Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Kyivone.
There were fresh indications today that the U.S. and Iran are working toward resumed
“talks to overt new hostilities in the U.S. as real war on Iran.”
Meanwhile, U.S. central command says that no ships have gotten all the way through the straight-of-fore moves since the U.S. naval blockade was put in place Monday. One did go through but turned back. But the Washington Institute for Near East Policy researched director Dana Stroll says the parties are at a point where everyone needs a closing deal.
They do need a deal, so does the United States. At the end of this war is the fog clear from the damage. The problems that plagued Iran before the war are going to continue. They can't keep the lights on, they can't provide electricity, they've mismanaged their water, they can't protect their people, they can't stabilize their currency.
And those problems are only going to compound as this naval blockade continues. Dana Stroll at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the International Energy Agency representing the world's biggest energy consumers, is predicting that the conflict in Iran will cut into global oil demand this year, and PR's Camilla Domenoski explains. The IEA still anticipates that the global appetite for oil will grow this year, but less
than it expected before the war. That's because of supply shortages, higher prices, and direct impacts, like the suspension of flights in the Middle East. In a similar report this week, the oil cartel OPEC, which represents oil producers, estimates that demand for oil would be unchanged for the year overall.
The two groups often disagree. Neither body predicts a major hit to the global economy, although the IEA warns that if oil prices remain high for a protracted period, that would, way on growth. Camilla Domenoski and PR news.
In his first act following his win of majority government, Canada's Prime Minister Mark
Carney, has suspended his nation's fuel tax to compensate for the impact of the Iran war. Canada's fuel-exized tax will be suspended from next Monday until Labor Day. There's more climate warming methane coming from cities than governments have previously estimated according to new research, and PR's Jeff Brady has details. methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and governments estimate emissions by taking inventories
of sources such as landfills and gas utilities. But now scientists using satellites have generally found higher levels than those inventories. Eric Court directs the Atmosphere Chemistry Department at the Mox Planck Institute for Chemistry and Germany. So this gap suggests that those methods are not accounted for the emissions growth properly,
which then has implications for trying to understand where is the methane coming from,
“and what is the best way to mitigate or reduce emissions.”
More than 100 countries have agreed to reduce their methane pollution by 2030 as part of their climate pledges. Jeff Brady and PR news. This is NPR. Americans are getting bigger tax refunds that is due in large part to the signature tax law
passed by Republicans last year. And PR's Steven Basaha reports that so far, few Americans are noticing the bump. The average refund is about $350 more this year compared to the same time last year. Most filers should receive at least some bump according to Andrew Loutz with the bipartisan policy center.
But the center surveyed Americans and found only 27 percent think last year's tax changes
favored them. We know that the vast majority of Americans are going to get a tax cut this year from
“this bill, but people don't perceive it as that, right?”
Even among Republicans, only 35 percent said the tax changes favor them. Part of that could be because the White House projected average refunds around $1,000. Not the $350 that's been the case so far. Steven Basaha and PR news. Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 15th is the big day for US tax payers.
You could be fined if you don't file on time, and you can file either electronically or through the mail.
If you are filing by mail, here's what the Internal Revenue Service is expecting.
Your envelope with its documents is considered to have been filed on time. If you have used the right address, enough postage, a postmark date that is on or before the filing deadline to make sure your mail to the IRS is properly postmarked the US Postal Service recommends going into the post office during business hours and asking for a manual postmark at the counter.
There's no extra charge for that. I'm Louise Skivoni and PR News.
