Tax Day, Hong Kong Disneyland shuts down, Peacock launches: 5 things to know Wednesday

Editors, USA TODAY
·4 min read

It's July 15 and it's really time to file your taxes now

This time it's for real: Wednesday is the deadline to file your 2019 federal tax return. Earlier this year, the IRS postponed the tax-filing deadline from April 15 due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. As of mid-June, millions of Americans still had not filed their return, due to a variety of difficulties, including lack of access to tax preparers, job loss, and caring for sick family members. If you still haven't gotten your act together, you can file for an extension. But there's a catch: Even though an extension gives you until Oct. 15 to file, you'll still have to pay any owed taxes by July 15 or face penalties.

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts:

Segway ends production of its namesake vehicle

Segway, which boldly claimed its two-wheeled personal transporter would revolutionize the way people get around, is ending production of its namesake vehicle on Wednesday after 21 years in the business. The Segway PT was popular with tourists and police officers but perhaps better known for its high-profile crashes – which might have been why it accounted for less than 1.5% of the company’s revenue last year. The Segway’s original price tag of around $5,000 was a hurdle for many customers. They were banned in some cities because users could easily lose control if they were not balanced properly.

Hong Kong Disneyland hits rewind on reopening

Hong Kong Disneyland will shut down again on Wednesday because of an uptick in coronavirus cases, less than a month after it reopened. Hong Kong's Department of Health has reported a spike in coronavirus cases in recent days.The department reported 48 more cases on Monday for a total of 1,570 cases as of Tuesday. Across the world, Orange County, Florida — home to Walt Disney World — is also experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases. However, Disney World still reopened on Saturday.

NBC's parent joins streaming wars with free Peacock

When NBCUniversal parent Comcast on Wednesday launches its new Peacock streaming service, it's hoping to attract viewers with its compelling price point: $0.00.Peacock boasts thousands of hours of programming, and a "premium" tier ($4.99 monthly) offers even more – but both include commercials. You can avoid the ads by paying an extra $5 per month. Peacock chairman Matt Strauss says the idea is to appeal to viewers' sense of "subscription fatigue" from other paid services. In addition to NBC shows such as Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" and "Chicago" franchises, Peacock will include news and sports, two genres not available on many streaming services.

NASCAR debuts 'choose rule' for All-Star Race — 30K fans allowed to attend

NASCAR is gearing up for its All-Star Race on Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the annual event is likely to attract more attention than usual. NASCAR is allowing up to 30,000 fans at the track. It will be the biggest sports crowd in the country since the coronavirus pandemic called a screeching halt to practically all organized sports events in March. The exhibition event with $1 million on the line for the winner will also introduce the Cup Series to the "choose rule," also known sometimes as the "choose cone rule," which will allow each driver to select the lane they want to restart from and adds more strategy to the mix.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tax deadline, coronavirus pandemic: 5 things to know Wednesday