In Thursday’s edition of stories ignored by the top English and Spanish networks, the six of them declined to report that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has admitted that illegal immigrants could apply for back taxes under President Obama’s amnesty plan as well as a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that fracking does not harm drinking water.
While English-language networks ABC, CBS, and NBC plus Spanish-language networks MundoFox, Telemundo, and Univision skipped these reports, the Fox News Channel (FNC) program Special Report with Bret Baier offered news briefs on both subjects during Thursday’s show.
Concerning the IRS’s admission regarding illegal immigrants, host Bret Baier stated the following in the first brief:
The IRS confirms illegal immigrants can collect back taxes under president Obama's amnesty plan. In written responses to Senator Chuck Grassley, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen admitted that illegals granted amnesty will be claim refunds on returns they never filed because of the earned income tax credit.
A Washington Times article added how, under normal circumstances, “[t]axpayers must have Social Security numbers in order to claim the EITC, and illegal immigrants aren't supposed to have numbers.” Under the President’s amnesty, illegal immigrants would be given work permits and then allows them to receive Social Security numbers.
Once that’s done, the Times piece went on to explain that: “IRS lawyers have ruled that once illegal immigrants get numbers, they can go back and refile for up to three previous years' taxes and claim refunds even for time they were working illegally.”
Turning to the other story that failed to receive the light of the day on the networks, the findings of the EPA report struck a blow to the Obama administration and environmental groups when it was released after being requested by Congress. On Special Report, Baier summarized the findings in a 22-second brief:
The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, says fracking does not harm your drinking water. In a draft report released today, the EPA says drilling for oil and natural gas is safe. However, in some cases poorly constructed drilling wells and improper waste management affected drinking water, but the number of those cases, according to the EPA, was small.
Here’s more from a FoxNews.com article:
The report said the agency "did not find evidence" that any process has "led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States."
The agency did say the controversial drilling technique could affect drinking water if safeguards aren't maintained. It found specific instances where poorly constructed drilling wells and improper wastewater management affected drinking water resources.
But the EPA also reported the number of cases was small compared with the large number of wells that use hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking.
The transcript of the news briefs from FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier on June 4 can be found below.
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
June 4, 20156:25 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Illegal Immigrants Can Get Back Taxes]
BRET BAIER: The IRS confirms illegal immigrants can collect back taxes under President Obama's amnesty plan. In written responses to Senator Chuck Grassley, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen admitted that illegals granted amnesty will be claim refunds on returns they never filed because of the earned income tax credit.
(....)
6:35 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: EPA: Water Not Affected by Fracking]
BRET BAIER: The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, says fracking does not harm your drinking water. In a draft report released today, the EPA says drilling for oil and natural gas is safe. However, in some cases poorly constructed drilling wells and improper waste management affected drinking water, but the number of those cases, according to the EPA, was small.
