Fast Food E. coli Outbreak

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Adam Rogers
October 23, 2024

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(Patrick Semansky/AP)

In 2025, millions of Americans will have more take-home pay due to inflation adjustments in the tax code.

The IRS announced changes to over 60 tax provisions, which will affect taxes filed in 2026. Key updates include higher standard deductions and shifts in tax brackets, meaning taxpayers will be taxed on less income overall.
For 2025, the standard deduction for single filers will rise to $15,000, while married couples filing jointly will see their deduction increase to $30,000. Tax brackets will also shift, slightly increasing income thresholds for each bracket. However, the top tax rate of 37% remains unchanged for high earners. (See standard deduction 101)
The Earned Income Tax Credit will increase for families with three or more children, and the alternative minimum tax exemption will also rise. Some tax benefits, like personal exemptions and itemized deduction limits, will stay the same. The next two Tax Days will fall on April 15 in both 2025 and 2026.

(Aïda Amer/Axios)

It will feature animated shows, podcasts, games, recipes, and e-books for families. The app, called Chick-fil-A Play, is part of the company’s efforts to engage more customers and drive traffic to its restaurants.
Chick-fil-A has been expanding beyond just food, offering branded merchandise and family-friendly games through a spinoff brand called Pennycake. With over 3,000 locations and being the third-largest US restaurant chain by sales, Chick-fil-A sees this app as another way to grow.
The app’s content is geared towards children under 12 and their parents, with themes of generosity, friendship, and creativity. After launch, new episodes will be released weekly, and there are plans for more series in 2025.

(Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Health officials are investigating an E. coli outbreak connected to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders in several states.

The exact ingredient causing the sickness is still unknown, but slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties are being closely examined. McDonald’s has taken quarter-pounders off the menu in affected areas.
So far, 49 people in 10 states have gotten sick, with one person in Colorado dying. Ten people have been hospitalized, including a child who developed a serious kidney disease.
The CDC warns that more E. coli cases could still emerge since it takes weeks to identify if people are part of the outbreak. Symptoms include fever, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Most cases (27) have been reported in Colorado, but Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are also affected.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that they confirmed the deaths of two top Hezbollah leaders, Hashim Safi al-Din and Hussein Hazimah, in an airstrike in Beirut three weeks ago. Safi al-Din was seen as a potential successor to the group's recently-assassinated leader, Hassan Nasrallah. (More)

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