News Above the Noise—Week of February 23, 2025
1. How the IRS Layoffs Could Affect Your 2025 Tax Refund
Bad news: tax season is coming up fast. More bad news: layoffs at the IRS could slow down the processing your return. Find all the information you need to file on time and get your refund as quickly as possible—despite staffing shortages at the IRS. Plus, learn how to check the status of your return in real time.
2. DOGE Slashes Health Care for Sick 9/11 First Responders
The World Trade Center Health Program delivers vital care to emergency workers and cleanup crews suffering from long-term respiratory illnesses or cancer due to exposure to airborne toxins at ground zero. Republicans have joined Democrats in protesting cuts to this critical program for treating 9/11 first responders due to Elon Musk’s sweeping cuts across the federal government. Read more at The New York Times.
3. Did the Pandemic Push Young People to the Right?
The old political adage that people grow more conservative as they age may not be so true anymore. All over the world, people under thirty are voting for far-right parties in greater numbers than ever. What’s driving the trend? Some say Covid lockdowns are to blame.
4. Want to Keep Your Brain Sharp? Have More Sex
Does sex make you smarter? Neuroscientist Nicole Vignola says there is a definite correlation between the frequency and quality of sex and cognition in older adults. Discover how sex can increase neuroplasticity—its ability to reshape itself and store and recall information—thanks to feelgood chemicals released before, during, and after the act.
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