Category: World

Starting September 30, President Donald Trump has ordered the Social Security office to stop sending paper checks. The government believes using paper checks is expensive and can lead to problems like lost or stolen payments. Since COVID-19, reports of mail theft have increased, and checks are 16 times more likely to be lost or taken than electronic payments.

If you’re getting benefits and can’t set up direct deposit online, don’t worry. You still have options! Here’s what you can do:

1. Contact your bank: Call or visit your bank to get help.
2. Visit a local Social Security office: You can talk to someone in person.
3. Call Social Security: Dial 800-772-1213 for assistance.

You can also get a Direct Express debit card, which allows you to access your benefits without needing a bank account.

In his order, President Trump said keeping paper checks costs taxpayers millions of dollars. The goal of this order is to make payments faster, safer, and cheaper by using electronic methods. He also mentioned that this policy is meant to help fight fraud and improve the government’s payment system.

KP George, a well-known Indian-American leader, was arrested on Friday. He is facing serious charges of money laundering related to wire fraud and lying about campaign finances. George, who has been the county judge since 2018 and won again in 2022, was taken to jail around 3:30 PM but was released after paying $20,000 bail. The law says he could go to prison for up to 10 years if found guilty.

George insists he did nothing wrong and says these charges are politically motivated. Court documents reveal that he is accused of laundering between $30,000 and $150,000. These charges are different from another case earlier this year, where George and his former chief of staff, Taral Patel, were accused of making fake racist stories to help George’s campaign by creating fake social media profiles.

The District Attorney’s Office said these new money laundering charges have nothing to do with the earlier case. They stated they are committed to maintaining trust and ethics in public service. George has publicly denied any guilt and claims the District Attorney’s Office treated him unfairly, but the DA insists they followed all legal rules in their investigation.

His arrest has caused rising pressure for him to step down. Fort Bend County Treasurer Bill Rickert called for his resignation, citing worries over “fake racism scandals” and the new money laundering claims. Former Constable Trever Nehls, who ran against him in 2022, agreed, saying he expected this indictment due to the dishonesty he witnessed during the campaign.

Many people, especially in Fort Bend County—which is among the fastest-growing and most diverse areas in Texas—are paying close attention to this situation. Dr. Elena Martinez, a political expert at the University of Houston, said that accusations of financial wrongdoing can really damage public trust even before a trial starts.

George’s office announced just one day before his arrest that his annual State of the County speech, planned for May 8, is now postponed with no explanation given. The District Attorney’s investigation is still ongoing.

On Saturday, Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, announced that the U.S. will take back all visas from people holding South Sudanese passports. He accused the South Sudan government of not helping the U.S. properly send back its citizens when needed. Rubio said, “Every country must help when someone needs to return home.” He also added that the U.S. will stop giving new visas to South Sudanese citizens to prevent them from coming to the U.S.

Things are not calm in South Sudan right now. The country’s situation is shaky, and fighting between government soldiers and opposition groups has been getting worse. Recently, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, warned that South Sudan is on the edge of falling into another civil war. He said the country is facing a major security problem because of increased fighting and political chaos, especially after the government arrested First Vice President Riek Machar last week.

A group called the People’s Union USA is planning to boycott Walmart for a week, from April 7 to April 14. This has become a trend as people in the U.S. are getting more active about how companies handle issues like fairness and equality.

The People’s Union already organized a boycott against Nestlé and Amazon. Just recently, on February 28, they did a one-day economic blackout that affected many stores, including Walmart. Another blackout is planned for April 18.

The People’s Union USA does not consider itself a political party. They say they are a movement to help people gain control over the economy and the government. Their Walmart boycott will focus on Walmart’s websites, their brand products, health services, delivery services, and more.

In February, Walmart noticed a 5% drop in website visits, but this might be more about how people buy things these days than any specific change.

The People’s Union USA shared their thoughts: “No matter your politics, we can all agree that corporate greed and corruption hurt our country.”

This boycott comes after Walmart lost $22 billion in value recently. CEO Doug McMillon warned that if customers lose trust in Walmart, it could hurt the entire retail industry, especially if the economy keeps getting worse.

They encourage people to shop locally and wait for items if they can’t find them nearby: “We are cutting the cord.”

Some users on X (formerly Twitter) shared their thoughts, with one person saying, “I just did a boycott of Amazon, and now I’m on to the next one: Nestlé and Walmart.”

Global companies are worried about a potential recession in the US and around the world after President Donald Trump announced new tariffs (taxes on imports). These tariffs started a few days ago, and more will go into effect on April 9. China quickly responded with their own tariffs, leading to fears of a trade war that might slow down the global economy.

JP Morgan, a big bank, recently raised the chances of a US recession to 60%, up from 40% last month. Other banks like S&P Global and Goldman Sachs also increased their predictions for a recession, noting that the economy isn’t doing well lately. Even HSBC mentioned that signs of a recession are growing, estimating a 40% chance of one by the end of the year.

The new tariffs affect many imports, but not those from Mexico and Canada. The White House claims it’s necessary to fix trade imbalances where foreign countries impose high taxes. After April 9, around 60 countries, including the EU, Japan, and China, will face even higher tariffs on US goods. In response, China plans to impose 34% tariffs on US products starting April 10 and will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

So what is a recession? In the US, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) looks at many factors beyond just GDP (the total value of all goods and services) to define a recession. They say a recession happens when there’s a significant and widespread drop in economic activity lasting more than a few months.

Recessions can be caused by several things, like a sudden spike in key production costs (like oil) that makes everything more expensive. They can also happen when government policies to reduce inflation are too harsh, leading to less spending. Financial instability, like what happened during the 2007 financial crisis, is another major cause. If people and businesses take on too much debt, they might cut back on spending, which further slows the economy.

Overall, major slowdowns in big countries like the US, Germany, or Japan can lead to problems for their trading partners.