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A new federal agency to revive the Great Lakes region?
WASHINGTON — The Great Lakes region took a beating last decade with the collapse of its manufacturing sector. The region’s economy has been in recovery — but the pandemic threatens to deal another devastating blow. Unemployment is spiking and cities and states are facing massive revenue losses, which have the potential to destabilize the region’s […]
U.S. House Dems unveil massive $3T pandemic relief bill; Trump says the bill is dead on arrival
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats unveiled an economic relief package of epic proportions Tuesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The sweeping legislation carries a whopping $3 trillion-plus price tag — more than the combined total of four coronavirus response bills passed this year. Democrats called it “bold” and “transformative” and said it is needed to meet […]
Will Congress send aid to ailing local news outlets?
WASHINGTON — Politicians are banding together to try to rescue local news media from economic collapse during the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that Democratic leaders in Congress are pushing to fix a small business lending program so that it applies to local news publishers and broadcasters affiliated with larger organizations. […]
Lawmakers press Congress for more relief cash for rural America
WASHINGTON — Federal lawmakers are urging Congress to help rural America in the next round of coronavirus legislation. Congress approved more than $2 trillion in response to the pandemic in March, but many lawmakers say it doesn’t do enough to address the needs of rural Americans. Media coverage of the pandemic has focused on urban […]
DeVos finalizes sexual assault rules that critics say ‘roll back the clock’
WASHINGTON — U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos finalized rules Wednesday that the administration says will improve due process in campus sexual assault cases, but that critics warn could discourage victims from coming forward. The new regulations expand rights for people accused of sexual misconduct on college campuses and make other changes to federal regulations governing schools’ obligations to […]
Ohio senators plead for federal help as pandemic threatens to gut cities’ budgets
WASHINGTON — Ohio’s senators are joining forces around a hotly contested issue on Capitol Hill: federal aid for ailing state and local governments. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Ohio cities are facing massive revenue losses that threaten funding for police and fire departments, schools, trash collectors, food banks, libraries, museums, and civic spaces. […]
Lawmakers advance small business relief bill without extra cash for states
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday cleared an “interim” COVID-19 relief package that includes billions of dollars for small businesses, hospitals and testing, but no additional funds for state and local governments. The nearly $500 billion package passed by unanimous consent Tuesday afternoon. The U.S. House is expected to reconvene on Thursday to vote […]
Pandemic highlights gaps in internet access
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are urging congressional leaders to prioritize emergency funding for high-speed internet access in upcoming coronavirus relief legislation. More than two dozen lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter last week asking Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. House and Senate to set aside funding for a temporary emergency relief fund at the Federal Communications […]
Congressional Dems want more federal cash to combat hunger during pandemic
WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers want to prioritize food insecurity in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation. More than 100 lawmakers sent a letter Tuesday asking Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. House and Senate to boost the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit by 15% — a request Republicans rejected in the $2 […]
Congress preps for next round of coronavirus relief
WASHINGTON — Congress is gearing up for additional coronavirus response legislation that aims to build on the first three massive relief packages. The next bill could include huge infrastructure projects, and U.S. House Democrats are pushing to include some of their top priorities that were sliced off the sweeping $2 trillion bill during negotiations with Senate […]
COVID-19 threatens census. At stake: money, political power
WASHINGTON — It’s National Census Day. Organizations across the country are marking the occasion with webinars, virtual rallies, Twitter chats and other digital events throughout the week. April 1 is the date by which all people in U.S. households are to be counted. But the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to make the count even more difficult than usual, […]
Military at risk from COVID-19: ‘Anxieties are really high’
WASHINGTON — The Department of Defense is on course to get a major funding boost as the U.S. military is drawn into the nation’s war against an “invisible enemy.” The $2 trillion coronavirus response package injects $10.5 billion into the Defense Department as it responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The […]