Economic advisor Stephen Moore said he’s “not so sure we need this massive stimulus bill” with $US2,000 checks on the line. After Congress finally passed the second coronavirus stimulus relief package, which included $US600 checks, President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to reach a deal on $US2,000 checks for Americans. Economic […]

There is a lot of nonsense being spouted about the latest COVID relief package. People are trying to argue that the only thing average Americans get is the $US600 check, but that is not true. The package includes an array of programs that will help people most in need. Boosted […]

Even during a once-a-century disaster Republicans can’t help but fetishise the determination of who in America does and does not deserve help from the federal government. They like parsing out who is worthy and who is not. This moralization of fiscal policy is a large part of why discussions for […]

Top Democratic and Republican leaders met twice Tuesday to further talks on a COVID-19 relief bill. It was their first in-person meeting in months to discuss a new wave of federal spending, signalling the urgency of the US epidemic. All emerged optimistic for a deal to appear soon, but they […]

Several Democrats have signalled they might drop demands for aid for state and local governments in a COVID-19 stimulus bill,The Associated Press reported. Sens. Dick Durbin and Chris Coons said they would back a slimmed-down $US748 billion compromise deal that omits the support. A bipartisan group trimmed off the parts […]

Sen. Joe Manchin said on Sunday that he hoped the coronavirus relief bill will be available by tomorrow, but added there would be “no guarantee” on whether it would be get passed in congress. In an interview with “Fox News Sunday,” Manchin said, “the plan is alive and well, and […]

Congress is split over passing additional state and local government aid in a new stimulus bill. Experts fear the lack of such support will likely result in the same drags on the economy seen after the 2008 financial crisis. Bipartisan negotiations on a $US908 billion economic aid package are stalled […]

Sen. Bernie Sanders said he “can’t support” the $US908 billion bipartisan stimulus deal “unless it is significantly improved.” House Democrats recently came out in favour of the coronavirus relief package to end the lame-duck session and get federal aid out to Americans quickly. The plan, however, does not include another […]

Global stocks rose on Friday as fresh talks on US coronavirus federal relief lifted investor sentiment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on Thursday for the first time since the November election, adding momentum to talks on a $US908 billion stimulus deal. Senate Majority Leader […]

At a press conference on Thursday, Rudy Giuliani’s hair dye dripped down his face while he spit conspiracy theories at a crowd of reporters who seemed (at best) embarrassed for him. This is what it looks like when things fall apart. Trump and his people have nothing but lame-duck power […]

Just as key fiscal relief policy expired, US virus cases were rising sharply. Congress’ $US2.2 trillion CARES Act was praised as a key driver of the US economy’s initial bounce-back. But components such as expanded unemployment benefits expired in July, just as US virus cases surged and the pace of […]

Some “encouraging news on testing” came out of the latest discussion between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on the coronavirus stimulus package. The second stimulus package remains stalled in Congress as Republicans and Democrats deadlock on the size of the plan. Pelosi and Mnuchin spoke Saturday […]

If it feels like nothing is getting done in America right now, that’s because there isn’t. In large part that is because the Republican Party is made up of unserious people, only interested in perpetuating their own power. The President cannot be taken seriously when he says he wants to […]

US stocks rose on Monday as Democrats and Republicans inched closer to a last-minute stimulus compromise. The Trump administration lifted its proposal to $US1.8 trillion from $US1.6 trillion on Friday, inching closer to the Democrats’ preferred $US2.2 trillion size. Still, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deemed the bill “one step forward, […]

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Sunday that he doesn’t think an economic recovery is “dependent” on passing the next coronavirus stimulus package. Kudlow’s remarks contradict pleas from Fed Chair Jay Powell, who warned on Tuesday that the economy might falter if another stimulus package doesn’t make it through […]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not support a standalone aid package for airlines unless it accompanied a broader pandemic relief program. Pelosi’s comments come days after President Trump abruptly halted, then restarted, negotiations over a new pandemic stimulus bill. More than 32,000 airline workers are in the process […]

Hours after President Trump tweeted that he would suspend pandemic stimulus negotiations until after the election, the president and his administration appeared to reverse course, sowing confusion among politicians and workers. Left in the balance: millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, including more than 32,000 airline workers. As […]