AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

— (AP) — State and local governments will soon gain new flexibility to spend billions of federal coronavirus relief dollars on things not directly related to the pandemic, including new roads and bridges and aid to people affected by wildfires, floods and other natural disasters. The broadened spending authority for the previously approved pandemic aid was one of many of provisions wrapped into a recently enacted $1.7 trillion spending bill for the federal government's 2023 budget year. The greater flexibility will primarily benefit larger governments that received more than $10 million under the American Rescue Plan. States, territories and the District of Columbia had budgeted 71% of their federal pandemic relief allotments as of Sept. 30, according to an Associated Press analysis of data available through the Treasury Department. Governments have until the end of 2024 to obligate the federal pandemic relief funds for projects and until the end of 2026 to spend it.

— (AP) — State and local governments will soon gain new flexibility to spend billions of federal coronavirus relief dollars on things not directly related to the pandemic, including new roads and bridges and aid to people affected by wildfires, floods and other natural disasters. The broadened spending authority for the previously approved pandemic aid was one of many of provisions wrapped into a recently enacted $1.7 trillion spending bill for the federal government's 2023 budget year. The greater flexibility will primarily benefit larger governments that received more than $10 million under the American Rescue Plan. States, territories and the District of Columbia had budgeted 71% of their federal pandemic relief allotments as of Sept. 30, according to an Associated Press analysis of data available through the Treasury Department. Governments have until the end of 2024 to obligate the federal pandemic relief funds for projects and until the end of 2026 to spend it.

President Biden is announcing the release of nearly $36 billion to stop severe cuts to the retirement incomes of more than 350,000 Teamsters workers and retirees.

Many union retirement plans have been under financial pressure because of underfunding and other issues. Biden traveled to Ohio in July to highlight the final rules for the pension relief program. Before Thursday, the program had awarded aid to 36 troubled pension plans, but none of those had received more than about $1.2 billion. The amount going to the Central States Pension Fund represents somewhere between one-third and one-half of the total estimated cost of the federal aid program. The retirement plan has participants in almost every state, with the largest concentration in the Midwest.

President Joe Biden's administration is providing nearly $36 billion to shore up a financially troubled union pension plan.

President Joe Biden on Thursday is announcing the infusion of nearly $36 billion to shore up a financially troubled union pension plan, preventing severe cuts to the retirement incomes of more than 350,000 Teamster workers and retirees across the United States. The money for the Central States Pension Fund is the largest amount of federal aid provided for a pension plan, the Biden administration said, and comes from the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that he signed into law in 2021. Many union retirement plans have been under financial pressure because of underfunding and other issues.

The new Volusia Family Resource center is officially open in Daytona Beach.

Our economic crisis isn’t inflation, it’s corporate greed which is at a 70-year high and oil companies are buying back their stock, not lowering prices.

The EPA said it would use millions in funding from two of President Biden's major spending bills to monitor air quality in 37 states around the country.

The U.S. budget deficit was sliced in half for fiscal 2022, the biggest drop in history following two years of huge Covid-related spending.

Individuals and families could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table by not claiming 2021 tax credits. Here's how to get started.

GetCTC.org will let those who typically don't file tax returns claim the child tax and earned income tax credits and third stimulus checks, through Nov. 15.

This November, Americans have a choice between mainstream and MAGA. The difference between Democrats and Republicans couldn't be more clear.

Relatively little of the federal aid has gone toward traditional public health purposes, according to an Associated Press review of reports filed by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Significantly more has gone toward public infrastructure. Though public health has historically been underfunded, "a lot of health officials have struggled to get their policymakers and their bosses to commit to hiring people for the long-term because it's one-time money," said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. Some states reported no public health expenditures with their discretionary American Rescue Plan funds. Louisiana also listed no planned expenditures in the Treasury's public health category.

Inflation hawks who want to help the poor must recognize that in a polarized America, progress depends on seizing political opportunity when it comes.

The state’s budget dedicated about $12 million to the relocation campaign, which saw Florida send two planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday

President Joe Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo are announcing $1 billion in federal grants for manufacturing, clean energy, farming, biotech and more.

Borrowers who will benefit from student loan forgiveness won't need to worry about getting hit with a federal tax bill. But they may see other tax consequences.

"The dollars are there to make sure that we can open up our schools with sufficient educators," the education secretary said.

Period,” said Dave Lorenz, chairman of the National Council of State Tourism Directors and the Michigan travel director. That corresponds with a similar increase in state tourism office budgets, which have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the federal aid. Those tourism projects include $425,000 in Portland to replace 200 trash cans with ones that have larger openings and harder-to-deface surfaces made of such things as metal slats or wire mesh. Of that, $40 million was categorized as tourism aid in a 2021 year-end report submitted to the Treasury Department. Other states also have used the federal aid to try to draw visitors to their parks, shopping areas, restaurants and resorts.

Period,” said Dave Lorenz, chairman of the National Council of State Tourism Directors and the Michigan travel director. That corresponds with a similar increase in state tourism office budgets, which have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the federal aid. Those tourism projects include $425,000 in Portland to replace 200 trash cans with ones that have larger openings and harder-to-deface surfaces made of such things as metal slats or wire mesh. Of that, $40 million was categorized as tourism aid in a 2021 year-end report submitted to the Treasury Department. Other states also have used the federal aid to try to draw visitors to their parks, shopping areas, restaurants and resorts.

Hundreds of tourism projects nationwide are collectively getting about $2.4 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding.

Given the failures of previous Covid relief, the case for the government sending money to Americans has never been weaker.

In a White House ceremony, the president is scheduled to award the Medal of Honor to four soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War.

White House gets it wrong on unemployment level when Joe Biden took office

The Biden administration officials have been warning for weeks that the country has spent nearly all the money approved for COVID-19 response.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden’s administration announced steps Monday to ease a nationwide shortage of baby formula, including reopening the largest domestic manufacturing plant and increasing imports from overseas. Even before the latest change FDA officials said imports of baby formula are already up more than 300% from last year. Monday's announcement was previewed last week by the White House, which has been leaning on the FDA and formula makers to quickly find ways to alleviate the shortage. Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from the Michigan plant. But traditionally, 98% of the infant formula supply in the U.S. is made domestically.

The deal, which must be reviewed by a federal judge, amounts to a legally binding agreement between the FDA and the company on steps needed to reopen the factory. Abbott’s plant came under scrutiny in January when the FDA began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. On Monday, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told ABC News that an announcement was forthcoming about importing baby formula from abroad. But traditionally, 98% of the infant formula supply in the U.S. is made domestically. San Diego father Steven Hyde has faced heart-wrenching challenges finding formula for his medical fragile daughter, who was on an Abbott formula but has had to switch with the recall and subsequent shortages in other brands.

The consent decree amounts to a legally binding agreement between the FDA and the company on steps needed to reopen the factory. Abbott’s plant came under scrutiny early this year after the FDA began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. On Monday, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told ABC News that an announcement was forthcoming about importing baby formula from abroad. But traditionally, 98% of the infant formula supply in the U.S. is made domestically. San Diego father Steven Davis has faced heart-wrenching challenges finding formula for his medical fragile daughter, who was on an Abbott formula but has had to switch with the recall and subsequent shortages in other brands.

Abbott did not immediately detail the terms of the agreement reached with the Food and Drug Administration, which has been investigating safety problems at the Sturgis, Michigan, facility. After production resumes, Abbott has said it will take at least eight weeks to begin shipping new product to stores. Abbott’s plant came under scrutiny earlier this year after four infants became sick with bacterial infections after consuming powdered formula from the Michigan factory. Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from the Michigan plant. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reported last month that a whistleblower had contacted the FDA in October about unsafe conditions and practices at the plant, including falsifying plant records and failing to properly test formula for contamination.

Over the weekend, the White House offered formula manufacturers and retailers transportation and logistics support, and working with all major formula producers to boost production, including reaching out to their suppliers to encourage them to prioritize production and delivery of formula ingredients. Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from the Michigan plant. Former FDA officials say fixing the type of problems uncovered at Abbott’s plant takes time, and infant formula facilities receive more scrutiny than other food facilities. Even if the facility reopens soon, the FDA will still face scrutiny for its handling of the issues at the plant. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reported last month that a whistleblower had contacted the FDA in October about unsafe conditions and practices at the plant, including falsifying plant records and failing to properly test formula for contamination.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden is offering formula manufacturers and retailers transportation and logistics support to ease the nationwide shortage of baby formula, as the administration works to bring the largest domestic plant back on line after it was shut down early this year due to safety issues. It comes as the Biden administration has come under intense pressure over the last week to do more to ease the shortage of formula that has forced parents of infants to go to significant lengths to feed their children. The shortage stems from a February recall by Abbott, the nation’s largest formula maker, that shuttered the company’s Michigan plant and exacerbated ongoing supply chain disruptions among formula makers, leaving fewer options on stores shelves across much of the country. The FDA warned families against making their own baby formula because it has 30 distinct constituents that have to be in the right amount, otherwise the formula can possibly be dangerous to consume. Abbott’s voluntary recall was triggered by four illnesses reported in babies who had consumed powdered formula from the Michigan plant.

Biden President Joe Biden calls on reporters for questions after speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday, May 13, 2022, during an event to highlight state and local leaders who are investing American Rescue Plan funding. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Flanked by law enforcement officials and local leaders in the Rose Garden, President Joe Biden said Friday his administration's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package is boosting public safety by investing in police departments. Biden’s remarks came as the Treasury Department prepared to release a second round of coronavirus relief funding for state and local governments. Among the officials who met with Biden were the mayors and police chiefs of Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Missouri, and Tampa, Florida. The 2021 relief package included $350 billion for state, local and tribal governments, money that could go to police departments.

President Joe Biden on Friday called upon states to use federal funds to invest in more cops and mental-health programs to fight crime.

According to a new book by New York Times journalists Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was privately terrified that the...

ORLANDO, Fla. — The tax filing deadline is quickly approaching. The American Rescue Plan allowed for some changes for the 2021 tax filing season, including one to help parents adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clock ticking to collect $1.5B in unclaimed 2018 refundsTaxpayers should have also received IRS Letter 6475 regarding the third round of stimulus payment. “If you’re someone who is yet to receive your third round stimulus payment, you can actually claim it on your tax return. READ: When is your tax return due to the IRS?

LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Nevada have announced the launch of a $500 million program to help provide affordable housing by tapping federal American Rescue Plan funding and new borrowing authority approved by state lawmakers. Steve Sisolak said the “Home Means Nevada" initiative that he and other officials announced Thursday is a beginning of an effort to put housing within financial reach of more people. But we’re making huge inroads and we’re going to continue along that path.”Nevada’s increasing population and the pandemic have exacerbated housing shortages and rising home and rental prices in the state. The initiative's goal is to lower housing costs, help people stay in their homes and invest in construction jobs, Sisolak said. The program is aimed at working with developers to create up to 1,700 affordable housing units across the state and help about 7,000 seniors with accessibility and home repairs so they can stay in their homes.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The federal government has dispatched $350 billion to local communities as part of the American Rescue Plan. It was advertised as funding that was desperately needed to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Channel 9 investigative reporter Daralene Jones is tracking the money to see how cities and counties are using it for a wide range of services. See the full story in the video above. READ: Florida homeowners still waiting for COVID-19 relief fundsClick here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — More than a year after President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan and more than two months after the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity opened its portal for pre-applications, Florida homeowners impacted by COVID-19, Florida homeowners are still waiting. As part of the ARP, the state has $670 million for homeowners who can show financial hardship due to COVID-19. “I wish I could say how much longer I’ll be waiting, but I just don’t know,” said homeowner Scott Silver. READ: Florida’s homeowner’s insurance market continues to spiral with 9 companies in liquidationOn Feb. 28, the DEO launched its registration portal for prospective applicants to the Homeowner Assistance Fund. That same day Scott registered; he’s still waiting.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) (Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden released a budget blueprint Monday that calls for higher taxes on the wealthy, lower federal deficits, more money for police and greater funding for education, public health and housing. The higher taxes outlined on Monday would raise $361 billion in revenue over 10 years and apply to the top 0.01% of households. The Biden budget foresees cutting annual deficits by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. Those reductions would occur in large part through higher taxes and the expiration of relief spending tied to the coronavirus outbreak that began in 2020. Undergirding the plan is a forecast that the economy will return to normal next year after the unprecedented spending tied to the pandemic and inflation.

People who hadn't gotten payments include parents with eligible dependents and people who received an unemployment tax break, according to a Treasury report.

It's been one year since President Biden signed the $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan, and it's getting mixed reviews.

Virus Outbreak Biden Pandemic Relief FILE - President Joe Biden speaks before signing the American Rescue Plan, a coronavirus relief package, in the Oval Office of the White House, March 11, 2021, in Washington.It's been one year since President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan was stuffed with rental assistance, tax rebates, direct payments and money to distribute vaccines that had just become available. Friday is the anniversary of Biden's signing of the American Rescue Plan, and the second anniversary of the World Health Organization's declaration that the coronavirus had become a global pandemic. Administration officials reject those inflation estimates, pointing to a study from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank that said the rescue plan contributed to less than 1 percentage point of the increase. The failure of that legislation also sank efforts to extend the monthly child tax credit payments that began with the rescue plan.

It's been one year since President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan. The $1.9 trillion package of relief measures was designed to fight the coronavirus pandemic and help the economy rebound. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) (Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON — (AP) — One year ago, President Joe Biden signed the giant American Rescue Plan into law. — Schools received $122 billion in relief funding, with additional money being directed toward homeless students or children with disabilities. More than 150,000 providers who serve more than 5 million children have received funding.

The giant American Rescue Plan that provides $1.9 trillion in pandemic relief turns one year old on Friday.

It's been one year since President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan.

The Department of Education released a state-by-state breakdown of funding for colleges and universities provided through the president’s American Rescue Plan. READ: White House unveils new U.S. COVID strategy as cases in Florida declineIn all, they’ve distributed $40 billion in funds to more than 5,000 higher education institutions meant to provide relief to students during the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/Ns7Kwmox6g pic.twitter.com/h3BgfyoQHN — U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) March 7, 2022According to the Department of Education , the American Rescue Plan has provided nearly $2.5 billion in funds for 260 Florida colleges and universities. READ: FBI says no charges will be filed after hijacking prank on flight into OIAProvided through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, the American Rescue Plan requires that at least half the funds go directly towards providing financial relief to students. Read a full breakdown of Florida’s use of American Rescue Plan funds below:Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Parents call on Congress for long-term funding for affordable childcareWASHINGTON, D.C. — From closures to staffing shortages, child care services have been hit hard by the pandemic. Some parents like Gina Forbes are calling on Congress to provide long-term federal investments into affordable child care. Forbes said she worked at a child care center that was forced to close during the pandemic. Forbes said her family got some relief from the enhanced child tax credits, but Congress didn’t renew that funding this year. Recent Census Bureau data also shows the enhanced child tax credit helped nearly 7 million families cover their child care costs last year.

An investigation is underway in Suffolk County after police say an off-duty NYPD detective shot a man trying to break into his home.

Read President Biden's first State of the Union address, according to prepared remarks from the White House.

Schumer was trying to gin up applause before President Biden could finish a line on the American Rescue Plan.

Childless workers this year can claim an Earned Income Tax Credit worth up to $1,500 — triple the usual amount.

Nearly 60% of parents said that since child tax credit checks stopped, they haven't been able to afford enough food, according to a recent survey.

The American Rescue Plan enhanced the earned income tax credit for 2021, making it available for the first time to some young adults.

Childless workers this year can claim an Earned Income Tax Credit worth up to $1,500 — triple the usual amount.

Childless workers this year can claim an Earned Income Tax Credit worth up to $1,500 — triple the usual amount.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told a gathering of America’s mayors the Biden administration’s coronavirus relief bill is “like a vaccine” preventing catastrophic economic damage.

It’s one of the most far-reaching of all the federal aid programs launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many states and cities across the U.S. are getting off to a slow start in spending money from this year's coronavirus relief package championed by President Joe Biden and Democrats.

Amid a national debate over the use of pandemic relief funds, Alabama lawmakers swiftly approved a plan to tap $400 million to help build two super-size prisons.

The U.S. Department of Education approved Georgia’s plans to use $1.4 billion in federal coronavirus relief money.

Dozens of cities and counties and the state of California are experimenting with giving some low-income residents a guaranteed income of $500 to $1,000 each month to do with as they please, and tracking what happens.

Every Republican in Congress voted against the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden signed into law three months ago.

The Treasury Department is creating a new office to supervise the disbursement of the billions of dollars in relief money passed by Congress to combat the coronavirus-related recession.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is urging the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax.

Yellen told members of the Financial Stability Oversight Council that she wants the panel to examine what needs to be done to better protect the financial system from further turmoil. “Almost exactly one year ago, the pandemic’s outbreak caused significant stress in the economy and in the financial system,” Yellen told the panel during its public session. AdYellen said the examination of last year’s financial market turmoil would include a review of potential reforms for money market mutual funds and the operation of hedge funds. Yellen said the council’s review would also address ways to make the Treasury securities market more resilient to future disruptions. “Our financial system must be prepared for the market and credit risks of these climate-related events.”

That's likely to be the case for Vice President Kamala Harris, who this week was named the new point person on immigration. This is definitely not a ceremonial task,” said Nina Rees, a former deputy assistant for domestic policy to Vice President Dick Cheney. Harris' team has clarified that the vice president does not own all of immigration policy. Kamarck's argument bucks the traditional wisdom, which says if a vice president does well on thorny issues, more credit goes to the president and, if not, it gives the president some political cover. The matter of who gets praise, or blame, is even trickier when it's clear the vice president has White House aspirations.

Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell say more needs to be done to limit the damage from the coronavirus pandemic and promote a full economic recovery. AdResponding to a question from Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., Yellen said the persistence of low interest rates have changed her views on federal debt. Lower rates have made it easier for the federal government to cover the interest costs on the debt, she said. Under questioning from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Yellen said Congress should allot more money to the IRS so the tax collection agency could reduce tax evasion. Ad“The tax gap is huge,” Yellen said, “and I think we would have a fairer tax system and collect more tax revenue without the need to raise (tax) rates if we resourced the IRS properly.”

Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell say more needs to be done to limit the damage from the coronavirus pandemic and promote a full economic recovery. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told Congress on Tuesday that more must be done to limit the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic. Powell also reiterated that he does not expect programs aimed at reviving the economy will trigger unwanted inflation. Yellen said the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan held out the prospect of returning the country to full employment next year. AdYellen on Tuesday pledged a rapid rollout from the Treasury of the new relief plan.

The Treasury Department says it has sent out 90 million economic impact payments totaling $242 billion since President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department says it has sent out 90 million economic impact payments totaling $242 billion since President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan last week. Processing of the payments began last Friday, the day after Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, which authorized direct payments of up to $1,400 to qualifying individuals. Included were people who don't typically file a return but who used a non-filers tool at IRS.gov last year to be included in two earlier rounds of COVID-19 relief payments. No action is needed by most taxpayers to receive the payments, which will be automatic and similar to how people received their first and second round of economic impact payments in 2020.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida hasn’t yet received its chunk of cash from the federal coronavirus stimulus bill that recently passed but Gov. [TRENDING: Fire destroys former US Rep’s home | FDLE: Principal rigged homecoming votes | Can employer make you get vaccine?] The state is still waiting on federal guidelines that will likely stipulate how the money is spent. With potential limitations in mind, DeSantis outlined how he’d like $4.1 billion from the American Rescue Plan to be spent. Ad“Part of what is going to be determined is what was your revenue loss, the way they’re calculating the revenue loss.

Salazar, a small business owner for 30 years, told Harris that help from the Small Business Administration has "kept me afloat but more is needed.”In Pennsylvania, meanwhile, Smith Flooring had 23 employees during peak times but currently is employing 12 workers. In Washington, the Senate confirmed Isabel Guzman, Biden’s pick to lead the Small Business Administration on Tuesday. It’s a sharp turn from the start of the Biden administration, when vaccination goals were relatively modest and Americans were warned the country might not return to normal until Christmas. AdThe Biden administration estimates that 400,000 small businesses have closed because of the pandemic and millions more are barely surviving. It recently qualified for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan during a two-week window in which the Biden administration focused the program exclusively on helping businesses with 20 or fewer employees.

President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Washington. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses have launched an ambitious tour this week to promote the $1.9 trillion plan as a way to battle the pandemic and boost the economy. “Shots in arms and money in pockets,” Biden said at the White House. And he mocked Biden's talk of Americans working toward merely being able to gather in small groups by July 4th as “bizarre.”The Biden plan cleared Congress without any backing from Republicans, despite polling that found broad public support. In addition to the president, vice president and their spouses, Cabinet secretaries will also be out on the tour.

President Biden last week signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan as the world marked one year since the World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic. [TRENDING: SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites | Weekend vaccine events for OCPS employees | Family speaks after deadly shooting]U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, discussed how the relief package will impact Central Floridians on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com with Justin Warmoth.”AdSoto also talked about the vaccine rollout, the possibility of Puerto Rico becoming a state and the ongoing security threat at the U.S. Capitol. Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com 4pm Trending newsletter, sent every weekday.

Perhaps most significantly, it greatly expands a child tax credit and turns it into steady income for poor families. All told, experts say, the package will reduce child poverty by nearly half. As ambitious and expensive as it is, the American Rescue Plan, which Biden signed into law Thursday, stands to go only so far in reducing income and wealth inequality. Still, inequality runs so deep in the United States that even the nearly $2 trillion in the Biden package alone won't uproot it. “I would give it high marks for reducing income inequality, recognizing that it’s not meant to be a long-term structural change,” she said.

At the same time, more than 4 million residents with certain disabilities or health concerns become eligible for a vaccine. Set in motion over one year, that's warp-speed spending in a capital known for gridlock, ugly argument and now an episode of violent insurrection. At one turn after another, that may be the rhetorical question of these COVID-19 times. The U.S. reached a total of 3,000 COVID-19 deaths even before March 2020 was out. By December, the country was experiencing the toll of 9/11 day after day after day.

President Joe Biden speaks about the American Rescue Plan, a coronavirus relief package, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, March 12, 2021, in Washington. Biden signed the bill into law Thursday and then extolled it in a prime-time address to the nation that night. He predicted that Biden would be equally relentless in selling the relief package this time. “This is so important that it is literally something you say during the last rally of your reelection campaign.”Biden is expected to appoint someone to oversee implementation of the COVID-19 relief plan. AdBiden’s White House has embraced the strategy of under-promising and then over-delivering, allowing it to frequently beat target dates and goals on, for instance, vaccine distribution.

President Joe Biden speaks about the American Rescue Plan, a coronavirus relief package, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, March 12, 2021, in Washington. Biden signed the bill into law Thursday and then extolled it in a prime-time address to the nation that night. He predicted that Biden would be equally relentless in selling the relief package this time. “This is so important that it is literally something you say during the last rally of your reelection campaign.”Biden is expected to appoint someone to oversee implementation of the COVID-19 relief plan. AdBiden’s White House has embraced the strategy of under-promising and then over-delivering, allowing it to frequently beat target dates and goals on, for instance, vaccine distribution.

The additional funding includes:— $620 million for AmeriCorps’ state and national programs, which provide grants to local nonprofits to hire AmeriCorps members for designated projects. — $80 million boost for AmeriCorps Vista, which works with local nonprofits and governments on anti-poverty programs. The new stimulus measure expands that eligibility to nonprofits that operate at multiple locations as long as no more than 500 employees work at any single location, according to the National Council of Nonprofits. AdHELP FOR NONPROFITS THAT SELF-INSURE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITSThe measure extends and expands help for nonprofits that self-insure unemployment benefits. Under previous stimulus legislation, the federal government covered half the costs of benefits provided to their laid-off employees.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)BALTIMORE – To pay out his coronavirus relief package, President Joe Biden must spend an average of $3.7 billion every day for the rest of this year. Schools and state and local governments also might spread out spending to well after most of the country is vaccinated. “To do that, we’re going to need your input and advice.”The Biden package also introduces about $140 billion in temporary tax credits. First is the reduction in child poverty promoted by the Biden team through the tax credits and other aid. But the spending in the Biden package also reflects how much has changed after the nation went into lockdown a year ago.

President Joe Biden arrives to speak about the COVID-19 pandemic during a prime-time address from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package (all times local):8:30 p.m.President Joe Biden is urging Americans to “stick with the rules" as he wraps up his address to the nation on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of coronavirus pandemic. __8:05 p.m.President Joe Biden is delivering a somber but optimistic message on the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden says, “We all lost something, a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice.”Ad__6:40 p.m.President Joe Biden is planning to announce during his prime-time address Thursday night that he’ll deploy 4,000 additional U.S. troops to support coronavirus vaccination efforts. The officials say the president will also say that there is a good chance Americans will be able to safely gather in small groups by July 4.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)BALTIMORE – To pay out his coronavirus relief package, President Joe Biden must spend an average of $3.7 billion every day for the rest of this year. Schools and state and local governments also might spread out spending to well after most of the country is vaccinated. “To do that, we’re going to need your input and advice.”AdThe Biden package also introduces about $140 billion in temporary tax credits. First is the reduction in child poverty promoted by the Biden team through the tax credits and other aid. But the spending in the Biden package also reflects how much has changed after the nation went into lockdown a year ago.

| Fla. park now a ‘manatee graveyard’ | Will you get stimulus check and if so, when?] Third Stimulus Check Calculator - American Rescue PlanWill I get a $1,400 check? Individuals earning up to $75,000 and couples earning up to $150,000 would receive the payment of $1,400 per person. AdWho won’t get a $1,400 check? If you receive your income tax payment through direct deposit, your check will be deposited in that account.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the third coronavirus relief bill since the pandemic hit a year ago, passed on Wednesday by a vote of 220 to 211. How do I know if I quality for the American Rescue Plan stimulus check? Will I get a $1,400 check? Third Stimulus Check Calculator - American Rescue PlanWho won’t get a $1,400 check? AdYou should automatically qualify to receive a third stimulus check, most notably if you received a first and second round of payments.

People wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus gather at a park in Goyang, South Korea, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea is extending its current measures on social distancing for at least another two weeks as it struggles to slow coronavirus infections in the greater capital area. ___WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has removed remaining coronavirus restrictions on the city of Auckland after containing a small outbreak. ___WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is planning to announce during his prime-time address Thursday night that he’ll deploy 4,000 additional U.S. troops to support coronavirus vaccination efforts. Thursday’s announcement from the Department of Corrections comes a year after suspending visits at prisons because of the coronavirus pandemic.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday the country was still in a “deep hole” with millions of lost jobs but that President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan could generate enough growth to restore full employment by next year. Summers also contended that Biden’s plan would make less money available for other initiatives such as improving the nation’s infrastructure. The proposal will be part of the COVID-19 relief bill they are writing that is expected to largely follow Biden’s plan. Under the House Democrats’ plan, those amounts would begin to phase out for individual parents earning $75,000 yearly and couples making $150,000. She said if Biden’s relief package is approved, the country could get back to full employment by next year.

(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)Mexico posted a record spike in coronavirus cases on Friday, with 21,366 newly confirmed infections, about double the daily rate of increase just a week ago. The National Health Commission said 90 of those confirmed cases were in Hebei province, adjacent to Beijing, where the country’s biggest recent outbreak occurred. State health officials announced this week that vaccine eligibility would be expanded to educators and seniors beginning Jan. 23. But federal officials have since said the stockpile was exhausted when those promises were made and governors can’t expect any windfall shipments. President Donald Trump had invoked the Defense Production Act to address various aspects of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)BEIJING — China says it is now treating more than 1,000 people for COVID-19 as numbers of cases continue to surge in the country’s north. ___AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has distributed more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. State health officials say Texas had more than 14,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and its death toll has passed 30,000. ___COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will now allow medical students, retired nurses and other qualified professionals to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. ___MADRID — Spain reported 35,878 confirmed coronavirus cases and 201 new deaths from the coronavirus.