Latest News Headlines for Tuesday January 9, 2024 – The Internal Revenue Service has declared the commencement of the 2023 tax filing season starting January 29. This marks the beginning of the period for accepting and processing 2023 returns.

The IRS anticipates processing over 128.7 million individual returns from the start date to the April 15 deadline. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel assures a significant enhancement in the operations of the IRS as this tax season kicks off.

Governor Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, has scheduled a special election for mid-March to fill the congressional seat left by ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The primary for this election in the 20th Congressional District is slated for March 19. Should no candidate secure a majority, a May 21 runoff will be held between the top two contenders.

Massive pro-Palestinian protests demanding a Gaza ceasefire paralyzed Manhattan traffic on Monday. Protesters swarmed and obstructed major bridges and tunnels into the city.

Starting at approximately 9:45 a.m., the demonstration, spanning from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Holland Tunnel, effectively halted traffic, marking the largest such protest in New York City in recent months.

A collision involving a vehicle and a White House barrier led to the driver’s arrest on Monday evening, per Secret Service officials.

The incident, occurring just before 6 p.m., involved the driver crashing into an external gate. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the event, with the area being secured shortly after. President Biden was away from the White House at that time.

In a tragic incident in Bessemer, Alabama, a 5-year-old boy was fatally shot inside a house during a haircut.

The incident, which took place around 10 a.m. Sunday, resulted in the death of Brandon Jamal Nation, III, as identified by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. The child’s mother, who was present, witnessed the shooting that began outside the residence.

A Fort Worth, Texas hotel was rocked by an explosion, likely due to a gas leak, injuring 21 people and causing extensive property damage on Monday afternoon.

The explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel, which occurred around 3:30 p.m., resulted in one critical injury, as reported by the Fort Worth Fire Department. The incident necessitated the evacuation of nearby workers.

Philadelphia’s Health Department is currently managing a measles outbreak, with eight cases verified as of Monday.

According to health authorities, all the confirmed cases involve individuals who were not previously vaccinated. The department is actively monitoring the situation, identifying exposure hotspots around the city, including health care facilities and a daycare center.

About a decade ago, fast food workers initiated the “Fight for $15” movement, demanding a minimum wage substantially above the federal standard.

This movement led to the establishment of a $15 minimum wage in six states and numerous cities, impacting millions of workers. In California, fast food workers are now close to achieving a new minimum wage standard of $20 per hour.

An Illinois truck driver was joyfully reunited with his cat, which had wandered away from his truck during a stop at a Nevada truck stop.

While Chad McIntyre was attending to Tyler’s litter box, the cat strayed at Fernley’s Flying J Truck Stop. Chad’s wife, Brandi McIntyre, raised the alert on trucker social media networks and Facebook’s lost pet groups.

Miraculously, Tyler was found five days later at a Flying J Truck Stop in Rock Springs, Wyoming, situated 670 miles from Fernley. The cat, taken to a nearby animal shelter, was identified through a microchip scan, linking back to McIntyre.

Lydia Gomez, Rock Springs Animal Control supervisor, collaborated with Joan Nickum, an independent transport coordinator, to arrange Tyler’s journey back home to Illinois.

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