Indiana Southern District to resume in-person jury trials in April
Previously, Southern District Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson issued orders suspending in-person jury trials through March 1, then extended the suspension to April 5.
Biden: Governors, mayors need $350B to fight COVID-19 impact
Republican lawmakers have stressed that some past aid to state and local governments remains unspent and revenues have rebounded after slumping when the coronavirus first hit.
Airlines push White House to reject testing for U.S. flights
Airlines are strongly opposed to requiring coronavirus testing before domestic flights, saying it would further devastate air travel, which has still not returned even to half its pre-pandemic level.
Indiana reports another 86 COVID-19 deaths, 1,445 cases
The state said more than 300,742 Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 779,240 had received the first dose of a vaccination.
Democrats pushing Biden’s COVID-19 bill through House committees
The Ways and Means Committee approved its $940 billion chunk of Biden’s proposal on a 25-18 party-line vote, highlighting a frenzied week that’s seeing a dozen House panels fashion contributions to the sprawling measure.
County health department indicates fans could be a go for NCAA tournament
Dr. Virginia Caine, executive director of the health department, said she expects the NCAA to formalize a request regarding fans “within the next one to two weeks,” and indicated recent data related to positive tests and hospitalizations is promising.
State lawmakers advance bill to allow curbside pickup of alcohol
A wide-reaching alcohol policy bill would allow for curbside pickup of alcoholic beverages, plus carryout beverages at the new food hall at the Bottleworks development in downtown Indianapolis.
Indiana reports another 1,762 COVID-19 cases, 26 more deaths
The state said more than 279,900 Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Thursday at 5 a.m. More than 759,900 had received the first dose of a vaccination.
U.S. unemployment claims tick down slightly
Thursday’s government report showed a sizable rise in the total number of Americans who are receiving jobless aid, including through extended benefit programs—a sign that long-term unemployment may be growing.
Indiana officials to widen vaccine eligibility, but don’t know exactly when
The state has not received a bump in its weekly allotment of 100,000 doses, and health officials are being cautious about when to open the gates to more people.
Survey: Third of U.S. adults skeptical of COVID-19 vaccinations
Of those who said they definitely will not get the vaccine, 65% cited worries about side effects, despite the shots’ safety record over the past months. About the same percentage said they don’t trust COVID-19 vaccines.
Federal workers could get more paid leave if COVID-19 prevents them from working
Employees who meet certain eligibility criteria could receive as much as 600 hours—15 work weeks—of extra leave time to be paid from a $570 million fund that the bill would create.
Target offers bonus pay to encourage workers to get vaccine
The retailer will offer its hourly employees as much as four hours of pay to get two doses of the vaccine, it said in a blog post Wednesday.
Powell stresses commitment to full employment, low rates
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday underscored the Fed’s commitment to reducing unemployment to multi-decade lows, while signaling little concern about the risk of potentially high inflation or financial market instability.
Indiana reports 52 more deaths from COVID-19
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rose slightly, from 1,265 on Monday to 1,273 on Tuesday.
Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody combo gets U.S. emergency authorization
The combo treatment is the second COVID-19 antibody therapy from the Indianapolis-based drugmaker to gain an emergency authorization from the FDA.
Indiana adds funds for charter schools ineligible for $800M COVID relief aid
The state is setting aside a small amount of money for more than two dozen charter schools that weren’t eligible for the larger pot of federal funds.
As CDC weighs testing mandate for domestic flights, industry pushes back
Officials are weighing health concerns against the economic impact a mandate might have on an industry already hobbled by the pandemic.
Dems attempt to push through school funding, wage increase
Democrats hope to rush the bill to Biden for his signature by mid-March, using a special budget-related process allowing certain legislation to be approved by a simple majority.
Salesforce won’t force workers to go into office post-COVID
Salesforce said its work-from-anywhere plan offers the company better ways to broaden its workforce to new geographies and new communities beyond “traditional city centers.”
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Resources for Businesses and Employers OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 Indiana State Department of Health Indy Chamber Rapid Response Hub Small Business Administration The SBA is making low-interest loans for working capital available to Indiana small businesses. Indiana Unemployment Information Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard Critical Industries Hotline(for business and industry only)
877-820-0890
[email protected] State’s virus-related executive orders State plan to reopen Indiana