Halving child poverty?

The US is now sending families monthly checks.

Child tax credit payments begin going out; the EU has a plan to move away from fossil fuels in nine years.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum. TOP NEWS Child tax credit benefits begin     Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images Eligible parents will begin receiving the first of their monthly child tax credit payments from the IRS, as part of a Democratic stimulus bill passed in March. [Vox / Gregory Svirnovskiy and Gabby Birenbaum] The expanded child tax credit of $300 a month per child under age 6 and $250 for children ages 6-17 will go to individuals making less than $75,000 and families under $150,000. The benefits phase out as income rises above those levels. [The Los Angeles Times / Chris Megerian] The monthly cash payments will continue for six months and are mostly being delivered by the IRS via direct deposit. For the first payment, the IRS and the Treasury Department said $15 billion in payments are going out for more than 60 million children. [CBS News / Aimee Picchi] The plan is projected to cut child poverty by as much as half. But it is temporary, for the moment; Biden and Democrats want to extend it through 2025 in their budget bill. While some Republicans have decried the proposed extension as disincentivizing work and marriage, the Treasury Department reported that 97 percent of recipients earn income. [The Associated Press / Josh Boak] Thirty-nine million American families are expected to receive benefits, creating a significant challenge for the IRS, particularly among low-income people who do not owe or file taxes. [Newsweek / Jon Jackson] The IRS has a portal for those who do not file tax returns to register for the credit, and if you received a stimulus check, you should automatically be enrolled. [NPR / Andrea Hsu] The Biden administration has been criticized for the payments' potential inaccessibility. The website lacks a mobile option, and is only available in English. Seven million children in poverty are estimated to be in non-filing households, and their parents are at risk of missing out on the benefit. [The Washington Post / Jeff Stein] EU's plan for climate-neutrality The European Commission unveiled a slate of proposed changes that would cut car emissions by 100 percent by 2035 and bring greenhouse gas emissions 55 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. [The Washington Post / Rick Noack and Quentin Ariès] The EU wants to implement a cap-and-trade scheme to bring greenhouse gas emissions down, and bring the aviation and shipping industries further into the plan. Another major goal is to end the use of gasoline and diesel by 2035 in new automobiles. [CNBC / Silvia Amaro] The plan would impose a carbon border tax on goods coming from countries whose industries do not have to follow strong climate standards in order to protect European interests: meaning tariffs could come for the US and China. [BBC News / Matt McGrath] In the US, congressional Democrats are now looking into climate tariffs as well for high-emissions imports, although details are scant so far. [The New York Times / Lisa Friedman] The EU's ultimate goal is for Europe to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. [CNN / Charles Riley] The European Commission's plan is perhaps the strongest and most detailed set of proposals in the world, though there is already backlash from industry groups, particularly in those whose goods would be targeted, and from some environmentalists, who say the plan does not go far enough. [The New York Times / Steven Erlanger and Somini Sengupta] MISCELLANEOUS A federal judge is allowing Britney Spears to select her own personal lawyer in the battle over her conservatorship, a victory for the pop star and the #FreeBritney movement. [BuzzFeed News / Claudia Koerner, Jason Wells, and Paige Skinner] According to a new book, when Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) tried to help Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) off the House floor during the January 6 insurrection, she slapped his hand away and said, "Get away from me. You f--king did this." [The Hill / Lexi Lonas] Lyft is allowing passengers to share rides with strangers starting July 19, removing a pandemic restriction. [The Verge / Jon Porter] The Milwaukee Bucks came back to defeat the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, tying the series as two games apiece. [The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel / Ben Steele] Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work from as little as $3. Contribute VERBATIM "It's a very important program that will do a huge amount to relieve child poverty, which has been a tremendously important problem in the United States." [Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, on the child tax credit] LISTEN TO THIS     Vox's Jamil Smith speaks with novelist and author Kiese Laymon in a far-ranging conversation about Laymon's reacquiring the rights to his own books, the struggle of retelling our own stories, and the challenges of articulating American narratives that include all Americans accurately. [Spotify / Jamil Smith] Read more from Vox Biden's biggest anti-poverty plan has launched. He can still make it even better.   America's monopoly problem stretches far beyond Big Tech   What we've learned about Britney Spears' conservatorship case changes everything   Artists laid the foundation for Cuba's protests. An economy in free fall and the pandemic ignited it.   US Covid-19 cases have doubled in a few weeks. What's going on?     This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. 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