By ELIZABETH SCALA <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-i-teach-a-course-connecting-taylor-swifts-songs-to-the-works-of-shakespeare-hitchcock-and-plath-194120">The Conversation</a>

Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

This class is part of a group of introductory English offerings that 
focus on basic methods of literary analysis and research. It fulfills 
different requirements for potential English majors and the general 
student population, so I am always looking for news ways to engage them.

For a few years, I taught it as a Harry Potter course. I introduced 
students to classic British literature by exploring the Romantic and 
medieval literary traditions present in the novel. 

But earlier this year, I realized I was bored. I had been listening 
to a lot of Taylor Swift with my college-aged daughter, who had been 
home for a year during the pandemic. Swift had recently released “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version/">Red (Taylor’s Version)</a>.”

Listening to her track “<a href="https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-reacts-to-all-too-well-song-of-the-year-grammy-nomination/">All Too Well</a>”
 was my epiphany. Swift’s vivid imagery and emotionally gripping detail 
had all the markings of a great narrative poem. She writes the song in a
 way that mirrors the recursions of memory. Her verses become 
increasingly strong and build upon each other once she starts 
remembering the past. At the same time, the song’s imagery moves from 
fall to winter as she reflects upon the relationship’s beginning and 
frosty end.

This course pairs Taylor Swift songs with a number of poems, along with a play, a novel and a film.

The semester began with the pairing of Swift’s songs with Renaissance
 love poetry. One class analyzing the metaphors, similes and colors in 
the song “Red” turned, a week or so later, into an exploration of 
Shakespeare’s use of similar colors in his famous sonnet 73: “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45099/sonnet-73-that-time-of-year-thou-mayst-in-me-behold">That time of year thou mayst in me behold</a>.”

Shakespeare, meanwhile, begins his sonnet 73 with “That time of year 
thou mayst in me behold / When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang,”
 before pointing to the oranges of autumn’s “sunset [that] fadeth in the
 west” and “the glowing of such fire / That on the ashes of his youth 
doth lie.”

Where Swift moves from cool tones to “burning red,” Shakespeare moves
 through increasingly warm tones: from yellow, to orange, to red. But 
both move toward an intensity of color and heat.

Some couplings are obvious. For instance, Swift’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzVF3XeS8M">Love Story</a>” mentions the title characters of Shakespeare’s “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1513/1513-h/1513-h.htm">Romeo and Juliet</a>” – “Romeo save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.”

Others might come as more of a surprise: I paired Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/feb/23/olivia-laing-on-daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-80-years-on">Rebecca</a>,” which Alfred Hitchcock <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">adapted for the silver screen</a> in 1940, with Swift’s song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s5xdY6MCeI">the last great american dynasty</a>.”

Centering on a scandalous woman named Rebecca – or Rebekah, in 
Swift’s song – the song, novel and film explore the relations of mad 
women and madwomen, the tenuous line between anger and craziness. It’s a
 theme Swift hits on in a number of songs, from her 2019 track “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-the-man-lyrics">The Man</a>” to 2020’s “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-mad-woman-lyrics">mad woman</a>,” which I paired with Sylvia Plath’s poem “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49000/lady-lazarus">Lady Lazarus</a>.”

I think this course tapped into the zeitgeist in ways I couldn’t have
 imagined when I first dreamed it up. Of course, Swift’s music is 
popular, and she has long had a devoted following. But the October 2022 
release of her <a href="https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-midnights-breaks-records-streaming-sales-charts">record-breaking</a> album “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-midnights/">Midnights</a>”
 has only made the course seem more relevant to students’ interests. As a
 class, we spent time exploring the ways tracks on “Midnights” revisited
 themes and writing strategies that appeared in Swift’s earlier songs.

What’s a critical lesson from the course?

Analyzing Swift’s writing will hopefully help my students recognize 
how certain poetic and literary devices operate in older texts – as much
 as those same books and poems from the past help them appreciate 
Swift’s art at a deeper level. They seem especially eager to engage with
 older materials, like Renaissance seduction poetry and black and white 
film, when they can see traces of the same artistic techniques in the 
music videos and songs they watch and listen to today.

Swift’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Taylor_Swift">award-winning songwriting</a> is attached to an English and American literary past in both obvious and more subtle ways. <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/taylor-swift-is-new-face-of-reading/">An avid reader herself</a>,
 Swift deploys forms – like metaphors, conceits and structures – that 
are part of a shared literary heritage that students might otherwise 
find old-fashioned and irrelevant.

Far from diminishing the value of Swift’s writing, tracing its 
connection to the literary greats shores up her authority as a creative 
artist. Swift, like all artists, is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bob-dylan-used-the-ancient-practice-of-imitatio-to-craft-some-of-the-most-original-songs-of-his-time-187052">great tradition</a>, and she calls upon it to create new works.

Adam Bradley, “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300248326/the-poetry-of-pop/">The Poetry of Pop</a>,” 2019

Alfred Hitchcock, “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">Rebecca</a>,” 1940

Taylor Swift, “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore/">folkore</a>,” 2020

What will the course prepare students to do?

This course has rather modest ambitions. It prepares careful and 
critical readers, as well as articulate writers and researchers. 

It pays attention to what language denotes at the surface and what it
 carries around with it in its connotations and associations. It teaches
 students about those features, using the Oxford English Dictionary as a
 research tool to probe linguistic origin, register and usage beyond 
what a term literally means.

While delivering New York University’s 2022 commencement speech, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBG50aoUwlI">Swift urged the graduating seniors</a> to embrace their enthusiasms and be unafraid to explore their interests.

Finding a way to tap into students’ enthusiasm for Swift, and tie her
 songwriting to literary methodologies, is my version of following her 
lead.

Elizabeth Scala is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts.

By ELIZABETH SCALA <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-i-teach-a-course-connecting-taylor-swifts-songs-to-the-works-of-shakespeare-hitchcock-and-plath-194120">The Conversation</a>Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. <h2>Title of course:</h2>“The Taylor Swift Songbook”<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>This class is part of a group of introductory English offerings that 
focus on basic methods of literary analysis and research. It fulfills 
different requirements for potential English majors and the general 
student population, so I am always looking for news ways to engage them.For a few years, I taught it as a Harry Potter course. I introduced 
students to classic British literature by exploring the Romantic and 
medieval literary traditions present in the novel. But earlier this year, I realized I was bored. I had been listening 
to a lot of Taylor Swift with my college-aged daughter, who had been 
home for a year during the pandemic. Swift had recently released “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version/">Red (Taylor’s Version)</a>.” Listening to her track “<a href="https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-reacts-to-all-too-well-song-of-the-year-grammy-nomination/">All Too Well</a>”
 was my epiphany. Swift’s vivid imagery and emotionally gripping detail 
had all the markings of a great narrative poem. She writes the song in a
 way that mirrors the recursions of memory. Her verses become 
increasingly strong and build upon each other once she starts 
remembering the past. At the same time, the song’s imagery moves from 
fall to winter as she reflects upon the relationship’s beginning and 
frosty end. <h2>What does the course explore?</h2>This course pairs Taylor Swift songs with a number of poems, along with a play, a novel and a film.The semester began with the pairing of Swift’s songs with Renaissance
 love poetry. One class analyzing the metaphors, similes and colors in 
the song “Red” turned, a week or so later, into an exploration of 
Shakespeare’s use of similar colors in his famous sonnet 73: “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45099/sonnet-73-that-time-of-year-thou-mayst-in-me-behold">That time of year thou mayst in me behold</a>.”From “Red”:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668787433536.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shakespeare, meanwhile, begins his sonnet 73 with “That time of year 
thou mayst in me behold / When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang,”
 before pointing to the oranges of autumn’s “sunset [that] fadeth in the
 west” and “the glowing of such fire / That on the ashes of his youth 
doth lie.”Where Swift moves from cool tones to “burning red,” Shakespeare moves
 through increasingly warm tones: from yellow, to orange, to red. But 
both move toward an intensity of color and heat.Some couplings are obvious. For instance, Swift’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzVF3XeS8M">Love Story</a>” mentions the title characters of Shakespeare’s “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1513/1513-h/1513-h.htm">Romeo and Juliet</a>” – “Romeo save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.” Others might come as more of a surprise: I paired Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/feb/23/olivia-laing-on-daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-80-years-on">Rebecca</a>,” which Alfred Hitchcock <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">adapted for the silver screen</a> in 1940, with Swift’s song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s5xdY6MCeI">the last great american dynasty</a>.” Centering on a scandalous woman named Rebecca – or Rebekah, in 
Swift’s song – the song, novel and film explore the relations of mad 
women and madwomen, the tenuous line between anger and craziness. It’s a
 theme Swift hits on in a number of songs, from her 2019 track “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-the-man-lyrics">The Man</a>” to 2020’s “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-mad-woman-lyrics">mad woman</a>,” which I paired with Sylvia Plath’s poem “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49000/lady-lazarus">Lady Lazarus</a>.” <h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>I think this course tapped into the zeitgeist in ways I couldn’t have
 imagined when I first dreamed it up. Of course, Swift’s music is 
popular, and she has long had a devoted following. But the October 2022 
release of her <a href="https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-midnights-breaks-records-streaming-sales-charts">record-breaking</a> album “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-midnights/">Midnights</a>”
 has only made the course seem more relevant to students’ interests. As a
 class, we spent time exploring the ways tracks on “Midnights” revisited
 themes and writing strategies that appeared in Swift’s earlier songs.<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>Analyzing Swift’s writing will hopefully help my students recognize 
how certain poetic and literary devices operate in older texts – as much
 as those same books and poems from the past help them appreciate 
Swift’s art at a deeper level. They seem especially eager to engage with
 older materials, like Renaissance seduction poetry and black and white 
film, when they can see traces of the same artistic techniques in the 
music videos and songs they watch and listen to today.Swift’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Taylor_Swift">award-winning songwriting</a> is attached to an English and American literary past in both obvious and more subtle ways. <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/taylor-swift-is-new-face-of-reading/">An avid reader herself</a>,
 Swift deploys forms – like metaphors, conceits and structures – that 
are part of a shared literary heritage that students might otherwise 
find old-fashioned and irrelevant. Far from diminishing the value of Swift’s writing, tracing its 
connection to the literary greats shores up her authority as a creative 
artist. Swift, like all artists, is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bob-dylan-used-the-ancient-practice-of-imitatio-to-craft-some-of-the-most-original-songs-of-his-time-187052">great tradition</a>, and she calls upon it to create new works.<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>Adam Bradley, “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300248326/the-poetry-of-pop/">The Poetry of Pop</a>,” 2019 Alfred Hitchcock, “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">Rebecca</a>,” 1940 Taylor Swift, “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore/">folkore</a>,” 2020 <h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>This course has rather modest ambitions. It prepares careful and 
critical readers, as well as articulate writers and researchers. It pays attention to what language denotes at the surface and what it
 carries around with it in its connotations and associations. It teaches
 students about those features, using the Oxford English Dictionary as a
 research tool to probe linguistic origin, register and usage beyond 
what a term literally means.While delivering New York University’s 2022 commencement speech, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBG50aoUwlI">Swift urged the graduating seniors</a> to embrace their enthusiasms and be unafraid to explore their interests. Finding a way to tap into students’ enthusiasm for Swift, and tie her
 songwriting to literary methodologies, is my version of following her 
lead.Elizabeth Scala is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194120/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Shakespeare, Hitchcock, Plath  ... and Taylor Swift?

By GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated Press

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar banned the sale of beer at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup">World Cup stadiums</a>
 on Friday, a sudden U-turn on the deal the conservative Muslim emirate 
made to secure the soccer tournament with only two days to go before the
 opening game.

The move was the latest sign of the tension of 
staging the event, which is not just a sports tournament but also a 
monthlong party, in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-soccer-world-cup-sports-travel-c66ca9fb25b737f8ff34df97d5501327">autocratic country where the sale of alcohol is heavily restricted</a>.
 It's also a significant blow to World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser and 
raised questions about how much control FIFA retains over its 
tournament.

When Qatar launched its bid to host the World Cup, the
 country agreed to FIFA’s requirements of selling alcohol in stadiums — 
but the details <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-religion-middle-east-897ebb79eaa12d69c4f353cd2d7ae55a">were only released in September</a>,
 just 11 weeks before the first kickoff, suggesting how fraught the 
negotiations may have been. Friday's statement from FIFA said 
non-alcoholic beer will still be sold at the eight stadiums, while 
champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol will be served in the luxury 
hospitality areas of the arenas.

But the vast majority of ticket 
holders don't have access to those areas; they will be able to drink 
alcoholic beer in the evenings in what is known as the FIFA Fan 
Festival, a designated party area that also offers live music and 
activities. Outside of the tournament-run areas, Qatar puts strict 
limits on the purchase and consumption of alcohol, though its sale has 
been permitted in hotel bars for years.

“Following discussions 
between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to 
focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other 
fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from
 ... stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in a statement.

As the news 
broke, Budweiser’s Twitter account tweeted: “Well, this is awkward...” 
without elaborating. The tweet was later deleted.

Ab InBev, the 
parent company of Budweiser, acknowledged in a statement that some of 
its plans “cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”

The
 company pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for 
exclusive rights to sell beer and has already shipped the majority of 
its stock from Britain to Qatar in expectation of selling its product to
 millions of fans. While the actual sales at the tournament might not be
 a significant percentage of the massive company's revenues, the World 
Cup nonetheless represents a major branding opportunity.

The 
company’s partnership with FIFA started at the 1986 tournament, and they
 are in negotiations for renewing their deal for the next World Cup in 
North America.

Ronan Evain, the executive director of the fan 
group Football Supporters Europe, called the decision to ban beer sales 
at the stadiums in Qatar “extremely worrying.”

“For many fans, 
whether they don’t drink alcohol or are used to dry stadium policies at 
home, this is a detail. It won’t change their tournament,” Evain wrote 
on Twitter. “But with 48 (hours) to go, we’ve clearly entered a 
dangerous territory — where ‘assurances’ don’t matter anymore.”

Qatar,
 which is governed by a hereditary emir who has absolute say over all 
governmental decisions, follows an ultraconservative form of Islam known
 as Wahhabism like neighboring Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Qatar has 
transformed into an ultra-modern hub following a natural gas boom in the
 1990s, but it has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-entertainment-sports-soccer-religion-c3dcfa7cefe111716e2fade034d50eab">faced pressure from within</a> to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol.

In
 the runup to the World Cup, rights groups have raised concerns about 
how the nation will host millions of foreign fans, some of whom might 
violate Islamic laws criminalizing public drunkenness, sex outside of 
marriage and homosexuality.

Qatar’s government and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Friday's was not Qatar's first backtrack — but it was the most significant. Last weekend, AB InBev was left surprised by a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-soccer-sports-international-qatar-c7fa8bba6be7da8a86291265b63c38cb">new policy insisted on by Qatari organizers</a> to move beer stalls to less visible locations within the stadium compounds.

And Qatar also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-world-cup-qatar-gianni-infantino-12168376f9892774bec11a2e87dba180">changed the date of the opening match</a> only weeks before the World Cup began.

Previous
 World Cup hosts have been asked to make concessions. For the 2014 
tournament, Brazil was forced to change a law to allow alcohol sales in 
stadiums — but the same cultural issues were not at play.

AB 
InBev’s deal with FIFA was renewed in 2011 — after Qatar was picked as 
host. However, the Belgium-based brewer has faced uncertainty in recent 
months on the exact details of where it can serve and sell beer in 
Qatar. And some have balked at the price, which was confirmed at $14 for
 a beer.

At the W Hotel in Doha — where the company will be based —
 workers continued putting together a Budweiser-themed bar planned at 
the site. Its familiar AB logo was plastered on columns and walls at the
 hotel, with one reading: “The World Is Yours To Take.”

By GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated PressDOHA, Qatar — Qatar banned the sale of beer at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup">World Cup stadiums</a>
 on Friday, a sudden U-turn on the deal the conservative Muslim emirate 
made to secure the soccer tournament with only two days to go before the
 opening game.The move was the latest sign of the tension of 
staging the event, which is not just a sports tournament but also a 
monthlong party, in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-soccer-world-cup-sports-travel-c66ca9fb25b737f8ff34df97d5501327">autocratic country where the sale of alcohol is heavily restricted</a>.
 It's also a significant blow to World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser and 
raised questions about how much control FIFA retains over its 
tournament.When Qatar launched its bid to host the World Cup, the
 country agreed to FIFA’s requirements of selling alcohol in stadiums — 
but the details <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-religion-middle-east-897ebb79eaa12d69c4f353cd2d7ae55a">were only released in September</a>,
 just 11 weeks before the first kickoff, suggesting how fraught the 
negotiations may have been. Friday's statement from FIFA said 
non-alcoholic beer will still be sold at the eight stadiums, while 
champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol will be served in the luxury 
hospitality areas of the arenas.But the vast majority of ticket 
holders don't have access to those areas; they will be able to drink 
alcoholic beer in the evenings in what is known as the FIFA Fan 
Festival, a designated party area that also offers live music and 
activities. Outside of the tournament-run areas, Qatar puts strict 
limits on the purchase and consumption of alcohol, though its sale has 
been permitted in hotel bars for years.“Following discussions 
between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to 
focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other 
fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from
 ... stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in a statement.As the news 
broke, Budweiser’s Twitter account tweeted: “Well, this is awkward...” 
without elaborating. The tweet was later deleted.Ab InBev, the 
parent company of Budweiser, acknowledged in a statement that some of 
its plans “cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”The
 company pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for 
exclusive rights to sell beer and has already shipped the majority of 
its stock from Britain to Qatar in expectation of selling its product to
 millions of fans. While the actual sales at the tournament might not be
 a significant percentage of the massive company's revenues, the World 
Cup nonetheless represents a major branding opportunity.The 
company’s partnership with FIFA started at the 1986 tournament, and they
 are in negotiations for renewing their deal for the next World Cup in 
North America.Ronan Evain, the executive director of the fan 
group Football Supporters Europe, called the decision to ban beer sales 
at the stadiums in Qatar “extremely worrying.”“For many fans, 
whether they don’t drink alcohol or are used to dry stadium policies at 
home, this is a detail. It won’t change their tournament,” Evain wrote 
on Twitter. “But with 48 (hours) to go, we’ve clearly entered a 
dangerous territory — where ‘assurances’ don’t matter anymore.”Qatar,
 which is governed by a hereditary emir who has absolute say over all 
governmental decisions, follows an ultraconservative form of Islam known
 as Wahhabism like neighboring Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Qatar has 
transformed into an ultra-modern hub following a natural gas boom in the
 1990s, but it has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-entertainment-sports-soccer-religion-c3dcfa7cefe111716e2fade034d50eab">faced pressure from within</a> to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol.In
 the runup to the World Cup, rights groups have raised concerns about 
how the nation will host millions of foreign fans, some of whom might 
violate Islamic laws criminalizing public drunkenness, sex outside of 
marriage and homosexuality.Qatar’s government and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Friday's was not Qatar's first backtrack — but it was the most significant. Last weekend, AB InBev was left surprised by a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-soccer-sports-international-qatar-c7fa8bba6be7da8a86291265b63c38cb">new policy insisted on by Qatari organizers</a> to move beer stalls to less visible locations within the stadium compounds.And Qatar also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-world-cup-qatar-gianni-infantino-12168376f9892774bec11a2e87dba180">changed the date of the opening match</a> only weeks before the World Cup began.Previous
 World Cup hosts have been asked to make concessions. For the 2014 
tournament, Brazil was forced to change a law to allow alcohol sales in 
stadiums — but the same cultural issues were not at play.AB 
InBev’s deal with FIFA was renewed in 2011 — after Qatar was picked as 
host. However, the Belgium-based brewer has faced uncertainty in recent 
months on the exact details of where it can serve and sell beer in 
Qatar. And some have balked at the price, which was confirmed at $14 for
 a beer.At the W Hotel in Doha — where the company will be based —
 workers continued putting together a Budweiser-themed bar planned at 
the site. Its familiar AB logo was plastered on columns and walls at the
 hotel, with one reading: “The World Is Yours To Take.”

Qatar bans sale of beer at World Cup stadiums in about-face

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service, along with state tax 
agencies and the nation's tax industry, today announced a special week 
focusing attention on empowering taxpayers to protect sensitive 
financial information against identity thieves as the holidays and the 
2023 tax season get closer.

Now in its seventh year, the annual National Tax Security Awareness 
Week takes place from November 28 - December 2. The event is part of a 
larger effort that continues by the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>,
 the coalition of the IRS, the states and the nation's tax software and 
tax professional community. The group formed in 2015 to combat 
tax-related identity theft by strengthening protections against fraud 
and raising security awareness.

With the holidays and tax season approaching, the Summit partners 
warned taxpayers and tax professionals to take extra steps to protect 
their financial and tax information. People face a heightened risk in 
coming months as fraudsters take advantage of the holiday season to 
trick people into sharing sensitive personal information by email, text 
message and online. Identity thieves use that information to try to file
 tax returns and steal refunds.

To help combat this, the Summit partner's National Tax Security 
Awareness Week will feature a week-long series of educational materials 
to help protect individuals, businesses and tax professionals from 
identity theft. The effort will include a November 29 webinar titled <a href="https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1148/47098">Deeper Dive Into Emerging Cyber Crimes and Crypto Tax Compliance</a>, special informational graphics and a social media effort on Twitter and Instagram through @IRSnews and #TaxSecurity.

"Taxpayers and tax professionals need to remain vigilant for 
increasingly sophisticated scams that look to steal sensitive financial 
information," said IRS&nbsp;Acting Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. "The Security
 Summit effort focuses on highlighting simple steps that small 
businesses and people in all walks of life can take to protect their 
information, helping them avoid problems at tax time."

The IRS and Summit partners continue to see constantly evolving 
threats and scams. They mimic IRS and others in the tax community 
through fake emails, texts and online scams. These schemes frequently 
use recent tragedies or charitable groups to coax people into sharing 
sensitive financial data.

"The heightened risk to taxpayers poses a real threat. The criminals 
continue to evolve and are always looking for opportunities to 
fraudulently obtain this information," said Neena Savage, President of 
the Board of Trustees for the Federation of Tax Administrators and Tax 
Administrator for Rhode Island. "We urge everyone to take the steps 
necessary to protect their sensitive information, which simultaneously 
helps strengthen the joint work conducted by the states, the IRS and the
 tax industry through the Security Summit partnership."

As Security Summit partners increased their joint defenses against 
identity theft in recent years, including through the Identity Theft 
Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), fraudsters have 
increasingly looked for ways to obtain sensitive personal financial 
information to help slip past common defenses. That has made tax 
professionals – who hold valuable tax information for their clients – a 
tempting target for scam artists.

"The innovative Summit partnership between the public and private 
sectors has created important protections against tax-related identity 
theft,'&nbsp;said Julie Magee, Tax Regulatory Lead at Cash App Taxes and an 
original member of the Security Summit who currently serves as the 
group's communications co-chair.&nbsp;"This collaborative effort continues to
 thwart identity thieves, helping protect taxpayers and tax 
professionals while also safeguarding the federal and state tax systems 
essential to running our nation."

With International Fraud Awareness Week underway through November 19 
this year, the Security Summit offers a preview of the upcoming National
 Tax Security Awareness Week that begins November 28.

National Tax Security Awareness Week 2022 highlights

Cyber Monday: Protect personal and financial information online

The IRS and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a> partners remind people to take these basic steps when shopping online:

Tax professionals should review their security protocols

As identity thieves continue targeting tax professionals, the IRS and the Summit partners urge practitioners to review the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/tax-security-2-point-0-the-taxes-security-together-checklist">"Taxes-Security-Together" Checklist</a>, including:

Taxpayers who can verify their identities online may opt into the IRS
 IP PIN program – a tool taxpayers can use to protect themselves – and 
their tax refund. Here's what taxpayers need to know:

Businesses should watch out for tax-related scams and implement safeguards

Most cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Some details from this segment include:

Earlier this year, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/protect-your-clients-protect-yourself-summer-2022">Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself</a>&nbsp;campaign
 encouraged tax professionals to focus on fundamentals and to watch out 
for emerging vulnerabilities for those practitioners using cloud-based 
services for their practice.

In addition to reviewing IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data</a>PDF, tax professionals can also get help with security recommendations by reviewing <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2016/NIST.IR.7621r1.pdf">Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals</a>PDF&nbsp;by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a> pages for tax pros, individuals and businesses have important details as well.

The IRS and Security Summit partners also share YouTube videos on 
security steps for taxpayers. The videos can be viewed or downloaded at <a href="https://youtu.be/V3hdiCtKj5s">Easy Steps to Protect Your Computer and Phone</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYQL89qMfI">Security Measures Help Protect Against Tax-Related Identity Theft</a>.

Employers can share <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4524.pdf">Publication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers</a>PDF, with their employees and customers and tax professionals can share with clients.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service, along with state tax 
agencies and the nation's tax industry, today announced a special week 
focusing attention on empowering taxpayers to protect sensitive 
financial information against identity thieves as the holidays and the 
2023 tax season get closer.Now in its seventh year, the annual National Tax Security Awareness 
Week takes place from November 28 - December 2. The event is part of a 
larger effort that continues by the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>,
 the coalition of the IRS, the states and the nation's tax software and 
tax professional community. The group formed in 2015 to combat 
tax-related identity theft by strengthening protections against fraud 
and raising security awareness.With the holidays and tax season approaching, the Summit partners 
warned taxpayers and tax professionals to take extra steps to protect 
their financial and tax information. People face a heightened risk in 
coming months as fraudsters take advantage of the holiday season to 
trick people into sharing sensitive personal information by email, text 
message and online. Identity thieves use that information to try to file
 tax returns and steal refunds.To help combat this, the Summit partner's National Tax Security 
Awareness Week will feature a week-long series of educational materials 
to help protect individuals, businesses and tax professionals from 
identity theft. The effort will include a November 29 webinar titled <a href="https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1148/47098">Deeper Dive Into Emerging Cyber Crimes and Crypto Tax Compliance</a>, special informational graphics and a social media effort on Twitter and Instagram through @IRSnews and #TaxSecurity."Taxpayers and tax professionals need to remain vigilant for 
increasingly sophisticated scams that look to steal sensitive financial 
information," said IRS&nbsp;Acting Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. "The Security
 Summit effort focuses on highlighting simple steps that small 
businesses and people in all walks of life can take to protect their 
information, helping them avoid problems at tax time."The IRS and Summit partners continue to see constantly evolving 
threats and scams. They mimic IRS and others in the tax community 
through fake emails, texts and online scams. These schemes frequently 
use recent tragedies or charitable groups to coax people into sharing 
sensitive financial data."The heightened risk to taxpayers poses a real threat. The criminals 
continue to evolve and are always looking for opportunities to 
fraudulently obtain this information," said Neena Savage, President of 
the Board of Trustees for the Federation of Tax Administrators and Tax 
Administrator for Rhode Island. "We urge everyone to take the steps 
necessary to protect their sensitive information, which simultaneously 
helps strengthen the joint work conducted by the states, the IRS and the
 tax industry through the Security Summit partnership."As Security Summit partners increased their joint defenses against 
identity theft in recent years, including through the Identity Theft 
Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), fraudsters have 
increasingly looked for ways to obtain sensitive personal financial 
information to help slip past common defenses. That has made tax 
professionals – who hold valuable tax information for their clients – a 
tempting target for scam artists."The innovative Summit partnership between the public and private 
sectors has created important protections against tax-related identity 
theft,'&nbsp;said Julie Magee, Tax Regulatory Lead at Cash App Taxes and an 
original member of the Security Summit who currently serves as the 
group's communications co-chair.&nbsp;"This collaborative effort continues to
 thwart identity thieves, helping protect taxpayers and tax 
professionals while also safeguarding the federal and state tax systems 
essential to running our nation."With International Fraud Awareness Week underway through November 19 
this year, the Security Summit offers a preview of the upcoming National
 Tax Security Awareness Week that begins November 28.<h2>National Tax Security Awareness Week 2022 highlights</h2><h2>Cyber Monday: Protect personal and financial information online</h2>The IRS and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a> partners remind people to take these basic steps when shopping online:<ul>
 <li>Use security software for computers and mobile phones – and keep it updated.</li><li>Make sure anti-virus software for computers has a feature to stop 
malware, and that there is a firewall enabled that can prevent 
intrusions.</li><li>Use strong and unique passwords for all accounts.</li><li>Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.</li><li>Shop only secure websites; look for the "https" in web addresses 
and the padlock icon; avoid shopping on unsecured and public Wi-Fi in 
places like coffee shops, malls or restaurants.</li>
 </ul><h2>Tax professionals should review their security protocols</h2>As identity thieves continue targeting tax professionals, the IRS and the Summit partners urge practitioners to review the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/tax-security-2-point-0-the-taxes-security-together-checklist">"Taxes-Security-Together" Checklist</a>, including:<ul>
 <li>Deploy basic security measures.</li><li>Use multi-factor authentication to protect tax software accounts.</li><li>Create a Virtual Private Network if working remotely.</li><li>Create a written data security plan as required by federal law.</li><li>Know about phishing and phone scams.</li><li>Create data security and data theft recovery plans.</li>
 </ul><h2>Get an Identity Protection PIN</h2>Taxpayers who can verify their identities online may opt into the IRS
 IP PIN program – a tool taxpayers can use to protect themselves – and 
their tax refund. Here's what taxpayers need to know:<ul>
 <li>The Identity Protection PIN or IP PIN is a six-digit code known 
only to the individual and the IRS. It provides another layer of 
protection for taxpayers' Social Security numbers on tax returns.</li><li>Use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/the-identity-protection-pin-ip-pin">Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)</a> tool at IRS.gov/IPPIN to immediately get an IP PIN.</li><li>Never share the IP PIN with anyone but a trusted tax provider.</li>
 </ul><h2>Businesses should watch out for tax-related scams and implement safeguards</h2>Most cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Some details from this segment include:<ul>
 <li>Learn about best security practices for small businesses.</li><li>IRS continues protective masking of sensitive information on business transcripts.</li><li>A Business Identity Theft Affidavit, Form 14039-B, is available for businesses to report theft to the IRS.</li><li>Beware of various scams, especially the W-2 scam that attempts to steal employee income information.</li><li>Check out the "Business" section on IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a>.</li>
 </ul>Earlier this year, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/protect-your-clients-protect-yourself-summer-2022">Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself</a>&nbsp;campaign
 encouraged tax professionals to focus on fundamentals and to watch out 
for emerging vulnerabilities for those practitioners using cloud-based 
services for their practice.<h2>Additional resources</h2>In addition to reviewing IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data</a>PDF, tax professionals can also get help with security recommendations by reviewing <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2016/NIST.IR.7621r1.pdf">Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals</a>PDF&nbsp;by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a> pages for tax pros, individuals and businesses have important details as well.The IRS and Security Summit partners also share YouTube videos on 
security steps for taxpayers. The videos can be viewed or downloaded at <a href="https://youtu.be/V3hdiCtKj5s">Easy Steps to Protect Your Computer and Phone</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYQL89qMfI">Security Measures Help Protect Against Tax-Related Identity Theft</a>.Employers can share <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4524.pdf">Publication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers</a>PDF, with their employees and customers and tax professionals can share with clients.

Summit focuses on security and identity theft as holiday, tax season nears

By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press

Official-looking flyers have circulated on social media describing 
cultural expectations for fans attending the World Cup in Qatar. Some 
include rules for women’s attire: Shoulders and knees must be covered.

While
 the local organizing committee suggests that fans “respect the 
culture,” no one is expected to be detained or barred from games in 
Qatar because of clothing choices. But persistent rumors swirling around
 appropriate garb and modesty at soccer’s biggest tournament have also 
drawn attention to the country’s record on equality.

Rothna Begum,
 a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, has studied Qatar’s male 
guardianship rules and women's rights in the conservative country.

“There
 isn’t anyone is going to go around arresting you for this because there
 isn’t an official dress code," Begum said. "There isn’t a compulsory 
dress code and you can't get sanctioned for it. It’s just a social 
restriction, a social tradition.”

The local organizing committee includes a section on cultural awareness in its fan guide.

“People
 can generally wear their clothing of choice. Shoulders and knees should
 be covered when visiting public places like museums and other 
government buildings,” it said.

The phrase “public places” is up to interpretation.

The American Outlaws, the U.S. national team's supporters' group, produced its own fan guide.

“Fans
 can wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, and women are not required to 
cover their heads or faces. However, there are many buildings that 
require both men and women to cover their shoulders and knees before 
entering, including museums, shopping centers, and some restaurants," 
the guide says. "We recommend that fans carry some pants and/or a top 
with sleeves if they plan on entering any buildings, as they may be 
asked to put them on.

“In the stadiums, men and women will be 
required to wear tops. People will not be permitted to go shirtless 
during matches or in public settings."

The first World Cup in the 
Middle East comes at a time when there is international attention on the
 treatment of women in Iran. The nation, which sits across the Persian 
Gulf from Qatar, has been rocked by anti-hijab protests following the 
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by morality 
police for allegedly violating the country’s compulsory dress code for 
women. Activists have called for Iran to be expelled from the World Cup.

With Islam encouraging female modesty, most Qatari women wear headscarves and a loose cloak known as the abaya.

Begum,
 who wrote about Qatar and its treatment of women in a 2021 report for 
Human Rights Watch, said that while women have made progress in Qatar, 
they still face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives. 
Women must get permission from male guardians to marry, pursue higher 
education and work at certain jobs. Guardians can bar women under 25 
from traveling abroad.

It's a conservative culture that has little tolerance for dissent among its own citizens, she said.

“There
 are no independent women’s rights organizations and that’s partly 
because the authorities have laws that make it difficult for you to set 
up associations that are in any way deemed political. You are not 
allowed," Begum said. “Women find it difficult to express or demand 
their rights offline or even online."

That's one of the reasons 
critics are questioning FIFA for awarding of the 2022 World Cup to 
Qatar. Observers certainly noticed when retired American soccer star 
Carli Lloyd wore a long, high-collared dress with long sleeves for the 
World Cup draw earlier this year.

A letter recently circulated 
among teams from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general 
Fatma Samoura asked nations not to bring political or ideological issues
 into the tournament.

“Please," they wrote, "let’s now focus on the football.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668725284147.jpeg" alt="Former American soccer international Carli Lloyd, right, and Jermaine Jenas, English television presenter, pundit and retired professional soccer player assist with the 2022 soccer World Cup draw at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)" />
 <figcaption>Former American soccer international Carli Lloyd, right, and Jermaine Jenas, English television presenter, pundit and retired professional soccer player assist with the 2022 soccer World Cup draw at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated PressOfficial-looking flyers have circulated on social media describing 
cultural expectations for fans attending the World Cup in Qatar. Some 
include rules for women’s attire: Shoulders and knees must be covered.Problem is, it’s bogus.While
 the local organizing committee suggests that fans “respect the 
culture,” no one is expected to be detained or barred from games in 
Qatar because of clothing choices. But persistent rumors swirling around
 appropriate garb and modesty at soccer’s biggest tournament have also 
drawn attention to the country’s record on equality.Rothna Begum,
 a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, has studied Qatar’s male 
guardianship rules and women's rights in the conservative country.“There
 isn’t anyone is going to go around arresting you for this because there
 isn’t an official dress code," Begum said. "There isn’t a compulsory 
dress code and you can't get sanctioned for it. It’s just a social 
restriction, a social tradition.”The local organizing committee includes a section on cultural awareness in its fan guide.“People
 can generally wear their clothing of choice. Shoulders and knees should
 be covered when visiting public places like museums and other 
government buildings,” it said.The phrase “public places” is up to interpretation.The American Outlaws, the U.S. national team's supporters' group, produced its own fan guide.“Fans
 can wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, and women are not required to 
cover their heads or faces. However, there are many buildings that 
require both men and women to cover their shoulders and knees before 
entering, including museums, shopping centers, and some restaurants," 
the guide says. "We recommend that fans carry some pants and/or a top 
with sleeves if they plan on entering any buildings, as they may be 
asked to put them on.“In the stadiums, men and women will be 
required to wear tops. People will not be permitted to go shirtless 
during matches or in public settings."The first World Cup in the 
Middle East comes at a time when there is international attention on the
 treatment of women in Iran. The nation, which sits across the Persian 
Gulf from Qatar, has been rocked by anti-hijab protests following the 
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by morality 
police for allegedly violating the country’s compulsory dress code for 
women. Activists have called for Iran to be expelled from the World Cup.With Islam encouraging female modesty, most Qatari women wear headscarves and a loose cloak known as the abaya.Begum,
 who wrote about Qatar and its treatment of women in a 2021 report for 
Human Rights Watch, said that while women have made progress in Qatar, 
they still face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives. 
Women must get permission from male guardians to marry, pursue higher 
education and work at certain jobs. Guardians can bar women under 25 
from traveling abroad.It's a conservative culture that has little tolerance for dissent among its own citizens, she said.“There
 are no independent women’s rights organizations and that’s partly 
because the authorities have laws that make it difficult for you to set 
up associations that are in any way deemed political. You are not 
allowed," Begum said. “Women find it difficult to express or demand 
their rights offline or even online."That's one of the reasons 
critics are questioning FIFA for awarding of the 2022 World Cup to 
Qatar. Observers certainly noticed when retired American soccer star 
Carli Lloyd wore a long, high-collared dress with long sleeves for the 
World Cup draw earlier this year.A letter recently circulated 
among teams from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general 
Fatma Samoura asked nations not to bring political or ideological issues
 into the tournament.“Please," they wrote, "let’s now focus on the football.”

World Cup draws attention to equal rights, including attire

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A wartime agreement that unblocked grain shipments from Ukraine and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-africa-business-global-trade-e5c0cf9f1ebb5c8ec43c9fd6a5db33bf">helped temper rising global food prices</a>
 will be extended by four months, the United Nations and other parties 
to the deal said Thursday, preventing a price shock to some of the 
world’s most vulnerable countries where many are struggling with hunger.

Ukrainian
 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the 120-day extension a “key 
decision in the global fight against the food crisis.” Struck during <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Russia’s war in Ukraine</a>,
 the initiative established a safe shipping corridor in the Black Sea 
and inspection procedures to address concerns that cargo vessels might 
carry weapons or launch attacks.

The deal that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-global-trade-a2c89d94a0f8473b40a1fcde5710bda8">Ukraine and Russia signed in separate agreements</a>
 with the U.N. and Turkey on July 22 was due to expire Saturday. Russia 
confirmed the extension but said it expected progress on removing 
obstacles to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-africa-global-trade-2ab926262e914e70d2abf6ca0c319f5f">export of Russian food and fertilizers</a>.

Ukraine and Russia are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-africa-lifestyle-middle-east-1b41faaa7ac0984d0673023b68d39a70">key global suppliers of wheat</a>, barley, <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/russia-ukraine-covid-business-health-africa-688a358195a4723fc862cfe3f9e60474">sunflower oil</a>
 and other food to countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of 
Asia where millions of impoverished people lack enough to eat. Russia 
was also the world's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-health-europe-c6a2d11380d3cb0c48d4c22703d1954e">top exporter of fertilizer</a>
 before the war. A loss of those supplies following Russia’s Feb. 24 
invasion of Ukraine had pushed up global food prices and fueled <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-politics-health-middle-east-58bb99da6bf9fc6af5a5a645022bc4d7">concerns of a hunger crisis in poorer countries</a>.

While the extension prevents a price shock in developing nations that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-africa-faf7f3f6539d39516515dcc4a39cb452">spend far more on food</a> and energy than richer countries, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-africa-lebanon-1eafa6d440e9f50aeb051ac6fe605a76">threats persist</a> from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-world-news-droughts-animals-africa-1c16ab8f57268ee2043861326a65d09d">droughts in places like Somalia</a> and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-middle-east-africa-business-global-trade-bee68344b1812dd48ca9c0735395b868">weakening of currencies around the world</a>, which makes buying imported grain more expensive.

“I
 was deeply moved to know that in Istanbul, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and 
the U.N. had come to an agreement for the rollover of the Black Sea 
Grain Initiative, allowing for the free exports of Ukrainian grains,” 
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

The Turkish Defense 
Ministry said the decision to extend the deal came after two days of 
talks in Istanbul between delegations from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and 
the U.N. that were held in a “positive and constructive” atmosphere.

Russia
 had voiced dissatisfaction with the deal facilitating exports of 
Russian grain and fertilizer, hinting that it might not approve an 
extension and even <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-africa-business-turkey-ca8d92c169fd64692ee90b844117e175">briefly suspending its part of the deal</a>
 late last month. It cited risks to its ships following what it alleged 
was a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Although
 Western sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine did not 
target food exports, many shipping and insurance companies were 
reluctant to deal with Moscow, either refusing to do so or greatly 
increasing the price.

Guterres said the U.N. was “fully committed” to removing hurdles to shipping food and fertilizer from Russia.

The
 United Nations has been working to overcome issues related to 
insurance, access to ports, financial transactions and shipping for 
Russian vessels, according to a U.N. official who was not authorize to 
speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said 
the insurance issue has mainly been resolved in recent days.

Russia
 has offered to donate 260,000 metric tons of fertilizer stored in 
European ports to farmers in the developing world who have been priced 
out of the fertilizer market because of shortages, and the official said
 the first ship is slated to leave the Netherlands on Monday for 
Mozambique, where the fertilizer will go by land to Malawi. Further 
shipments are expected from Belgium and Estonia, the official said.

The
 Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow had allowed the extension to take 
effect “without any changes in terms and scope.” It said Russia noted 
the “intensification” of U.N. efforts to hasten Russian exports.

“All these issues must be resolved within 120 days for which the ‘package deal’ is extended,” the ministry said.

During
 talks on the extension, the sides discussed possible additional 
measures to “deliver more grain to those in real need,” the ministry 
added, apparently to address Russian complaints that most of the grain 
has ended up in richer nations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip 
Erdogan suggested Thursday that wheat from Russia could be turned into 
flour in Turkey and shipped to African nations in need.

U.N. 
humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said last month that 23% of the 
exports from Ukraine under the grain deal have gone to lower- or 
lower-middle-income countries and 49% of all wheat shipments have gone 
to such nations.

Markets were pleasantly surprised by the 
extension, said Ian Mitchell, co-director of the Europe program at the 
Center for Global Development who specializes in agriculture and food 
security. Following the announcement, wheat futures prices dropped 2.6% 
in Chicago.

“Ukraine and Russia are such important grain exporters
 that the rest of the market can’t fully substitute for the complete 
absence of Ukrainian grain,” he said. “So that deal is going to matter 
to food prices significantly, even if the volumes are not what they were
 before the invasion.”

He said, however, that uncertainty is 
“unhelpful in this deal.” Toward the end of the four-month extension, 
markets will “price in the risk that it wasn’t extended, and prices will
 rise a little bit again.”

Arnaud Petit, executive director of the
 International Grains Council, said the Black Sea region produces some 
of the world's cheapest wheat and securing those supplies prevents a 
price shock to developing nations.

There have been good harvests 
in the region, contributing to an expected 10 million more tons of wheat
 worldwide compared with last year, he said. The extension means that 
Ukrainian farmers can plan to plant.

Petit called the extension a building block in “an unstable region where things can change on a daily basis.”

However,
 when it comes to food prices, trade movement isn’t as important as 
currencies around the world weakening against a strong U.S. dollar, 
which commodities like wheat and other grain are priced in, Petit said.

The
 council calculated that for Ghana, which mainly imports its wheat from 
Canada, the price of wheat in dollars from Canada has been largely 
stable for two years. But changing into local currency translated to a 
70% price hike.

Global food prices declined about 15% from their March peak after the grain initiative was adopted in July.

“With
 the delivery of more than 11 million tons of grains and foodstuffs to 
those in need via approximately 500 ships over the past four months, the
 significance and benefits of this agreement for the food supply and 
security of the world have become evident,” Turkey's Erdogan said.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A wartime agreement that unblocked grain shipments from Ukraine and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-africa-business-global-trade-e5c0cf9f1ebb5c8ec43c9fd6a5db33bf">helped temper rising global food prices</a>
 will be extended by four months, the United Nations and other parties 
to the deal said Thursday, preventing a price shock to some of the 
world’s most vulnerable countries where many are struggling with hunger.Ukrainian
 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the 120-day extension a “key 
decision in the global fight against the food crisis.” Struck during <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Russia’s war in Ukraine</a>,
 the initiative established a safe shipping corridor in the Black Sea 
and inspection procedures to address concerns that cargo vessels might 
carry weapons or launch attacks.The deal that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-global-trade-a2c89d94a0f8473b40a1fcde5710bda8">Ukraine and Russia signed in separate agreements</a>
 with the U.N. and Turkey on July 22 was due to expire Saturday. Russia 
confirmed the extension but said it expected progress on removing 
obstacles to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-africa-global-trade-2ab926262e914e70d2abf6ca0c319f5f">export of Russian food and fertilizers</a>.Ukraine and Russia are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-africa-lifestyle-middle-east-1b41faaa7ac0984d0673023b68d39a70">key global suppliers of wheat</a>, barley, <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/russia-ukraine-covid-business-health-africa-688a358195a4723fc862cfe3f9e60474">sunflower oil</a>
 and other food to countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of 
Asia where millions of impoverished people lack enough to eat. Russia 
was also the world's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-health-europe-c6a2d11380d3cb0c48d4c22703d1954e">top exporter of fertilizer</a>
 before the war. A loss of those supplies following Russia’s Feb. 24 
invasion of Ukraine had pushed up global food prices and fueled <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-politics-health-middle-east-58bb99da6bf9fc6af5a5a645022bc4d7">concerns of a hunger crisis in poorer countries</a>.While the extension prevents a price shock in developing nations that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-africa-faf7f3f6539d39516515dcc4a39cb452">spend far more on food</a> and energy than richer countries, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-africa-lebanon-1eafa6d440e9f50aeb051ac6fe605a76">threats persist</a> from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-world-news-droughts-animals-africa-1c16ab8f57268ee2043861326a65d09d">droughts in places like Somalia</a> and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-middle-east-africa-business-global-trade-bee68344b1812dd48ca9c0735395b868">weakening of currencies around the world</a>, which makes buying imported grain more expensive.“I
 was deeply moved to know that in Istanbul, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and 
the U.N. had come to an agreement for the rollover of the Black Sea 
Grain Initiative, allowing for the free exports of Ukrainian grains,” 
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.The Turkish Defense 
Ministry said the decision to extend the deal came after two days of 
talks in Istanbul between delegations from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and 
the U.N. that were held in a “positive and constructive” atmosphere.Russia
 had voiced dissatisfaction with the deal facilitating exports of 
Russian grain and fertilizer, hinting that it might not approve an 
extension and even <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-africa-business-turkey-ca8d92c169fd64692ee90b844117e175">briefly suspending its part of the deal</a>
 late last month. It cited risks to its ships following what it alleged 
was a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.Although
 Western sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine did not 
target food exports, many shipping and insurance companies were 
reluctant to deal with Moscow, either refusing to do so or greatly 
increasing the price.Guterres said the U.N. was “fully committed” to removing hurdles to shipping food and fertilizer from Russia.The
 United Nations has been working to overcome issues related to 
insurance, access to ports, financial transactions and shipping for 
Russian vessels, according to a U.N. official who was not authorize to 
speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said 
the insurance issue has mainly been resolved in recent days.Russia
 has offered to donate 260,000 metric tons of fertilizer stored in 
European ports to farmers in the developing world who have been priced 
out of the fertilizer market because of shortages, and the official said
 the first ship is slated to leave the Netherlands on Monday for 
Mozambique, where the fertilizer will go by land to Malawi. Further 
shipments are expected from Belgium and Estonia, the official said.The
 Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow had allowed the extension to take 
effect “without any changes in terms and scope.” It said Russia noted 
the “intensification” of U.N. efforts to hasten Russian exports.“All these issues must be resolved within 120 days for which the ‘package deal’ is extended,” the ministry said.During
 talks on the extension, the sides discussed possible additional 
measures to “deliver more grain to those in real need,” the ministry 
added, apparently to address Russian complaints that most of the grain 
has ended up in richer nations.Turkish President Recep Tayyip 
Erdogan suggested Thursday that wheat from Russia could be turned into 
flour in Turkey and shipped to African nations in need.U.N. 
humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said last month that 23% of the 
exports from Ukraine under the grain deal have gone to lower- or 
lower-middle-income countries and 49% of all wheat shipments have gone 
to such nations.Markets were pleasantly surprised by the 
extension, said Ian Mitchell, co-director of the Europe program at the 
Center for Global Development who specializes in agriculture and food 
security. Following the announcement, wheat futures prices dropped 2.6% 
in Chicago.“Ukraine and Russia are such important grain exporters
 that the rest of the market can’t fully substitute for the complete 
absence of Ukrainian grain,” he said. “So that deal is going to matter 
to food prices significantly, even if the volumes are not what they were
 before the invasion.”He said, however, that uncertainty is 
“unhelpful in this deal.” Toward the end of the four-month extension, 
markets will “price in the risk that it wasn’t extended, and prices will
 rise a little bit again.”Arnaud Petit, executive director of the
 International Grains Council, said the Black Sea region produces some 
of the world's cheapest wheat and securing those supplies prevents a 
price shock to developing nations.There have been good harvests 
in the region, contributing to an expected 10 million more tons of wheat
 worldwide compared with last year, he said. The extension means that 
Ukrainian farmers can plan to plant.Petit called the extension a building block in “an unstable region where things can change on a daily basis.”However,
 when it comes to food prices, trade movement isn’t as important as 
currencies around the world weakening against a strong U.S. dollar, 
which commodities like wheat and other grain are priced in, Petit said.The
 council calculated that for Ghana, which mainly imports its wheat from 
Canada, the price of wheat in dollars from Canada has been largely 
stable for two years. But changing into local currency translated to a 
70% price hike.Global food prices declined about 15% from their March peak after the grain initiative was adopted in July.“With
 the delivery of more than 11 million tons of grains and foodstuffs to 
those in need via approximately 500 ships over the past four months, the
 significance and benefits of this agreement for the food supply and 
security of the world have become evident,” Turkey's Erdogan said.

Russia-Ukraine grain deal extended in win for food prices

LOS
 ANGELES (AP) — Robert Clary, a French-born survivor of Nazi 
concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty prisoner of 
war in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 
96.

Clary died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area, niece Brenda Hancock said Thursday.

“He
 never let those horrors defeat him," Hancock said of Clary's wartime 
experience as a youth. “He never let them take the joy out of his life. 
He tried to spread that joy to others through his singing and his 
dancing and his painting.”

When he recounted his life to students,
 he told them, “Don't ever hate,” Hancock said. “He didn't let hate 
overcome the beauty in this world.”

“Hogan’s Heroes,” in which 
Allied soldiers in a POW camp bested their clownish German army captors 
with espionage schemes, played the war strictly for laughs during its 
1965-71 run. The 5-foot-1 Clary sported a beret and a sardonic smile as 
Cpl. Louis LeBeau.

Clary was the last surviving original star of 
the sitcom that included Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Larry Hovis and Ivan
 Dixon as the prisoners. Werner Klemperer and John Banner, who played 
their captors, both were European Jews who fled Nazi persecution before 
the war.

Clary began his career as a nightclub singer and appeared
 on stage in musicals including “Irma La Douce” and “Cabaret.” After 
“Hogan’s Heroes,” Clary's TV work included the soap operas “The Young 
and the Restless,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

He
 considered musical theater the highlight of his career. “I loved to go 
to the theater at quarter of 8, put the stage makeup on and entertain,” 
he said in a 2014 interview.

He remained publicly silent about his
 wartime experience until 1980 when, Clary said, he was provoked to 
speak out by those who denied or diminished the orchestrated effort by 
Nazi Germany to exterminate Jews.

A documentary about Clary’s 
childhood and years of horror at Nazi hands, “Robert Clary, A5714: A 
Memoir of Liberation,” was released in 1985. The forearms of 
concentration camp prisoners were tattooed with identification numbers, 
with A5714 to be Clary’s lifelong mark.

“They write books and 
articles in magazines denying the Holocaust, making a mockery of the 6 
million Jews — including a million and a half children — who died in the
 gas chambers and ovens,” he told The Associated Press in a 1985 
interview.

Twelve of his immediate family members, his parents and
 10 siblings, were killed under the Nazis, Clary wrote in a biography 
posted on his website.

In 1997, he was among dozens of Holocaust 
survivors whose portraits and stories were included in “The Triumphant 
Spirit,” a book by photographer Nick Del Calzo.

“I beg the next 
generation not to do what people have done for centuries — hate others 
because of their skin, shape of their eyes, or religious preference,” 
Clary said in an interview at the time.

Retired from acting, Clary
 remained busy with his family, friends and his painting. His memoir, 
“From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert 
Clary,” was published in 2001.

“One Of The Lucky Ones,” a 
biography of one of Clary's older sisters, Nicole Holland, was written 
by Hancock, her daughter. Holland, who worked with the French Resistance
 against Germany, survived the war, as did another sister. Hancock's 
second book, “Talent Luck Courage,” recounts Clary and Holland's lives 
and their impact.

Clary was born Robert Widerman in Paris in March
 1926, the youngest of 14 children in the Jewish family. He was 16 when 
he and most of his family were taken by the Nazis.

In the 
documentary, Clary recalled a happy childhood until he and his family 
was forced from their Paris apartment and put into a crowded cattle car 
that carried them to concentration camps.

“Nobody knew where we were going,” Clary said. “We were not human beings anymore.”

After
 31 months in captivity in several concentration camps, he was liberated
 from the Buchenwald death camp by American troops. His youth and 
ability to work kept him alive, Clary said.

Returning to Paris and
 reunited with his two sisters, Clary worked as a singer and recorded 
songs that became popular in America.

After coming to the United 
States in 1949, he moved from club dates and recording to Broadway 
musicals, including “New Faces of 1952,” and then to movies. He appeared
 in films including 1952’s “Thief of Damascus,” “A New Kind of Love” in 
1963 and “The Hindenburg” in 1975.

In recent years, Clary recorded
 jazz versions of songs by Ira Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim and other 
greats, said his nephew Brian Gari, a songwriter who worked on the CDs 
with Clary.

Clary was proud of the results, Gari said, and 
thrilled by a complimentary letter he received from Sondheim. “He hung 
that on the kitchen wall,” Gari said.

Clary didn’t feel uneasy about the comedy on “Hogan’s Heroes” despite the tragedy of his family’s devastating war experience.

“It
 was completely different. I know they (POWs) had a terrible life, but 
compared to concentration camps and gas chambers it was like a holiday.”

Clary married Natalie Cantor, the daughter of singer-actor Eddie Cantor, in 1965. She died in 1997.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/onZm-1GjYdw"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS
 ANGELES (AP) — Robert Clary, a French-born survivor of Nazi 
concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty prisoner of 
war in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 
96.Clary died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area, niece Brenda Hancock said Thursday.“He
 never let those horrors defeat him," Hancock said of Clary's wartime 
experience as a youth. “He never let them take the joy out of his life. 
He tried to spread that joy to others through his singing and his 
dancing and his painting.”When he recounted his life to students,
 he told them, “Don't ever hate,” Hancock said. “He didn't let hate 
overcome the beauty in this world.”“Hogan’s Heroes,” in which 
Allied soldiers in a POW camp bested their clownish German army captors 
with espionage schemes, played the war strictly for laughs during its 
1965-71 run. The 5-foot-1 Clary sported a beret and a sardonic smile as 
Cpl. Louis LeBeau.Clary was the last surviving original star of 
the sitcom that included Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Larry Hovis and Ivan
 Dixon as the prisoners. Werner Klemperer and John Banner, who played 
their captors, both were European Jews who fled Nazi persecution before 
the war.Clary began his career as a nightclub singer and appeared
 on stage in musicals including “Irma La Douce” and “Cabaret.” After 
“Hogan’s Heroes,” Clary's TV work included the soap operas “The Young 
and the Restless,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”He
 considered musical theater the highlight of his career. “I loved to go 
to the theater at quarter of 8, put the stage makeup on and entertain,” 
he said in a 2014 interview.He remained publicly silent about his
 wartime experience until 1980 when, Clary said, he was provoked to 
speak out by those who denied or diminished the orchestrated effort by 
Nazi Germany to exterminate Jews.A documentary about Clary’s 
childhood and years of horror at Nazi hands, “Robert Clary, A5714: A 
Memoir of Liberation,” was released in 1985. The forearms of 
concentration camp prisoners were tattooed with identification numbers, 
with A5714 to be Clary’s lifelong mark.“They write books and 
articles in magazines denying the Holocaust, making a mockery of the 6 
million Jews — including a million and a half children — who died in the
 gas chambers and ovens,” he told The Associated Press in a 1985 
interview.Twelve of his immediate family members, his parents and
 10 siblings, were killed under the Nazis, Clary wrote in a biography 
posted on his website.In 1997, he was among dozens of Holocaust 
survivors whose portraits and stories were included in “The Triumphant 
Spirit,” a book by photographer Nick Del Calzo.“I beg the next 
generation not to do what people have done for centuries — hate others 
because of their skin, shape of their eyes, or religious preference,” 
Clary said in an interview at the time.Retired from acting, Clary
 remained busy with his family, friends and his painting. His memoir, 
“From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert 
Clary,” was published in 2001.“One Of The Lucky Ones,” a 
biography of one of Clary's older sisters, Nicole Holland, was written 
by Hancock, her daughter. Holland, who worked with the French Resistance
 against Germany, survived the war, as did another sister. Hancock's 
second book, “Talent Luck Courage,” recounts Clary and Holland's lives 
and their impact.Clary was born Robert Widerman in Paris in March
 1926, the youngest of 14 children in the Jewish family. He was 16 when 
he and most of his family were taken by the Nazis.In the 
documentary, Clary recalled a happy childhood until he and his family 
was forced from their Paris apartment and put into a crowded cattle car 
that carried them to concentration camps.“Nobody knew where we were going,” Clary said. “We were not human beings anymore.”After
 31 months in captivity in several concentration camps, he was liberated
 from the Buchenwald death camp by American troops. His youth and 
ability to work kept him alive, Clary said.Returning to Paris and
 reunited with his two sisters, Clary worked as a singer and recorded 
songs that became popular in America.After coming to the United 
States in 1949, he moved from club dates and recording to Broadway 
musicals, including “New Faces of 1952,” and then to movies. He appeared
 in films including 1952’s “Thief of Damascus,” “A New Kind of Love” in 
1963 and “The Hindenburg” in 1975.In recent years, Clary recorded
 jazz versions of songs by Ira Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim and other 
greats, said his nephew Brian Gari, a songwriter who worked on the CDs 
with Clary.Clary was proud of the results, Gari said, and 
thrilled by a complimentary letter he received from Sondheim. “He hung 
that on the kitchen wall,” Gari said.Clary didn’t feel uneasy about the comedy on “Hogan’s Heroes” despite the tragedy of his family’s devastating war experience.“It
 was completely different. I know they (POWs) had a terrible life, but 
compared to concentration camps and gas chambers it was like a holiday.”Clary married Natalie Cantor, the daughter of singer-actor Eddie Cantor, in 1965. She died in 1997.

Last of the ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ stars dies at 96

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticketmaster says <a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433">it is canceling Friday's planned general public sale</a> for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour because it doesn't have enough tickets.

The decision came two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">left many fans without tickets</a>. The ticketing company <a href="https://business.ticketmaster.com/business-solutions/the-taylor-swift-on-sale-explained-2/">said in a statement Thursday</a>
 two million tickets to The Eras tour next year were sold during 
presales on Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a 
single day.

Ticketmaster cited "extraordinarily high demands on 
ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet 
that demand" as a reason for calling off Friday's sale.

Questions 
remain about how remaining tickets — and how many — would be sold. But 
Ticketmaster said about 1.5 million fans who had gone through an early 
verification process — called Verified Fan — were invited to purchase 
tickets and the remaining 2 million were placed on a waiting list.

A company representative said Ticketmaster is not involved in ticket resales for Swift's shows.

It's been a record year for Swift after releasing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-930a204fbbfccea45f6012f0da4feef6">her latest album “Midnights," which also broke a Billboard record.</a>

The
 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up
 with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will 
be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.

But fans and families around the country <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">battled it out with long queues and error messages</a> to try to race to the checkout cart.

Ticketmaster
 said that the site was overwhelmed both by real people and bot attacks 
resulting in unprecedented traffic on their site. The statement said 
about 15 percent of interactions with the site had problems, including 
errors that caused people to lose tickets after they had waited in an 
online queue.

"While it’s impossible for everyone to get tickets 
to these shows, we know we can do more to improve the experience and 
that’s what we’re focused on," the company statement said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticketmaster says <a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433">it is canceling Friday's planned general public sale</a> for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour because it doesn't have enough tickets.The decision came two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">left many fans without tickets</a>. The ticketing company <a href="https://business.ticketmaster.com/business-solutions/the-taylor-swift-on-sale-explained-2/">said in a statement Thursday</a>
 two million tickets to The Eras tour next year were sold during 
presales on Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a 
single day.Ticketmaster cited "extraordinarily high demands on 
ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet 
that demand" as a reason for calling off Friday's sale.Questions 
remain about how remaining tickets — and how many — would be sold. But 
Ticketmaster said about 1.5 million fans who had gone through an early 
verification process — called Verified Fan — were invited to purchase 
tickets and the remaining 2 million were placed on a waiting list.A company representative said Ticketmaster is not involved in ticket resales for Swift's shows.It's been a record year for Swift after releasing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-930a204fbbfccea45f6012f0da4feef6">her latest album “Midnights," which also broke a Billboard record.</a>The
 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up
 with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will 
be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.But fans and families around the country <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">battled it out with long queues and error messages</a> to try to race to the checkout cart.Ticketmaster
 said that the site was overwhelmed both by real people and bot attacks 
resulting in unprecedented traffic on their site. The statement said 
about 15 percent of interactions with the site had problems, including 
errors that caused people to lose tickets after they had waited in an 
online queue."While it’s impossible for everyone to get tickets 
to these shows, we know we can do more to improve the experience and 
that’s what we’re focused on," the company statement said.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Ticketmaster canceling next Taylor Swift concert ticket sale

By PATRICIA JUNQUERA <a href="https://theconversation.com/patients-suffering-with-hard-to-treat-depression-may-get-relief-from-noninvasive-magnetic-brain-stimulation-186737">The Conversation</a>

Not only is depression a debilitating disease, but it is also 
widespread. Approximately 20 million adult Americans experience at least
 <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression">one episode of depression per year</a>.

Millions of them <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm#:">take medication</a> to treat their depression. But for many, the <a href="https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/treatment-resistant-depression-what-is-treatment-resistant-depression">medications don’t work</a>: Either they have minimal or no effect, or the side effects are intolerable. These patients have what is called <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/treatment-resistant-depression/art-20044324">treatment-resistant depression</a>.

One promising treatment for such patients is a type of brain stimulation therapy <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/tms-therapy#What-is-TMS-therapy">called transcranial magnetic stimulation</a>.

This treatment is not new; it has been around since 1995. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2021.11.010">cleared transcranial magnetic stimulation in 2008</a>
 for adults with “non-psychotic treatment-resistant depression,” which 
is typically defined as a failure to respond to two or more 
antidepressant medications. More recently, in 2018, the FDA cleared it 
for <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-permits-marketing-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-treatment-obsessive-compulsive-disorder#">some patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/want-quit-smoking-fda-approved-and-fda-cleared-cessation-products-can-help#">smoking cessation</a>.

Insurance <a href="https://www.mytransformations.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-tms-therapy-and-insurance-coverage">generally covers these treatments</a>.
 Both the psychiatrist and the equipment operator must be certified. 
While the treatment has been available for years, the equipment to 
perform the procedure remains expensive enough that few private 
psychiatry practices can afford it. But with the growing recognition of 
the potential of transcranial magnetic stimulation, the price will 
likely eventually come down and access will be greatly expanded.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive, pain-free 
procedure that has minimal to no side effects, and it often works. 
Research shows that 58% of once treatment-resistant patients experience <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/da.21969">a significant reduction in depression</a>
 following four to six rounds of the therapy. More than 40 independent 
clinical trials – with more than 2,000 patients worldwide – have 
demonstrated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2019-100074">is an effective therapy</a> for the treatment of resistant major depression.

<a href="https://medicine.fiu.edu/about/faculty-and-staff/profiles/psychiatry-and-behavioral-health/junquera,-patricia.html">As a professor and psychiatrist</a>
 who has used transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat some of my 
patients, I have seen depression symptoms decrease even within the first
 two weeks of treatment. What’s more, the effects continue after the 
treatment has ended, typically for six months to a year. After that, the
 patient has the option of maintenance treatment.

For the patient, the procedure is easy and simple. One sits in a 
comfortable chair with a snug pillow that holds their head in place, 
puts on earplugs and can then relax, check their phone, watch TV or read
 a book.

A treatment coil, which looks like a figure 8, is placed on the 
patient’s head. A nearby stimulator sends an electrical current to the 
coil, which transforms the current into <a href="https://www.livescience.com/38059-magnetism.html">a magnetic field</a>.

The field, which is highly concentrated, turns on and off rapidly while targeting a portion <a href="https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/know-your-brain-prefrontal-cortex">of the prefrontal cortex</a> – the area of the brain responsible for mood regulation.

Researchers know that people suffering from depression have reduced 
blood flow and less activity in that part of the brain. Transcranial 
magnetic stimulation causes increases in both blood flow and in the 
levels of <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dopamine#">dopamine</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-014-1180-8">glutamate</a>
 – two neurotransmitters that are responsible for brain functions like 
concentration, memory and sleep. It’s the repeated stimulation of this 
area – the “depression circuit” of the brain – that brings the 
antidepressant effect.

It is not ‘electroshock’ or deep brain stimulation

Some people confuse transcranial magnetic stimulation with <a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ect#">electroconvulsive therapy</a>,
 a procedure used for patients with severe depression or catatonia. With
 electroshock therapy, the anesthetized patient receives a direct 
electrical current, which causes a seizure. Typically, people who 
undergo this procedure experience <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894#:">some memory loss after treatment</a>.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is very different. It doesn’t 
require anesthesia, and it doesn’t affect memory. The patient can resume
 daily activities right after each treatment. Dormant brain connections 
are reignited without causing a seizure.

It should also not be confused with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/deep-brain-stimulation/about/pac-20384562">deep brain stimulation</a>, which is a surgical procedure used <a href="https://theconversation.com/deep-brain-stimulation-can-be-life-altering-for-ocd-sufferers-when-other-treatment-options-fall-short-186109">to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder</a>, tremors, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation patients undergo a total of <a href="https://www.mindpath.com/resource/what-a-typical-tms-treatment-looks-like/">36 treatments, at 19 minutes each</a>,
 for three to six weeks. Research has concluded that this is the best 
protocol for treatment. Some patients report that it feels like someone 
is tapping on their head. Others don’t feel anything.

Some very minor side effects may occur. The most common is facial 
twitching and scalp discomfort during treatment, sensations that go away
 after the session ends. Some patients report a mild headache or 
discomfort at the application site. Depending on how effective the 
therapy was, some patients return for follow-ups every few weeks or 
months. It can be used in addition to medications, or with no medication
 at all. 

Not everyone with depression can undergo <a href="https://www.clinicaltmssociety.org/content/who-cannot-have-tms">this type of brain stimulation therapy</a>.
 Those with epilepsy or a history of head injury may not qualify. People
 with metallic fillings in their teeth are OK for treatment, but others 
with implanted, nonremovable metallic devices in or around the head are 
not. Those with pacemakers, defibrillators and vagus nerve stimulators 
may also not qualify, because the magnetic force of the treatment coil 
may dislodge these devices and cause severe pain or injury.

But for those who are able to use the therapy, the results can be 
remarkable. For me, it is amazing to see these patients smile again – 
and come out on the other side feeling hopeful.

Patricia Junquera is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Services at Florida International University.

By PATRICIA JUNQUERA <a href="https://theconversation.com/patients-suffering-with-hard-to-treat-depression-may-get-relief-from-noninvasive-magnetic-brain-stimulation-186737">The Conversation</a>Not only is depression a debilitating disease, but it is also 
widespread. Approximately 20 million adult Americans experience at least
 <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression">one episode of depression per year</a>. Millions of them <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm#:">take medication</a> to treat their depression. But for many, the <a href="https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/treatment-resistant-depression-what-is-treatment-resistant-depression">medications don’t work</a>: Either they have minimal or no effect, or the side effects are intolerable. These patients have what is called <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/treatment-resistant-depression/art-20044324">treatment-resistant depression</a>. One promising treatment for such patients is a type of brain stimulation therapy <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/tms-therapy#What-is-TMS-therapy">called transcranial magnetic stimulation</a>. This treatment is not new; it has been around since 1995. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2021.11.010">cleared transcranial magnetic stimulation in 2008</a>
 for adults with “non-psychotic treatment-resistant depression,” which 
is typically defined as a failure to respond to two or more 
antidepressant medications. More recently, in 2018, the FDA cleared it 
for <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-permits-marketing-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-treatment-obsessive-compulsive-disorder#">some patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/want-quit-smoking-fda-approved-and-fda-cleared-cessation-products-can-help#">smoking cessation</a>. Insurance <a href="https://www.mytransformations.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-tms-therapy-and-insurance-coverage">generally covers these treatments</a>.
 Both the psychiatrist and the equipment operator must be certified. 
While the treatment has been available for years, the equipment to 
perform the procedure remains expensive enough that few private 
psychiatry practices can afford it. But with the growing recognition of 
the potential of transcranial magnetic stimulation, the price will 
likely eventually come down and access will be greatly expanded.<h2>Does it work?</h2>Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive, pain-free 
procedure that has minimal to no side effects, and it often works. 
Research shows that 58% of once treatment-resistant patients experience <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/da.21969">a significant reduction in depression</a>
 following four to six rounds of the therapy. More than 40 independent 
clinical trials – with more than 2,000 patients worldwide – have 
demonstrated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2019-100074">is an effective therapy</a> for the treatment of resistant major depression. <a href="https://medicine.fiu.edu/about/faculty-and-staff/profiles/psychiatry-and-behavioral-health/junquera,-patricia.html">As a professor and psychiatrist</a>
 who has used transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat some of my 
patients, I have seen depression symptoms decrease even within the first
 two weeks of treatment. What’s more, the effects continue after the 
treatment has ended, typically for six months to a year. After that, the
 patient has the option of maintenance treatment. <figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pfy0t5Yapco"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Transcranial magnetic stimulation helps increase blood flow and dopamine levels in the brain.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>About the procedure</h2>For the patient, the procedure is easy and simple. One sits in a 
comfortable chair with a snug pillow that holds their head in place, 
puts on earplugs and can then relax, check their phone, watch TV or read
 a book.A treatment coil, which looks like a figure 8, is placed on the 
patient’s head. A nearby stimulator sends an electrical current to the 
coil, which transforms the current into <a href="https://www.livescience.com/38059-magnetism.html">a magnetic field</a>. The field, which is highly concentrated, turns on and off rapidly while targeting a portion <a href="https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/know-your-brain-prefrontal-cortex">of the prefrontal cortex</a> – the area of the brain responsible for mood regulation. Researchers know that people suffering from depression have reduced 
blood flow and less activity in that part of the brain. Transcranial 
magnetic stimulation causes increases in both blood flow and in the 
levels of <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dopamine#">dopamine</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-014-1180-8">glutamate</a>
 – two neurotransmitters that are responsible for brain functions like 
concentration, memory and sleep. It’s the repeated stimulation of this 
area – the “depression circuit” of the brain – that brings the 
antidepressant effect. <h2>It is not ‘electroshock’ or deep brain stimulation</h2>Some people confuse transcranial magnetic stimulation with <a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ect#">electroconvulsive therapy</a>,
 a procedure used for patients with severe depression or catatonia. With
 electroshock therapy, the anesthetized patient receives a direct 
electrical current, which causes a seizure. Typically, people who 
undergo this procedure experience <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894#:">some memory loss after treatment</a>. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is very different. It doesn’t 
require anesthesia, and it doesn’t affect memory. The patient can resume
 daily activities right after each treatment. Dormant brain connections 
are reignited without causing a seizure.It should also not be confused with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/deep-brain-stimulation/about/pac-20384562">deep brain stimulation</a>, which is a surgical procedure used <a href="https://theconversation.com/deep-brain-stimulation-can-be-life-altering-for-ocd-sufferers-when-other-treatment-options-fall-short-186109">to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder</a>, tremors, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. <figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a_8bOCNjJpY"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Transcranial magnetic stimulation stimulates the ‘depression circuit’ in the brain.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Side effects and access</h2>Transcranial magnetic stimulation patients undergo a total of <a href="https://www.mindpath.com/resource/what-a-typical-tms-treatment-looks-like/">36 treatments, at 19 minutes each</a>,
 for three to six weeks. Research has concluded that this is the best 
protocol for treatment. Some patients report that it feels like someone 
is tapping on their head. Others don’t feel anything. Some very minor side effects may occur. The most common is facial 
twitching and scalp discomfort during treatment, sensations that go away
 after the session ends. Some patients report a mild headache or 
discomfort at the application site. Depending on how effective the 
therapy was, some patients return for follow-ups every few weeks or 
months. It can be used in addition to medications, or with no medication
 at all. Not everyone with depression can undergo <a href="https://www.clinicaltmssociety.org/content/who-cannot-have-tms">this type of brain stimulation therapy</a>.
 Those with epilepsy or a history of head injury may not qualify. People
 with metallic fillings in their teeth are OK for treatment, but others 
with implanted, nonremovable metallic devices in or around the head are 
not. Those with pacemakers, defibrillators and vagus nerve stimulators 
may also not qualify, because the magnetic force of the treatment coil 
may dislodge these devices and cause severe pain or injury. But for those who are able to use the therapy, the results can be 
remarkable. For me, it is amazing to see these patients smile again – 
and come out on the other side feeling hopeful.Patricia Junquera is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Services at Florida International University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186737/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Patients suffering with hard-to-treat depression may get relief from noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation

By AMAKA CHUKWUMA <a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/small-business-tax-deductions/">Wealth of Geeks</a>

This
 year alone, 71% of small-business owners reported an increase in 
expenses for supplies and services of at least 20%. According to a 
Business.org proprietary survey conducted via Pollfish, 92% of 
small-business owners reported that the cost of supplies and services 
required to operate their businesses has increased since the pandemic's 
start.

Entrepreneurs have experienced the most intense pangs of 
rising inflation in thirty years, as evidenced by the surging cost of 
doing business. One option to boost your bottom line is to reduce your 
tax burden by utilizing the tax deductions that the IRS has made 
available to businesses.

There are ordinary and necessary business
 expenditures that you can deduct from your taxes which drops your 
taxable income. To illustrate, let's say a company earns $200 in sales 
and pays $60 in wages to make that sale happen. The company's taxable 
income is $200 minus $60, or $140. Therefore, the company pays tax on 
the income or profit of $140 rather than $200. Here are 11 
tax-deductible avenues for your small business.

You
 can only deduct part of the cost of your cell phone if you use it for 
personal reasons. But if you buy a separate cell phone and plan for 
business use only, you can deduct the full cost from your taxes. If you 
use your phone for work more than 90% of the time, you can write off all
 of its costs.

The law 
permits tax deductions for related costs to encourage businesses to 
invest in customer acquisition and retention. These costs should be 
standard practice for businesses in your field. Small businesses can't 
deduct amounts they pay for lobbying, which includes ads placed in a 
convention program of a political party.

All
 expenses incurred while on a legitimate business trip are fully 
deductible. The trip must take you away from your regular place of 
business, last significantly longer than a typical workday, and 
necessitate sleeping or resting to fulfill your job requirements. 
Furthermore, your international business travel costs may be tax 
deductible if you devote less than 25 percent of your time to leisure 
activities.

The following are examples of business travel deductions:

One
 of the most common tax breaks that small businesses can maximize is the
 home office expense. So much so that the IRS recognized the need for a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/simplified-option-for-home-office-deduction">less complicated</a> method to calculate the 2023 home office deduction (Revenue Procedure 2013).

Currently,
 you can use either the simplified or standard deduction methods. Using 
the standard option, you must calculate the percentage of your home used
 for business before applying it to your mortgage interest, utility 
costs, and insurance premiums.

Alternatively, with the simplified 
method, you can deduct up to 300 square feet of home office space or 
$1,500. You can claim the deduction as a homeowner or renter and for any
 home where you live, including a detached garage. This doesn't apply to
 a hotel or temporary lodging.

You can
 deduct your policy premiums if those policies benefit the business and 
serve a business purpose. For instance, a self-employed business owner 
may deduct the total cost of their premium based on the <a href="https://longtermcareinsurancepartner.com/long-term-care-insurance/long-term-care-insurance-tax-deductions">following 2022 age-based</a> eligible premium amounts.

By AMAKA CHUKWUMA <a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/small-business-tax-deductions/">Wealth of Geeks</a>This
 year alone, 71% of small-business owners reported an increase in 
expenses for supplies and services of at least 20%. According to a 
Business.org proprietary survey conducted via Pollfish, 92% of 
small-business owners reported that the cost of supplies and services 
required to operate their businesses has increased since the pandemic's 
start.Entrepreneurs have experienced the most intense pangs of 
rising inflation in thirty years, as evidenced by the surging cost of 
doing business. One option to boost your bottom line is to reduce your 
tax burden by utilizing the tax deductions that the IRS has made 
available to businesses.There are ordinary and necessary business
 expenditures that you can deduct from your taxes which drops your 
taxable income. To illustrate, let's say a company earns $200 in sales 
and pays $60 in wages to make that sale happen. The company's taxable 
income is $200 minus $60, or $140. Therefore, the company pays tax on 
the income or profit of $140 rather than $200. Here are 11 
tax-deductible avenues for your small business.1. Phone and Internet ExpensesYou
 can only deduct part of the cost of your cell phone if you use it for 
personal reasons. But if you buy a separate cell phone and plan for 
business use only, you can deduct the full cost from your taxes. If you 
use your phone for work more than 90% of the time, you can write off all
 of its costs.2. Advertising ExpensesThe law 
permits tax deductions for related costs to encourage businesses to 
invest in customer acquisition and retention. These costs should be 
standard practice for businesses in your field. Small businesses can't 
deduct amounts they pay for lobbying, which includes ads placed in a 
convention program of a political party.3. Travel ExpensesAll
 expenses incurred while on a legitimate business trip are fully 
deductible. The trip must take you away from your regular place of 
business, last significantly longer than a typical workday, and 
necessitate sleeping or resting to fulfill your job requirements. 
Furthermore, your international business travel costs may be tax 
deductible if you devote less than 25 percent of your time to leisure 
activities.The following are examples of business travel deductions:<ul>
 <li>Baggage fees</li><li>Laundry and dry cleaning during your trip</li><li>Rental car costs</li><li>Hotel and <a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/Airbnb">Airbnb</a> costs</li><li>Plane, train, car rental, and bus tickets between your home and your business destination</li><li>50% of eligible business meals</li><li>50% of meals while traveling to and from your destination</li>
 </ul>4. Home Office ExpensesOne
 of the most common tax breaks that small businesses can maximize is the
 home office expense. So much so that the IRS recognized the need for a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/simplified-option-for-home-office-deduction">less complicated</a> method to calculate the 2023 home office deduction (Revenue Procedure 2013).Currently,
 you can use either the simplified or standard deduction methods. Using 
the standard option, you must calculate the percentage of your home used
 for business before applying it to your mortgage interest, utility 
costs, and insurance premiums.Alternatively, with the simplified 
method, you can deduct up to 300 square feet of home office space or 
$1,500. You can claim the deduction as a homeowner or renter and for any
 home where you live, including a detached garage. This doesn't apply to
 a hotel or temporary lodging.5. InsuranceYou can
 deduct your policy premiums if those policies benefit the business and 
serve a business purpose. For instance, a self-employed business owner 
may deduct the total cost of their premium based on the <a href="https://longtermcareinsurancepartner.com/long-term-care-insurance/long-term-care-insurance-tax-deductions">following 2022 age-based</a> eligible premium amounts.<ul>
 <li>Age 40 and below $450</li><li>Age 41-50 $850</li><li>Age 51-60 $1690</li><li>Age 61-70 $4510</li><li>Age 71 and over $5640</li>
 </ul>Likewise,
 deductibles apply to commercial auto policies covering liability and 
property damage caused by accidents involving company-owned vehicles. 
You cannot combine this deduction with the mileage one; therefore, you 
must choose between the two. Also, you can't write off the cost of some 
insurance premiums, like disability and loan protection insurance.6. Vehicle-Related ExpensesAll the costs of owning and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc510">maintaining a car</a>
 used only for business are tax-deductible. You can only deduct the 
portion of the car's price directly related to its business use if it is
 used for both business and pleasure. Miles driven for work can be 
written off using either the actual expense method or the standard 
mileage rate.The quantity of business miles you travel is multiplied by the amount per mile the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-increases-mileage-rate-for-remainder-of-2022">IRS allotted</a>
 to get your standard mileage rate. You could also keep tabs on all the 
expenses related to your car, including gas, insurance, registration, 
depreciation, and repairs. This allows you to use the actual expense 
method, where you multiply the percentage of business use by the actual 
cost of your car to get your deduction.Therefore, if you spent 
$1,000 on your vehicle and used 20% of it for work, you would multiply 
$1000 by 20% to get a deductible expense of only $200.7. Education ExpensesExpenses
 related to furthering your education may be tax deductible if doing so 
is mandated by the government or if doing so is necessary to maintain or
 enhance your business skills related to your niche or industry. Even if
 it meets one or both of those tests, you cannot deduct the cost of 
education that qualifies you for a new trade or business or helps you 
meet the minimum requirements for your business.8. Self-Employment TaxesYou
 must pay both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and
 Medicare taxes if you are self-employed, for a total tax rate of 15.3% 
of net earnings.Even so, one can deduct the amount of your <a href="https://www.playlouder.com/independent-contractor-taxes/">self-employment tax</a>
 that matches what an employer would pay from your adjusted gross 
income. You can write off half of the self-employment tax employer 
portion because the IRS views it as a business expense.9. Rent and Depreciation on Equipment and MachineryRent
 for office machines and equipment is tax deductible. You can claim 
machinery and tools for depreciation as well. These costs, however, are 
amortized over time and thus become a deduction.You can take 
advantage of the Section 179 deduction, which allows businesses to 
deduct up to $1,020,000 in costs for assets placed in service during the
 tax year. All <a href="https://www.playlouder.com/quickbooks-vs-freshbooks-vs-xero-vs-quicken/">software</a> you buy or download for your business is tax deductible. You can deduct these costs on Schedule C of your tax return.10. InterestIf
 you borrow money from a bank or other lending institution for your 
small company, the money you receive will be subject to interest 
payments. The interest you pay on a loan used for business purposes is 
usually wholly tax deductible.For a business owner to qualify for
 this deduction, there must be a "debtor/creditor" relationship between 
the owner and the lender. This rules out borrowing money from close 
personal connections instead of going to a bank.11. Charitable ContributionsCompany-sponsored
 donations to nonprofits qualify for a tax deduction in their entirety. 
However, expenses like this shouldn't be more than half of their yearly 
adjusted gross income (AGI). Limits of 20%, 30%, or 50% may be imposed 
in certain circumstances.Depending on the nature of your company,
 you'll need to use a specific form to account for your deduction. In 
most cases, Schedule A is where you should put your business deductions 
on your tax return.Optimize Your Business's Tax DeductionsBusinesses
 should keep careful records of all their expenses and organize their 
receipts to maximize the benefit of tax deductions. By taking advantage 
of all the available deductions, businesses can lower their tax bill and
 keep more of their hard-earned profits.More Articles From the Wealth of Geeks Network:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.playlouder.com/how-to-do-taxes-on-your-own/">How to Do Taxes on Your Own: Your Complete Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.playlouder.com/best-year-end-tax-moves-to-reduce-your-taxes/">Make These Year-End Tax Moves To Reduce Your Taxes</a></li>
 </ul>This article was produced by <a href="https://www.playlouder.com/15-tax-deductions-for-your-small-business/">Play Louder !</a> and syndicated by <a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/small-business-tax-deductions/">Wealth of Geeks</a>.

Misc