Tag: coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 cases keep rising in Capitol complex

123 Legislative Branch employees have tested, or are presumed, positive

As COVID-19 cases spread through the White House and ruffle the Senate, cases among front-line workers on Capitol Hill continue to rise in the center of American government, which to this day lacks a comprehensive testing regimen for all workers.

There are now 123 Legislative Branch employees or contractors who have tested positive — or are presumed positive — for COVID-19, according to Ashley Phelps, a Republican spokeswoman for the House Administration Committee. This total has increased by 20 since Aug. 28.

The count includes 46 Capitol Police employees, 42 Architect of the Capitol employees and 35 contractors working on the Cannon Building renovation project. These numbers reflect total cases since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading.

Self-employed won’t get to defer taxes under Trump’s payroll break

Tax directive also contains unusual ‘cliff’ cutting off any benefit for those earning more than $104,000

Millions of self-employed individuals would be left out of President Donald Trump’s move to defer payroll taxes for the last four months of the year, according to tax experts.

That’s because the executive action specifically refers to taxes paid under Sec. 3101(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, which set the Social Security tax rate at 6.2 percent for those employed by someone else. There is no similar reference to Sec. 1401(a), which requires the self-employed to pay 12.4 percent on their own wages, or both the employer and employee share of Social Security taxes.

The $2 trillion March relief package allowed companies to defer their portion of Social Security payroll taxes and pay them back in stages, half by mid-2021 and the rest a year later. That included half of the 12.4 percent rate paid on self-employment income.  Continue reading.

Nation’s governors raise concerns about implementing Trump executive moves, call on Congress to act

Washington Post logoOn Capitol Hill, lawmakers trade blame as talks show no signs of life

The nation’s governors raised concerns on a bipartisan basis Monday about implementing President Trump’s new executive action aimed at extending enhanced unemployment insurance, and called on Congress to act instead.

But on Capitol Hill, negotiations showed no signs of life as Democrats and Republicans traded accusations about their failure to reach a deal during two weeks of talks that collapsed on Friday.

In their statement, the governors pointed to “significant administrative burdens and costs” associated with attempting to implement a new plan Trump announced over the weekend, which would attempt to provide $400 weekly emergency unemployment benefits, with states required to apply for the funds and pay a quarter of the cost. Continue reading.

Stimulus checks debate now focuses on size, eligibility

The Hill logoRepublicans and Democrats negotiating the next coronavirus relief package are voicing support for including another round of stimulus checks, but their competing proposals for direct payments have some differences that need to be hammered out.

The two key issues that need resolving: payment amounts for dependents and eligibility requirements.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have put forth direct payment proposals largely similar to the stimulus checks included in the CARES Act from late March that provided checks for most Americans — up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under 17. Continue reading.

Mayor Frey orders new restrictions to reduce crowding at Minneapolis bars

“What we are closing is bar areas,” Frey said during a news conference. The regulation applies to taprooms, distilleries and nightclubs as well.

After learning of coronavirus outbreaks tied to bars and nightclubs in Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday ordered all establishments in the city to end their counter service to limit the spread of the infection.

Beginning Aug. 1, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, breweries, distilleries and more will have to close their indoor bar areas, according to Frey’s latest emergency regulation. These places are still allowed to serve alcohol, but customers will no longer be able to sit, order or mingle at the bar.

“We are not closing bars as a total building,” Frey said during a news conference Wednesday. “What we are closing is bar areas. That is service from the bar itself directly to patrons, who would otherwise come up to a bar in large numbers, pass their credit card over … and receive some form of drink.” Continue reading.

Coronavirus death toll passes 150,000

The Hill logoMore than 150,000 people in the United States have died from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, while tens of thousands more are struggling in hospitals as the pandemic spreads virtually unchecked in almost every state in the nation.

Six months after the virus was first reported on American soil, it is poised to be the third-leading cause of death this year, behind only heart disease and cancer. It has already killed more people in the United States than the number of Union soldiers who died in the Civil War.

There are few signs the spread is slowing down. The number of new cases confirmed on a daily basis has topped 50,000 on all but two days of the month, and more than 60,000 new cases have been confirmed on seven of the last 10 days. Continue reading.

Live updates: California, Oregon roll back reopenings as new coronavirus cases surge

NOTE:  This article is being provided free of charge by The Washington Post.

Washington Post logoThe country’s most populous state took steps Monday to roll back efforts to reopen its economy amid a surge in new coronavirus cases.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordered the statewide closure of all bars and halted the indoor operations of restaurants, wineries, theaters and a handful of other venues. The move comes as a number of governors elsewhere are also announcing new mandates and pausing reopenings, with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) banning private indoor gatherings of more than 10 people and requiring face coverings outside.

The fresh round of restrictions echoes the early days of the pandemic, when states shuttered businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Here are some significant developments: Continue reading.

Trump wants to reopen schools. Hint: It’s not just about education.

Trump has ramped up a push to return children to the classroom as he tries to restore the economy for his reelection campaign.

President Donald Trump’s push to reopen America’s schools is about more than children’s education. It’s about the economy. And it’s about his reelection.

Because for Trump and his team, the issues are interlinked.

With children out of the house, they argue, parents can more easily return to work and juice the economy — something even the president’s allies consider a necessity for Trump to win reelection. And with Trump’s sagging poll numbers against presumptive 2020 rival Joe Biden, aides also hope the campaign for in-person schooling will play well with the female and suburban voters the president needs to remain in office. Continue reading.

CDC will issue new guidance on school openings, Pence says, after criticism from Trump

Washington Post logoThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue new guidance on school openings, Vice President Pence said Wednesday, hours after President Trump criticized earlier recommendations as “very impractical” and vowed to meet with the agency himself.

Citing Trump’s concern that the guidance might be “too tough,” Pence said that the CDC would issue additional recommendations starting next week that would provide “more clarity” and stressed that the guidelines should not supplant the judgment of local officials.

“We don’t want the guidance from CDC to be a reason why schools don’t open,” Pence said. “I think that every American, every American knows that we can safely reopen our schools. . . . We want, as the president said this morning, to make sure that what we’re doing doesn’t stand in the way of doing that.” Continued reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Update: July 7, 2020

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July 7, 2020

Updates from the Governor

Today, Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan announced $56.6 million to help support Minnesota child care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Walz announced the funding this morning at the Learning Garden in St. Paul and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan highlighted the funding with a visit to a family child care provider in Rochester.

“Child care providers have stepped up to serve emergency workers and ensure families across Minnesota have a safe and reliable place to send their children,” said Governor Walz. “We will continue to support the critical work they do to educate our next generation, support families, and strengthen our economy.” Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Update: July 7, 2020”