ankle injury on Wednesday.
It was the second overtime win for Phoenix over New Orleans in three weeks. Jackson made a tying 3-pointer as the Suns scored five points in the final 2.2 seconds of the extra period in a 138-136 victory at New Orleans on March 16.
Grizzlies 122, Mavericks 112
Delon Wright recorded a triple-double as Memphis won at Dallas, which was without rookie Luka Doncic (thigh).
Wright, who came into the game averaging 8.2 points per game, connected on 10 of 19 shots from the field and finished with 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 14 assists. He started in place of Mike Conley (ankle), and helped the Grizzlies snap a two-game losing streak.
With just three games left, the Mavericks have the inside track for a higher draft pick, as Dallas and Memphis both entered the night at 31-47.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
Apr 5, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Baylor Lady Bears guard Chloe Jackson (24) dribbles the ball between Oregon Ducks forward Erin Boley (21) and Ducks guard Maite Cazorla (5) during the first half in the semifinals of the women’s Final Four of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
April 6, 2019
Chloe Jackson scored the go-ahead basket with 40 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as top-seeded Baylor advanced to the NCAA Women’s Tournament championship game with a 72-67 victory over second-seeded Oregon on Friday night in Tampa, Fla.
Kalani Brown scored 22 points, and Lauren Cox had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bears (36-1), who won their 28th straight game and will attempt to capture their first title since the Brittney Griner-led undefeated team in 2012.
Baylor, which shot 54.4 percent from the field, will face defending champion Notre Dame after the Irish defeated second-seeded Connecticut 81-76 in the other semifinal Friday night.
Pac-12 Player of the Year Sabrina Ionescu scored 18 points, and Satou Sabally added 16 for the Ducks (33-5), who remained in the contest on the strength of 12 3-pointers despite shooting 36.8 percent from the field overall.
Sabally sank a 3-pointer to even the game at 67 with 1:40 to play, marking the 12th tie of the contest. It didn’t last long, as Jackson benefited from a high screen to breeze past Erin Boley for the go-ahead basket with 40 seconds to play.
Sabally was unable to answer at the other end of the court, as her jumper failed to go down. Cox made a pair of free throws to push Baylor’s lead to 71-67 with 18 seconds left. Ionescu and Sabally each missed 3-point attempts in the closing seconds.
Baylor worked the interior as DiDi Richards made a layup and sank a free throw to push the lead to four early in the fourth quarter, but she committed her fourth foul on the next possession.
Oti Gildon cleaned up Boley’s 3-point misfire for an easy putback to halve the deficit, and teams traded baskets before Oregon went on a 7-0 run.
Ruthy Hebard made a layup, Boley connected on a jumper and Maite Cazorla sank a 3-pointer to give the Ducks a 64-61 lead with 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. Cox and Brown answered by each sinking a jumper to regain Baylor’s advantage with 3:50 left.
Boley drained a 3-pointer to give Oregon a 55-52 lead with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter before Brown answered with a jumper on the next possession. Boley misfired on another 3-point attempt, and Cox recorded an offensive rebound and quick putback to give Baylor a 56-55 advantage at the end of the quarter.
The Ducks led 34-33 at halftime after a four-point play by Ionescu with eight seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: A man shows Argentine pesos outside a bank in Buenos Aires’ financial district, Argentina August 30, 2018. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo
April 5, 2019
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina’s peso weakened 1.32 percent to touch a record low of 44.0 per U.S. dollar, traders said on Friday, as political and economic uncertainty to put pressure on the local currency.
The peso later regained some strength, but nonetheless ended the day at an all-time low close of 43.97 to the greenback.
The economy has been racked by recession and high inflation as President Mauricio Macri, a favorite among investors for his free-market policies, loses popularity ahead of his October re-election bid. Voters have been hit by public utility subsidy cuts and other austerity measures ordered by Macri as part of his effort at erasing the primary fiscal deficit.
(Reporting by Jorge Otaola and Walter Bianchi; Writing by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow listens to a question from the media outside the White House in Washington, U.S., December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Young /File Photo
April 5, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators will continue their talks next week by video conference as they try to reach a deal to resolve a nine-month-old trade war, White House adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He was meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for a third straight day on Friday after President Donald Trump hailed progress in the talks and said a deal could be announced in the next four weeks.
Kudlow, speaking on Bloomberg Television, said Liu was due back in Beijing after today’s talks but the two sides would press ahead to resolve remaining differences by video link.
“There’s no letup here, this is an ongoing process,” Kudlow said.
The United States is seeking reforms to Chinese practices that it says result in the theft of U.S. intellectual property and the forced transfer of technology from U.S. companies to Chinese firms. Washington also has demanded that Beijing curb industrial subsidies and open its economy wider to U.S. companies and that it increase purchases of U.S. goods including farm and energy commodities to shrink the gaping U.S. trade deficit with China.
“We are making headway in a lot of areas. That includes enforcement, that includes IP (intellectual property) theft, that includes forced technology transfers, ownership, cyberspace, commodities and all the rest of it,” Kudlow said. “Those are of course in the middle of the negotiations that are ongoing but we’ve come further and farther than ever before.”
(Reporting by David Lawder and Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the “Loonie”, is pictured in this illustration picture taken in Toronto January 23, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo
April 5, 2019
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO (Reuters) – Strategists see little upside for the Canadian dollar over the coming months, cutting their bullish forecasts for the currency as worries about the global economy boost demand for higher-yielding U.S. dollars, a Reuters poll showed.
The loonie has climbed more than 2 percent since the start of the year even as it has lost ground since February, making it the second best performing currency in the G10 after sterling.
According to the poll of nearly 50 currency analysts, the loonie will strengthen slightly to 1.33 per U.S. dollar in three months, or 75.19 U.S. cents, from about 1.335 on Thursday. That is a weaker forecast than the 1.31 level seen in March’s poll.
Strategists were more upbeat about the currency over a one-year horizon, expecting it to climb about 2.7 percent to 1.30.
“We still remain optimistic on the loonie but our (U.S.) dollar forecasts as a whole reflect a longer period of dollar strength and uncertainty over global growth in the short run,” said Ranko Berich, head of market analysis at Monex Europe.
Canada is running a current account deficit and exports many commodities, including oil, which has rallied nearly 50 percent since December, so its economy could be hurt by a global slowdown.
Data last month showed Canada’s economy barely grew in the fourth quarter due to plunging Canadian crude oil export prices, while the Bank of Canada has signaled it is in no hurry to raise interest rates again after tightening its benchmark rate by 125 basis points since July 2017 to 1.75 percent.
The U.S. Federal Reserve could also be on hold, with the fed funds rate set to stay in a range of 2.25 percent to 2.50 percent, according to economists in a Reuters poll.
Both the U.S. and Canadian yield curves inverted in March, with rates on long-term bonds trading below short-term rates for the first time in more than a decade. But inversion of Canada’s curve has not always led to a recession.
“Our scenario calls for the Canadian economy to improve this spring, which could help the loonie,” said Hendrix Vachon, a senior economist at Desjardins. “The gains should be limited by ongoing concerns, particularly regarding developments in the housing market and business investment.”
Canadians have taken on record amounts of debt in recent years, which helped fuel a rapid rise in real estate prices. But the housing market has softened since the start of 2018, weighed by tighter mortgage rules and Bank of Canada rate hikes.
The prospect of limited movement for the loonie is reflected in the volatility used to price FX options. At an annualized 5.65 percent, 3-month implied volatility for the Canadian dollar is trading near its lowest since September 2014.
“Our view is that dollar-Canada is one of the few G10 currencies which the option market has correct, in the sense that it really shouldn’t have big moves from here,” said Daniel Katzive, head of FX strategy North America at BNP Paribas in New York.
“We think Bank of Canada and Fed policy settings are not going to diverge too much further … we don’t really see oil making enough of a move to justify a big adjustment in dollar-Canada either,” Katzive said.
(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Polling by Mumal Rathore and Indradip Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
Source: OANN
Apr 4, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) runs around second base before scoring a run against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
April 5, 2019
Trevor Bauer tossed seven no-hit innings, and two relievers combined to finish a three-hit gem as the host Cleveland Indians posted a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.
Bauer (1-0) finished with a flourish, striking out Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Alen Hanson and Brandon Drury to end the seventh inning. The 28-year-old fanned eight on the night, but six walks drove up his pitch count to 117.
Jon Edwards sandwiched a pair of walks around a hit batter to load the bases in the eighth before Brad Hand induced Gurriel to pop out to second to end the threat. Hand, however, allowed a single to Freddy Galvis to lead off the ninth, ending the Indians’ bid for their first no-hitter since Len Barker threw a perfect game against Toronto on May 15, 1981.
Tyler Naquin had two hits and scored a run, and Jose Ramirez and Roberto Perez each had sacrifice flies for the Indians, who have alternated losses and wins to even their record after six games despite mustering just 17 runs. The Blue Jays began their six-game road trip by falling for the fourth time in five outings.
Braves 9, Cubs 4
Nick Markakis drove in five runs to support the strong effort of starting pitcher Max Fried, and Atlanta rolled over visiting Chicago, capping a three-game series sweep.
Markakis was 5-for-5 with three doubles and scored three runs to pace the 13-hit Atlanta attack. He matched his career high for hits and doubles in a game. Markakis raised his batting average to .375 from .211 when the day started and was 8-for-12 in the three-game series.
Fried (1-0) showed good command of his breaking pitches and limited the Cubs to only one hit — a sixth-inning single by Mark Zagunis that spoiled a perfect game — in six shutout innings. Yu Darvish (0-1) allowed three runs in four innings as the Cubs lost their fifth straight.
Yankees 8, Orioles 4
Gleyber Torres hit a pair of homers, including the go-ahead three-run shot with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, lifting New York to victory at Baltimore.
Torre set a career high by going 4-for-4, falling a triple shy of the cycle, and he tied a career best with four RBIs. He helped the Yankees overcome a 4-1 deficit, driving a 0-2 fastball by Mike Wright Jr. (0-1) over the left field fence to put New York up 5-4. Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit also homered for the Yankees.
Jonathan Villar homered on the second pitch of the bottom of the first inning from James Paxton (1-1). Chris Davis went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. He is hitless in 17 at-bats with 11 strikeouts this season and is hitless in his past 38 at-bats since Sept. 14.
Nationals 4, Mets 0
Stephen Strasburg struck out nine over 6 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win as Washington spoiled New York’s home opener.
Wilmer Difo had two RBIs via a second-inning safety squeeze and a ninth-inning single for the Nationals, who were held to one hit — Victor Robles’ leadoff homer in the sixth — through eight innings before collecting four hits and adding two insurance runs in the ninth. Washington won its second straight.
Noah Syndergaard (0-1) took a hard-luck loss for the Mets, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. New York fell to 37-21 all-time in home openers. Syndergaard allowed two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out six.
A’s 7, Red Sox 3
Stephen Piscotty collected two singles, a double and a home run, driving in five runs as Oakland beat visiting Boston to win the series 3-1.
Three Oakland relievers combined to pitch 3 2/3 innings of two-hit, shutout relief to protect the lead.
J.D. Martinez hit a solo home run, his third of the season, for Boston, which fell to 2-6 on its season-opening trip that moves to Arizona on Friday. The Red Sox don’t get their home opener until Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tigers 5, Royals 4
Niko Goodrum knocked in three runs, Josh Harrison scored three times, and Detroit won its home opener by edging Kansas City.
Blaine Hardy (1-0) gave up one run in two innings of relief to pick up the win. Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings. He gave up three runs (two earned). Nicholas Castellanos scored two runs for Detroit, which has won three straight.
Alex Gordon hit a solo homer, scored two runs and drove in two for Kansas City. Whit Merrifield supplied two hits and two runs. Reliever Kyle Zimmer (0-1) walked all three batters he faced and took the loss.
Pirates 2, Reds 0
Jordan Lyles and three relievers spun a six-hit shutout as host Pittsburgh scored late for a shutout win over the poor-hitting Cincinnati. The Reds were blanked for the third time in their first six games of the season.
Kevin Newman drove in a run in the seventh on a groundout, and Josh Bell singled home an insurance run in the eighth as the Pirates ended a two-game losing streak while sticking the Reds with their fifth straight defeat.
The Reds, who were shut out 1-0 by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, have not scored in their past 19 innings.
Rangers 11, Angels 4
Joey Gallo and Ronald Guzman each homered in a five-run first inning, leading Texas to a victory that spoiled Los Angeles’ home opener in Anaheim, Calif.
Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout hit home runs in the losing effort for the Angels, who fell to 1-6 on the season. It is the worst start through seven games by an Angels team since the franchise’s inaugural club began 1-8 in 1961.
Angels starter Matt Harvey (0-1) was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits and two walks in four-plus innings. Rangers reliever Jeffrey Springs (1-0) got the victory.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
Apr 4, 2019; Commerce City, CO, USA; United States forward Tobin Heath (17) celebrates her goal with forward Megan Rapinoe (15) and forward Alex Morgan (13) in the second half during an International Friendly Women’s Soccer match against Australia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
April 5, 2019
Alex Morgan scored her 100th international goal and substitute Mallory Pugh scored twice when the U.S. Women’s National Team rallied to defeat Australia 5-3 in a friendly at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., on Thursday.
Megan Rapinoe broke a 2-2 tie in the 61st minute with a strike from 22 yards out for her 44th goal. Pugh, from Highland Ranch, Colo., replaced Rapinoe and her first touch extended the lead to 4-2 in the 67th minute with Emily Sonnett earning her second assist.
Samantha Kerr’s header pulled Australia to a 4-3 deficit in the 81st minute but Pugh chipped in the insurance goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Morgan opened the scoring in the 14th minute to become the 17th woman to reach the century mark. She is tied for sixth on the all-time U.S. list with Tiffeny Milbrett and has 27 goals in her past 32 matches.
She has scored in 70 of her 159 games, with the U.S. going 60-0-10.
Morgan controlled an overhead ball by bodying defender Clare Polkinghorne. She dribbled the left flank toward the top of the penalty area before making a cutback on defender Alanna Kennedy to create space for the shot from 16 yards that went into the far netting.
Lisa De Vanna made it 1-1 in the 29th minute from the left side following a layoff by Caitlin Foord.
The U.S responded but couldn’t break the deadlock. Ellie Carpenter cleared a shot by Rapinoe in the 32nd minute; goalkeeper Lydia Williams denied Colorado native Lindsey Horan in the 34th and Rose Lavelle a minute later.
Foord gave Australia a 2-1 lead in the 47th minute, but the U.S. got the equalizer six minutes later with Tobin Heath’s header.
The U.S. has three more friendlies before the start of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France in June, beginning with Belgium on Sunday at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks at an event with Israeli and Brazilian business people, attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem April 2, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
April 5, 2019
By Anthony Boadle
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro appealed to leaders of five big centrist parties on Thursday to back his pension reform plan, resorting to the traditional political methods he had condemned during the election campaign.
The government’s deputy Senate whip, Senator Izalci Lucas, told Reuters that Bolsonaro had done well to form a cabinet without political interference. But parties will now get to share some 2,000 second-level federal jobs and have a say on public works that favor their members’ districts.
Bolsonaro, a longtime fringe Congressman, won the top office by criticizing the corruption and extensive horse-trading of Brazilian coalition politics. Those practices directly led to the country’s “Car Wash” scandal, which has been called the largest political graft investigation ever, in which billions of dollars in kickbacks were funneled through politically appointed executives at state-run companies and parties.
To end that, Bolsonaro pledged during his campaign not to use those methods and has tried to govern without embracing a base of parties across the ideological spectrum. But with 30 parties in Brazil’s unwieldy Congress, getting any bill through requires deft negotiating.
Just over 100 days into Bolsonaro’s presidency, his flagship legislative proposal to overhaul the costly pension system and save more than 1 trillion reais ($260 billion) over the next decade has gained no traction in Congress, to the dismay of the market.
The inability of his government to organize backing for the long-awaited but deeply unpopular reform bill, which most economists say is vital to shore up Brazil’s public deficit and avoid slipping back into recession, was on crystal clear display on Wednesday.
That’s when Economy Minister Paulo Guedes was grilled during an acrimonious, six-hour lower house committee hearing and received virtually no support, even from lawmakers within Bolsonaro’s own party. The session was cut short after leftist congressmen opposed to the reform traded insults with Guedes.
‘NEW DIALOGUE’
Bolsonaro met separately with the heads of five centrist parties on Thursday, all of whom back pension reform in principle but want to see the president’s version revised.
“This meeting marks the beginning of a new dialogue where we can express our concerns and build bridges to guarantee the legislative agenda advances,” ACM Neto, head of the powerful Democrats party, told reporters after meeting Bolsonaro.
Geraldo Alckmin, former Sao Paulo governor and head of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, said the pension system must be reformed. But he is opposed to changes that reduce benefits for rural, elderly and disabled workers.
After the meetings, Bolsonaro said in a Facebook live video that he expects Congress to pass the bill, and added that no government job offers were discussed with the party leaders. His chief of staff Onyx Lorenzoni told reporters that the president will meet with more leaders next week.
House Speaker Rodrigo Maia and other key lawmakers have said they were losing patience with the government’s refusal to negotiate and called on Bolsonaro and his backers to stop trying to govern the country via Twitter, which Bolsonaro says he counts on to get his message directly to voters.
As the political chaos has deepened, Brazilian market volatility has risen, triggering sharp declines in the currency and stocks, and a spike in bond yields. Markets have settled this week, but investors expect volatility to remain high.
While a recent decree issued by the government sets qualification requirements for federal jobs, the parties will now be able to put qualified names forward, Izalci said.
“He is correcting the mistake. By drawing closer to the parties he will get their support,” Izalci said. “Now things will start moving.”
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Additional reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond is seen outside Downing Street in London, Britain, April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville
April 4, 2019
By Andy Bruce
LONDON (Reuters) – An end to austerity in Britain does not mean all government departments will see their budgets keep pace with inflation, Conservative finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday.
Last year Hammond announced that years of self-enforced thrift over government spending was coming to an end, a claim parliament’s Treasury Committee criticized as “imprecise” and lacking in detail.
On Friday he spelled out more about what an end to austerity would mean for a multi-year review of government spending due toward the end of the year alongside his annual budget.
“All Spending Reviews are about prioritization and efficiency, and it would be odd to define ending austerity as meaning that every department sees an annual real terms increase in its budget,” Hammond said in a letter to the chair of the Treasury Committee, Nicky Morgan.
Day-to-day spending on public services was likely to rise 1.2 percent a year above inflation over the coming years, compared with an average real-terms fall of 1.3 percent a year between 2015 and 2020, and double that in the five years before.
The last spending review before the financial crisis, conducted by a Labour government in 2007, envisaged real-terms cuts to spending on foreign affairs, justice, and the administration of pensions and social benefits.
Delivering faster job growth, a higher minimum wage and lower income tax bills for many workers also counted toward ending austerity, Hammond added.
Morgan said Hammond’s comment was “noteworthy”.
Britain’s budget deficit looks on track to drop to its lowest since 2001/02 at just over 1 percent of national income in the 2018/19 financial year that has just ended, down from 10 percent just after the global financial crisis in 2009/10.
Last month, Hammond said he could free billions of pounds for extra public spending or tax cuts, as long as parliament resolves its Brexit impasse.
Britain could ask the European Union for a long Brexit delay next week if crisis talks between Prime Minister Theresa May’s government and the opposition Labour Party fail to find a way out of the impasse over the divorce from the European Union.
It is nearly three years since the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting 52 percent to 48 to leave the bloc. Supporters of Brexit fear betrayal and opponents are pushing for another referendum.
Hammond last month repeated his forecast that there would be a Brexit deal “dividend” as companies regained confidence, despite criticism from the Treasury Committee over his use of the phrase.
(Editing by David Milliken)
Source: OANN
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