Donald Trump says U.S. should change tax law to punish NFL
President Donald Trump is suggesting the U.S. change its tax laws to punish organizations like the NFL if members are “disrespecting” the national anthem or flag. The NFL gave up its federal tax-exempt status a few years ago and now files tax returns as a taxable entity. So it’s unlikely that Trump’s proposal, tweeted in the early hours Tuesday, would change anything. Trump tweeted: “Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!” Trump also tweeted Tuesday that ESPN ratings have “tanked” because of Jemele Hill, the anchor suspended for making political statements on social media. While NFL viewership is down slightly, ESPN remains among the most popular cable networks, averaging 3 million viewers in prime time. The network has suffered subscriber losses over the last few years as some viewers have moved to streaming services from cable television. Hill, an African-American co-host of the 6 p.m. broadcast of “SportsCenter,” received backlash last month after calling Trump a “white supremacist” in a series of tweets that referenced the president’s comments about a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. That comment prompted Trump to demand an apology from ESPN and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to call for Hill’s firing. While ESPN took no formal action against Hill over the Trump comment, she did apologize to the network for the trouble her remarks had caused while standing by the tweets. ESPN cited that apology in announcing Hill’s suspension Monday, saying in a statement that ESPN employees had been “reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences.” Hill targeted Jerry Jones on Twitter on Sunday after the Dallas Cowboys owner stated that players who disrespect the flag would not play for his team. She suggested fans who disagree with Jones should boycott the team’s advertisers and not buy the team’s merchandise. She clarified Monday that she wasn’t calling for an NFL boycott. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama business roundup: Headlines from across state – 6/16/16 edition
Which mega-retailer now allows Alabama shoppers to pay with their smartphones? Are you familiar with the new Alabama tax laws that could affect your company? Answers to all of these questions and more in today’s business roundup: Birmingham Business Journal: North Alabama megasite primed for development A 1,252-acre site off Powell Road in Limestone County was certified as a Tennessee Valley Authority megasite, rendering the site more competitive when it comes to large-scale development. The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County said the site – which sits in the same area as other recent large scale manufacturing projects like Polaris Industries and GE Aviation- can now compete globally to land a major manufacturer. It’s the first TVA certification of its kind in Alabama. “The certification is our international calling card telling global manufacturers we are open for business and a prime place for industry and jobs,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. “This site should attract a high-tech, high-end company for worldwide customers.” The TVA has seen its certified mega sites go on to land major projects, as five of the seven certified locations have brought a collective capital investment total of more than $5 billion. AL.com: Alabama Walmart customers can now pay with their smartphones Starting today, customers at the more than 120 Walmart locations across Alabama can check out using their smartphones. Walmart Pay was already available in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas and today rolled out in four Southern states, including Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to company spokeswoman Molly Blakeman. The service will soon be available nationwide. Here’s how it works: Open: Visit any register, open the Walmart app and choose Walmart Pay. Activate the camera. Scan: At any time during checkout, simply scan the code displayed at the register. Walmart Pay is now connected. Done: Associate scans and bags the items and it’s done. An eReceipt will be sent to the app and can be viewed at any time. The service, first announced in December, makes Walmart “the only retailer to offer its own payment solution that works with any iOS or Android device (that can download the Walmart app), at any checkout lane, and with any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card – all through the Walmart mobile app,” according to a press release. “We can’t wait to hear what our customers and associates in Alabama think of Walmart Pay. The service was built to make shopping easier and faster, something we know our customers want,” said Daniel Eckert, senior vice president, Services, Walmart U.S. “Walmart Pay is a powerful addition to our app, a tool that we’re using to transform the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting our online assets and our stores for customers. The service opens the door to new and better ways we can serve the 140 million customers who shop our stores each week.” Alabama NewsCenter: Gulf Coast facility helps keep saltwater fishing afloat in Alabama Marie Head works long hours monitoring conditions and tending to the fish at the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores. She shares on-call duties on weekends and holidays for a facility that requires constant attention. Being a biologist’s aide isn’t a high-paying job, either. And there’s nowhere else she’d rather be than the hatchery that grows saltwater fish for research and stock enhancement. “I love it,” Head said with a smile. “We watch them hatch out under a microscope. We feed them and grow them so that they can be released and fishermen can fish. You get to see life right here in this building.” Despite Alabama’s small coastline, recreational saltwater fishing is a $900-million-plus business for the state. The Alabama Department of Conservation Division of Marine Resources oversees both recreation and commercial fishing in saltwater. Its hatchery spearheads efforts to make sure anglers have plenty of fish to pursue down at the Gulf. “We’re two-fold,” said Josh Neese, hatchery manager. “We do research and raise fish in mass numbers to release at one inch long.” Completed in January 2015, the hatchery, tucked away behind the Gulf Shores Airport, includes a brood stock room, a fry room, grow-out tanks, an algae room where food for the larval and fish fry is grown, a pond production area and 35 one-fifth-acre ponds, said Chris Blankenship, director of Marine Resources. Raw water lines connect the facility to the Intracoastal Waterway Canal, where it draws its brackish water, and the Gulf of Mexico at Gulf State Park Pier, where it gets its pure salt water. Read the rest of the article here. Birmingham Business Journal: Alabama tax law changes your company needs to know The Alabama Legislature concluded a relatively productive 2016 regular session on May 4. The 2017 Regular Session will begin next February, although there is a good possibility of the governor calling a special session this fall to address his prison plan, increased Medicaid funding, how to spend the BP settlement funds awarded to the state and perhaps another vote on the popular historic renovation tax credit legislation. Here is a look at the some noteworthy state tax bills that were signed into law: Act #2016-412 – Federal/State Filing Date Conformity Bill: Conforms the state income tax return filing dates for corporations and pass-through entities to the inverted filing dates established by Congress last year. CPAs across the state breathed a sigh of relief. Act #2016-345 – HSA Conformity Bill finally passes: Generally conforms the state income tax rules for creating a health savings account to the federal tax rules, but not until 2018. Beginning that year, taxpayers can claim a state income tax deduction for contributions to HSAs, limited to the annual cap imposed by federal tax law (currently $3,350 for individuals and $6,750 for families). Alabama was one of only three states with an income tax that didn’t conform to the federal rules. Many Alabama employers offer this useful option to their employees. Act #2016-406 – Additional restrictions on private auditing firms: Clarifies that the statutory ban on contingent fee audits includes unwritten agreements between counties or
