By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN

(CNN) — If you’re riding the caboose when it comes to filing your income taxes, you have one more week to make the April 15 deadline – or at least request an automatic six-month filing extension and pay whatever else you owe for 2025.

Here are some last-minute dos and don’ts to make sure you avoid hitting any snags along the way.

General-use AI is not your tax friend

The IRS and tax pros use AI. Tax prep software providers use AI. So, you wonder, “Why not me?”

Several reasons, according to former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

Werfel, who oversaw the IRS’ early use of AI to improve taxpayer service and compliance, appreciates the tool’s promise in the tax arena.

But he’s raising red flags for DIY taxpayers who plan to lean on – or have already relied on – free, general-use AI platforms to field personal tax questions and help prepare their returns.

“Beware the generic solutions,” said Werfel, who is now a strategic advisory board member at management consulting firm Alliant.

For starters, unlike AI programs designed for tax purposes, general-use platforms (e.g., Chat GPT, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot) have not been engineered, trained and tested for tax compliance and accuracy, especially for the more detailed, specific questions you may have due to the new tax law from last July that created a slew of new tax breaks for individuals. Even tax pros are taking it slow as they try to apply the complex rules governing who is eligible to claim them and how much of their income is now deductible.

The quality of the information you get from a general-use platform also depends on the quality of your prompts. If you don’t have any informed sense of what you’re asking about (and no one can blame you if you don’t), you’re less likely to put in useful prompts, which could result in confusing, incomplete or incorrect information. As enrolled agent Tom O’Saben put it in a press call, “I use AI tools every day. But I have an idea of where we want to go.”

The personal financial details you input are also less secure. “You’re handing over your most sensitive information to a platform where you have very limited understanding or assurances … in term of how your data will be used,” Werfel said.

And, he added, AI-assisted returns may be automatically flagged by the returns processing system at the federal or state level, which may take your return out of the fast-track lane and set it aside for human review. That can mean a real lag in getting your refund or just getting closure on issues your return raises for the tax agencies.

“If you think, ‘I’m just going to use Chat GPT,’ you’re taking a big risk that you’re going to be moved into the slow lane,” Werfel said.

Have last-minute questions or need help filing for free?

You might get the information you need by using the IRS’ Interactive Tax Assistant.

Or if you’re a low-income filer who is at least 60 years old, you can get free tax and filing assistance at a VITA site (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly) or by calling 800-906-9887. AARP also offers free tax assistance.

Members of the military may get free help with filing and tax questions through MilTax.

Avoid grat

By Jack Hannah, CNN

(CNN) — “I’m really select with people … red carpet motherf**kers.”

For years, Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” ran what prosecutors say in a sentencing memo was a “high volume drug trafficking business out of her North Hollywood residence.” She marketed herself, prosecutors say, as a dealer who sold exclusively to A-list clientele.

The lifestyle had its benefits. Prosecutors say Sangha had a privileged background yet chose to deal drugs “not because of financial deprivation, but for greed, glamor and access.”

That all changed on October 28, 2023 when “Friends” star Matthew Perry was found floating face down in his hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.

The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office listed the cause of death as “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequent drowning.

Sangha and four others were charged in August 2024 in connection with Perry’s death.

A year later, Sangha agreed to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including providing the ketamine that led to Perry’s death. Her plea follows the path of the other four defendants who struck a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

‘We will hold drug-dealers accountable’

Shortly after Sangha’s indictment, then-US Attorney for the Central District of California, E. Martin Estrada, told reporters “Defendants nowadays are on full notice that the products they sell could result in the death of another person. Therefore, if you’re in the drug business and despite these risks, you continue in the drug business, you are pushed by greed to gamble with other people’s lives, be advised, we will hold you accountable.”

Perry’s case draws parallels to the drug-related death of Mac Miller in September of 2018. The rapper died after an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol.

Major league pitcher Tyler Skaggs died with high levels of opioids in his system in 2019. Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in 2014 with a syringe in his arm and a lethal combination of heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamine in his system.

In each of these celebrity deaths, those who were alleged to have supplied illegal substances were arrested. Not all of them were convicted.

Legal experts say the emphasis on higher-profile cases and related prosecutions can play a crucial role in deterring illegal drug activities.

“The emphasis on high-profile cases largely stems from the visibility they bring to the issue, helping to shed light on the broader implications of the drug crisis,” Andrew Pickett, a lead trial attorney based in Melbourne, Florida, told CNN in August 2024.

“They serve as a warning to both practitioners operating on the fringes of legality and those facilitating substance abuse,” Pickett said.

The rise of drug-related deaths has forced law enforcement and prosecutors around the country to adjust tactics by dedicating more personnel to aggressively target traffickers and dealers.

Even the death of a customer i

Por Jessie Yeung, CNN

Tras un mes y medio de escalada del conflicto en Medio Oriente, Estados Unidos e Irán acordaron este martes un alto el fuego de dos semanas, menos de dos horas antes de la fecha límite fijada por el presidente Donald Trump, que había prometido aniquilar a “toda una civilización”.

Esa amenaza, que según los críticos podría constituir un crimen de guerra de llevarse a cabo, parece haber sido evitada por ahora en el último momento.

Sin embargo, persiste una profunda división entre ambos países, que presentaron la tregua temporal como una victoria propia.

El alto el fuego es un punto de partida para futuras negociaciones, y queda por ver qué términos finales podrían incluirse en una propuesta para poner fin definitivamente a una guerra que ha trastocado Medio Oriente y ha provocado una histórica crisis mundial del petróleo.

Esto es lo que sabemos.

Trump anunció el alto el fuego en una publicación de Truth Social, diciendo que se había acordado con la condición de que Irán aceptara reabrir el crucial estrecho de Ormuz, por donde fluye una quinta parte del petróleo mundial.

El cese el fuego fue mediado por el primer ministro y el jefe militar de Pakistán, afirmó. Irán presentó una propuesta de 10 puntos, que Estados Unidos considera “una base viable para negociar”, añadió Trump.

Según indicó, las próximas dos semanas permitirán redactar un acuerdo definitivo.

En una entrevista con la agencia de noticias AFP el martes, Trump describió el acuerdo como una “victoria total y completa”. Sin embargo, no quiso decir si cumpliría sus amenazas previas de destruir la infraestructura civil de Irán si Teherán incumplía el acuerdo, limitándose a decir: “Ya lo verán”.

Y en una publicación posterior en Truth Social, pasada la medianoche, Trump indicó que Estados Unidos estaría “ayudando con la gestión del tráfico en el estrecho de Ormuz”, y agregó: “Se ganará mucho dinero”.

Fuentes estadounidenses informaron a CNN que la administración Trump se está preparando para posibles negociaciones presenciales, probablemente en Islamabad, donde el primer ministro de Pakistán ha invitado a ambas partes a enviar delegaciones.

Israel forma parte del alto el fuego y también suspenderá los bombardeos contra Irán, según informó la oficina del primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu.

Pero también afirmó que Líbano no forma parte del cese, contradiciendo al primer ministro de Pakistán, quien aseguró que sí.

Trump no mencionó a Líbano en su declaración.

El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Irán, Abbas Araghchi, afirmó que si cesan los ataques contra Irán, las operaciones iraníes también cesarán.

Las fuerzas militares del país persa coordinarán el paso seguro a través del estrecho de Ormuz durante el alto el fuego, agregó en una publicación en X.

La agencia de noticias semioficial iraní Tasnim informó que Irán y Omán planean cobrar tasas de tránsito a los buques que atraviesen el estrecho durante el alto el fuego, y que los fondos recaudados se destinarán a la reconstrucción. CNN solicitó comentarios al Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Omán.

El Consejo Supremo de Seguridad Nacional de Irán, el máximo órgano de seguridad del país, emitió un comunicado más contundente, afirmando que había obligado a Estados Unidos a aceptar su plan de 10 puntos. Describió el alto el fuego como una “derrota definitiva” para Washington.

También hizo referencia a posibles conversaciones en Islamabad, advirtiendo que “si el enemigo comete el más mínimo error, se le responderá con toda la fuerza”.

Araghchi afir

SANTA BARBARA, Calif (KEYT) Bees are back inside a Pepper Tree in front of Santa Barbara City Hall 

The crew from Super Bee Rescue and Removal spent the day trying to remove them.

They say the tree, near the city hall steps is hallow and has plenty of room for bees.

Recent rain has increased their calls for service.

They hope to encourage the bees to  find a new place to live.

For more information visit https://superbeerescue.com

The post Super Bee crew treats City Hall Pepper Tree appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Taylor Romine, Chris Boyette, Martin Goillandeau, CNN

(CNN) — Authorities in the Bahamas have moved to a recovery operation in their search for an American woman who reportedly fell overboard during a boat trip with her husband Saturday night, local police said.

Lynette Hooker, 55, and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, both US nationals from Michigan, were on a small dinghy when Lynette fell off the boat during turbulent weather, according to Brian’s account shared by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Local authorities and the US Coast Guard scoured the bay near the incident in search of Lynette, but have now moved to a recovery operation, according to Richard Cook, fire team lead with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue.

As authorities continue their search, Lynette’s family have called for an investigation into her disappearance as they work to get more information from local authorities.

As the search for Lynette enters its fourth day, here is what we know.

Lynette fell off the dinghy during strong currents, husband says

On Saturday night, the couple left Hope Town and were headed to Elbow Cay in a small, 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy, Brian told the Royal Bahamas Police Force, according to a news release from the agency. They were making their way back to their yacht, “Soulmate,” Cook said.

Lynette fell out of the boat while they were on the dinghy, Brian told police. Cook added Brian said she “bounced” out of the boat during strong currents and was not wearing a personal flotation device.

“Strong currents subsequently carried her away,” and “he lost sight of her,” Brian told police. Lynette was wearing the keys, also known as an engine safety lanyard, when she fell off the dinghy, which made the boat lose power, so he tried to paddle to shore, according to his account shared by police.

The last time Brian said he saw Lynette, she was swimming toward the shore, Cook said.

Brain said he tried to row to shore, but the winds made it difficult, he added.

The dinghy drifted toward Marsh Harbour, where it ultimately was beached, and Brian “traversed through the bush till he made it to Marsh Harbour Boat yards where he made contact with the local Police,” Cook said.

Brian arrived in the boat yard around 4 a.m. Sunday, where he notified someone about his missing wife, who was able to reach police, police said.

Multiple agencies search for Lynette Hooker

Once police were notified about Lynette’s disappearance, their agency, along with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, started searching the area.

The Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue was notified at 5:12 a.m. and “searched extensively for 6 hours” but wasn’t able to find her, Cook said. The US Coast Guard also conducted a search by air, a spokesperson told CNN.

Royal Bahamas Police Force said Tuesday that authorities are continuing the search, which has “spanned marine, land, and aerial areas, with additional support from drone technology and professional divers.”

The US State Department told CNN it is “aware of reports regarding a missing American near Elbow Cay” and is “working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance,” an agency spokesperson said.

The State Department advises travelers to exercise increased caution in the Bahamas, which is listed under a level 2 travel advisory. “Boating is not well regulated. Injuries and deaths have occurred,” it said in a March 2025 advisory.

Family calls for an investigation into mother’s disappearance

As authorities continue searching for Lynette, he