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CARES Act – Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

Amount of the Benefit

  • Unemployment benefits still vary by state, but generally the bill aims to compensate for the average worker’s paycheck by providing extra payments to cover the gap between traditional state unemployment and actual wages
  • Eligible workers can get as much as $600 per week in addition to their state benefit; this includes self-employed and part-time workers
  • States are free to pay the whole amount at once or send the top-up portion separately

How Long Will It Last?

  • The bill provides an additional 13 weeks on top of whatever each state already provides; however, unemployment benefits cannot last more than 39 weeks total
    • Those already receiving unemployment benefits are still eligible for the 13-week benefit extension as well as the $600 weekly benefit top-up
  • The incremental $600 payment is only good for up to four months, through the end of July

Other Considerations

  • Coverage also extends to those who can’t work because they are required to self-quarantine and people unable to travel to work because of imposed quarantine restrictions
  • If the main household earner dies as result of the coronavirus, the survivor is eligible for their unemployment benefit
  • People who can work from home or are already receiving paid sick or family leave are not eligible

Student Loans

  • For six months (April 2020 to September 2020) there is an automatic suspension of student loan payments for loans held by the federal government (private loans excluded)
    • You may choose to keep paying down the principal if you desire

Retirement Account Rule Changes

  • For 2020, the minimum distribution requirements on IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) plans, etc. are suspended
    • This is not applicable to pensions
  • Up to $100k may be withdrawn early without being subject to the typical 10 percent early withdrawal penalty; and income taxes owed on withdrawals may be spread over three years from the date of distribution
    • To qualify for these exemptions, you need to prove the need was related to the COVID-19 outbreak, which includes if you, your spouse or a dependent tested positive for the virus or if you suffered adverse economic costs due to the COVID-19 crisis
  • Loan limits on workplace retirement plans (401k, etc.) are doubled, allowing participants to take loans of as much as $100k if they can prove they’ve been affected by the pandemic

Charitable Contributions

  • The bill creates a new charitable deduction of up to $300 available for those who can’t itemize their deductions for donations to qualified charities
  • The limit on charitable deductions (those that are itemized) are increased, allowing donors to deduct up to 100 percent of donations against 2020 AGI. For example, if you have $1.3 million in income, you can donate $1.3 million and deduct the entire amount
    • Only cash gifts to public charities qualify; you cannot donate stocks or gift via private foundations to be eligible

Miscellaneous Provisions: Renter’s Relief

  • The law puts a temporary 120-day nationwide stop to evictions if the landlord has a mortgage from a governmental agency, such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and others. Additionally, landlords are not allowed to charge penalties for delinquencies during this period.

Business Provisions

Charitable Deductions

  • The 10 percent limitation on charitable donations is increased to 25 percent of taxable income

Qualified Property Improvements

  • Businesses will have the option to write off costs that are typically only depreciable over a 30-year period, especially businesses in the hospitality industry

Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans

  • Small businesses and non-profits that have 500 employees (full- and part-time) or fewer are eligible to receive SBA loans of up to $10 million
  • The loans may be used to cover the cost of payroll, paid leave, group health benefits, mortgage and rent payments, utilities and interest on other debts
  • No collateral or personal guarantees are required

Employee Retention Credit

  • Employers are eligible for a payroll tax credit of up to 50 percent of wages paid during the COVID-19 crisis, which is defined as March 13, 2020, through the end of the year, up to a maximum credit of $5,000 per employee
  • The credit is limited to employers whose operations have been suspended due to the virus outbreak or whose gross receipts have fallen by more than 50 percent compared to the same quarter in the prior year

Payroll Tax Deferral

  • Employers can defer their 6.2 percent portion of the FICA tax (Social Security portion only), delaying payment over two years with 50 percent due in 2021 and the other 50 percent due by 2022.

Net Operating Loss (NOL) Changes

  • The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act disallowed the carryback of NOL completely; and before this in 2018, only a two-year carryback was allowed. This bill allows a five-year carryback for losses from 2018, 2019 and 2020; and taxpayers can amend prior year’s returns as well.
  • The 80 percent limit on NOLs for these same years is removed, allowing a 100 percent reduction in taxable income.

Business Interest Expense Deductions

  • Business interest that falls under Section 163(j) gets an increased deduction limit from 30 percent to 50 percent of taxable income for 2019 and 2020.
  • 2019 taxable income can be used to calculate the interest limitation for 2020 if it’s more favorable
    • The above is not applicable to partnerships

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6506148 B2 Patent: Nervous System Manipulation – Is it Real or Just Paranoia?

Nervous System Manipulation By Electromagnetic Fields From Monitors” was filed in 2001 and published in 2003. The patent was filed by one Hendricus G. Loss (perceived to be a fictitious person as no information about who he really is can be traced).

Is it Worth Any Attention?

We already know that the content displayed on TVs or even on the internet is created in such a way as to influence decisions, such as when making a purchase or standing behind certain beliefs.

The mind control subject has been a topic of discussion for a long time. Although initially considered a conspiracy theory, its reality has been observed in the content displayed by mainstream media.

But how about manipulation through the nervous system?

Science teaches us that the work of the nervous system is to carry messages throughout the body and control your senses. The nervous system, according to neuroscientists, is controlled by the brain.

Now, the brain is said to be a complex bioelectrical organ that produces electric fields.

That’s why it’s believed that you can rewire your brain through techniques such as listening to binaural beats. Scientists also claim to control brain functions with a technique that uses powerful electromagnetic radiation. This technique, known as Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), can jam or excite particular brain circuits.

Think of how you are not allowed to use cell phones in some areas of a hospital or in an airplane (where some only allow use in airplane mode). This is so that the electromagnetic transmission of the phone does not interfere with critical electrical devices.

So if a brain is a bioelectrical organ, is there a possibility of manipulating it?

How it Happens, According to 6506148 B2 Patent

Here is a short excerpt from the patent abstract:

“Physiological effects have been observed in a human subject in response to stimulation of the skin with weak electromagnetic fields that are pulsed with certain frequencies near ½ Hz or 2.4 Hz, such as to excite a sensory resonance. Many computer monitors and TV tubes, when displaying pulsed images, emit pulsed electromagnetic fields of sufficient amplitudes to cause such excitation.

It is, therefore, possible to manipulate the nervous system of a subject by pulsing images displayed on a nearby computer monitor or TV set. For the latter, the image pulsing may be embedded in the program material, or it may be overlaid by modulating a video stream, either as an RF signal or as a video signal. The image displayed on a computer monitor may be pulsed effectively by a simple computer program. For certain monitors, pulsed electromagnetic fields capable of exciting sensory resonances in nearby subjects may be generated even as the displayed images are pulsed with subliminal intensity.”

The US Patent 6506148 B2 is a confirmation of the possibility to manipulate the nervous system. The patent includes 14 claims including how video can be used to manipulate the nervous system.

Is it just a conspiracy theory?

Well, it’s not easy to tell. But we can’t ignore the concerns raised in regards to electromagnetic fields (EMF). The EMF issue has raised so much concern that in May 2015, 190 scientists from 39 nations submitted an Appeal to the United Nations requesting the World Health Organization (WHO) adopt more EMF exposure protective guidelines.

Such concerns are an indication that the patent should not be ignored. It also goes to show that apart from your electronic devices recording, monitoring and watching everything you are doing, they can also influence living organisms’ feelings, perceptions, thoughts and behavior.

Switch off that Screen

Well, this is practically not possible. The dependence on these electronic devices is so high that we are practically immobilized if they were to be turned off. Electronics have become part of human attachment.

The age of the Internet of Things (IoT) doesn’t make it any better. Now that we are surrounded by electromagnetic emitting devices, the patent serves as an alert to the public of the possibility of what could happen if these technologies were used unethically.

Unfortunately, the technology is here to stay. The only option is to minimize the exposure from your EMF emitting devices. Therefore it’s not a bad idea to try something different: read a book, go hiking, take a walk or simply switch off that screen when you can.

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