AL Tops NL in Summer Classic

July 18 (UPI) -- The American League edged the National League 8-6 in a record-breaking slugfest at the 2018 MLB All-Star Game Tuesday at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

Baseball's best combined for 10 home runs, the most ever hit at the Midsummer Classic. Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder George Springer hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the 10th inning, giving the American League a 7-5 lead in the 89th edition of the showdown. 

Bregman was named MVP for his effort, highlighted by the 376 foot longball.

IRS No Longer Requires Non-Profits to ID Donors

July 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury Department and IRS announced Monday certain tax-exempt organizations will no longer be required to provide personally identifiable information about donors.

Under the change, non-profit organizations such as labor unions, volunteer fire departments, issue-advocacy groups, local chambers of commerce, veterans groups and community service clubs will no longer be required to list the names and addresses of their donors on Schedule B of their annual returns, the department said.

"Americans shouldn't be required to send the IRS information that it doesn't need to effectively enforce our tax laws, and the IRS simply does not need tax returns with donor names and addresses to do its job in this area," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Previously Congress directed the IRS to collect donor information of contributors who gave at least $5,000 to charities that accept tax-deductible contributions. The IRS received a full version of this information, while redacted forms without identifying information about donors were released publicly.

Mnuchin said the change will "in no way limit transparency" and the same information will still be made available to the public, while better protecting donor information.

"The IRS' new policy for certain tax-exempt organizations will make our tax system simpler and less susceptible to abuse," he said.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky praised the decision as a positive development for political donors.

"The IRS' decision is a move in the right direction to end activist regulators' culture of intimidation to silence political speech," McConnell said. "More and more states were using these documents to chill political discourse, rather than encourage it."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said the decision would give the IRS fewer tools to determine whether affected groups are following the law.

"President Trump's late-night giveaway to shady donors and interest groups makes dark money even darker," Pelosi said. "The [National Rifle Association] and other special interest groups can now fully operate in the shadows and push their corrupt agendas without any transparency or accountability."

4 States Sue Feds Over Deduction Caps on State and Local Taxes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four U.S. states sued the federal government on Tuesday to void the new $10,000 cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes, included as part of the President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax overhaul. 

The lawsuit by New York, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey came seven months after Trump signed into law the $1.5 trillion overhaul, which also lowered taxes for many wealthy Americans and slashed the corporate tax rate. 

It also adds to the many legal battles between Democratic-led and -leaning states, including several that impose comparatively high taxes, and the Trump administration. 

Andrew Cuomo, New York’s Democratic governor, said in a statement: “The federal government is hellbent on using New York as a piggy bank to pay for corporate tax cuts and I will not stand for it.” 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, which along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is among the defendants, was not immediately available for comment. 

Taxpayers had before this year enjoyed an unlimited federal deduction for state and local taxes, or the SALT deduction. 

But under the cap, individuals and married taxpayers filing jointly who itemize deductions may deduct only up to $10,000 annually for state and local income, property and sales taxes. 

Critics say the cap disproportionately harms high-tax states, many of which lean Democratic. 

Voters in New York, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey favored Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, in the 2016 presidential election. 

According to the lawsuit, capping the SALT deduction will force New York taxpayers alone to pay an additional $14.3 billion in federal taxes this year, and another $121 billion through 2025, when the cap is scheduled to expire. 

The states said the cap will depress home prices, spending, job growth and economic growth, and impede their ability to pay for essential services such as schools, hospitals, police, and road and bridge construction and maintenance.

S.C. Lottery Generated $435M for Education for Fiscal Year

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina lottery generated a record $435 million for education for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The South Carolina Education Lottery said in a statement Monday that the increase of $30 million for education purposes comes from the continued popularity of instant "scratch-off" games.

The lottery reported that draw games like Pick 3, Pick 4 and Cash 5 and the big jackpots of Powerball and Mega Millions also contributed to the increase from the previous record of $405 million.

Most of the money raised by the lottery goes for merit-based, college scholarships. Some of the money also goes for K-12 education and to buy school buses and pay for other education programs.

McMaster Orders End to Medicaid Funding for Abortions

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered the state's Medicaid agency to continue covering "necessary medical care and important women's health and family planning services."

Media outlets report McMaster also late last week ordered the state Department of Health and Human Services "to terminate abortion clinics as Medicaid providers."

The move comes after the Republican vetoed $16 million in family planning funds from the state budget.

Hundreds of thousands of low-income South Carolinians qualify for family planning benefits like pelvic exams through the state Medicaid agency. Federal laws mandate Medicaid patients may seek family planning services at health care clinics of their own choosing.

S.C. Joins 3 Other States in Crackdown on Speeding

(AP) - South Carolina has joined Georgia and three other states in a week-long speed enforcement operation beginning today. "Operation Southern Shield," scheduled to run through Sunday, aims to curb speeding in these states.

Law enforcement in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee will be pulling over drivers traveling above legal speed limits on interstates, major highways and local roads.

Col. Mark W. McDonough, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, says the main focus will be to encourage motorists to slow down. He says they hope the effort will reduce crashes and provide a safer experience for motorists.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says speeding killed more than 10,000 people in the United States in 2016 and was a factor in 27 percent of fatal crashes in the nation.

Annual Golden Years Jamboree Set for Wednesday

The annual Golden Years Jamboree, an even started in 1978 by the late Jo Brown to celebrate sernor citizens and those who serve them, is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. the Anderson Civic Center.

The event was relaunched in 2016 by Brown's daughter, Kelly Jo Barnwell, as a fundraiser for The Cancer Association of Anderson on behalf of The Anderson County Senior Citizens Program and the Senior Citizens Industry. 

The Senior Citizen of the Year will be honored as part of the jamboree, which will also feature sunflower-themed desserts from local bakers.

Anderson County Clerk of Court, Richard Shirley will serve as Master of Ceremonies, and the "Band Silver" from Iva will provide music.

Emanuel AME Church Unveils Design for Victims' Memorial

The historic South Carolina church where nine African-American worshippers were slain is unveiling the design for a memorial to the victims.

Emanuel AME Church in Charleston will release the plans Sunday afternoon as part of its 200th anniversary celebration.

The memorial was designed by Michael Arad, the architect behind the 9/11 Memorial in New York.

Church officials say the design conveys both solace and resiliency. Few other details were released ahead of the announcement.

The coming months will also mark a push to raise the millions of dollars needed to build and maintain the monument.

The nine worshippers were shot during a June 2015 Bible study by a man who said he intended to kill people at the church to stoke racial tensions. He's been sentenced to death.

County to Open Legal Services Office for Low-Income Citizens

Anderson County citizens now have access to free legal services. The new Anderson Legal Services Office, which will be officially announced Monday, will offer free legal help with problems such as wills, evictions, and domestic issues to residents in Anderson County. Assistance is based on income and/or assets and the type of legal issue.

“Having the help of legal information and aid back in Anderson will help the people of our community get the help they need in coping with the ever-changing legal problems that occur to them," said Anderson County Councilwoman Gracie Floyd. "With the help of people in Anderson who worked as a team with me to get this done, we are so happy to say, ‘Welcome back legal aid’.”

The Anderson office is located at the South Main Chapel & Mercy Center, 2408 South Main Street, Anderson. The office is open on the first and third Monday each month. 

"At South Main Chapel & Mercy Center we are grateful for the opportunity to join in partnership with South Carolina Legal Services, who will provide legal services to the underserved in Anderson County at our location," said the Rev. Kurt Stutler, pastor of South Main Chapel & Mercy Center. "We much appreciate District Two County Council Representative Gracie Floyd for her role in facilitating this partnership."

Legal Services offers free legal assistance in legal matters, except for criminal cases. Assistance through legal aid depends on income and assets and the type of legal problem you have. 

To receive assistance, call 1-888-346-5592 to schedule an appointment to discuss your legal issues.

Accident Causes Delays on I-85 in Anderson

Troopers said I-85 North was closed near mile marker 22 in Anderson County Saturday morning due to a jackknifed semi.

The crash happened just before 10 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

FOX Carolina reported one lane was moving as of 11:40 a.m.

Drivers can take Clemson Boulevard (Exit 19) east to Highway 81 and turn left to return to I-85.

S.C. Cotton Farmers Expect Record Crop in 2018

CLEMSON – Coming off a record year for cotton, South Carolina cotton farmers can expect an even greater year in 2018.

Nathan Smith, Clemson Extension economist and professor at the Clemson Sandhill Research and Education Center, said estimates for South Carolina cotton planted stand at 260,000 acres.

“This is 10,000 more acres than in 2017,” Smith said. “An increase of 900,000 acres is reported for the entire United States. A total of 12.6 million acres for the United States was reported in 2017 and 13.5 million acres have been reported for 2018.Pee

Smith said he believes the actual number of cotton acres planted in South Carolina will be more than 260,000 acres.

“I believe acreage is closer to the March intentions of 285,000 acres,” Smith said. “We had a lot of rain during planting and it’s possible that grower surveys reflected fewer acres planted than expected by the first week of June for South Carolina.”

The South Carolina cotton acreage keeps increasing. Mike Jones, Clemson cotton specialist housed at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center, said a total of 250,000 acres of cotton were planted in South Carolina in 2017, up from 190,000 acres of cotton planted in South Carolina in 2016. Better prices for cotton is the main reason cotton acreage in South Carolina is increasing.

County Planning to Expand Starr-Iva Landfill

Anderson County is considering plans to expand the Starr-Iva Landfill which is nearing capacity. The expansion will be paid by new debt service payment of $289,000. The current debt service payment of $358.000 wil be complete this year, so the new funds for expansion could represent some savings. A mulcher/grinder machine for the site is also being considered. The machine would cost approximately $550,000, with an estimated $75,000 per year additional cost to run the new equipment.

Anderson County Solid Waste Director Greg Smith explains:

CDC Warns: Do Not Eat Honey Smacks Cereal

ATLANTA (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a popular Kellogg's cereal has been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has infected 100 people in 33 states.

The CDC announced Thursday that customers should avoid Honey Smacks, tweeting, "Do not eat this cereal." The agency says it found salmonella in samples of Honey Smacks, which has been subject to a voluntary recall by Kellogg since mid-June.

It says that regardless of expiration date, the cereal should be thrown away or returned to a retailer for a refund.

The CDC says at least 30 of the people infected in the outbreak have been hospitalized. It says most people infected with salmonella develop a fever, cramps or diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours of being exposed to the bacteria.