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IRS says up to 350,000 didn't get child credit
By JIM ABRAMS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Internal Revenue Service says up to 350,000 households didn't get their $300 per child refund that should have been part of their economic stimulus rebate checks.
The tax agency says human error and computer glitches were responsible for the problem affecting a tiny percentage of the 130 million taxpayers expected to benefit from the paybacks.
The agency plans to mail out checks in July to those who missed out on the child refund.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 4:22pm EST May 15, 2008
Gas prices up again
UNDATED (AP) -- Just like clockwork: another day, another hike in the price of gas.
Triple-A puts the national average cost of a gallon of regular at nearly $3.79. That's up a penny from yesterday, 39 cents higher than a month ago and 68 cents more than this time last year.
The average price of premium is now nearly $4.17.
With each record-setting day, motorists are trying to figure out how to save.
The auto club says some are rethinking their Memorial Day travel plans. A survey estimates there'll be about one-percent fewer cars on the road. That's still more than 31 and a-half million.
Brian LaFave of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is so fed up, he says he's going to park his pickup and not buy any gas at all for at least a month. LaFave says he's not going to go anywhere he can't get to by bike or on foot. And he's not even going to accept rides with his friends, unless they happen to be in the neighborhood.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 5:53am EST May 16, 2008
Study finds another big Internet company interfering with some traffic
NEW YORK (AP) -- It looks like Comcast may not be alone.
The company's interference with Internet traffic has prompted a federal investigation and calls for "Net Neutrality" laws covering Internet service providers.
But another U.S. cable company may be doing the same thing, without drawing much attention. A study released today finds conclusive signs that file-sharing attempts by subscribers of Cox Communications were blocked, along with those by customers at Comcast and a company in Singapore.
The study by a German institute finds that of the 788 Comcast subscribers who took part, 62 percent had their connections blocked. At Cox, the study finds, 54 percent of more than 8,000 subscribers that were examined were blocked.
Consumer groups and legal scholars say letting a service provider selectively block some connections makes it a gatekeeper to the Internet.
Comcast has said hampering file-sharing programs helps ensure that other traffic isn't impeded by big users.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 5:32pm EST May 15, 2008
Motor scooters popular in efforts to save on gas
PIERRE, S.D.(AP) -- As gas climbs closer to $4 a gallon, more motorists are trying to save money by getting around on motor scooters and smaller motorcycles.
Dealers across the nation say sales are way up this spring, particularly for motor bikes and scooters that can get from 75 to 120 miles per gallon.
Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council, says sales of name-brand scooters such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki rose 24 percent in the first quarter of the year. That's despite the colder weather most of the country sees at the start of the year.
Prices can range anywhere from about $800 for low-end models, to as much as $8,000 for top-of-the-line scooters.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 1:56pm EST May 14, 2008
Gas prices hit another record
NEW YORK (AP) -- It's going to cost you even more for a fill-up today.
Triple-A this morning puts the price of gas at a national average of just over $3.77 for a gallon of regular. Premium is a whopping $4.15.
That about 68 cents a gallon higher than this time last year. And the price is expected to climb at least until the Memorial Day weekend.
The Energy Department forecast recently that prices would top out next month at an average of $3.73 a gallon. Many analysts now expert the national average to hit $4 a gallon in the coming weeks.
Meantime, the price of crude oil today has steadied above $124 a barrel. Crude prices slipped from record highs following a mixed report from the government yesterday on U.S. petroleum reserves.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 6:24am EST May 15, 2008
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