No matter where you live, count on AARP to be your voice in the US on the issues that matter most. Log on to the AARP Webplace for information about health and finance, or advice on voter registration and absentee ballots in your state. Learn more about our long-distance caregiving assistanceprograms and AARP travel discounts in the U.S. and abroad. Staying connected is easy when you've got AARP. Visit www.aarp.org or call +1 202 737-9860.

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The Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Transportation offers an online series of 'Defensive Flying' Tips, handy ways to protect your rights while traveling. See: airconsumer.ost.dot.gov. One example: "Keep checking your fare after you buy your ticket. Fares change all the time and if that **same** fare goes down before you fly, the airline will often refund the difference. But you have to ask."

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And while you are packing for a plane trip, be aware of the Transportation Safety Administration's (TSA) online list: "Can I Take It With me? - Permitted and Prohibited Items" (pdf file). Beware: no meat cleavers, pool cues, cattle prods, brass knuckes or nunchakus on board, although they can be in checked luggage.

The publication notes: "Some personal care items containing aerosol are regulatd as hazardous materials. The FAA regulates hazardous materials (see cas.faa.gov)." ACA has been unable to locate the list of such items: the first reader to find it and send a viable Internet address to ACA will be mentioned in the next News Update!

Note also the fine print which adds: "To ensure everyone's security, the screener may determine that an item not on this chart is prohibited." So if your tweezers are tweaked, or your plastic scissors cut out of your belongings, it is in the name of security for all.

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DEATH of an American citizen abroad should be promptly reported to the nearest consular office. One needs to submit a full version of the local death certificate, the person's most recent U.S. passport (or his/her American birth certificate), the medical certificate from the attending physician, the Social Security Number and information concerning place of burial, last address in the US, and current address.

The consular office will then supply at no cost numerous copies of a "Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad" which can be submitted to U.S. banks, insurance companies, etc. as proof of death.

At the same time, consular officials will notify any agencies supplying federal benefits (Social Security, Veterans Administration, etc.).

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BIRTH of an American citizen abroad should similarly be reported to the nearest consular office. In addition to the form to be filled out, the U.S. citizen parent(s) will have to submit a birth certificate, evidence of the parent(s) U.S. citizenship, their marriage certificate, and proof of termination of any previous marriage(s). The Report of Birth Abroad of an American Citizen (Form FS-240) costs US$ 65, and to obtain the first passport for a minor is an additional US$ 70. U.S. citizen parents should register their children as soon as possible but definitely before the children reach eighteen years of age. A Consular Report of Birth (ROB) cannot be prepared if the child is 18 years old or more at the time the birth is reported. ACA strongly encourages obtaining the Report of Birth as speedily as possible, as it has seen cases of adults whose U.S. citizen parent is no longer available having great difficulty in proving their American nationality. For details of hours or requirements specific to a give consular post, access the list of online embassies and consulates via travel.state.gov

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AND TAXES

JUNE 16 TAX DEADLINE… While the dreaded 15 April 2003 deadline has passed for folks in the US, citizens abroad need to gear up now to file their returns by their extended deadline of 15 June (actually Monday 16 June) this year. Forms can be obtained via consular posts. Remember the necessity of having either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an International Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for each dependent.

VECTA IN PORTUGAL…Following mention of the Volunteer Embassy and Consulate Tax Assistance (VECTA) program in News Update 125, volunteers helping at the Lisbon Embassy proudly pointed out that they not only give advice, but each year actually prepare scores of U.S. tax returns for individuals in Portugal. Hats off to them!

US TAXATION OF RESIDENT AND NON-RESIDENT ALIENS is being reviewed in a series of articles by tax attorney Steven Weiser featured in Siskind's Immigration Bulletin (accessed via www.visalaw.com). The April article, third in the series, deals with investment in U.S. real estate.

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Siskind's Immigration Bulletin (see above) also featured two tales related to Iraqis and U.S. citizenship:

(a) A former U.S. Marine has started an online petition drive to urge Congress to give US citizenship to the Iraqi lawyer who helped U.S. military forces rescue ex-POW Jessica Lynch. The Iraqi man, known only by the name "Mohammad," is said to have risked his life to pass information leading to Lynch's release from captivity. Richard DeMarco's petition can be found online at www.petitiononline.com

(b) An Iraqi woman who was summoned by the White House last month to recount her story of being gassed by Saddam Hussein's troops in 1987 is now facing deportation, according to an 8 April 2003 article published in the Washington Post.

Michael came to the United States in 1997 and applied for asylum. Her application was denied and she filed an appeal. A week after meeting the President, when she received the INS letter, Michael called the officer and learned that her appeal had been rejected by the Board of Immigration Appeals in December. The White House declined to comment.

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This intriguing title actually describes US Social Security benefits from a woman's perspective: (www.socialsecurity.gov) When it is possible to receive Social Security payments because one's spouse starts collecting them; when divorced spouses can qualify for Social Security based on their ex-spouses' record; when widow(ers) are eligible for survivors benefits. Better yet, this online publication is regularly updated.

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ACA has a bad record with its volunteers: we keep losing them to juicy jobs which seem to fall in their laps! Whether this is because those who volunteer for ACA are already particularly qualified, or because ACA work adds a certain sheen, we don't know. In any case, this all-volunteer organization is always on the lookout for additional help, physically located in Geneva or elsewhere. If you would like to develop personally by helping ACA develop, do contact us at: acage@aca.ch

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