A man has been charged in the shooting death of a Family Dollar store security guard last week in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
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Originally Published: 27 FEB 24 07:00 ET
Updated: 27 FEB 24 10:04 ET
By Bryan Mena, CNN
Washington, DC (CNN) — The US economy is set to reap considerable benefits from Americans taking popular medications used for weight loss, including Ozempic and Wegovy, Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a recent research report.
Those drugs are part of a powerful new class of medications that has taken the world by storm, known as glucagon-like peptide 1 or GLP-1 receptor agonists. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, they proved to be highly effective at helping people shed weight in clinical trials.(Ozempic has not been approved for weight loss by regulators, though Wegovy, a similar drug, has.)
Goldman Sachs argues that since poor health unambiguously weighs on the economy, improving health outcomes due to GLP-1s could lower costs and boost productivity, shoring up economic output.
The Wall Street bank estimates that GLP-1s could add 0.4% to America’s gross domestic product, a broad measure of all the goods and services produced in the economy, “in a baseline scenario where 30 million users take the drugs and 70% experience benefits,” and as much as 1% if 60 million Americans take those drugs regularly.
The US economy overall was about $28 trillion in the fourth quarter, so if Goldman’s bullish case bears out, that means GLP-1 drugs alone could boost output by a trillion dollars over the next four years, more or less.
That would be a sizable boost to the economy, but the true extent of the impact also depends on the scale of production and compliance with treatment plans, according to the report, which also examined the potential effects of drug discovery powered by artificial intelligence and advances in gene editing.
“We view the current wave of healthcare innovation as a promising macro (in addition to human and micro) story with the potential to drive meaningful economic upside across a range of likely scenarios.” analysts wrote.
The economic impact of poor health
Poor health has clear, negative impacts on Americans in the job market, such as keeping some workers on the sidelines and reducing the number of hours worked, according to longstanding research.
Based on a combination of “current losses in hours worked and labor force participation from sickness and disability, early deaths, and informal caregiving,” poor health drags on US economic output down byabout 10% per year, Goldman Sachs analysts estimated.
Obesity and related complications contribute to constraints on labor supply in the United States. Government statistics show that more than a third of Americans are overweight and more than 42% have obesity. Another survey shows that nearly half of US adults said they have tried to lose weight over the past year.
The Goldman Sachs report noted that “academic studies find that obese individuals are both less likely to work and less productive when they do.”
“These estimates suggest significant upside to economic output if the recent wave of healthcare innovation leads to an improvement in health outcomes that reduces the economic burden of poor health,” analysts wrote.
Better supply but tougher costs
GLP-1s have become so popular that pharmaceutical companies have been forced to beef up supply in attempts to keep up with red-hot demand. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which has its own GLP-1 drug for diabetes, Mounjaro, have invested billions of dollars to expand capacity.
For some Americans who are obese but don’t have diabetes, obtaining those drugs has become difficult, if not impossible. That’s according to Jody Dushay, an attending endocrinologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in a recent opinion piece for CNN.
Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Wegovy, said recently that it has started to increase the availability of the drug for Americans “by more than doubling the amount of the lower-dose strengths of Wegovy compared to the previous months,” Doug Langa, the company’s head of North America operations, said on a call with analysts earlier this month.
The drugs are also known for being expensive, and they’ve recently gotten even pricier. Novo Nordisk raised the list price of Ozempic by 3.5% to $969 for a four-week supply in January, while Eli Lilly last month increased the price of Mounjaro by 4.5% to $1,069 for a four-week supply, according to 46brooklyn, a nonprofit drug pricing analytics firm. The final price Americans pay for medications depends on their health insurance policies, not drugmakers’ list prices.
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Ozempic
**This image is for use with this specific article only** Goldman Sachs predicts drugs like Ozempic could strengthen the US economy, seen here, a pharmacist holds a box of Novo Nordisk A/S Ozempic brand semaglutide medication arranged at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, US, in November 2023.
George Frey/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24
Originally Published: 27 FEB 24 06:30 ET
By Leah Asmelash, CNN
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the 988 Lifeline website.
(CNN) — Antoinette Candia-Bailey loved Lincoln University.
A proud alum of the historically Black college, Candia-Bailey — known as “Bonnie” to her friends — stuck a Lincoln University bumper sticker on her mom’s new car as a freshman. When she graduated in 1998, her mother bought a brick in her name.
And when she returned to the Jefferson City, Missouri, school last May as its Vice President for Student Affairs, friends say she was so excited that she purchased a second brick to commemorate her new role.
Then, on January 8, Candia-Bailey died by suicide — five days after being let go for various reasons, including failing to address the concerns of employees under her supervision, according to the termination notice.
In a final note emailed to staff at the university and friends, one of whom sent the letter to CNN, Candia-Bailey detailed a grim reality that was far from her early hopes for the position. She claimed she was “harassed and bullied” by superiors and was ignored when she expressed concern for her mental health. A university investigation is underway.
The aftermath of Candia-Bailey’s death has raised painful questions for Lincoln University staff and students, sparking discussions nationwide about mental health concerns among people of color in the workplace.
A woman in pain
Candia-Bailey was in her role at Lincoln for less than nine months before being terminated. Her final letter, obtained by CNN, is a nearly 6,000-word email, which includes screenshots of text conversations, emails and web links alleging failed communication efforts, a lack of professionalism and inappropriate behavior by senior leadership.
She also detailed personal grievances with Lincoln University President John Moseley, her boss, alleging mismanagement and discrimination.
Candia-Bailey’s letter wasn’t all accusations. The administrator also got very personal about her own mental health challenges and reflected on the dangers of staying in what she called a highly stressful job.
Monica Graham, a Lincoln University alum and friend of Candia-Bailey, told CNN she was “shocked” by the email.
“Reading the things that I read in that letter, it made me cry,” said Graham. “It did. Because I didn’t know it was that bad.”
Graham continued, “She was suffering in silence.”
Anger on campus
A month after Candia-Bailey’s death, Lincoln alumni and students are still grappling with grief and calling for accountability of school officials they believe had a hand in Candia-Bailey’s claims of mistreatment.
Moseley, the school president, has not publicly addressed the allegations. He has gone on paid leave, while the school’s board has since hired a third-party team to review the university’s “management of personnel issues,” as well as the allegations made by Candia-Bailey.
“As a Board, we are focused on having an independent expert promptly examine all of the facts so that we can take appropriate steps,” said Board of Curators President Victor Pasley in a January 18 statement. “As a University community, we want to prioritize the mental health of everyone here and make sure each employee and student is treated with dignity and respect.”
When asked for additional comment in February, a Lincoln spokesperson referred to the university’s previous statements made in January.
Calls for accountability have echoed online and on campus. With support from alumni, current students have staged multiple demonstrations, including at a special university board meeting in January, during which the board closed proceedings before the students could speak, according to CNN affiliate KRCG.
In that meeting, the university’s board of curators appointed an acting president and hired a team of attorneys to conduct an independent review of the situation. The board then closed the meeting, saying personnel matters cannot be discussed publicly.
“We were just trying to have a conversation, just to get some type of answers or just to be heard,” Kenlyn Washington, the student body president, told KRCG. “When they said, ‘Okay, we’re having a closed meeting now,’ it was very frustrating.”
Moseley has not responded to CNN’s requests for comments
CNN has reached out to Moseley multiple times for comment on this story.
Before he became president of the university, Moseley served as the school’s athletic director. He was also the head coach of the men’s basketball team.
He received his Ph.D in education in 2021, one year before he assumed the position as Lincoln’s president.
Graham has been vocal in her desire to see Moseley removed from his position, claiming he does not have the administrative experience to lead the school.
“You cannot have somebody in a job like that being able to manage other people without the experience,” Graham told CNN.
Sherman Bonds, national president of the Lincoln University Alumni Association, has also expressed concern over the university’s leadership in the wake of Candia-Bailey’s death.
“The university’s institutional care has been breached,” Bonds wrote in a January letter to the Lincoln University Board of Curators, obtained by academic news site HBCUBuzz. “The present administration has become a liability to the mission and health of the institution.”
Bonds has also called for better mental health resources on campus.
Candia-Bailey’s family did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
A reflection on the importance of mental health
Mental health professionals agree it is nearly impossible to blame suicide on anything other than an individual’s inner pain. While questions of racism and leadership surround Candia-Bailey’s death, the bottom line is that a woman was in trouble and took her own life for reasons that may never be fully publicly known. Still, her allegations and references to mental health struggles have resonated with many Black professionals who say they have faced challenges in the workplace.
“It is undeniable that Black women are under attack in the workplace and beyond,” said one writer, who did not know Candia-Bailey personally, in an op-ed published in ESSENCE. “And it is costing us our well-being, our mental health, and for some their lives.”
For Danielle Dickens, an associate professor at Spelman College who studies psychology and identity of Black women, Candia-Bailey’s claims of mismanagement were heartbreaking, but familiar. Black women are often underrepresented in higher education positions, Dickens said, and research shows they are more likely to experience workplace bullying and stress because of discrimination, marginalization and isolation. This can take a toll both on their career advancement and their physical and emotional well-being, she said.
“Unfortunately, many Black women personally relate to this story because of their own personal experiences of discrimination, isolation, and/or bullying in the workplace,” Dickens said. “Or they know someone, another Black woman, who had that shared experience.”
That the allegations have been raised at an historically Black college or university (HBCU) only exacerbates concerns. Even in these spaces, Black women can still be prejudiced against, or perceived as stereotypically angry, aggressive or difficult, Dickens said.
“It brings up the issue of systemic forms of oppression, such as sexism and racism and how they permeate throughout academia, even at HBCUs,” Dickens said.
Candia-Bailey’s death is a personal tragedy, but the ripples it has created across the Lincoln University campus and beyond shine an uncomfortable spotlight on mental health and racial dynamics in the workplace. Those issues are complex on their own, but together, they can be even more difficult to address.
Graham, Candia-Bailey’s friend from the university, says it’s important to do so anyway.
“I don’t want her death to be in vain,” she says. “If nothing else, I want the attention to be more about people getting help for their stress.”
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Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey
**This image is for use with this specific article only** Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey.
From Lincoln University via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24
Lincoln University protest
Embargo: Columbia-Jefferson City, MO; **This image is for use with this specific article only** The aftermath of Candia-Bailey’s death has raised painful questions for Lincoln University staff and students, sparking discussions nationwide about mental health concerns among people of color in the workplace
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27 Feb 24
Lincoln University protest
Embargo: Columbia-Jefferson City, MO; **This image is for use with this specific article only** The aftermath of Candia-Bailey’s death has raised painful questions for Lincoln University staff and students, sparking discussions nationwide about mental health concerns among people of color in the workplace
KOMU via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24
Originally Published: 26 FEB 24 20:18 ET
Updated: 27 FEB 24 07:39 ET
By Ramishah Maruf and Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN
New York (CNN) — A man is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant after his wife, a New York-based doctor, died suddenly after eating at the restaurant. The lawsuit alleges the waitstaff was negligent and was aware of his wife’s severe food allergies.
According to the lawsuit, Kanokporn Tangsuan, her husband Jeffrey Piccolo and Piccolo’s mother dined at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs — which is part of the Walt Disney World resort — in October 2023. They chose to eat at the restaurant, the lawsuit states, because they believed it would have proper safeguards against serving Tangsuan dairy and nuts, which she was allergic to.
The waiter guaranteed the couple that certain foods could be made allergen-free, which the two confirmed “several more times,” according to the lawsuit filed on February 22 in Orange County, Florida. She ordered a vegan fritter, scallops, onion rings and a vegan shepherd’s pie, the lawsuit said.
Some of the food delivered lacked allergen-free flags, but the waiter again guaranteed the food was allergen free, the lawsuit alleged.
After dinner, Tangsuan went shopping in the Disney Springs area, and began “suffering from a severe acute allergic reaction” while at Planet Hollywood, according to the lawsuit.
Tangsuan “began having severe difficulty breathing and collapsed to the floor,” and 911 was called, according to the lawsuit.
Despite self-administering an Epi-Pen, Tangsuan died from “anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system,” the lawsuit said, attributing the information to a medical examiner’s investigation.
CNN has reached out to Disney for comment.
Brian Denney, an attorney for Piccolo, said his client is “devastated over the premature death of his beloved wife. Amy had a long life in front of her and she and Jeff had plans to start a family. This never should have happened,” Denney said. “Jeff is bringing this case, in part, to prevent a tragedy like this from happening to another family.”
Tangsuan went by the name Amy, the attorney said. An online obituary lists her age as 42.
Tangsuan was a family medicine doctor based in New York, and was associated with multiple hospitals including NYU Langone, according to a doctor profile on US News and World Report.
The lawsuit alleges Raglan Road failed to properly train its staff, that the employees failed to properly warn Tangsuan about allergens in her food, and that the employees failed to prepare the food without allergens as requested several times.
The lawsuit also alleges negligence by Disney Parks and Resorts, since it has control over the restaurants and policies at Disney Springs.
Piccolo is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 pursuant to Florida’s Wrongful Death Act, as well as damages for mental pain and suffering, loss of companionship and protection, loss of income and medical and funeral expenses.
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Disney Springs 120223
**This image is for use with this specific article only** A man is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant after his wife, a New York-based doctor, died suddenly shortly after eating at the restaurant. It’s located in Disney Springs, the complex pictured in this December 2023 photo.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP via CNN Newsource
26 Feb 24
“Buy now, pay later” services are increasingly popular as Americans rack up record debt and feel the pressure of inflation. Max Levchin, founder and CEO of Affirm, sat down with CNN’s Matt Egan to talk about how consumers are increasingly paying for things later.
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US women’s cycling team suspended for dressing mechanic as rider to avoid disqualification from race
Originally Published: 27 FEB 24 07:49 ET
Updated: 27 FEB 24 09:27 ET
By Matias Grez, CNN
(CNN) — US women’s cycling team Cynisca has been suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI), the sport’s global governing body, for perpetrating a “fraud” and dressing a mechanic as a rider in order to avoid disqualification from a race.
In a statement, the UCI said Cynisca required five riders in order to take part in last July’s Argenta Classic in Belgium but arrived at the start line with only four.
The UCI said Cynisca’s then sports director, Danny Van Haute, told the four riders – Anna Hicks, Cara O’Neill, Katherine Sarkisov and Claire Windsor – to “lie about the whereabouts of a fifth rider,” who they said was ill.
After informing the team they needed a fifth rider in order to compete, the UCI said Van Haute told team mechanic Moira Barrett to wear a rider’s clothes and face mask, sign the start sheet as a rider and then present herself at the starting line.
“The above-mentioned members of the team were therefore all found to have participated in a fraud under article 12.4.008 of the UCI Regulations, with different levels of implication,” the UCI statement read.
In a statement sent to CNN, Cynisca called the incident a “one-time mistake by a rogue director.”
“At the time of the event, other team management/staff were unaware of the deception carried out by Mr. Van Haute and the mechanic,” the statement added.
“Upon learning of the incident, the team took actions internally and terminated all current and future relationships with Mr. Van Haute and the mechanic. The team then fully cooperated with the UCI investigation.
“Cynisca Cycling understands the need for disciplinary action taken by the UCI. The team did not and will never condone this sort of behavior. On behalf of the team, we once again apologize to the event organizers for the behavior that occurred at the event.”
Cynisca said Hicks has also since left the team, adding: “The team looks forward to continuing our mission to advance more women in cycling.”
The UCI said Van Haute “was found to be the main perpetrator” and suspended from all cycling activity until December 31, 2025, as well as being fined.
Barrett, who the UCI said “played an active role in the fraud by wearing a rider’s clothes and attempting to sign the start sheet as the team’s fifth rider,” was suspended until September 1, 2024.
The four riders were given a reprimand, while the team has been fined and banned from the next race on the UCI International Calendar.
“The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS),” the statement added.
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Cynisca Cycling
**This image is for use with this specific article only** US women’s cycling team Cynisca has been suspended by the UCI.
Cynisca Cycling via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24
Wendy’s will soon begin testing Uber-like surge pricing.
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Originally Published: 27 FEB 24 09:20 ET
Updated: 27 FEB 24 10:15 ET
By Michelle Shen and Donald Judd, CNN
Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden warned Israel in an interview Monday that it risks losing additional international support as its offensive in Gaza drags on, though he expressed hope that a ceasefire deal could be reached by early next week.
His comments to comedian Seth Meyers aired one day before voters head to the polls in Michigan, a critical November battleground state where Arab-American activists have been pushing for Democrats to pick “uncommitted” as a way to protest current US policy. Biden, a longtime supporter of Israel, has navigated a delicate political path since the war with Hamas began in early October, but the immense death toll in Gaza, coupled with ever-increasing political pressure at home, has added to his urgency in concluding the conflict.
“Israel has had the overwhelming support of the vast majority of nations,” Biden said in an interview with Meyers. “If it keeps this up with this incredibly conservative government they have … they’re going to lose support from around the world.”
“My hope is that, by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire,” Biden said at an ice cream shop in New York City, emphasizing that the parties seemed “close” to reaching an agreement.
Hamas has backed off some key demands in the negotiations for a hostage deal and pause in the fighting in Gaza following Israeli accusations that its position was “delusional,” bringing the negotiating parties closer to an initial agreement that could halt the fighting and see a group of Israeli hostages released, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN earlier this week.
Israel, however, was “surprised” that Biden expressed optimism for a deal on a ceasefire by Monday, an Israeli official told CNN, but confirmed that Israel hoped a deal would initially involve the release of about 40 hostages, including female Israeli soldiers.
“Ramadan is coming up, and there’s been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out,” Biden said Monday.
Qatar’s foreign ministry’s spokesperson, however, said Israel and Hamas have yet to reach an agreement to pause fighting in exchange for the release of hostages from Gaza, though he said he remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached before Ramadan, which is set to start as early as March 10. Regarding Biden’s assessment that an agreement would be reached by Monday, Ansari refused to answer and said the question “should be directed to the White House.”
Biden also addressed the looming Israeli offensive into Rafah, a city that has become home to around 1.5 million Palestinians that is viewed by Israel as the last stronghold of Hamas in Gaza.
“In the meantime, there are too many innocent people that are being killed. Israel has slowed down the attacks and Rafah,” Biden said. “They have to, and they’ve made a commitment to me they’re going to see to it that there’s an ability to evacuate significant portions of Rafah before they go and take out the remainder of Hamas.”
Biden has been under increasing pressure from his progressive base over US support for Israel, and Michigan’s primary on Tuesday will be the latest litmus test among Democrats over the war. Organizers there say they hope at least 10,000 people will vote “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary, a nod to the 10,700-vote margin that delivered the state to Donald Trump in 2016.
In 2020, nearly 146,000 Muslim Americans voted in the general election in Michigan, according to an analysis by Emgage, a group working to grow Muslim Americans’ political power. Biden won the state by 150,000 votes.
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Joe Biden and Seth Meyers
**This image is for use with this specific article only** President Joe Biden talks with host Seth Meyers on February 26, 2024.
Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Image via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24
Originally Published: 27 FEB 24 09:26 ET
By Anna Bahney, CNN
Washington, DC (CNN) — US home prices hit an all-time high in December, according to data released Tuesday.
Prices were up 0.2% from the month before, seasonally adjusted data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index showed. That continues a streak of seven consecutive record highs in 2023.
Compared to a year ago, the national composite index was also up, with prices 5.5% higher from December 2022. That was an increase from the 5% annual gain in November.
Prices in half of the 20 metro markets beat prior records, including Las Vegas, which was the fastest rising market in December, after accounting for seasonal impacts.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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Home prices
**This image is for use with this specific article only** The price of homes in the 20 biggest US metro areas rose in December for the 11th month in a row.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24
Originally Published: 27 FEB 24 10:45 ET
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN
New York (CNN) — The Federal Trade Commission last week sued the tax preparation company H&R Block for, in essence, allegedly making it more difficult for consumers to downgrade to a lower cost or free online filing package and for misleading many into believing they qualify for free filing when they don’t.
The consumer protection agency’s complaint alleges that H&R Block makes it unnecessarily time consuming and frustrating for consumers to downgrade to a lower cost tax-preparation option online after initially selecting a higher cost one.
Consumers must first contact customer service and then, if they make the switch to a lower-cost or free-filing package, they must re-enter all the tax data they had put in initially, according to the FTC. By contrast, the agency said, the experience is hassle-free when consumers upgrade to a more expensive option.
“In numerous instances, Respondents have coerced consumers into purchasing more expensive Online Products than they need or want by forcing consumers to choose between paying for an unnecessarily expensive product or losing their previously entered information and starting their tax returns over in a less expensive Online Product,” the complaint says.
In response, the company told CNN that “H&R Block allows consumers to downgrade to a lower priced DIY product via multiple mechanisms while helping to ensure the preparation of accurate tax returns. Customers can work with one of our customer service agents via phone or chat or on their own through our voice virtual assistant. These options have been available for many years.”
It didn’t dispute that a customer’s initially entered data is cleared when a person downgrades to a lower priced product, explaining it this way:
“The forms included in the lower priced products are not as comprehensive and do not support all tax situations, so keeping data upon a downgrade could impact the tax calculation or cause accuracy issues. H&R Block strives to maintain a balance between honoring customers’ decisions to downgrade and facilitating the preparation of accurate tax returns by customers.”
It did not address the FTC assertion that anyone upgrading to a more expensive product does not have to go through the same time-consuming process.
The FTC also alleges H&R Block has engaged in deceptive marketing over the years when advertising its online free-filing option, not making clear who actually qualifies for the option beyond indicating – sometimes in small print – that it’s for those with “simple returns” without defining what H&R Block means by simple return.
“H&R Block deceptively markets its Online Products by representing to consumers that they can file for free using H&R Block, when in fact, many consumers have tax situations that are not covered by H&R Block’s Online Product,” according to the complaint.
In response to the merits of the FTC’s complaint overall, Dara Redler, the company’s chief legal officer, noted in a statement that the company has been committed to making the process of filing taxes “accessible and more transparent for all.”
“We believe we provide our clients with a great deal of value, unmatched tax expertise, and fair and transparent pricing. We are confident in the value our services and offerings provide to our clients who have trusted H&R Block for nearly 70 years,” Redler said.
On its site, H&R Block does link users comparing their options to a list of the 43 federal tax forms this year that may be filed using the free file option; and it also has another listing of state tax forms that qualify, although that list is harder to find.
It’s also not clear from the filing-product comparison page what income thresholds apply to be eligible for free file. H&R Block told CNN “there is no threshold. If someone makes $1 million and only has a W-2 or any of the (other) forms … we have in our free (offering), we will not charge them for tax prep.”
In an interview with CNN Business in mid-February before the FTC complaint was filed, H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones noted that “many millions” of customers file for free with the company and that they comprise “a significant part of our DIY filing base.” The company said 8.6 million clients used its DIY products in 2023.
No date has been set yet for a hearing of the case against the company, which will take place before an administrative judge, an FTC spokesman said.
Earlier this month, the FTC took similar action against Intuit, maker of Turbo Tax tax filing software, “for deceiving consumers with bogus advertisements pitching ‘free’ tax filing that millions of consumers could not use.”
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H&R Block
**This image is for use with this specific article only** An H&R Block office in New York, US, on January 29.
Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
27 Feb 24