IRS ends ties with ACORN

IRS ends ties with ACORN

WASHINGTON — The IRS severed ties with ACORN on Wednesday, joining a growing list of government agencies to end relationships with the community activist group.

The Internal Revenue Service said it would no longer include ACORN in its volunteer tax- assistance program. The program offered free tax advice to about 3 million low- and moderate- income tax filers this spring. ACORN provided help on about 25,000 returns, the IRS said.

Vets’ vision loss prompts calls for state probe

SAN FRANCISCO — A Veterans Affairs probe that found eight veterans suffered potentially preventable vision loss while under the care of optometrists at a Northern California VA facility is prompting medical groups to call for a state investigation.

The groups sent a petition Wednesday to the California Department of Consumer Affairs seeking an evaluation of the care received by the veterans at VA Palo Alto. The patients had glaucoma, a class of eye diseases that can lead to blindness.

The California Medical Association, California Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons and American Glaucoma Society want the state to suspend a new state law set to take effect in January that would expand optometrists’ ability to care for glaucoma patients.

FBI investigates hanging death of Census worker

MANCHESTER, Ky. — A U.S. Census worker found hanged from a tree near a Kentucky cemetery had the word “fed” scrawled on his chest, a law-enforcement official said Wednesday, and the FBI is investigating whether he was a victim of anti-government sentiment.

Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old part-time Census field worker and teacher, was found Sept. 12 in a remote patch of the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. The law-enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and requested anonymity, did not say what type of instrument was used to write “fed” on his chest.

The Census Bureau has suspended door-to-door interviews in rural Clay County, where the body was found, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Governor to make choice

BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick plans to announce his choice for an interim appointment to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy today.

Patrick’s office says the governor will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. at the Statehouse.

On Wednesday, lawmakers gave the governor the power to appoint an interim replacement. They had taken that power from Republican Gov. Mitt Romney five years ago.

Kennedy’s sons, Edward Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, have urged Patrick to tap former Democratic party chairman Paul Kirk. Kirk is a longtime friend of the Kennedy family and is chairman of the JFK Library Foundation.

Overdraft fees reduced

MINNEAPOLIS — For millions of consumers, the cost of overdrawing a checking account is about to become a little less painful.

Facing harsh criticism for raising fees amid a severe recession, and with congressional legislation looming, several of the nation’s largest banks — including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America — plan to stop charging consumers fees of $25 or more when they overdraw their accounts by small dollar amounts. In addition, the banks said they will reduce the number of times customers can get hit with overdraft fees in a single day.

The moves mark the first time in decades that the nation’s large banks have taken steps to reduce overdraft fees, which generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue each year.

Australian dust storm lifts

SYDNEY — Millions of Australians were wiping a film of reddish Outback grit from nearly everything today after the country’s worst dust storm in seven decades played havoc with transport systems and sent asthmatics scurrying inside.

The country’s largest airport said it hoped to resume normal flight schedules today, a day after the dust cloud caused almost 20 international flights to be diverted away from Sydney and threw domestic schedules into turmoil.

Skies over eastern Australia were mostly clear and blue, and New South Wales state health officials said they expected air pollution to drop to normal safe levels after reaching record highs the day before.

The dust storm Wednesday had shrouded Sydney and surrounding areas for about eight hours, blotting out landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge and even reaching underground to coat subway stations.

Combined dispatches