The Daily Populous

Monday August 3rd, 2020 night edition

image for TurboTax intentionally hides its free tax filing service from Google search results

According to a new report, Intuit purposefully stopped Google from surfacing its free tax filing service in search results in an effort to steer all consumers — no matter their income — toward the company’s paid services.

Intuit added code to the robots.txt file on its website that instructed Google to leave TurboTax Free File out of search results.

The Free File service came about as part of an agreement between the IRS and tax software companies, including Intuit and H&R Block.

But clearly, they don’t want that route to have the same SEO as the filing services that are bringing in huge revenues.

The Free File option, meanwhile, is legitimately free for those who qualify.

ProPublica found that H&R Block similarly prevented Google from including its own truly free service in search results.

A bill making its way through Congress would permanently handcuff the IRS and keep it from building out a TurboTax alternative. »

Goethe-Universität — Press releases

Authored by goethe-university-frankfurt.de

With the help of this new development, diseases and their treatment with drugs can be better understood, for example.

“To date, just the isolation of the proteins was often part of a doctorate lasting several years."

The researchers have now succeeded in making proteins directly available for examination using electron cryo-microscopy through a “smart nanosheet". »

It's time to start handing out fines to people who refuse to wear masks

Authored by businessinsider.com

It's the Coronavirus-era protocol we use in our household for returning from errands, jobs, and now, driver ed.

When my son came down from his shower, I asked, "Did everyone wear masks?"

Businesses must require staff and patrons to wear masks or risk having their license suspended, and individuals, with limited exceptions, must wear masks in public or risk a $500 fine. »

Melbourne placed under stage 4 coronavirus lockdown, stage 3 for rest of Victoria as state of disaster declared

Authored by abc.net.au

Sweeping new restrictions, including a night-time curfew, have been imposed across Melbourne under stage four restrictions and regional Victoria will move to stage three restrictions from Thursday.

Seven people have died from coronavirus in Victoria in the last 24 hours, taking the state's death toll to 123.

Melbourne is now under stage four restrictions, while the rest of the state will return to stage three restrictions from Thursday. »