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The defining image of the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was undoubtedly that of a bare-chested man posing resplendent in a horned fur hat and face paint. Images of him in his weird costume have been shared across the globe—he seems to perfectly encapsulate the absurdity of the mob takeover of America’s sacred seat of power. … [Read more...] about Why far-right groups co-opt Norse symbols

Millions of Economic Impact Payments have already arrived in people’s bank accounts via direct deposit, but those that are being delivered via snail mail are taking longer than expected for many eligible recipients. The IRS Get My Payment tool—the online portal that provides updates to taxpayers about the status of their payments—began informing people as early as January 6 that their payments had been mailed out. … [Read more...] about IRS stimulus checks: Painfully slow mailed-out payments frustrate many Americans

Last Wednesday was, of course, not only the certification process, but the day when a group of pro-Trump insurrectionists—after months of GOP lawmakers pushing the false narrative that the election was stolen—violently stormed the Capitol Building, leading to the deaths of five people. Yet in the wake of the attack, 147 GOP members of Congress, including eight Senators, still voiced opposition to certifying Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. … [Read more...] about These companies say they’re suspending donations to GOP members who opposed certifying Biden’s victory

Parler, the social media platform that gained popularity throughout 2020 as a safe haven for conservative commenters, essentially got destroyed this weekend. Some quick background: After the failed insurrection on the Capitol Wednesday, a swath of social media giants, one after the other, began banning Trump and his enablers from their platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok. … [Read more...] about Parler got destroyed this weekend: a timeline

Direct deposit info: If you’re getting your check this way, the tool should display a date and a partial bank account where the funds were distributed. (Note that many payments that were distributed this way went to the wrong account due to distribution errors, and the IRS says it’s working to fix this, so you should keep checking your bank account if you don’t see it.) Mailed payments: If you’re getting your payment as a paper check or debit card, the tool should display the date it was mailed. The IRS says it could take three to four weeks to actually receive your check or card in the mail. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been very clear about who is getting which payment method. Some taxpayers who received their first payment via paper check could get a debit card this time, and vice versa. Just be on the lookout for the envelope, and make sure you don’t accidentally throw it away. (Here’s what it looks like.) Payment Status #2–Not Available: … [Read more...] about IRS stimulus check update: What to know about mailed payments and the Friday deadline