Thursday’s business headlines

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Thursday’s business headlines with Jane King.

IRS forgiving $1.2B in late filing fees

The IRS says it will forgive $1.2 billion in late filing fees that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic.

The IRS estimates that some 1.6 million filers of 2019 and 2020 returns will be issued refunds or credits by the end of September for most of the fees that they incurred.

20 million U.S. households behind on utility payments

Soaring electricity prices amid the global energy crunch have led to 20 million American households falling behind on their utility bills.

The National Energy Assistance Directors Asociation says the problem has been exacerbated by both Russia’s war against Ukraine and summer heat waves.

New attack can read all Gmail messages

Google confirms a new attack can read all Gmail messages.

According to Google, an espionage threat group it says is backed by the Iranian government has a new tool that has been used to successfully hack a small number of Gmail user accounts.

It recommends not using weak passwords and implementing two-factor verification on your Google account.

Amazon pulling the plug on telehealth service

Amazon is shuttering its telehealth service, known as Amazon Care.

Amazon Care launched in 2019 as a pilot program for employees in and around the company’s Seattle headquarters.

The e-commerce giant decided to end the program after determining it wasn’t “the right long-term solution for our customers.”

Smartphone sales are down

Smartphone makers report big downturns in smartphone buying, and analysts think it’s because people are holding onto their phones longer.

Nearly every smartphone maker besides Samsung and Apple reported lower smartphone shipments in the second quarter.

But, the market is still high for expensive phones — people still like buying those.