Brazil’s Lula sanctions an increase in tax exemptions for low-income people

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silvaon Wednesday sanctioned a bill that exempts people earning up to 5,000 reais ($940) a month from income taxes, more than doubling the current exemption and meeting a key priority of his 2022 election campaign.

"A promise made, a promise kept," Lula said on X on Wednesday.

The measure, which will come into effect next year, also establishes tax discounts for incomes up to 7,350 reais ($1400).

Some 15 millionBrazilianswill benefit from the new law, according to the presidential palace. Approximately 10 million will no longer pay income tax, while 5 million will benefit from a reduction.

To offset the loss of state revenue, the government will introduce a minimum effective tax rate for high-income individuals.

The new minimum effective tax would apply to people who earn over 600,000 reais (approximately $113,000) a year, ramping up from zero to 10% for those who earn over 1,200,000 reais (some $226,000) annually.

The new legislation will target some 140,000 wealthy individuals in the country, who on average currently pay an effective tax rate of 2.5%, according to Brazil's Finance Ministry.

Some 90% of the country's population earned less than 4040 reais ($750) in 2024, when considering household income per capita, according to Brazil's national statistics agency IGBE.

The billpassed the Houseand the Senate unanimously, reflecting the broad public support for the tax exemption.

The adoption of the bill is a political victory for Lula,who will runfor a fourth term next year.

Both Lula and Bolsonaro pledged to at least double the income tax exemption during the hotly contested 2022 election, whichLula narrowly won. Bolsonaro had also committed to the reform when campaigning in 2018, to no avail.

Lula had been facingplummeting popularity, but he recovered asan unintended effectof U.S. President Donald Trump's politically-motivated50% tariffon a range of Brazilian imports. The U.S. has since revoked many of those tariffs.

byNeo

in

November 26, 2025

Brazil’s Lula sanctions an increase in tax exemptions for low-income people

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silvaon Wednesday sanctioned a bill that exempts people earn...

Read More

Hong Kong high-rise blaze kills at least 13, injures dozens of others

At least 13 people are dead and dozens more injured after a fire ripped through a high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district early Wednesday.

The blaze broke out at a housing estate in the New Territories, injuring at least 33 people and forcing the evacuation of some 700 residents. Authorities said the building was undergoing renovations at the time, with bamboo scaffolding and green mesh covering its exterior.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT |Hong Kong's baby pandas finally have names. Meet Jia Jia and De De

Video captured by eyewitnesses showed flames spreading rapidly along the scaffolding. Officials said firefighters were still working to contain the blaze Wednesday morning, and it was unclear if anyone remained trapped inside.

Authorities have not been able to conduct a full floor-by-floor search. Local media reported that some relatives are struggling to contact loved ones who lived in the complex, which contains roughly 1,900 apartments and houses more than 4,000 residents.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. According to the Associated Press, the dead included a 37-year-old firefighter, while another received treatment for heat exhaustion.

byNeo

in

November 26, 2025

Hong Kong high-rise blaze kills at least 13, injures dozens of others

At least 13 people are dead and dozens more injured after a fire ripped through a high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kon...

Read More

Woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arrested by ICE

A woman with family relations to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is in ICE custody after being arrested earlier this month near Boston.

Bruna Caroline Ferreira, a Brazilian native and the mother of Leavitt's nephew, was arrested near Boston on November 12, her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, told CNN.

Leavitt's nephew has lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father, Leavitt's brother Michael, since he was born, a source familiar with the situation told CNN. Ferreira and the White House press secretary have not spoken in many years, the source said.

A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security told CNN Ferreira was in the US illegally after overstaying a tourist visa that required her to leave the country in June 1999. Ferreira is "a criminal illegal alien from Brazil" with "a previous arrest for battery" and is currently in removal proceedings, the spokesperson said.

Pomerleau said the DHS statement is inaccurate. "We dispute that she has any criminal record. She is not a 'criminal illegal alien,'" he told CNN Wednesday.

Ferreira's attorney said she was a former recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which grants temporary protection from deportation for those brought to the US as children.

She was unable to renew her status a few years ago during President Donald Trump'sefforts to end the programduring his first administration, but is currently in the middle of a "lawful immigration process" for US citizenship, Pomerleau said.

Ferreira was arrested while driving to pick up her son from New Hampshire, Pomerleau told CNN. Ferreira and Michael Leavitt were previously engaged and have joint custody over their 11-year-old son, Pomerleau said.

Ferreira is being detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, said Pomerleau. Thefacilityis about 80 miles from Baton Rouge and more than 1,500 miles from where Ferreira was arrested.

Michael Leavitt toldCNN affiliate WMURFerreira has maintained a relationship with their son, but the boy has not spoken to her since her detention. He described the situation as difficult and said he just wants the best for his son.

AGoFundMe page,verified by Ferreira's lawyer, has been created by her sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, for legal fees and expenses. As of Wednesday morning, more than $15,000 has been raised.

"Bruna was brought to the United States by our parents in December of 1998, when she was just a child … Since then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here," Ferreira's sister wrote in the GoFundMe campaign. She said Ferreira has "maintained her legal status through DACA."

Trump tried to end DACA during his first term, but the Supreme Court ruled his administration had not taken the proper steps to do so. Some DACA recipients have beenamong those arrestedin the administration's current sweeping immigration enforcement.

In a recent statement to theAssociated Press, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said those with status under the Obama-era program "are not automatically protected from deportations," adding, "DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country."

CNN's Aaron Eggleston contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byNeo

in

November 26, 2025

Woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arrested by ICE

A woman with family relations to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is in ICE custody after being arrested earlier this month nea...

Read More

10 TV Shows That Served Up Unforgettable Thanksgiving Episodes

Comedy Central UK/YouTube; Friends/YouTube

There's something about spending the holidays with your favorite sitcoms just that feels like home.

Over the years, we've fallen in love with fictional clans— from blood-bonded broods to found families and everything in between. The bond these groups shared over the holidays helped give us perspective on what was going on around our own tables each year.

From heartwarming to hilarious, these are some of the shows that have been recognized by fans for having unforgettable Thanksgiving episodes.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

WKRP in Cincinatti

WKRP in Cincinattidelivered so many side-splitting moments in its run. The Thanksgiving episode, "Turkeys Away," is regarded as not only the show's funniest take on the holiday, but one of the funniest in sitcom history.

Interested in changing things up, the station hosts a holiday promotion that would catch listeners' attention. Les Nessman's on-air reporting from the scene goes from a chipper holiday piece to complete chaos as the helicopter flying overhead with the station's holiday message to the city begins dropping turkeys down on the crowd below, as the rest of the horrified gang listens from inside the station.

Friends

Friendsdelivered some unforgettable holiday episodes over the years, but Thanksgiving has always been where the cast thrived. While the gang's holiday football game was good and no one will ever forget Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) infamous savory-sweet trifle, many fans gravitate toward season five, episode eight, "The One with All the Thanksgivings."

Monica's earnest apology after dropping a knife on Chandler's foot leaves an image burned in viewers' minds — with the turkey head dance, which led Chandler to blurt out, "I love you," adding another sweet moment to the couple's arc.

Cheers

Cheersdelivered a Thanksgiving food fight for the ages, proving chosen family can be just as complicated as the one you're born into. The gang shows up for a potluck dinner in Carla's, only to discover the turkey has hours to go and football can't quite distract from Diane's pilgrim getup.

The food-fight scene ended up being one of the show's most beloved,

The Bob Newhart Show

The Bob Newhart Show's second Thanksgiving episode, ""Over the River and Through the Woods," provides one of the series' most hilarious moments. With Bob deciding to stay back from family celebrations to help a patient out, the day takes a turn when some more friends join in and they start imbibing.

Roseanne

Roseanne's Thanksgiving episodes come in just behind the show's Halloween episodes as an example of how holiday greatness unfolds on TV.

The first Thanksgiving episode, season two's "We Gather Together," exemplifies the different pains that come with a family Thanksgiving. From a nosey, judgy mom to a tired host up at dawn cooking to the guest who knows they'll be the butt of all the jokes, it brings family drama to a real and relatable place.

Mad About You

WhileMad About Youhas two great Thanksgiving episodes, the Buchmans' first time hosting Thanksgiving for their picky and particular family and friends easily takes the cake. After trying to navigate everyone's requests and suggestions while keeping it their own, they're finally ready to serve dinner, only to discover their dog, Murray, beat them to it, devouring half the turkey left on the counter.

The journey to getting a replacement turkey without tipping off their guests leads to pure insanity unfolding behind the scenes.

King of Queens

Season one's "Supermarket Story" proves thatThe King of Queenscaptures the everyday struggle. Anyone who has been in a supermarket just before Thanksgiving can identify with the chaos that meets Doug and Carrie in their mad dash to prepare for the big holiday.

Everybody Loves Raymond

Everybody Loves Raymond's eight Thanksgiving episodes delivered the kind of family hijinks that truly made you feel at home. Arguably the best is season eight's "The Bird," which sees the Barrones take the show on the road as they all travel to Pennsylvania to celebrate Thanksgiving with Amy's parents.

The addition of the mild-mannered MacDougalls, who find themselves at odds with the Barrones when a bird flies into their house and they feel the best way to handle it is a mercy kill, which shocks the Long Islanders.

New Girl

It's every amateur cook's nightmare to discover their turkey is still frozen on Thanksgiving Day, but that's just what happens to Jess as she tries to offer up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to impress her crush, Paul.

With help (or something like it) from Nick, Schmidt and Winston, the season one classic episode helps highlight each character's personality and still brings a great holiday story about embracing the friends that become family.

Gossip Girl

There was nothing quite like a Thanksgiving on the Upper East Side, where drama was as much a staple at the dinner table as mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving episodes became a poignant point of every season of the show, but none were quite like the iconic Thanksgiving dinner scene from season three, episode 11, where Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say" plays as one by one, the gang exposes each other's deepest, darkest secrets, leaving it all on the table.

Read the original article onPeople

byNeo

in

November 26, 2025

10 TV Shows That Served Up Unforgettable Thanksgiving Episodes

Comedy Central UK/YouTube; Friends/YouTube There's something about spending the holidays with your favorite sitcoms just that feels li...

Read More