The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Maryland
No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. Illinois preview
![No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. Illinois preview No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. Illinois preview](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WKPEYemBba3f5ritMRpZJzO6urY=/0x19:1023x555/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24425628/Shy_Faith.jpg)
No. 8 Maryland ladies’s basketball is rolling on the proper time with the Huge Ten Match and finish of the common season inching nearer. Possibly the loss to Iowa a couple of video games in the past was simply what the Terps wanted to rekindle the hearth they generated early within the season — it actually appeared that manner after it almost held a Huge Ten crew scoreless in 1 / 4 Thursday.
The Terps (20-5, 11-3 Huge Ten) have a litany of upperclassmen who’re the most important contributors to this system. On their senior day — second senior day for some — it could present added motivation to get a top quality win.
Sunday’s sport is ready for a 1 p.m. tipoff on the XFINITY Middle.
Illinois Preventing Illini (19-6, 9-5 Huge Ten)
Head coach Shauna Inexperienced is model new to the Huge Ten and in her first 12 months on the helm has her mostly-youthful crew sitting in the midst of the pack at this juncture of the season. Her earlier teaching expertise was within the Atlantic 10 Convention teaching the College of Dayton, the place she received 5 regular-season titles.
Gamers to know
Genesis Bryant, junior guard, 5-foot-6, No. 1 — Bryant is the star of the Preventing Illini. Nevertheless, it stays to be seen if she will probably be accessible for the sport after she performed 10 minutes and scored three factors at Nebraska on Thursday; she left after sustaining an harm. Bryant averages almost 15 factors per sport and has began 14 video games this season.
Makira Cook dinner, junior guard, 5-foot-6, No. 3 — Cook dinner is a giant purpose why Illinois shoots so properly. She leads the crew with 18 factors per sport and if Bryant is out towards Maryland, search for Cook dinner to have the ball in her arms a lot of the sport.
Kendall Bostic, junior ahead, 6-foot-2, No. 44 — Bostic is probably probably the most well-rounded participant on the Illinois roster. She averages a double-double with 10 factors and as many rebounds per sport. Couple that together with her great 64.9% discipline aim proportion, and Bostic is a legit offensive risk who will probably defend Diamond Miller or Abby Meyers.
Power
Lengthy-range capturing. Illinois leads the Huge Ten in 3-point capturing, and perimeter protection has been one thing the Terps have been engaged on of late. Nevertheless, they’re the second-worst crew at defending the 3-pointer, permitting groups to shoot just below 34%. Illini guard Genesis Bryant is second within the Huge Ten in 3-point proportion capturing 43.8%.
Weak spot
Probably no Bryant. If Bryant doesn’t play towards Maryland, it leaves a obvious gap the Terps might want to exploit early. If she performs and isn’t absolutely recovered, it may damage the Illini greater than if she doesn’t play in any respect. If she is actually out for the sport, Illinois should run the offense by way of different means.
Three issues to look at
1. Senior day. Maryland’s seniors and graduate college students will probably be honored earlier than the sport for his or her contributions to this system. For some, it’s their second senior day and the ultimate curtain name of their faculty careers. Meyers, who was at Princeton earlier than Maryland, instructed reporters Wednesday that she feels fortunate to have one other senior day and it doesn’t occur to everybody. Meyers has been probably the most spectacular scorers for the Terps this 12 months, capturing 38% from 3-point vary.
2. The Northwestern sport was telling. Two issues that caught out towards Northwestern are that freshman guard Bri McDaniel made probably the most of her minutes and is deserving of extra. Her career-high 14 factors demonstrated she will be able to contribute when her confidence is there. The opposite factor is that Maryland performs a great zone protection. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how its zone method works towards a higher-level crew within the convention.
3. Yet another spherical. After its sport towards Illinois, simply Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State are left on the docket for Maryland. These subsequent few video games have loads of postseason implications for each the Huge Ten and the NCAA tournaments. If Maryland is awarded a top-four seed for March Insanity, Maryland will host the primary and second spherical in Faculty Park.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Continue Reading
Maryland
Getting to know Michigan State football’s Week 2 opponent: Maryland
![Getting to know Michigan State football’s Week 2 opponent: Maryland Getting to know Michigan State football’s Week 2 opponent: Maryland](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4000,h_2250,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/137/01j714ppf1xrvce2agzn.jpg)
Game two is coming up for Michigan State football as the Spartans hit the road for an early season Big Ten matchup against Maryland. The Terps have had MSU’s number in recent years, but the Spartans’ new-look team is ready to change that narrative this weekend.
Jonathan Smith and his staff have a lot to work on this week after a lackluster 16-10 win over Florida Atlantic, but we’ve become more than used to slow starts for MSU in their first game so it’s not time to panic just yet.
While the team wraps up their preparations for Maryland, let’s take a quick look at the Terps and see what we can learn about them before the big game on Saturday.
Maryland is off and running in their 2024 campaign and had an absolutely dominant week one performance. The Terps took on UConn at home and came away with an impressive 50-7 win. Sure UConn is an awful football program, but we saw how poorly Michigan State just did against a similar opponent.
Not only was the final score lopsided, but ever major statistical category was as well. Maryland doubled UConn in first downs and rushing yards, threw for nearly 400 passing yards and even won the turnover battle 3-0. The Terps also only had five penalties for 45 yards which is significantly better than MSU’s 12 for 140 yards against FAU.
Sure all of this took place against UConn, but it appears that Maryland is in a very good spot heading into this big week two matchup.
One thing that I thought would be a positive for Michigan State in this game is that Maryland is breaking in a new quarterback as well. The Terps’ quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr., went off against UConn and completed 20-of-27 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. He also is a capable runner and added 39 yards on the ground, so Michigan State will have its hands full on Saturday slowing him down.
The Terps don’t have one standout running back in the backfield, so that does benefit MSU. They do however have two solid backs in Roman Hemby and Nolan Ray who both ran for over 60 yards and one score each.
The one player however that Michigan State needs to pay the most attention to is wide receiver Tai Felton. He had one of the best Week 1 performances in the country as he recorded seven receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Thankfully MSU’s defense and secondary looked much improved against FAU, so hopefully that carries over into this weekend’s matchup.
The opportunity in front of MSU on Saturday is massive. The Spartans are big underdogs in this matchup which they probably deserve, but a win would do wonders not just for the overall perception of the team but for their confidence moving forward.
I’ve got a strange feeling that we’re going to be very happy around 7 p.m. ET Saturday night.
Maryland
Maryland makes filing taxes online free for some
![Maryland makes filing taxes online free for some Maryland makes filing taxes online free for some](https://thebaltimorebanner.com/resizer/v2/VNZHS3ZRPZFIPLMIQSBCIVIK4M.jpg?auth=ff77372d15f6509b1a1f9c396b1babd2c44c98f67411941eae674ed3f248e4b4&width=657&smart=true&quality=85)
More than 700,000 Marylanders should be able to file their state and federal income tax returns online for free next year, saving residents hours of work and hundreds of dollars on tax software and prep services.
Maryland joined dozens of states Wednesday in a voluntary federal program called Direct File after a test run received positive reviews and showed possible cost savings. Filing paper returns by mail will still be an option.
“It’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns,” Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said at a news conference in Annapolis.
The first-term Democrat called the program a game changer for Maryland taxpayers that will modernize her agency. It targets low-to-moderate earners with relatively simple tax returns, and is expected to expand over time.
Lierman’s office will partner with the nonprofit Code for America to integrate the Maryland tax filing system into Direct File. Eligibility requirements will be announced in January, the comptroller’s office said.
Gov. Wes Moore, State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and nonprofit partners joined Lierman for the announcement.
Funds from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 helped build and test the system. The IRS and Treasury Department then invited states to participate.
The IRS has been considering a free e-filing option for low-income American taxpayers for decades, according to the Congressional Research Service. When tax prep companies pushed back, the federal government agreed not to compete with them if they provided free help and e-filing to low-earning taxpayers.
However, many qualified taxpayers were pushed toward paid services, according to an investigation by nonprofit news outlet ProPublica.
The IRS piloted Direct File in 12 states this year. Filers used a laptop, tablet, cellphone or other device to submit income returns and request certain tax credits offered to low-earning individuals and families.
In a survey, nine out of 10 Direct File users ranked their experience as “Excellent” or “Above Average.”
U.S. Rep Steny Hoyer, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 5th District, called paying taxes the “price of our democracy.”
“We ought to make it as easy as possible for people to comply with a legal obligation that they have to support their country, their state and their communities,” he said. “And this system of Direct File does that.”
Robin McKinney, CEO and co-founder of CASH Campaign of Maryland, said easy, free online filing makes the government work more efficiently for citizens and should deliver refunds and credits to taxpayers faster.
McKinney’s nonprofit promotes economic advancement for low- to moderate-income Marylanders and provides free tax help, among other services.
Economic Security Project, a nonprofit that advocates for guaranteed income and economic equity for working families, found that adopting Direct File could mean $355 million in costs and time saved for Maryland’s low- to moderate-earners.
Maryland recently has expanded tax credits for working families, but about $152 million goes unclaimed each year, according to the Security Project’s analysis.
They also estimated that about $148 million could be saved in filing fees and $56 million could be saved in time spent filing taxes.
That money could have gone into Marylanders’ pockets, CASH Campaign’s McKinney said, and it could have gone back into the state’s economy.
Maryland
Maryland joins IRS Direct File program, offering free tax filing for up to 700,000 taxpayers – Maryland Matters
![Maryland joins IRS Direct File program, offering free tax filing for up to 700,000 taxpayers – Maryland Matters Maryland joins IRS Direct File program, offering free tax filing for up to 700,000 taxpayers – Maryland Matters](https://marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024_Adeyemo_moore_lierman_directfile_edit-2048x1372.jpg)
Some Maryland taxpayers will be able to use a free electronic filing tool for their federal taxes rather than having to pay a tax preparer or buy tax-filing software next year, when Maryland will offer the IRS’s new Direct File service.
The service was tested in 12 states this year, where 140,803 people filed with Direct File, saving an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) estimated Wednesday that as many as 700,000 Maryland taxpayers could be eligible for the program when it debuts in the state next year.
“While we value our relationship with tax preparers and CPAs (certified public accountants), it’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns,” Lierman said at a news conference announcing the program.
The IRS and the U.S. Treasury still have to finalize eligibility rules for the program this fall, but Lierman said it will be a “game changer” for those families who do qualify, which could be as much as 20% of individual taxpayers in the state.
“Taxes are a part of the glue that keeps our state and our nation together, functioning, producing, protecting and thriving,” Lierman said. “Yet in America, we make it uniquely challenging to pay those taxes and file a return — until now.”
According to the Treasury, taxpayers spend “approximately 13 hours and $270 preparing their taxes each year.” Many Americans use tax filing services or software, such as TurboTax and H&R Block, to ensure that their taxes are filed correctly, despite most of the information being readily available state and federal tax collection agencies.
It’s unacceptable that Marylanders should have to pay any portion whatsoever of their refund or paycheck to fulfill a mandatory requirement like filing tax returns.
– Comptroller Brooke Lierman
Direct File launched this year in 12 states for people to file their 2023 federal returns — Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the program is aimed at helping middle-income tax filers with “relatively simple” filings.
“What I can tell you is our goal for us is to build a system that’s going to work for working class and middle class Americans. So you get a W-2, and you’re somebody who’s a teacher, you’re a fireman, you’re a doctor who’s earning most of your money from a W-2, we want to make sure we’re building a system that potentially works for you,” said Adeyemo, who was in Annapolis for the announcement.
“The thing we’re not going to do is build a system that works for big corporations or wealthy individuals. Next year we’re going to expand the system so that more Americans are able to participate in it,” Adeyemo said.
The Biden administration invited all 50 states and the District of Columbia to join the program next year, when people will be filing their 2024 taxes. The Treasury said that Maryland joins Oregon, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Connecticut, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Maine in taking up Direct File.
“I know to some, this announcement may seem inconsequential — and I know how exciting tax announcements are,” Gov. Wes Moore (D) joked at the announcement. “But the details matter. They matter to the families who are impacted by this work. They’re going to matter to the families, who … dread tax season because it feels complicated. Who dread tax season because it seems expensive, or oftentimes have to deal with the consequences of getting something wrong.”
The Direct File program came out of the Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2022, which also secured additional funding to help the IRS modernize and provide better services to Americans.
But Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who chairs a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, said Direct File program and other services under the Inflation Reduction Act could be “under threat.” While his subcommittee wants to fully fund the IRS and keep Direct File going, House leaders want to cut funding for both.
He also said that the industry is lobbying against the free tax filing system.
“There are people who didn’t want us to do this, including a lot of the middlemen” who currently profit from tax preparation, Van Hollen said. “They’re lobbying against this kind of thing.”
In addition to Van Hollen, Moore, Lierman and Adeyemo, Wednesday’s event drew a number of Maryland Democratic heavyweights: U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer John Sarbanes and State Treasurer Dereck Davis.
Hoyer put it simply: “Nobody likes taxes.”
“We don’t really get excited about paying our taxes. But we know that it is the price of our democracy,” Hoyer said. “We ought to make it as easy as possible for people to comply with a legal obligation that they have to support their country, their state and their communities.”
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Slingshot (2024) – Movie Review
-
World1 week ago
Swiss court convicts two executives of embezzling $1.8bn from 1MDB
-
World1 week ago
Commission mandarin flags convergence of digital with industry
-
World1 week ago
Severe drought forces early harvests in Serbia
-
World1 week ago
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 915
-
News1 week ago
Trump Vs Harris: The Battle Over Hot Mics Heats Up Ahead Of Key Debate
-
News1 week ago
After months on the run, a murder suspect falls through the ceiling and into custody
-
News1 week ago
The rise of the Pumpkin Spice Latte : It's Been a Minute