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The Metro: Should cellphones be restricted in Michigan schools?

3 March 2025 at 18:21

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Educators have been sounding the alarm that cellphones disrupt learning. More than half of public school leaders feel their students’ academic performance has been negatively impacted by cellphone usage, according to the National Center for Education Statistics

Many public schools already prohibit students from having their cellphones in class, but recently state lawmakers nationwide have taken things a step further — and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is joining them.

Whitmer recently said in her State of the State address that she wants Michigan lawmakers to enact restrictions on school cell usage.

Looking at schools is only one part of the conversation. Nowadays, younger children get their hands on devices well before they enter a classroom. Forty percent of children have a tablet by the age of 2  and exposure to screen time can impact a young child’s ability to develop their behavior and communication skills.

Today on The Metro, we discuss what the impacts of technology on developing children are, both good and bad.

Guests:

  • Jenny Radesky: Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School.
  • Jennifer Ehehalt: Senior regional manager, midwest for Common Sense Education, a nonprofit that provides research and recommendations about media and technology to families and schools.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on March 3, 2025:

  • It’s been two weeks since a 54-inch water main broke and flooded Beard and Rowan street in Southwest Detroit, impacting over 400 households and displacing many residents. Great Lakes Water Authority CEO Suzanne Coffey joined the show to provide an update on the fix and how the agency is continuing to repair outdated infrastructure in the city.

  • Lacrosse, initially a tradition of many indigenous people including the Anishinaabe, is making a comeback here in Detroit. Cass Technical High School lacrosse coach Liam McElroy joined The Metro to talk about how the long-established game is an enriching activity for young people in the city, thanks in part to the Detroit Youth Lacrosse League founded by Chandler Park Conservancy.

–WDET’s Natalie Albrecht contributed to this report.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today. Donate today »

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Lawmakers could adopt restrictions this year on phones in schools

4 March 2025 at 17:11

A Republican state lawmaker says he hopes Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s support will help get a proposal enacted into law to help reduce the distraction of students staring into electronic screens during class time.  

“She has some influence in Lansing,” deadpanned Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills) in an interview on the Michigan Public Television show “Off The Record.” “So, I like that very much.”

Tisdel’s legislation would set specific rules for elementary, middle and high school classrooms. The rules would also apply to charter academies, which are publicly funded. He said some Michigan schools already have policies on student electronics in place.

“In the schools that have put this in, one of the things you hear from teachers is how tremendous it is to be standing at the front of the classroom and see 25 or 30 sets of eyeballs staring back at you instead of this stuff under the desk,” he said.

The legislation would set different restriction levels in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. Tisdel said the restrictions would not prevent teachers from using electronic devices as part of classroom instruction.

He said many students are opposed to the idea and so are some parents who are worried about contacting their children if there is a crisis at their school.

“But the question is, how does your child communicating with you – who might be miles away from the emergency site – how does that improve or enhance your child’s safety?” Tisdel said. “You want your child focused on the trained adult that’s at the head of the classroom.”

It is a debate happening in other state capitols. And Whitmer endorsed the legislation last week in her State of the State address.  

“It’s hard to teach geometry or geography when you’re competing against memes or DMs,” she said. “Other states, red and blue, have taken action. So has most of Europe and Canada. I understand the need to be connected to your child but we can do better.”

A nationwide survey of teachers and classroom workers released last year by the National Education Association found 90% of its union members support restrictions on cell phones and other electronic devices in schools. Michigan Education Association President and CEO Chandra Madafferi endorsed the idea last year.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today. Donate today »

The post Lawmakers could adopt restrictions this year on phones in schools appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Giant chipmaker TSMC to spend $100B to expand chip manufacturing in US, Trump announces

3 March 2025 at 21:49

By DIDI TANG and MICHELLE L. PRICE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest $100 billion in the United States, President Donald Trump said Monday, on top of $65 billion in investments the company had previously announced.

TSMC, the world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturer, produces chips for companies including Apple, Intel and Nvidia. The company had already begun constructing three plants in Arizona after the Biden administration offered billions in subsidies. Its first factory in Arizona has started mass production of its 4-nanometer chips.

Trump, who appeared with TSMC’s chief executive officer C. C. Wei at the White House, called it a “tremendous move” and “a matter of economic security.”

“Semiconductors are the backbone of the 21st century economy. And really, without the semiconductors, there is no economy,” the president said. “Powering everything from AI to automobiles to advanced manufacturing, we must be able to build the chips and semiconductors that we need right here in American factories with Americans skill and American labor.”

Wei said the investment will be for three more chip manufacturing plants, along with two packaging facilities, in Arizona.

The $165 billion investment “is going to create thousands of high-paying jobs,” Wei said.

Former President Joe Biden in 2022 signed a sweeping $280 billion law, the CHIPS and Science Act, to try to reinvigorate chip manufacturing in the U.S., especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, chip factories, especially those overseas making the majority of processors, shut down. It had a ripple effect that led to wider problems, such as automobile factory assembly lines shutting down and fueled inflation.

Trump has criticized the law and taken a different approach, instead threatening to impose high tariffs on imported chips to bring chip manufacturing back to the U.S.

Trump also has said companies like TSMC do not need federal tax incentives.

When asked if the new investment could minimize impact on the U.S. should China either isolate or seize Taiwan, Trump said he couldn’t say “minimize” because “that would be a catastrophic event obviously.”

Taiwan is an island that broke away from mainland China in 1949 following a civil war. Beijing claims sovereignty over the island and has ratcheted up military and diplomatic pressure on its leaders.

“It will at least give us a position where we have, in this very, very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the United States,” Trump said of the chip manufacturing.

He did not say if the investment would provide security for the self-governed island that Beijing considers to be part of Chinese territory.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, the island’s de-facto embassy in the United States, said investments by Taiwanese businesses in the U.S. have exceeded 40% of the island’s total foreign investments and that the Taiwanese government is “glad” to see Taiwanese businesses to expand investments in the U.S. and to deep cooperation on supply chain between the two sides.

“It also brings the economic and trade relations closer,” the office said.

Trump has hosted multiple business leaders at the White House since he took office in January to tout a series of investments that aim to demonstrate his leadership is a boon for the U.S. economy. He’s also pointed to the tariff threats as prodding the investments.

“It’s the incentive we’ve created. Or the negative incentive,” Trump said.

In January, he appeared with the heads of OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank at the White House as they announced plans for a new partnership to invest up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence. He also announced in January a $20 billion investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates to build data centers tied to AI.

Last week, after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Trump at the White House, the company announced plans to invest more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, including plans for a new server factory in Texas. Trump said after their meeting that Cook promised him Apple’s manufacturing would shift from Mexico to the U.S.

“I don’t have time to do all of these announcements,” Trump joked Monday as he listed some of the other investments.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the planned announcement Monday.

Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report. Price reported from New York.

President Donald Trump walks before talking with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Consumers Energy is looking into geothermal heating for homes

3 March 2025 at 18:39

Consumers Energy is exploring the potential use of geothermal energy to heat and cool homes in some Michigan neighborhoods. The utility is conducting a study, funded by a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission, to determine cost-effective locations where geothermal systems could have the greatest impact.

“Our focus is one on places where we know that customers really need help with paying their bills, and so we want to reduce their costs as much as possible. Which network geothermal is incredibly efficient,” said spokesperson Tracy Wimmer.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems rely on the Earth’s constant underground temperature of about 55 degrees. These systems use a network of pipes and pumps to circulate water, drawing heat into buildings during winter and dispersing it in summer.

The study will also identify which cities have poor air quality and would benefit most from reduced emissions.

“For example, you have a business that actually needs to keep it pretty cool year-round; they can be pushing that heat out, but then other homes nearby, for example, on the system, can be using that heat. So not only is it efficient for the individual homes, but it’s efficient for whole communities,” Wimmer added.

Consumers Energy expects to complete the study by the end of the year.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

The post Consumers Energy is looking into geothermal heating for homes appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

1099-K tax rules: What you need to know if you get paid via Venmo, Cash App or PayPal

26 February 2025 at 20:51

By Kemberley Washington, CPA, Bankrate.com

If you sell goods or services or rent property, and get paid through Venmo, PayPal, Cash App or another payment app, you may have been surprised by a Form 1099-K this year.

Here’s why you might be among the millions of taxpayers who got this form for the first time: If you received a total of $5,000 or more through a payment app in 2024, that company is now required to report that amount to you — and to the IRS.

The standard before 2024 was that a 1099-K had to be issued only if you received $20,000 or more and had more than 200 transactions. Now the threshold dollar amount is much lower, and there’s no minimum transaction requirement.

And that threshold amount is slated to drop even more, with even more people likely to receive 1099-Ks next year: The $5,000 reporting threshold for tax year 2024 drops to $2,500 for 2025 and then plummets to $600 for 2026 and beyond.

While the new reporting rules might be a shock to some freelancers or people with side hustles, technically the tax rules didn’t change: You were always supposed to report that income to the IRS.

What is the 1099-K?

The 1099-K form reports payments for goods and services received from credit cards, mobile payment apps, online marketplaces, auction sites, ride-hailing apps, crowdfunding sites and more. Form 1099-K must be sent to taxpayers by Jan. 31 of the following year. That is, you should have received your 1099-K for 2024 by the end of January 2025. (See the 2025 tax deadlines.)

If you sell goods or services, or rent out property, the money you earn is generally taxable income (which, don’t forget, you can reduce by your costs, including qualified business deductions). Even selling your own clothes or furniture could count as taxable income, the IRS says, if you earned a profit.

If, however, you’re using Venmo or another payment app to pay your friend back for dinner, or to send a birthday present to your sister, this money shouldn’t be reported on a 1099-K. If you do receive a 1099-K, you’ll want to check to make sure that only taxable income is included on the form. (See below for how to deal with incorrect 1099-Ks.)

The income threshold for Form 1099-K was lowered to $600 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. Prior to ARPA’s passage, only total payments of $20,000 or more, and more than 200 transactions, required a Form 1099-K.

During the debate over ARPA, tax pros and others expressed opposition to the lowered payment thresholds, with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants among those warning Congress that the lower threshold would lead to confusion and errors. Ultimately, the IRS postponed the new reporting requirements in 2022 and 2023, allowing more time for the payment apps, officially known as third-party settlement organizations, to conform.

New 1099-K reporting requirements

To give third-party settlement organizations more time to comply with 1099-K reporting requirements, in 2024 the IRS announced a phased-in approach to the reporting thresholds:

2023 and earlier: $20,000+ and 200+ transactions

2024: $5,000+

2025: $5,000+

2025: $2,500+

2026: $600+

Not all payment apps are alike

While taxpayers can expect Form 1099-Ks from PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App, Zelle won’t be included in that list.

“The Zelle platform directly transfers funds from one bank account to another, similar to a wire transfer. Thus, it never has custody of the funds, it simply moves money,” says Monica Houston, a certified public accountant in Brentwood, Calif.

Therefore, Zelle transactions are not subject to reporting requirements.

Who is likely to receive a 1099-K?

The Form 1099-K is issued to taxpayers who receive direct payments for selling goods or providing services. While the reporting income threshold is $5,000 for 2024, in some cases you may receive a Form 1099-K even if the dollar amount is below the reporting threshold.

Whether you receive a Form 1099-K or not, if you received taxable income from the sales of goods or services, you’ll need to report it on your tax return.

What if you get an incorrect 1099-K?

If you used a payment app to exchange money with friends and family, that exchange isn’t taxable, and you shouldn’t receive a Form 1099-K for those transactions.

If you do receive a 1099-K with these types of transactions reported, then you shouldn’t report these as taxable income. Instead, contact the issuer of the Form 1099-K, request that they remove these items from the form and reissue a corrected Form 1099-K. The IRS has instructions on how to handle this situation.

If you use payment apps for personal and business use, then it makes sense to have a solid accounting system to clearly distinguish between business and personal payments.

“I recommend using an Excel spreadsheet or consider using QuickBooks online to adopt a computerized accounting system,” Houston says. Taking these steps can ensure you report your income correctly on your income tax return.

How to report income reported on Form 1099-K

Form 1099-K reports various types of payments, which affect how you report your income on your Form 1040 and related forms and schedules. If you sold personal items, you will need to report them on your tax return. If the item was sold for a loss, you cannot deduct the loss from your taxes, but you can zero out the reported income. However, if you sold an item for a profit, you must report the profit, which is the amount received less your cost, as taxable income.

Whether you receive payments for goods sold, services provided or rental property, these must be reported on your tax return. Freelancers, gig workers and self-employed people generally report income on Schedule C of their income tax returns. Rent payments are reported on Schedule E.

Houston stresses the importance of staying abreast of the new tax law changes and encourages taxpayers to take an active part in the tax process. “I highly recommend that they enlist assistance from a qualified tax professional in the final preparation of their return especially if they are receiving a Form 1099-K. The return on investment is usually worth it in many ways,” Houston says.

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

If you sell goods or services or rent property, and get paid through Venmo, PayPal, Cash App or another payment app, you may have been surprised by a Form 1099- K this year. (Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS)
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