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Save the Bees — Fight toxic pesticides


Bees are dying at unprecedented rates!

Honey bees are crucial pollinators. (Pakhnyushcha / Shutterstock)

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Days to save whales


 Avaazpix

Icelandic whalers are about to start harpooning over 150 endangered fin whales. But if we can get a tiny Caribbean nation to remove their flag from a ship that’s carrying millions of dollars worth of fin whale meat to Japan, we can hit them where it hurts. Stopping this sale could turn the tide. The ship could leave in six days. Add your voice and share this urgently:

Sign the petition

Dear friends,The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole. But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers! Sign now and share with everyone urgently  Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

Dear friends,The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole. But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers! Sign now and share with everyone urgently  Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

Iceland’s entire fin whaling industry is run by one man, Kristjan Loftsson, but his business is barely breaking even, so if we stop the whale meat from reaching Japan we can sink his profits! Other nations have removed their flag from vessels in response to public pressure over other environmental concerns so we know this can work for the whales. All we need to do is create a scandal and get a delay to make the crossing to Japan impossible.

Japanese whalers plan to resume “scientific” whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary despite widespread opposition, and St. Kitts and Nevis votes in support of Japan’s “research” at the International Whaling Commission. If we take them out of the equation now we can strike a deadly blow to both Icelandic and Japanese whaling at the same time!

Pressure has been mounting globally and nationally to stop the Icelandic whalers. This could be a turning point for the whales. Together we have the power to turn the International Whaling Commission into the International Whale Conservation Commission. And we can get started by stopping this year’s harpooning and this whale meat shipment! Sign the urgent petition now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

We know our voices work! Following our 1 million strong petition in 2013, the Dutch government blocked Iceland’s whale meat shipments docking in the Netherlands. And together with Greenpeace, our community managed to get fin whale meat sent back to Iceland from Germany. Since then major shipping companies announced they would never ship whale meat again. We’re making it harder and harder for this industry to make a profit. Let’s shut it down for good!With hope,

Lisa, Danny, Alice, Ricken, Mel, Nick, Rewan and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Iceland sends shipment of 1,700 tonnes of whale meat to Japan (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/05/iceland-sends-shipment-of-1700-tonnes-of-whale-meat-to-japan.

Desperate whalers go north (Greenpeace)
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/whale-meat-iceland/blog/53241/

The Winter Bay (Vessel Fider – shows where the ship carrying the whale meat is and which country is registering it)
https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/WINTER-BAY-IMO-8601680-MMSI-341433000

Japan to resume whaling hunt despite IWC warning (AFP)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-resume-whaling-hunt-despite-iwc-warning-105354478.html#ohHmAJ1

Secretary Julián Castro, Department of Housing and Urban Development


The White House, Washington

When my tenure as Secretary is over, I won’t judge my time by how many initiatives my Department has launched, or how many press releases we’ve put out. I’ll judge my tenure by the results — by how we were able to make opportunity real for families across America.

I’m proud to be serving under a President who shares the same commitment to policies that put everyday Americans first. President Obama has guided our nation out of a historic crisis and into an economy that’s picking up momentum. In just six years — thanks in large part to his actions — millions of Americans have been able to stay in their homes, and home sales are up by nearly 50 percent.

We’re not stopping there. Today, the President announced that he’s directing the Federal Housing Administration to reduce mortgage insurance premiums, which will help 250,000 American families buy a home over the next three years.

Thanks to President Obama’s actions today, homeownership will be more accessible, and more sustainable for more Americans. Share the news, and take a look at a few charts that show exactly how far our housing system has come:

Share the news, and take a look at a few charts that show exactly how far our housing system has come

In 2008, home values were on the decline, but they’ve been rising for three years now.

New foreclosures are at their lowest levels since 2006.

The number of U.S. homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages — meaning they owe more than their home is worth — is down by nearly 10 million.

There’s no denying the progress we’ve made over the past few years, and we will continue working until every responsible, hardworking American is able to own a home.

Find out more about how far we’ve come, and what the President’s newest announcement means for you — whether you own a home, or hope to own one in the future. And make sure to share the news.

Thanks,

Julián

Secretary Julián Castro
Department of Housing and Urban Development
@SecretaryCastro

How retirement benefits will change in 2015


US News

Social Security. Social Security recipients will receive 1.7 percent bigger payments in 2015, due to the annual cost-of-living adjustment. Most workers will continue to pay 6.2 percent of their earnings into the Social Security system, but the maximum taxable earnings amount will increase next year from $117,000 in 2014 to $118,500 in 2015. The Social Security administration will also mail Social Security statements to workers turning ages 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 in 2015 who have not created an online account.

Medicare. The standard Medicare Part B premium will remain $104.90 monthly in 2015, although high-income beneficiaries pay more, and the deductible is unchanged at $147 per year. The Medicare Part A hospital inpatient deductible will increase from $1,216 in 2014 to $1,260 in 2015. Medicare Part D premiums vary by plan and are expected to increase by 4 percent to an average $38.83 in 2015, assuming retirees stick with their current plan, according to an analysis of Part D plans by researchers at Georgetown University, the University of Chicago and the Kaiser Family Foundation. The maximum possible Part D deductible will be $320 in 2015, but some plans may charge smaller deductibles or no deductible. “Some plans, including many of the most popular plans, are increasing their premiums next year,” says Juliette Cubanski, a policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “The open enrollment period is a good time to look to see whether the plan will continue to be offered next year and, if so, look to see how that plan might be changing in terms of the premiums you pay every month to be enrolled as well as the costs you pay for coverage, including the annual deductible and the costs that you pay for your prescription medications.” Beneficiaries have an opportunity to switch Part D plans each year during open enrollment.

401(k)s. The 401(k) contribution limit will increase by $500 to $18,000 in 2015. The catch-up contribution limit for workers age 50 and older will also grow by $500 to $6,000 in 2015. “There’s a considerable amount of tax deferral you can get on those savings,” says Kevin Brosious, a certified financial planner and president of Wealth Management Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania. A worker under age 50 who is in the 25 percent tax bracket and contributes the maximum amount to a traditional 401(k) in 2015 will save $4,500 on his federal income tax bill, compared with a tax break of $4,375 for maxing out in 2014.

IRAs. The IRA contribution limit will remain $5,500 in 2015, and savers age 50 and older can contribute an additional $1,000 as a catch-up contribution. Workers who have a retirement account at work can claim a tax deduction for making a traditional IRA contribution until their modified adjusted gross income is between $61,000 and $71,000 for individuals and $98,000 to $118,000 for couples in 2015, up $1,000 and $2,000, respectively, from 2014. Spouses without a workplace retirement plan who are married to someone with a 401(k) can claim the IRA contribution tax deduction until their income is between $183,000 and $193,000 in 2015. The Roth IRA income limits will also increase by $2,000 in 2015 to between $116,000 and $131,000 for individuals and $183,000 to $193,000 for married couples. However, investors who earn more than these limits may be able to convert traditional IRA assets to a Roth IRA. “High-income employees typically aren’t eligible for Roth IRAs, but they can add after-tax dollars and then roll that directly into their Roth IRA,” says Michael Hollars, a certified financial planner for Client First Finance in Sunnyvale, California.

Saver’s credit. Workers who save in a 401(k) or IRA may be eligible for the saver’s credit if their AGI is less than $30,500 for singles, $45,750 for heads of household and $61,000 for married couples in 2015. These limits are between $500 and $1,000 higher than in 2014. This valuable tax credit is worth 50 percent, 20 percent or 10 percent of your 401(k) or IRA contributions up to $2,000 ($4,000 for couples), with the biggest credit going to savers with the lowest incomes. The maximum possible saver’s credit is worth $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples.

New retirement account. The Treasury is expected to offer a new type of retirement account, the myRA. These Roth accounts with be funded with after-tax dollars via payroll deduction, but they are not tied to your job and are guaranteed by the government to never lose value. The myRA will be available to workers with an annual income of less than $129,000 for individuals and $191,000 for couples, and they can use the account for up to 30 years or until their account balance hits $15,000, after which the balance will transfer to a private-sector retirement account.

Got a question about your health insurance, retirement portfolio, or anything else finance-related? Drop us a line: YFmoneymailbag@yahoo.com. Yahoo Finance is answering your money questions on Tumblr!

More From US News & World Report

President Obama designates 3 New Nationals Monuments


Yesterday, the President designated three new national monuments: Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and Basin and Range in Nevada. Together, these striking places demonstrate the wide range of historic, cultural, and natural values that make America’s public lands so treasured.

Learn more about the monument designation here.

President Barack Obama signs National Monument designations in the Oval Office, July 10, 2015. The three new monuments include Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and the Basin and Range in Nevada. Standing behing the President, from left, are: Victor Knox, National Park Service, April Slayton, National Park Service, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Chief Tom Tidwell, Randy Moore, Forest Service, and Director Neil Kornze. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

With these new designations, President Obama has now used the Antiquities Act to establish or expand 19 national monuments. Yesterday’s addition of three national monuments will protect more than 1 million acres of public land, adding to the more than 260 million acres of public lands and waters President Obama has protected for future generations — more than any other President.

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