News Wrap: IRS says average tax refund just under $3,500 this year

Geoff Bennett:

Time is running out for Americans to file their taxes. And new data shows refunds are larger this year, though, not nearly as big as the Trump administration had projected. The IRS says the average refund so far this tax season is just under $3,500.

That's up around $350 from last year, but it's far short of the thousands of dollars or more that the White House projected back in January.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA):

We don't believe you should send it all here to Uncle Sam. We want you to keep it.

Geoff Bennett:

On Capitol Hill today, House Republicans touted new tax breaks, which include no taxes on tips and overtime, as well as deductions for some seniors. Democrats, meantime, countered that any gains are being wiped out by higher prices.

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA):

The American people are seeing their costs increase. Even if they get a tiny bit of relief filing their taxes, every month, they're paying more.

Geoff Bennett:

Also on Capitol Hill today, the head of the IRS told a Senate committee that his agency is working to address the tax gap. That's taxes owed, but not paid. That's even as the IRS has seen its work force shrink around 27 percent since President Trump returned to the White House.

Officials on a group of U.S. islands in the Pacific Ocean are assessing damage from Tropical Storm Sinlaku, which battered the region with fierce winds and rains. Eyewitness footage shows the aftermath of what was the year's most powerful tropical typhoon, which flipped cars and left many without power.

Meantime, in other parts of the country, powerful storms ripped through parts of Michigan, toppling trees and damaging buildings. Some areas also saw flooding, while, in Iowa, storm chasers filmed this tornado, which touched down yesterday. It's part of a severe weather pattern that's been hammering the Plains and Midwest.

And it comes as a heat wave sweeps across the East Coast today, with record temperatures expected in cities like New York and Philadelphia. Forecasters expect the heat to last well into the weekend.

In Turkey, officials there say a student opened fire on two classrooms in a middle school today, killing at least nine people. It's the country's second school shooting in as many days. Chaos unfolded outside that school as parents and emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

Turkey's interior minister says the suspected gunman is a 14-year-old student who was killed, though he did not specify how. The motive remains unclear.

Mustafa Ciftci, Turkish Interior Minister (through interpreter):

This incident was an individual act committed by only one of our students. It is not an act of terrorism. I want to express once again how deeply saddened we are.

Geoff Bennett:

Officials in Turkey have imposed a nationwide ban on publishing images from the shooting that are considered traumatic. School shootings are rare in Turkey, making this week's attacks all the more striking.

Sudan entered its fourth year of war today, with millions facing the threat of ongoing violence and famine. In Eastern Sudan, health workers are reporting a spike in malnourished children since the fighting started. A U.N.-backed group has warned that some 800,000 people will suffer from severe acute malnutrition across Sudan this year.

Meantime, at an aid conference in Berlin, European countries pledged more than $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid. A U.S. official at the meeting says the Trump administration -- quote -- "remains steadfast in its commitment to ending this war."

Massad Boulos:

We are working closely with partners in this room and beyond to press for an immediate shift from battlefield to the negotiating table, from violence to dialogue, and for ending this world's biggest humanitarian crisis.

Geoff Bennett:

The war between Sudan's military and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, or RSF, erupted in April of 2023. Since then, officials say around 59,000 people have been killed and at least 13 million have been displaced.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed as hopes rise for a possible end to the war with Iran. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped about 70 points on the day. The Nasdaq jumped nearly 400 points to a new all-time high, and the S&P 500 continued its rally from recent lows.

And Major League Baseball is celebrating Jackie Robinson Day. The annual event marks the day back in 1947 when Robinson broke the sports color barrier.

Man:

Every child who dares to dream and every voice that lives and inspires others, Jackie lives on.

Geoff Bennett:

This year, the MLB rolled out a splashy campaign in his honor. And across the league, players, coaches, and umpires are wearing his iconic number 42 on their jerseys during today's games.