Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know:’ UN Calls for Reparations, Good Luck, Team USA

1. Ummm…Good Luck, Team U.S.A…

Ummm…Good Luck, Team U.S.A…

What You Need to Know:

 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete in the 2021 Olympics, despite testing positive for use of a banned heart medication. The Chinese athletes went on to win six medals in the Tokyo Olympics, including three gold.

The New York Times revealed that during the pandemic, Chinese swimmers got together to practice in advance of the Olympics. They were tested during a practice session, with results revealing that nearly half of the top swimmers who eventually went to the 2021 games, tested positive for a heart drug, Trimetazidine, referred to as TMZ. The prescription heart medication makes it easier for athletes to train. 

2. A Reparations Call From the United Nations

. A Reparations Call From the United Nations

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

 What You Need to Know:

 At a United Nations meeting on April 19, the UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, emphasized the need for concrete steps to address reparations for people of African descent, adding his voice to growing calls for justice for slavery atrocities.

Turk’s remarks came during the closing of the four-day UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD), where support for reparations gained traction among African and Caribbean nations. The proposed reparations could encompass financial payments and other amends for crimes dating back to the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

“I join your demands for action now,” stated Turk, urging governments to demonstrate true leadership by swiftly moving from rhetoric to action to address historical wrongs.

3. Autism Speaks Encourages Early Screening

Autism Speaks Encourages Early Screening

What You Need to Know:

 Most children with autism, the neurodevelopment disorder that affects an estimated 1 in 59 children, aren’t diagnosed until they are 4 or 5 years old. This is in spite of the fact that children as young as 18 months can be reliably diagnosed. And in news that surprises no one, delayed diagnosis is even greater in minority and low-income children.

But earlier diagnosis helps children with the disorder maximize their development potential. That’s why Autism Speaks and Sesame Workshop joined forces to promote early screening and diagnosis with a multimedia campaign starring Julia, the 4-year-old “Sesame Street” muppet with autism who was introduced to the world two years ago.

4. Taylor Swift’s New Song Claims the 1830s Was a Fun Time

Taylor Swift’s New Song Claims the 1830s Was a Fun Time

 WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

 What You Need to Know:

Taylor Swift released a new album with a controversial line from her new song, “I Hate It Here” that’s drawing backlash.

In the track off of “The Torture Poets Department: The Anthology,” Swift sings about wanting to return to an era that ended more than a century before her career began.

“My friends used to play a game where we would pick a decade we wished we could live in instead of this / I’d say the 1830s, but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid.”

The Civil War began in 1861, more than 30 years after Swift’s references in the song. Slavery was still active in the United States during this time.

5. Maximizing Tax Benefits: Deducting Rental Losses from Short-Term Bedroom Rentals

Maximizing Tax Benefits: Deducting Rental Losses from Short-Term Bedroom Rentals

 WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY CATRINA M. CRAFT, CPA

 What You Need to Know:

If you’re renting out a bedroom in your home and it’s generating a tax loss, you might be wondering if you can deduct that loss. The answer is yes, but there are four key requirements you need to meet:

Firstly, the bedroom must be used exclusively for rental purposes and never for personal use. If it’s regularly available for paying customers through platforms like Airbnb, you meet this criterion.

Secondly, your average rental period should be seven days or less, classifying it as a hotel room for “transients,” according to the tax code. For instance, if you rented the unit 25 times for a total of 77 days, with an average rental period of 3.08 days, it qualifies.