Latest news with #Schaff
Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
KUAF calls fundraising successful, but warns of ongoing threat
Northwest Arkansas' local National Public Radio affiliate is facing uncertainty in the wake of federal funding cuts and the impending shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Why it matters: KUAF, the public radio station for NWA, the River Valley, eastern Oklahoma and southwest Missouri, serves many small rural communities and is sometimes the only source of news people consume, general manager Clint Schaff told Axios. Public radio not only encourages civic participation but builds community, "turning strangers into neighbors," Schaff said, noting he personally found community as a KUAF listener when he moved to the region four years ago. The latest: KUAF met its emergency fundraising goal last week to recover the roughly $210,000 in annual federal funding it receives, Schaff told Axios on Friday. Joel and Lynn Carter of Springdale agreed to match $100,000 in donations. Yes, but:"Even with more than $200,000 raised, we've only covered one year of that annual loss," he said in an email. "This week's success might actually harm our fall fundraiser because people will think we're all set. We won't be. So we need to keep pushing for sustainable funding. We will need increased philanthropic support from foundations and other institutions." The big picture: NPR and PBS have said they will continue to operate even though the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down after Congress' decision to cut nearly $1.1 billion in federal funding. Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, who represents the district encompassing NWA and the River Valley, voted for the legislation that cut funding, along with Arkansas' other three House representatives and two U.S. senators. Zoom out: The full implications of losing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are unknown, as KUAF has relied on the organization for emergency alert infrastructure and music licensing. The station may have to purchase music licensing elsewhere, for example. By the numbers: In addition to federal funding, KUAF received about $1.02 million from membership and underwriting and about $762,000 from individual donors during fiscal year 2024, according to Schaff. But some public radio stations around the country rely much more heavily on federal funding. As much as 96% of an Alaska station's revenue comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to financial disclosures from the organization.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
You ask, we answer: Is this Menards in West Milwaukee overcharging on sales tax?
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Public Investigator team chases tips, finds answers, and gets results. No story is too big or too small. Got a tip or a question? Email publicinvestigator@ While sorting through a collection of old receipts, Peggy Schaff, 60, noticed an unusual detail on a recent purchase at Menards in West Milwaukee. In November, during a Black Friday sale, Schaff purchased $87 worth of goods. But her receipt included two different charges for Milwaukee sales tax — one for 5.9% and one for 6.4%. Schaff contacted Public Investigator to ask if the new City of Milwaukee sales tax had been incorrectly applied to her purchase. Schaff isn't the only Milwaukee-area customer checking their receipts carefully lately. Since the new City of Milwaukee sales tax went into effect last year, residents of nearby suburban cities have discovered the increased rate wrongly being added onto their purchases at major retailers and on streaming services like Netflix. The new tax raised the city's sales tax from 5.9% to 7.9%. In December, Schaff contacted the Wisconsin Office of State Treasurer for help. She said representatives told her to redirect her questions to the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS. Despite repeated follow-ups, she never got a response. The IRS is not involved in the determination of city and county taxes, so representatives from the agency would not have been able to address Schaff's concerns, an IRS spokesperson told Public Investigator. Although the name may be deceiving, the Office of the State Treasurer doesn't oversee tax laws. It mainly advises the state Legislature on the spending of tax dollars. The agency that actually oversees the administration of tax laws here is the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. When Public Investigator contacted the Department of Revenue in March, spokesperson Jennifer Bacon confirmed that the Menards in West Milwaukee is not subject to the new City of Milwaukee sales tax. However, after reviewing Schaff's bill, Bacon confirmed that the two tax charges on Schaff's bill were correct. The store had simply separated the sales tax into two line items, she said: one for food items and one for non-food items, which are taxed at different rates. "Menards split the sales amounts based on non-food sales taxed at the state plus county rate of 5.9%," Bacon said. "Food and beverage items were taxed at the state, county and local exposition tax of 6.4%." If you're incorrectly charged a city sales tax, you can go to the store or business with a copy of your receipt and request a refund. Additionally, you could send a copy to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's Customer Service Bureau, and the agency will contact the company directly and request it adjust its transaction system, also known as a point of sale system. If you are overcharged on tax by more than $50, Bacon said you can request a refund directly from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue by submitting a refund claim using the department's My Tax Account portal at Once you arrive on the landing page, select "Buyer's Claim for Refund." Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at tfowlkes@ Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to publicinvestigator@ or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Shopper confused by double tax on West Milwaukee Menards receipt
