Monthly Archives: May, 2021

On Thursday, May 13, 2021, the CDC announced that people who have been vaccinated were no longer required to wear masks outside or in specific enclosed venues.

At the first event of the day to mourn — well, fume — over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, activist Paula Minor climbed up on the back of a flatbed truck across from L.A. City Hall on Tuesday morning and shouted the obvious. “Changes were promised. A lot of things were said. A lot of things began,” she said, prompting nods from a few dozen protesters blocking 1st Street. “But here in Los Angeles, city and county, change did not occur.” She’s right.

The Social Security Administration announced that the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which is an increase in social security benefits to counteract inflation, increased by 1.3% for 70 million American s on Social Security and Supplemental Security Income. The estimated average monthly benefit increased by $20 per month for 2021, reports CNBC. This increase, however, isn’t enough to account for the rising costs for seniors.

The IRS has issued some 165 million payments in the third round of direct stimulus aid, with another 1 million people this week in line to receive the $1,400 checks. But some lawmakers are pushing for a fourth round of stimulus aid that would effectively send recurring payments until the pandemic ends.

Leave it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to disappoint people twice in the same tax season. After waiting longer than usual to receive their refunds this year, many Americans who overpaid taxes on unemployment compensation in 2020 are now eagerly waiting for a second refund that the IRS said would begin to go out this month. With the month more than half over, the IRS is providing few updates.