U.S. budget deficit hits record $1.05 trillion after 5 months
The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the October through February deficit was 68% larger than the $624.5 billion deficit recorded during the same period last year.
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Congress OKs $1.9T pandemic relief bill along party lines
Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions providing up to $1,400 direct payments this year to most adults and extending $300 weekly emergency unemployment benefits into early September. But the legislation goes far beyond that.
School boards push back against Indiana voucher expansions
At least 65 public school boards have passed formal resolutions against the proposed legislation through a campaign organized by the Indiana School Boards Association.
Consumer prices increase 0.4%, but core prices moderate
Consumer prices are up 1.7% over the past year, a still moderate performance for inflation, which is running below the Federal Reserve’s 2% target for price increases.
A homebound year has meant rethinking our houses, belongings
Architects and interior designers say that after 12 months of varying degrees of lockdown, people are discovering what does and doesn’t work in their homes, and becoming more confident about acting on it.
U.S. House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
The measure, which union leaders and labor allies have presented as a cure for decades of working-class wage stagnation, was approved on a mostly party-line 225-206 vote.
As spring nears, houseplants feel it too and can get unruly
Even houseplants indoors feel the changing season.
Nasdaq makes biggest jump since November as Big Tech surges
Gains for major tech companies powered a 3.7% surge in the Nasdaq on Tuesday, the largest jump for the index in months.
When to expect payments, other benefits from COVID-19 relief package
The package includes direct payments to most Americans, aid to small businesses, financial help for schools and much more intended to help the country recover from the financial ravages of the pandemic.
Indiana police reform bill sails through Senate committee
House Bill 1006 includes provisions for mandatory de-escalation training, misdemeanor penalties for officers who turn off body cameras with intent to conceal, and bans on chokeholds in certain circumstances.
Survey: Many Americans still feeling financial impact of pandemic
A new poll finds COVID-19 has been devastating for some Americans, while leaving others virtually unscathed or even in better shape, at least when it comes to their finances.
COVID-19 relief bill could deliver big health insurance savings for many
Several million people stand to save hundreds of dollars in health insurance costs, or more, under the coronavirus relief legislation on track to pass Congress.
Airline industry pushes U.S. to standardize ‘vaccine passports’
Leading airline and business groups are asking the Biden administration to develop temporary credentials that would let travelers show they have been tested and vaccinated for COVID-19, a step that the airline industry believes will help revive travel.
Microsoft server hack has victims hustling to stop intruders
Victims of a massive global hack of Microsoft email server software—estimated in the tens of thousands by cybersecurity responders—worked Monday to shore up infected systems and try to diminish chances that intruders might steal data or hobble their networks.
Child tax credit expansion sets up showdown with GOP
The massive coronavirus relief plan making its way to President Joe Biden’s desk includes a plan to temporarily raise the child tax credit that could end up permanently changing the way the country deals with child poverty.
Wall Street finishes mixed as tech slump offsets other gains
Tech shares tumbled anew on Monday, sending the Nasdaq composite index down 11% from its all-time high, as investors fled high-valuation stocks for companies whose fortunes are closely tied to the economic cycle.
Yellen says women face obstacles when pursuing economics careers
Janet Yellen, the first woman to head the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury Department, said “there is a cultural problem in the profession, and we need to change the culture.”
Indiana group asks U.S. Supreme Court to hear mail voting suit
Attorneys for the advocacy group Indiana Vote By Mail argue in the petition filed Friday that the state law allowing no-excuse mail balloting by those ages 65 and older infringes on the constitutional rights of those younger.
Fully-vaccinated people OK to gather without masks, CDC says
The CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people continue to wear well-fitted masks, avoid large gatherings, and physically distance themselves from others when out in public.
Biden order could change how colleges handle sex misconduct
Biden is set to sign an executive order on Monday directing the Department of Education to review policies implemented by Donald Trump’s administration, including changes to Title IX regulations that prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded institutions.