NY Property Taxes Among Nation's Highest, New Study Says: Here's What Homeowners Pay NY Property Taxes Among Nation's Highest, New Study Says: Here's What Homeowners Pay
NY Property Taxes Among Nation's Highest, New Study Says: Here's What Homeowners Pay Many homeowners in the Northeast are paying some of the highest property taxes in the country, with New Jersey topping the list for the largest tax burden, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of Property Taxes by State on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The study compared real estate and vehicle property taxes across the US, ranking New Jersey 51st — dead last when counting Washington, DC — for homeownership costs.  Garden State homeowners pay an average of $9,541 in annual property taxes on a median-priced home, more than three times the national average of $2,969. "Som…
Can IRS Layoffs Affect Your Tax Refund? Here's What To Know Can IRS Layoffs Affect Your Tax Refund? Here's What To Know
Can IRS Layoffs Affect Your Tax Refund? Here's What To Know With layoffs affecting as many as 6,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers reportedly underway, anxiety has heightened for Americans eager to receive refunds near the midway point of tax filing season. Approximately 140 million returns are expected to be filed by the Tuesday, April 15 deadline. Last year, around two-thirds of taxpayers received refunds, averaging about $3,100, according to IRS data. The IRS opened the 2025 tax filing season on Monday, Jan. 27.  For many households, a tax refund can be the largest annual payment they receive all year, and it's often used to pay off…
IRS Announces These Changes For 2025 Filing Season IRS Announces These Changes For 2025 Filing Season
IRS Announces These Changes For 2025 Filing Season As the 2025 tax filing season progresses, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has outlined key updates taxpayers need to know when preparing their 2024 returns.  These changes affect deductions, tax credits, filing deadlines, and eligibility for various tax benefits. Key Filing Updates and Deadlines The deadline for submitting Form 1040 or 1040-SR for the 2024 tax year is Tuesday, April 15.  Taxpayers are urged to wait until they receive all necessary documents before filing to avoid processing delays or errors. The IRS also recommends creating an IRS Online Account for secu…
$5M Fraud: NY Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says $5M Fraud: NY Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says
$5M Fraud: NY Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says Twin financiers Adam and Daniel Kaplan, already charged with defrauding elderly and disabled clients out of millions, are now accused of threatening witnesses and fabricating evidence. The 35-year-old Kaplans, hailing from Long Island’s Great Neck, are named in a fresh superseding indictment that was filed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Feb. 20, charging them with an additional count of money laundering. Adam Kaplan was additionally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and obstruction of justice, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. The new charges pa…
Diddy Attorney Steps Down: Can't 'Effectively Serve' Past Hudson Valley Resident, Reports Say Diddy Attorney Steps Down: Can't 'Effectively Serve' Past Hudson Valley Resident, Reports Say
Diddy Attorney Steps Down: Can't 'Effectively Serve' Past Hudson Valley Resident, Reports Say A member of the legal team for embattled New York native and hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has stepped down from the case, according to reports.  In a request submitted to the Southern District of New York on Friday, Feb. 21, attorney Anthony Ricco filed a motion to leave Diddy's case, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.  In his filing, Ricco reportedly gave a short statement with a vague explanation, as reported by Deadline: "Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I con…
Mother Of The Notorious B.I.G., Voletta Wallace, Dies At 78 Mother Of The Notorious B.I.G., Voletta Wallace, Dies At 78
Mother Of The Notorious B.I.G., Voletta Wallace, Dies At 78 Voletta Wallace, the devoted mother of rap legend The Notorious B.I.G., died at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Feb. 21, according to Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac. She was 78. Wallace had been receiving hospice care and passed away from natural causes, Yanac told Daily Voice.  Her family confirmed her passing in an emotional Instagram post, calling her their “matriarch” and the woman who dedicated her life to preserving the legacy of her son, born Christopher Wallace. 🕊️ "It is with immense sadness that we share this news with you, and ask that you give our f…
Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Over Dozen Times In NY Convicted Of Attempted Murder Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Over Dozen Times In NY Convicted Of Attempted Murder
Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Over Dozen Times In NY Convicted Of Attempted Murder A New Jersey man who repeatedly stabbed author Salman Rushdie on stage at a New York speaking engagement was convicted of attempted murder. Hadi Matar, 27, of Fairview, was also found guilty of assault in Chautauqua County Court on Friday, Feb. 21, for injuring another attendee following two hours of jury deliberations, Buffalo NBC affiliate WGRZ reports. Matar faces up to 25 years in prison when he's sentenced in April. The attack happened at around 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2022, as Rushdie was about to begin lecturing at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, located about 70 miles sou…
$25K Reward Offered Shooting Death Of Teen From Hudson Valley Years Ago: FBI $25K Reward Offered Shooting Death Of Teen From Hudson Valley Years Ago: FBI
$25K Reward Offered Shooting Death Of Teen From Hudson Valley Years Ago: FBI The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the murder of 19-year-old Nicholas Jasiel in Rockland County.  Jasiel, a 2018 graduate of Clarkstown South High School from Nanuet, was shot on December 7, 2019, following a confrontation at the intersection of Dwight Avenue and Mallory Road in the Hillcrest section of Spring Valley, according to the Ramapo Police Department.  Officers found him lying on the ground at the scene. He was rushed to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he died two …
$50K Scheme: Disbarred Attorney From Hudson Valley Accused Of Stealing From Client $50K Scheme: Disbarred Attorney From Hudson Valley Accused Of Stealing From Client
$50K Scheme: Disbarred Attorney From Hudson Valley Accused Of Stealing From Client A former Westchester real estate attorney from Orange County has been charged with grand larceny after allegedly stealing more than $50,000 from a client’s home sale, prosecutors said. Brian Schmidt, age 49, of Warwick, was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree grand larceny in connection to the alleged theft, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Feb. 21.  Prosecutors said Schmidt represented a home seller in a real estate closing between August and November 2022 but unlawfully kept more than $50,000 from the transaction.  Schmidt …
6 Poisoned By Fentanyl, 3 Die: Dealer In Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time 6 Poisoned By Fentanyl, 3 Die: Dealer In Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time
6 Poisoned By Fentanyl, 3 Die: Dealer In Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time A drug dealer from Rockland County will spend more than two decades behind bars for distributing fentanyl that led to the deaths of three young people and the poisonings of three others, prosecutors announced.  Justin Turnick, age 26, of Congers, was sentenced to over 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday, Feb. 20.  According to prosecutors, Turnick regularly sold fentanyl in various forms—including pills, pure fentanyl, and fentanyl-laced powder—to membe…
'Predatory' Vape Makers Fueled Teen Nicotine Addiction Crisis, NY AG's Lawsuit Says 'Predatory' Vape Makers Fueled Teen Nicotine Addiction Crisis, NY AG's Lawsuit Says
'Predatory' Vape Makers Fueled Teen Nicotine Addiction Crisis, NY AG's Lawsuit Says New York is suing more than a dozen leading vape manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, accusing them of fueling vaping among children. Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against 13 companies including brands such as Puff Bar, Elf Bar, Geek Bar, and Breeze, her office said in a news release on Thursday, Feb. 20. The lawsuit claims the companies marketed highly addictive, flavored disposable e-cigarettes to kids, misled consumers about product safety, and violated federal and state regulations. According to the Office of the Attorney General, the vape make…
Bomb Hoaxer Admits Targeting Jewish Hospitals In NY, Live-Streaming On Social Media Bomb Hoaxer Admits Targeting Jewish Hospitals In NY, Live-Streaming On Social Media
Bomb Hoaxer Admits Targeting Jewish Hospitals In NY, Live-Streaming On Social Media An Oregon man formally confessed to making a series of bomb threats against Jewish hospitals in New York, some of which were live-streamed on social media. Domagoj Patkovic, age 31, of Portland, Oregon, pleaded guilty to conspiring to make bomb threats related offenses in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Patkovic and others called in bomb threats to Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and on Long Island beginning in May 2021, according to prosecutors. During the calls, they allegedly made violent threats and threatened to detonate explosive devices. Patkovic hi…