Aimee Picchi

Millions of Americans are facing food stamp cuts as grocery costs continue to rise The Republicans' "big, beautiful" spending and tax law will result in cuts to food stamp benefits for many Americans, experts say.

The Republican food stamp cuts will affect many millions and deserve more coverage. Glad to see this writeup by @aimeepicchi.bsky.social. www.cbsnews.com/news/food-st...

Hey John - I don’t think so! I will post it to my website when I have a chance, hopefully in the next week. Sad that all the DSF stories are now unavailable 😢

Social Security was already dealing with backlogs. Employees warn job cuts could worsen services. "We are already short-staffed as it is,"one Social Security Administration employee said of the agency's plans to slash its workforce.

#SocialSecurity was already dealing with backlogs. #Employees warn job cuts could worsen services. | @CBSNews.com by @aimeepicchi.bsky.social

buff.ly/mlPH705

#politics #retirement #personalfinance #FinanceFriday

Democrats are 3x as likely to buy an EV as Republicans. If Tesla is alienating its largest share of potential customers, that doesn't seem like a canny business strategy.

This could be a small bump and could reverse, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

As Elon Musk takes a leading role with DOGE, some Tesla customers are rethinking their allegiance Elon Musk's close ties to President Trump is alienating some motorists. Wall Street analysts say that could hurt Tesla.

My @cbsnews.com colleague Megan Cerullo looks at the image issues impacting Tesla, given Elon Musk's work with DOGE & the Trump administration. (I edited the piece.)

Some Tesla owners are selling their cars in response.

Tesla shares are down 8% today on new data from Europe showing a sales slump.

Elon Musk's DOGE presence at the IRS raises concerns about taxpayer data security, refund delays Some Democratic lawmakers are raising concerns about the security of taxpayer data as Musk's cost-cutting task force moves to the IRS.

#ElonMusk's #DOGE presence at the #IRS raises concerns about #taxpayer #data #security, refund delays | @CBSNews.com by @aimeepicchi.bsky.social

https://buff.ly/3CVAV5O

#politics #taxes #privacy

My piece for @cbsnews.com on the federal workforce, as the #Trump administration cuts 200,000 probationary workers (less than 1 year on the job.)

The federal workforce is about the same size as it was in 1980, even as the US population has increased by more than 40%.

On February 14, 1928, Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley of Jericho, #vermont photographed 100 flakes in a day, his record, according to #BTV Daily.

I have always loved looking at his amazing photographs and admired his ingenuity and passion! (The image is some of his work ❄️)

Inflation rate picked up in January, CPI report shows. Here's what it means for your money. The Federal Reserve's progress on taming inflation has stalled out. That could mean fewer rate cuts in 2025.

Inflation picked up steam in January — and egg prices saw the biggest spike, up 15.2% since December.

The price of eggs are rising due to bird flu, but they have also now hatched into a symbol of the financial pain of inflation.

My @cbsnews.com story:

www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/cpi...

Just added to my profile — it’s Aimeepicchi.59

Thanks for the suggestion— I will look into that.

Thanks, Andrea! Hope you are well!

About 40,000 federal workers have so far taken the Trump admin's "deferred resignation" offer, or less than 2% of gov't employees.

My @cbsnews.com piece on the offer, which expires at midnight tonight:

www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-d...

The Federal Reserve should resist pressure from Trump and defend its independence, experts say President Trump has said he will "demand" lower interest rates, raising questions about his ability to influence the Federal Reserve.

The best advice for President Trump? Stop talking. The Fed needs space to follow its mandate without political interference for rates to fall. I spoke w/ @aimeepicchi.bsky.social at CBS News on why the Fed Reserve’s independence is critical for economic stability.

www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-f...

Proud Boys lose their trademark ownership to a Black church they vandalized, court rules Court rules Metropolitan AME Church owns Proud Boys' trademark after White supremacist group fails to pay $2.8 million judgment.

Proud Boys's trademark now belongs to a Black church they vandalized in 2020, according to a Feb. 3 court ruling. The church, the Metropolitan AME Church, can now block the use of their name.

"If they thought we would be afraid, they were wrong," Rev. Lamar told me.

My @cbsnews.bsky.social story:

Panel One: A scientist works at a blackboard. Diagrams and text on the blackboard contain the phrases: crushing darkness, seemingly no escape, time drags and, inhospitably cold. A second figure approaches and, seeing the blackboard, asks "Black Holes?" Panel Two: The scientist replies "January"

A timely cartoon for @newscientist.bsky.social

Snow patterns, corduroy and shadows.

On this day in Vermont history: Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley photographs his first snowflake in 1885.

From an early age, he was interested in snow and devised a way to photograph individual flakes, discovering that no two were alike.

Aw thank you!!

Woohoo! Congrats, John!!!

Also there were the most terrific snails there.

Visit to Avebury Henge in 2018 — we had visited Stonehenge earlier that day (which was fantastic) and then added this stop on a whim. Amazingly the stones encircle the village — and you can walk right up to them. Very few tourists — in fact I recall we were the only ones there. #StandingStoneSunday

Long is a former auctioneer and AM radio host. He doesn't have a background in taxes or the law, unlike prior IRS commissioners.

Trump's prior IRS commissioner, Charles Rettig, held a master's in taxation and had worked as a tax attorney for more than three decades.

On a 2023 podcast, Long said he helped make the tax credit easier to claim — companies previously had to prove they were hurt by COVID, he said.

Now "you don't have to prove that you had any downturn .. we're doing recoveries for folks that had their best two years ever during COVID."

After leaving Congress, Long worked as a business and tax advisor, helping businesses claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit.

It's a pandemic credit that the IRS has flagged for high rates of fraud and abuse.

What to know about Billy Long, the ex-congressman and auctioneer Trump wants to head the IRS President-elect Donald Trump wants former lawmaker and auctioneer Billy Long to replace IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

At CBS News, I wrote about former Rep. Billy Long of Missouri, whom President-elect Donald Trump wants to run the #irs.

While in Congress, Long co-sponsored a bill that would have eradicated much of the tax code in favor of a flat tax.

www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-i...

Millions of older Americans are nearing retirement without a penny in savings 1 in 4 older Americans may have to work longer or scrimp and save to make ends meet in their golden years, a new study suggests.

It's true that Americans on average are living longer than in earlier generations, but that doesn't mean they can stay in the workforce longer — or that they are financially ready to retire when it happens.

1 in 4 boomers are entering retirement without any retirement savings:

If the full retirement age was raised to 70 (it's 66 or 67 now, depending on your birth year) millions would still be forced to "retire" before they expected to, in their early 60s, but need to claim Social Security benefits early so they'd have *some* income after leaving the workforce.

Some lawmakers say Americans should work longer, citing higher life expectancies, and they have advocated for raising Social Security's full retirement age to 70.

But right now, only about 4% of Americans claim at age 70, the oldest age to claim Social Security and when you max out your benefits.

Planning to retire at 65? Most Americans stop working years earlier — and not because they want to. Most Americans are forced to retire earlier than they had expected, often disrupting their financial planning.

At @cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy, I look at a new Transamerica #retirement study that finds most Americans retire years earlier than 65 — and not because they want to.

Telling people they must work into old age doesn't jibe with reality. Many "retire" earlier than expected due to ill health & layoffs.