The IRS says it is about to ramp up audits as it cracks down on tax cheats and seeks to deliver more revenue into the U.S. Treasury’s coffers. But not every group of taxpayers will face more scrutiny, according to IRS commissioner Danny Werfel. The IRS has been bolstered by $80 billion in new funding directed by the Inflation Reduction …

The recent surge in home prices has left the average American homeowner with about $300,000 worth of home equity. And, that amount grew by an average of $24,000 in 2023, $14,300 in 2022, $64,000 in 2021 and $26,300 in 2020. While the home equity increases mean larger gains when you sell your home, they also grant you access to larger …

You never know when emergency expenses might pop up. And, when they do, you’ll want a financial safety net to fall back on. But emergencies aren’t the only reason you should save money. Have you thought about buying a home? What about taking a dream vacation or even getting married? Large expenses like these typically require months, if not years, …

London —Protests in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip have swept across college campuses in the United States in recent weeks, but they’ve also spread rapidly around the world. Demonstrations have cropped up on campuses at major universities across the Arab and Western world as the war grinds on. Below is a look …

The candidate who finished first in the Republican nomination primary race for a North Carolina congressional seat says she’s suspending her campaign, citing her rival’s endorsement by former President Donald Trump in the runoff election. Though Johnston County attorney Kelly Daughtry had the most votes among 14 candidates in the March 5 GOP primary for North Carolina 13th Congressional District, …

Prosecutors in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York urged the judge on Thursday to penalize the defendant for more alleged violations of a gag order limiting what he can say about those involved in the case. At a contentious hearing with Trump looking on, lawyers from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office told Judge Juan Merchan that …

Washington — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik is calling on the Justice Department to open an investigation into special counsel Jack Smith, alleging he violated department standards and ethical duties related to his prosecution of former President Donald Trump. Stefanik’s accusations stem from the criminal case against Trump in Washington, D.C., in which the special counsel has alleged the former president …

Oregon is shipping air conditioners, air purifiers and power banks to some of its most vulnerable residents, a first-in-the-nation experiment to use Medicaid money to prevent the potentially deadly health effects of extreme heat, wildfire smoke and other climate-related disasters. The equipment, which started going out in March, expands a Biden administration strategy to move Medicaid beyond traditional medical care …

Dutch medical device maker Philips said Monday it had reached a $1.1 billion deal in the United States to settle lawsuits over faulty sleep machines in a case that have dogged the company. The company’s stock soared on news of the settlement, which was less onerous than feared by some shareholders. Since 2021, Philips has been battling a series of …

By Washington Post book critic Ron Charles Here are four new books to check out this spring. In 2016, the world fell in love with an immensely charming novel by Amor Towles, called “A Gentleman in Moscow.” And now, with the adaptation starring Ewan McGregor streaming on Showtime, anticipation is running high for Towles’ next book. Step this way: “Table …