82.8 F
Houston
Sunday, June 15, 2025

Home Blog Page 605

Congress proposes $10 billion in relief for the child-care industry, but advocates say it’s only a ‘down payment’

Adversavvy
-
0
Congress proposes $10 billion in relief for the child-care industry, but advocates say it’s only a ‘down payment’

Although the vast majority of child-care programs opened back up after the spring stay-at-home orders lifted, many daycare centers and preschool owners are taking on huge financial losses — both personal and professional.

To help, lawmakers reached a deal Sunday on a $900 billion Covid-19 pandemic relief package that provides $10 billion in funding for the industry. However, advocates say that amount isn’t enough to keep child-care providers in business for long.

About 56% of child-care providers report losing money by staying open, according to the latest survey from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Moreover, 42% of the December survey respondents say they have taken on debt using personal credit cards to pay for supplies and other items.

That’s because many centers are still operating at lower capacities, even as costs rise. The survey found that 91% are paying extra for cleaning supplies, 73% have taken on extra expenses for personal protective equipment and 60% are paying additional staff wages.

“Child-care providers have been hit hard by the Covid-19 economic crisis,” says Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund, an early childhood education advocacy organization.

The $10 billion in relief allocated to child care in Sunday’s package is a “symbolic” recognition of the critical role child-care providers play, Rittling says. But more assistance is needed in order to support this hard-hit industry.

“The new Congress and incoming Biden administration have an opportunity to pick up where this down payment leaves off to ensure providers have the resources to prevent them from shuttering their doors permanently through what is sure to be a tumultuous and unpredictable few months, as well as to address the nation’s child-care challenges by fortifying an early learning and care system that works for all families,” Rittling says.

Others agree. Zero to Three Chief Policy Officer Myra Jones-Taylor called the latest pandemic rescue deal a “stopgap,” saying that the child-care industry needs at least $57 billion in funding to provide grants and assistance to operators for long-term increased costs and lower enrollment.

“This package does not include nearly enough funding to support our child-care centers, who are struggling to remain afloat with less capacity, nor does it include the paid leave all workers so desperately need,” Jones-Taylor says.

Stimulus Bill Includes $25 Billion in Emergency Rental Relief, Extends Eviction Moratorium

Adversavvy
-
0
Stimulus Bill Includes $25 Billion in Emergency Rental Relief, Extends Eviction Moratorium

The U.S. is narrowly averting a potential eviction crisis at the start of the new year, as Congress is set to pass a coronavirus relief bill that includes funding for rental assistance and the continuation of the nationwide eviction moratorium.

The bill, which is expected to be voted on Monday, provides $25 billion in emergency rental relief and a one-month extension of the nationwide eviction moratorium, through January 31, 2021.

The provisions are “a start,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) tells. But more aid and a longer eviction ban are likely needed once President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January, she says, noting that she pushed for the inclusion of $100 billion in rental relief in the HEROES Act, the $3 trillion relief bill passed by the House in May.

“We have to do whatever it takes” to keep people housed, Waters says. Plus, more rental relief also benefits the “mom and pop landlords” who still have to pay their mortgages.

At the beginning of December, around 12.4 million adult renters reported that they are behind on their rent payments, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), highlighting the need for aid.

How the rental relief will work

The $25 billion in rental assistance will be funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Once the funds are dispersed to states, tenants will apply for aid through state or local relief organizations.

How quickly the assistance becomes available will be dependent on where you live, Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), tells. Some states, like New York and California, already have established emergency rental assistance programs. Other states, like Alabama and Missouri, will have to set them up, which takes time, she says.

That’s why it will be crucial for Biden to extend the eviction moratorium when he takes office, Yentel says. It will take longer than one month for some states and localities to establish relief programs and get the assistance out to people who need it.

The funds can be used for back rent and overdue utility payments from the start of the pandemic, as well as future bills. At least 90% of the money states and territories receive must be used to provide financial assistance to households.

Renters will be eligible for relief if their household income is below 80% of the area median income (which varies by county and household size), and someone living there:

  • Has qualified for unemployment benefits, has lost part of their income or has experienced financial hardship because of Covid-19, or
  • Can show that they are at risk of losing their home

Landlords and utility companies can be paid directly by state and local governments as long as tenants have signed off on the application. If landlords refuse the aid, renters can apply and receive the funds and then pay their landlords. Households are eligible for 12 months of assistance but may receive up to 15 months if it is “necessary” to keep them in their home.

Renters will also be able to access case management and tenant-landlord mediation services.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Adversavvy
-
0
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Reminder: Houston Health Department, partners announce free COVID-19 testing schedule for week of December 20

Adversavvy
-
0
Reminder: Houston Health Department, partners announce free COVID-19 testing schedule for week of December 20
The Houston Health Department and its agency partners are announcing the schedule for sites offering free COVID-19 tests the week of December 20, 2020.

The week will offer 19 FREE+FAST+SAFE testing sites across Houston. Different sites will close on certain days in observance of year-end holidays.

Houston Health Department
The Houston Health Department will offer drive-thru testing at two surge sites affiliated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Drive, and Houston Community College – North Forest, 6010 Little York Rd., will offer nasal self swab tests.

Appointments are available at doineedacovid19test.com and on-site registration is also available. Each site has a daily capacity of 1,250 tests.

The department also offers free drive-thru testing via self-nasal swab at the Aramco Services Company, 9009 W. Loop South. The mega testing site will open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The site has a daily capacity of 1,000 tests.

People wanting to get tested at the Aramco site can call the department’s COVID-19 Call Center at 832-393-4220.

The department will offer testing at three community sites that don’t require appointments and remain open until each reaches its daily capacity of 250 tests. The sites and their hours of operation are:

  • Assumption Catholic Church, 901 Roselane St., Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., drive-thru, self-nasal swab,
  • Magnolia Multi-Service Center, 7037 Capitol St., Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., drive-thru or walk-up, self-nasal swab, and
  • Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood St., Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. drive-thru or walk-up, self-nasal swab.

The department will provide self-nasal swab testing at the METRO Addicks Park & Ride, 14230 Katy Freeway, and the Multicultural Center, 951 Tristar Drive, city of Webster. Appointments are available by calling the department’s call center at 832-393-4220.

Texas Division of Emergency Management
Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Houston Astros offer self-oral swab tests daily at Minute Maid Park (Lot C), 2208 Preston. The testing site’s capacity is 1,200 tests per day.

The site features evening hours twice a week, eight drive-thru testing lanes, and four walk-up testing lanes. It will open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday. Spanish-speaking staff is available on-site.

Visit curative.com to set an appointment or obtain more information. On-site registration is also available.

TDEM and the department will also operate drive-thru sites offering tests Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at:

  • HCC – Northeast Campus, 555 Community College Drive, self-mouth swab tests, and
  • HCC – South Campus, 1990 Airport Blvd., nasal swab tests by healthcare professionals.

TDEM and the department offer drive-thru, nasal-swab tests administered by healthcare professionals at LeRoy Crump Stadium, 12321 Alief Clodine Rd. The site is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments for TDEM sites are available at covidtest.tdem.texas.gov. On-site registration is also available.

United Memorial Medical Center
United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) will offer nasal-swab testing by healthcare professionals at drive-thru test sites at:

  • Plaza Americas Mall, 7500 Bellaire Blvd.,
  • Houston Community College – Southeast, 6815 Rustic, and
  • UMMC Tidwell, 510 W. Tidwell Rd.

The sites don’t require appointments and will offer to test Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until reaching a daily capacity of 300 tests.

People needing information about UMMC test sites can call 1-866-333-COVID or visit ummcscreening.com.

Curative
Curative will provide walk-up, self-mouth swab tests Monday through Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at three locations, each with a 900 daily test capacity:

  • Memorial Park Running Trails Center, 7575 N. Picnic Lane,
  • Kroger, 1801 S. Voss Rd,
  • Kroger, 9303 S. Highway 6, and
  • Food Town, 2770 N. Sam Houston Parkway West.

Appointments are required and available at curative.com.

Federally Qualified Health Centers
The health department is providing test kits, lab access, and equipment to local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) so they can expand their COVID-19 testing capacity. The centers and phone numbers people can call to set up testing appointments are:

  • HOPE Clinic, 713-773-0803
  • Spring Branch Community Health Center, 713-462-6565
  • El Centro de Corazon, 713-660-1880
  • Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, 713-426-0027
  • Lone Star Circle of Care at the University of Houston, 346-348-1200, and
  • Scarsdale Family Health Center, 281-824-1480.

FQHC patients pay what they can afford, based on income and family size, and are not denied services due to inability to pay or lack of insurance.

The department and its agency partners may shift locations and schedules of test sites to better meet community needs. Houstonians can visit HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for current Houston testing sites and information about stopping the spread of the virus.

Information obtained through testing, treatment, or services will not be used against immigrants

EL DEPARTAMENTO DE TRIBUNALES MUNICIPALES DE HOUSTON PRESENTARÁ LA COMUNIDAD DEL TRIBUNAL DE PUERTO SEGURO VISITA EL VIERNES EN EL EDIFICIO BEULAH SHEPHERD

Adversavvy
-
0
EL DEPARTAMENTO DE TRIBUNALES MUNICIPALES DE HOUSTON PRESENTARÁ LA COMUNIDAD DEL TRIBUNAL DE PUERTO SEGURO VISITA EL VIERNES EN EL EDIFICIO BEULAH SHEPHERD
Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development en el Beulah Shepherd Building, 6112 Wheatley St., Houston, 77091, Departamento de Tribunales Municipales de Houston ( MCD) organizará su primera visita a la comunidad del Tribunal de Puerto Seguro para ayudar a los acusados que no pueden pagar sus multas y tarifas debido a dificultades financieras derivadas de la pandemia de COVID-19.

Durante la visita a la comunidad del viernes, el director del MCD y el juez presidente, J. Elaine Marshall, y los jueces del Tribunal de Safe Harbor se reunirán con los residentes para discutir sus casos y darles opciones potenciales sobre cómo seguir adelante.

“Si bien la distribución de la vacuna en nuestra comunidad nos brinda esperanza para el futuro, sabemos que los habitantes de Houston todavía tienen un largo camino hacia la recuperación y muchos residentes sentirán los impactos de la pandemia durante muchos meses. El Tribunal de Puerto Seguro está diseñado para ayudar a los acusados debido a dificultades financieras, problemas médicos o problemas que surgen de COVID-19 en el cumplimiento de las sentencias y trabajará con los acusados que presenten pruebas de que no pueden pagar multas y tarifas ”, dijo el juez J. Elaine Marshall, director y juez presidente de MCD . “Mi visión es que el Tribunal de Puerto Seguro sea un lugar para los ciudadanos que no han podido satisfacer las sentencias en su contra y se encuentran en un lugar donde no pueden pagar para entrar en nuestro tribunal sin temor a ser arrestados y hablar con jueces sobre su situación “.

Anunciado originalmente durante una conferencia de prensa el 23 de octubre, el Tribunal de Puerto Seguro busca ayudar a los acusados que no pueden pagar sus multas y tarifas debido a las dificultades financieras derivadas de la pandemia. La evidencia DE las dificultades causadas por COVID-19 incluye extractos bancarios, avisos de desalojo, cupones de alimentos, WIC, CHIP, SSI TANF y otros artículos que soliciten los jueces./p>

Los casos presentados son para citaciones de multas por delitos menores de Clase C, y los jueces determinarán la validez de las reclamaciones caso por caso. El juez proporcionará opciones que van desde el perdón de multa hasta el servicio comunitario.

El alcalde Sylvester Turner aprobó el Tribunal de Puerto Seguro como parte de su Iniciativa de Comunidades Completas y el Grupo de Trabajo sobre Reforma Policial. Siguiendo las pautas del alcalde Turner y de los CDC para proteger al público y al personal de MCD de la propagación de COVID-19, se requerirá que los miembros del público usen mascarillas / cubiertas faciales y se les tomen la temperatura antes de ingresar.

Houston Health Department, partners announce free COVID-19 testing schedule for week of December 20

Adversavvy
-
0
Houston Health Department, partners announce free COVID-19 testing schedule for week of December 20
The Houston Health Department and its agency partners are announcing the schedule for sites offering free COVID-19 tests the week of December 20, 2020.

The week will offer 19 FREE+FAST+SAFE testing sites across Houston. Different sites will close on certain days in observance of year-end holidays.

Houston Health Department
The Houston Health Department will offer drive-thru testing at two surge sites affiliated with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Drive, and Houston Community College – North Forest, 6010 Little York Rd., will offer nasal self swab tests.

Appointments are available at doineedacovid19test.com and on-site registration is also available. Each site has a daily capacity of 1,250 tests.

The department also offers free drive-thru testing via self-nasal swab at the Aramco Services Company, 9009 W. Loop South. The mega testing site will open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The site has a daily capacity of 1,000 tests.

People wanting to get tested at the Aramco site can call the department’s COVID-19 Call Center at 832-393-4220.

The department will offer testing at three community sites that don’t require appointments and remain open until each reaches its daily capacity of 250 tests. The sites and their hours of operation are:

  • Assumption Catholic Church, 901 Roselane St., Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., drive thru, self-nasal swab,
  • Magnolia Multi-Service Center, 7037 Capitol St., Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., drive thru or walk up, self-nasal swab, and
  • Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood St., Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. drive thru or walk up, self-nasal swab.

The department will provide self-nasal swab testing at the METRO Addicks Park & Ride, 14230 Katy Freeway, and the Multicultural Center, 951 Tristar Drive, city of Webster. Appointments are available by calling the department’s call center at 832-393-4220.

Texas Division of Emergency Management
Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Houston Astros offer self-oral swab tests daily at Minute Maid Park (Lot C), 2208 Preston. The testing site’s capacity is 1,200 tests per day.

The site features evening hours twice a week, eight drive-thru testing lanes and four walk-up testing lanes. It will open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday. Spanish-speaking staff is available on-site.

Visit curative.com to set an appointment or obtain more information. On-site registration is also available.

TDEM and the department will also operate drive-thru sites offering tests Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at:

  • HCC – Northeast Campus, 555 Community College Drive, self-mouth swab tests, and
  • HCC – South Campus, 1990 Airport Blvd., nasal swab tests by healthcare professionals.

TDEM and the department offer drive thru, nasal-swab tests administered by healthcare professionals at LeRoy Crump Stadium, 12321 Alief Clodine Rd. The site is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments for TDEM sites are available at covidtest.tdem.texas.gov. On-site registration is also available.

United Memorial Medical Center
United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) will offer nasal-swab testing by healthcare professionals at drive-thru test sites at:

  • Plaza Americas Mall, 7500 Bellaire Blvd.,
  • Houston Community College – Southeast, 6815 Rustic, and
  • UMMC Tidwell, 510 W. Tidwell Rd.

The sites don’t require appointments and will offer testing Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until reaching daily capacity of 300 tests.

People needing information about UMMC test sites can call 1-866-333-COVID or visit ummcscreening.com.

Curative
Curative will provide walk up, self-mouth swab tests Monday through Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at three locations, each with a 900 daily test capacity:

Appointments are required and available at curative.com.

Federally Qualified Health Centers
The health department is providing test kits, lab access and equipment to local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) so they can expand their COVID-19 testing capacity. The centers and phone numbers people can call to set up testing appointments are:

  • HOPE Clinic, 713-773-0803
  • Spring Branch Community Health Center, 713-462-6565
  • El Centro de Corazon, 713-660-1880
  • Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, 713-426-0027
  • Lone Star Circle of Care at the University of Houston, 346-348-1200, and
  • Scarsdale Family Health Center, 281-824-1480.

FQHC patients pay what they can afford, based on income and family size, and are not denied services due to inability to pay or lack of insurance.

The department and its agency partners may shift locations and schedules of test sites to better meet community needs. Houstonians can visit HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for current Houston testing sites and information about stopping the spread of the virus.

Information obtained through testing, treatment or services will not be used

First shipments of Moderna vaccine roll out, a new weapon in U.S. Covid-19 response

Adversavvy
-
0
First shipments of Moderna vaccine roll out, a new weapon in U.S. Covid-19 response

Following the distribution of the Pfizer vaccine last week, Moderna’s effort means the U.S. now has two vaccines in its arsenal to fight the coronavirus.

Distribution for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine began on Sunday, just two days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use.

Moderna’s vaccine distribution means the U.S. now has two vaccines in its arsenal to fight the pandemic that has infected more than 17.7 million Americans and claimed more than 317,000 lives.

McKesson, a healthcare supply chain management company, is shipping the vaccine around the country from its distribution centers in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and outside of Louisville, Kentucky. It began filling its first orders on Sunday, including the vaccine and ancillary supply kits needed to administer the shot. The company said their initial deliveries, at the U.S. government’s direction, should arrive by Monday.

“We are honored to be a partner with the U.S. government and other private-sector companies such as Moderna to support in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and the ancillary supply kits,” McKesson CEO Brian Tyler said in a statement.

The U.S. was the first country to greenlight the use of Moderna’s vaccine, which does not need to be stored at ultracold temperatures like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

McKesson has partnered with FedEx and UPS, who will help deliver the vaccine.

A UPS truck carrying the Moderna vaccine was spotted with a police escort Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky, outside the UPS Worldport hub, and a FedEx truck carrying the vaccine arrived with a police escort to the FedEx World Hub in Memphis, Tennessee.

Nearly 6 million doses of the Moderna vaccine have been earmarked for distribution and are expected to be shipped to 3,285 locations across the country, according to officials with Operation Warp Speed, the federal organization with oversees vaccine development and distribution, which partially funded the Moderna work.

In a Friday statement, Modern said about 20 million doses of its vaccine will be delivered to the U.S. government by the end of this year

Moderna’s vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective at preventing symptomatic illness, according to documents released Tuesday. The data also suggest that the vaccine may reduce the virus’s spread by preventing infections, though more data are needed to fully understand that finding.

Austin firefighters, paramedics receive first COVID-19 vaccinations

Adversavvy
-
0
Austin firefighters, paramedics receive first COVID-19 vaccinations

COVID-19 numbers:

  • Texas: More than 1.3 million cases have been reported in the state, and more than 24,900 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
  • Central Texas counties: 
    • Travis County: At least 44,796 cases have been reported and at least 516 people have died. At least 40,236 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Hays County: At least 8,759 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 119 people have died. At least 7,378 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Williamson County: At least 17,220 cases have been reported in the county and at least 187 people have died. At least 15,868 people have recovered from the virus.

Updates:

5:10 p.m. – On Saturday, Austin firefighters and paramedics began receiving their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fire specialist Eli Tennefrancia became the first member of the Austin Fire Department to receive his shot, AFD said.

The vaccine shipments were expected later this month, but thanks to Dell Medical School, 25 AFD firefighters and a corresponding number of paramedics and EMTs from Austin-Travis County EMS received theirs on Saturday. They were among the first in the state to do so.

“The men and women of the Austin Fire Department have been serving on the frontlines of this pandemic since the beginning,” said Fire Chief Joel G. Baker. “We’re excited to be on the frontlines again with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine so that we can continue to safely serve the citizens of Austin in their times of need.”

In addition to AFD and ATCEMS members getting vaccinated on Saturday, Austin Public Health Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott received a vaccination.

More vaccinations are expected throughout the weekend and into next week.

“We’re lucky to have such a close working relationship with our hospital partners. To be invited to get vaccinations earlier than expected was an opportunity we could not and would not pass up,” said Ernesto Rodriguez, chief of Austin-Travis County EMS. “It really is a blessing to have such a good partnership and work together to ensure the safety of all the health care workers in our area. Getting the vaccines ahead of our expected timeline means that our hardworking EMTs and paramedics will be able to safely care for Austin-Travis County residents all the sooner.”

8 a.m. – Two Fourth Street bars have recently announced temporary closures due to COVID-19 cases among employees. On Dec. 16, Rain On 4th announced that it would be closed this weekend after an employee tested positive for the virus. The bar said before it reopens, all staff and entertainers will have to provide multiple negative test results over an extended period.

On Dec. 11, Oilcan Harry’s had announced one of its entertainers had tested positive for COVID-19 after working at the bar on Dec. 6 and being there again on Dec. 9. Oilcan Harry’s said all employees will get tested prior to returning to work when the bar reopens.

Fight over Federal Reserve powers stalls $900 billion COVID-19 aid plan

Adversavvy
-
0
Fight over Federal Reserve powers stalls $900 billion COVID-19 aid plan

The impasse is just the latest stumble in a partisan, monthslong battle over COVID-19 relief, and feelings hardened as the Senate congregated for a weekend session.

An arcane battle over emergency Federal Reserve powers foiled efforts on Saturday to lock down an agreement on an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package. Saturday’s deadlock was just the latest stumble in a partisan, months-long fight over pandemic relief and the lack of progress is backing lawmakers once again up against a government shutdown deadline Sunday night.

Lawmakers on both sides said a provision by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., that would curb emergency Federal Reserve powers was the sticking point. Republicans are insisting on the Toomey plan, while Democrats are adamantly against it. A compromise was proving elusive, but communications channels are open, as key lawmakers convened in scrums on the Senate floor and as Toomey and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., met to exchange ideas.

“I think that we should be able to get a deal done,” Toomey said afterward.

“I think they agreed to go back and write down what they were saying, so everybody can read it and exchange paper,” said Sen. John Cornyn.

The latest pratfall likely upends hopes for a House vote Sunday and quick Senate action on an agreement that’s virtually ready save for Toomey’s provision.

“That has to be resolved. And then everything will fall into place,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “It’s a very significant difference.”

A new deadline of midnight Sunday for a government shutdown served as a backstop for the tortuous negotiations, which were being conducted in secret largely among the top four leaders in Congress.

“We need to conclude our talks, draft legislation, and land this plane,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Toomey defended his controversial provision in a floor speech, saying the emergency powers were designed to stabilize capital markets at the height of the COVID panic this spring and are expiring at the end of the month anyway. The language would block the Biden administration from restarting them.

Even Toomey said this week that his provision “could be seen as redundant,” but neither he nor his Democratic adversaries were backing down from the fight, though compromise language was being shuttled back and forth.

At issue are Fed emergency programs, launched amid the pandemic this spring, that provided loans to small and mid-size businesses and bought state and local government bonds. Those bond purchases have made it easier for those governments to borrow, at a time when their finances are under pressure from job losses and health costs stemming from the pandemic.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last month that those programs, along with two that purchased corporate bonds, would close at the end of the year, prompting an initial objection by the Fed. Under the Dodd-Frank financial reform law passed after the Great Recession, the Fed can only set up emergency programs with the support of the treasury secretary.

But in Mnuchin’s letter closing the programs, he said the Fed could request that future treasury secretaries renew them. Fed Chair Jerome Powell echoed that view Wednesday at a news conference. Yet Toomey’s language would bar the Fed from doing so.

That prompted a rare statement Saturday from former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who oversaw a dramatic expansion of the Fed’s emergency lending during the Great Recession, which most economists credit with helping end the financial crisis.

It is “vital that the Federal Reserve’s ability to respond promptly to damaging disruptions in credit markets not be circumscribed,” Bernanke said. “The relief act should ensure, at least, that the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending authorities, as they stood before the passage of the CARES Act (in March), remain fully intact and available to respond to future crises.”

Democrats in Congress also say that Toomey is trying to limit the Fed’s ability to boost the economy, just as Biden takes office.

“This is about existing authorities that the Fed has had for a very long time, to be able to use in an emergency,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. “It’s about a lending authority for helping small businesses, state government, local government in the middle of a crisis.”

Toomey disputed that charge, saying his proposal “is emphatically not a broad overhaul of the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending authority.”

The massive package would wrap much of Capitol Hill’s unfinished 2020 business into a take-it-or-leave-it measure that promises to be a foot thick or more. House lawmakers will probably have only a few hours to study it before voting as early as Sunday afternoon. A Senate vote would follow, probably on Monday. One more short-term funding bill probably would be needed to avoid the looming deadline.

An agreement in principle Saturday would be a precursor to more hours of translating compromises into detailed legislation. Lawmakers are eager to exit Washington and close out a tumultuous year.

The $900 billion packages come as the pandemic is delivering its most fearsome surge yet, killing more than 3,000 victims per day and straining the health care system. While vaccines are on the way, most people won’t get them for months. Jobless claims are on the rise.

The emerging agreement would deliver more than $300 billion in aid to businesses and provide the jobless a $300-per-week bonus federal unemployment benefit and renewal of state benefits that would otherwise expire right after Christmas. It includes $600 direct payments to individuals; vaccine distribution funds and money for renters, schools, the Postal Service, and people needing food aid.

It would be the first significant legislative response to the pandemic since the landmark CARES Act passed virtually unanimously in March, delivering $1.8 trillion in aid, more generous $600 per week bonus jobless benefits, and $1,200 direct payments to individuals.

The new relief aid would be added to a $1.4 trillion governmentwide appropriations bill that would fund agencies through next September. That measure is likely to provide a last $1.4 billion installment for Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall as a condition of winning his signature.

620,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered to 1,100 Texas providers next week

Adversavvy
-
0
620,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered to 1,100 Texas providers next week

Next week the state of Texas is getting more than 620,000 more doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

The shipments are slated to begin arriving as early as Monday and will go to more than 1100 providers, including pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics, many of them in smaller, rural areas of the state.

The owners of one of those pharmacies in Sugar Land, DeliverIt Pharmacy, are very excited to be receiving about 100 of the vaccines.

“When I got this email that our application for the vaccines was approved and we’re getting the shipment on Monday, I was likeHallelujah, a sign of relief”, said Dr. Ehab Abughazaleh, CEO of DeliverIt.

All told, over 620,000 doses will be shipped to providers in 185 Texas counties.

460,500 doses will come from Moderna and 159,900 will come from Pfizer.

Among those getting the vaccine, the Houston Fire Department is slated to receive 3000 doses to be given to the department’s first responders.

1...604605606...728Page 605 of 728

Houston’s premier Hispanic news network, dedicated to keeping you informed with the latest updates on local and national breaking news, community events, entertainment, chisme, and much more. We strive to be your trusted source for engaging and timely content that connects with our vibrant community and celebrates the culture and stories that matter most to you.

Contact us: contact@queondamagazine.com

© Copyright - Que Onda Magazine 2024