Taxes due: Beginning today, Louisiana state income taxpayers will see a difference in the amount of taxes withheld from their paychecks. The Louisiana Department of Revenue has updated state income tax withholding tables to account for changes in the federal tax code passed by Congress in December. Employers are responsible for ensuring that the correct amount of state income taxes are withheld from employee paychecks. Read more.
Flu season: The flu vaccine is doing a poor job protecting older Americans and others against the bug that’s causing most illnesses. Preliminary figures released Thursday suggest the vaccine is 36% effective overall in preventing flu illness severe enough to send a patient to the doctor’s office. There’s only been one other time in the last decade when the flu vaccine did a worse job. Most illnesses this winter have been caused by a nasty kind of flu called Type A H3N2. The vaccine was only 25% effective against that type. Read more.
Tarnished surface: Apple’s just-released $349 internet-connected speaker, dubbed the HomePod, reportedly leaves a white ring on the surfaces of wooden furniture. In an explanation posted this week, Apple says the problem occurs because the speaker has a silicon base to minimize vibration. The marks will often “go away” after a few days if you move the speaker somewhere else, the company says. If not, Apple suggests wiping wood tarnished by the speaker with a soft or damp cloth, or cleaning the surface “with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process.” Read more.
