NEW YORK - The coronavirus pandemic triggered many changes in the U.S. economy and the employment landscape. Many U.S. residents lost their jobs, some transitioned into the so-called gig economy, and others shifted to working from home. Taxpayers may have cashed unemployment checks and/or received money due to the federal pandemic relief packages. And, sadly, many Americans got sick and incurred unforeseen medical bills.

These situations will affect you come tax season. Here are some important facts to know before you file your federal tax returns.

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WASHINGTON - The Senate signaled overwhelming support on Thursday for limiting wealthy Americans from receiving a third stimulus check in the latest coronavirus relief package.

The chamber voted 99-1 on an amendment proposed by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, barring "upper-income taxpayers" from eligibility for the direct cash payments.

"The question before us is quite simple. Do we want stimulus checks to go to households with family incomes of $300,000?" Collins asked during the Senate's "vote-a-rama" on Thursday. "Or do we want to target the assistance to struggling families who need the help and provide a boost for the economy?"

One proposal floated by senior Democrats includes lowering the threshold for the payments to begin phasing out above $50,000 for single taxpayers, $75,000 for people who file as the heads of households, and $100,000 for married couples, according to The Washington Post.

If the relief plan followed a formula in House-passed legislation last year, the $1,400 checks would taper off for individuals who earn $75,000 more a year and families making $150,000 or more. But the phaseout level increases for families with more children, meaning that a family with multiple children earning more than $300,000 a year could theoretically receive some money, even if they have not suffered a financial setback during the pandemic.

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PRESS CONFERENCE: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: "Republican voters support [President Trump] still. The party is his, it doesn't belong to anybody else."

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Area are asking for the public’s help in providing any information that would lead to the identification of the suspect involved in a violent battery incident that was captured on video.

On January 16, 2021, around 5:00 p.m., at the intersection of Washington Blvd and Speedway Blvd, the suspect and victim became engaged in a verbal altercation. During the verbal altercation, the suspect punched the victim in the jaw causing the victim to lose consciousness.

The suspect is described as a male White or Hispanic, 25 to 30 years old, with black hair and a black beard. The suspect stands approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Pacific Area detectives at (310) 482-6394. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

Pocatello Police Department (Idaho)

From Inbox: Russia, CCTV footage from St. Petersburg captured the moment a car EXPLODES with the driver still INSIDE. After the blast, the driver managed to get out of the car without serious injuries, according to reports. The cause of the incident is unknown.

Two Senate Democrats are facing criticism for voting to defy Biden and overrule his decision to kill the Keystone XL oil pipeline — before later voting to reverse themselves, the New York Post reported. Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia initially voted for a Republican amendment that would have put support for the pipeline in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Democrats are drafting under budget reconciliation. Their votes meant the amendment passed 52-48 just before midnight, threatening to reverse Biden’s decision last month to end construction of the pipeline from Canada, citing environmental concerns but costing thousands of jobs. But around 5 a.m., before final passage of a measure instructing committees to draft legislation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced an amendment that removed the Keystone XL provision and two others. Tester and Manchin supported that Schumer amendment, undoing their earlier vote.

BREAKING! NYC -- People are being evacuated from apartment buildings in Harlem, Manhattan right now because a Con Ed gas main is on fire.

Off To A Bad Start — Just 36 Days Into 2021:

31 Officers Gunned Down
8 Officers Murdered
7 Ambush Attacks on Law Enforcement

Check out this week’s FOP Washington Watch: Legislative Update to stay informed on the latest news.

NYC -- Happenning Now -- Massive fire personnel presence can be seen on scene. Fire still reaching out the hole. NYPD requesting backup for crowd control. This happened near Grand Central a few years ago.

San Miguel Sheriff: A large boulder the size of a large boulder is blocking the southbound lane Hwy 145 mm28 in Stoner Creek area of Montezuma County, CO. Expect delays.

Berlin, Germany – German prosecutors have charged the elderly secretary of the former SS commandant of Stutthof with 10,000 counts of accessory to murder, arguing that she was part of the apparatus that helped the Nazi concentration camp function.

The 95-year-old also faces an unspecified number of counts of accessory to attempted murder for her service at the camp between June 1943 and April 1945, Peter Mueller-Rakow, spokesman for prosecutors in the northern town of Itzehoe, said Friday.

Despite her advanced age, the suspect will be tried in juvenile court due to the fact that she was under 21 at the time of the alleged crimes, Mueller-Rakow said.

The suspect, whom Mueller-Rakow would not identify in line with German privacy laws, is believed to be in good enough health to stand trial.

She has previously been partially identified as Irmgard F. by Germany’s NDR public broadcaster, which interviewed her at the retirement home where she now lives in a small community north of Hamburg.

She confirmed to NDR that she had worked as the secretary to SS officer Paul Werner Hoppe in Stutthof, but said she never set foot in the camp itself and did not know of murders taking place there.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — Planned legislation to establish new business areas in Nevada would allow technology companies to effectively form separate local governments. Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak announced a plan to launch so-called Innovation Zones in Nevada to jumpstart the state’s economy by attracting technology firms, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The zones would permit companies with large areas of land to form governments carrying the same authority as counties, including the ability to impose taxes, form school districts and courts and provide government services.

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How could you not love Tucker Carlson 😂