
Tharoor‘s blunt take on Trump's 'dead economy' remark, PM Modi, says 'I'm the wrong person to ask…'
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Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump sending $2000 stimulus check in August? Truth about eligibility and payment date
Rumors about President Donald Trump planning to send a stimulus check, worth $2000, in August are doing the rounds on social media. This speculation has caused confusion among Americans hoping for financial relief. Donald Trump speaks about not using an autopen, after signing a proclamation officially declaring this National Purple Heart Day(REUTERS) But despite viral posts and several unverified articles making bold claims, there is no official confirmation from the US government or IRS about such a payment. What's actually happening? At the heart of the chatter is a July 19 article by Rick Adams, suggesting that lawmakers are considering a fourth round of stimulus payments due to growing public pressure. The piece outlines potential eligibility criteria, such as $75,000 income limits for single filers, $150,000 for married couples, and additional amounts for dependents, with possible direct deposits starting in late 2025 or early 2026. However, no legislative text, IRS statement, or action from Congress supports this claim. What do the IRS and Treasury say? As of now, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department have not announced any new stimulus payments. The most recent IRS bulletin, IR-2025-75, dated July 15, focused on tax security and extensions, not new relief checks. The last official stimulus checks were distributed in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan, with up to $1,400 per eligible individual. While the IRS is still processing unclaimed Recovery Rebate Credits from that period (worth $2.4 billion), the deadline to file for those expired on April 15, 2025. What about the DOGE payments? Trump mentioned a so-called $5,000 'DOGE dividend' in February 2025, tied to potential savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, this remains a proposal only—there is no congressional approval, and it is not linked to a $2,000 check scheduled for August. Social Security checks Regular monthly payments from the Social Security Administration, including retirement, disability (SSDI), and survivor benefits, continue to go out, as usual. These are not stimulus payments, but rather ongoing benefits based on eligibility. The 2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) provides some support to beneficiaries but doesn't match inflation levels impacting food, housing, and healthcare costs, especially for low-income households. IRS warning Misinformation about the $2,000 stimulus has sparked scam attempts, including fraudulent messages and fake application forms. The IRS has warned the public to be cautious and to verify any claims via or other official sources.


Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: Saying It With Smile
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was at the receiving end of jibes from his colleagues on Thursday. At the Makar Dwar, two senior MPs — RSP's N K Premachandran and Congress' Benny Behanan — told him that they have come up with a new slogan to raise inside the Lok Sabha — 'Pradhan Mantri Sadan mein aao, Tharoor wapas UN jao (PM come to House, Tharoor go back to the UN)'. The Thiruvananthapuram MP took the comment sportingly and smiled. Premachandran continued to take a swipe at him saying, 'He (Tharoor) is such an obedient party MP that he did not even table the papers listed against his name today.' Tharoor quickly responded that the Opposition has 'double standards' when it comes to laying papers in the two Houses. 'In Rajya Sabha, the Opposition MPs are allowed to lay papers on table if their name is listed,' he said, referring to CPI(M) MP John Brittas tabling the Standing Committee report on External Affairs. In the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Arun Govil tabled the same as Tharoor, whose name was listed, was not allowed to lay the papers. Senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is making efforts to generate interest among party MPs about new technological developments. Sahasrabuddhe, who is the vice-chairman of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, a centre linked with BJP-RSS and designed to 'produce trained, ethical, and responsible leaders', invited some MPs on Thursday for a session to understand the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society and economy. AI experts from Bharat Gen, a government initiative at IIT Mumbai, briefed the parliamentarians. For those who attended the session, the most interesting aspect was the Indian language tools developed by Bharat Gen, a government-funded AI based multimodal LLM.


Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Give the bully an inch, he'll take a mile: China envoy amid tariff war
NEW DELHI: "Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile," wrote Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong in a post on X, a day after US President Donald Trump slapped an additional 25% tariff on India for its trade with Russia. The remark was seen by some as expressing solidarity with countries like India and Brazil, at the receiving end of Trump's trade war. Xu's post also tagged Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's remarks, after his talks with the Brazilian president's chief advisor Celso Amorim, that using tariffs as a weapon to suppress other countries violates the UN Charter, undermines WTO rules and is both unpopular and unsustainable. Amid the trade standoff with the US, PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit China this month for the SCO summit where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and also Russian President Vladimir Putin.