Economy

WASHINGTON - The coronavirus pandemic has made life harder for Americans, but one of the few upsides of the crisis has been a massive reduction of traffic across the country. With fewer cars on the roads, Americans have enjoyed cleaner... Read More

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday that while the coronavirus remains a serious problem, enough appears to be going right that the time has come to consider reopening the state's economy. During a briefing with reporters, Northam said the number... Read More

WASHINGTON - Restaurants are filing a surge of lawsuits against insurance companies as they seek coverage for business interruptions during the coronavirus shutdown. The insurance companies say their business interruption policies grant them exemptions for viruses that cause no physical... Read More

WASHINGTON‌ ‌–‌ ‌Ron‌ ‌Klain,‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌Ebola‌ ‌response‌ ‌coordinator‌ ‌from‌ ‌2014‌ ‌to‌ ‌2015,‌ ‌recently spoke‌ ‌to‌ ‌diplomats‌ ‌convened‌ ‌virtually‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Meridian‌ ‌International‌ ‌Center‌ ‌to‌ ‌share‌ ‌his‌ ‌lessons learned‌ ‌about‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌management‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌ongoing‌ ‌Ebola‌ ‌crisis.‌ ‌ Klain,‌ ‌informally‌ ‌dubbed‌... Read More

WASHINGTON‌ ‌-‌ ‌House‌ ‌Democrats‌ ‌urged‌ ‌the‌ ‌Trump‌ ‌administration‌ ‌on‌ ‌Friday‌ ‌to‌ ‌resume‌ ‌funding‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌Pan‌ ‌American‌ ‌Health‌ ‌Organization,‌ ‌a‌ ‌regional‌ ‌branch‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌World‌ ‌Health Organization‌ ‌that‌ ‌operates‌ ‌in‌ ‌Latin‌ ‌America.‌ ‌ In‌ ‌a‌ ‌letter‌ ‌to‌ ‌Secretary‌ ‌of‌ ‌State‌... Read More

WASHINGTON - A wealthy homeowners association on exclusive Kiawah Island in South Carolina is returning a $1 million federal loan intended to help small businesses and nonprofits after being taken to task by Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C. Cunningham, who is... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve said Thursday it is expanding a program that helps the government provide stimulus loans to small businesses and is designed to keep workers on payrolls during the coronavirus pandemic. In a brief statement on its... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve said Thursday it is expanding the scope and eligibility for the Main Street Lending Program, a vehicle created to help credit flow to small and medium-sized businesses that were in sound financial shape before the... Read More

WASHINGTON - Amid growing concerns that the coronavirus crisis could disrupt America’s food chain, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to keep meat and poultry processing plants open during the pandemic. Citing the Defense Production Act, which... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — When John Manley tested positive for COVID-19, his sister urged him to get on the malaria drug that she'd heard Fox News hosts plugging and that President Donald Trump was heralding as a potential “game changer” for fighting the coronavirus.... Read More

Scientists on Wednesday announced the first effective treatment against the coronavirus — an experimental drug that can speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients — in a major medical advance that came as the economic gloom caused by the scourge deepened... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the U.S. economy slid further into a crisis that is becoming the most devastating since the 1930s. Roughly 30.3 million people have now filed... Read More

WASHINGTON — Restrictions on travel from Europe to the United States introduced in March by President Donald Trump could last for months, despite his initial statement they would remain in place for 30 days, three senior administration officials told McClatchy.... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate last quarter as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country and began triggering a recession that will end the longest expansion on record. The Commerce Department... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve is expanding the eligibility criteria for a lending program intended to support the municipal bond market to allow small U.S. cities and municipalities to access needed funds from the central bank. The loosening of lending... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Blue Dog Coalition of House Democrats endorsed a bipartisan bill on Monday that would establish a commission to assess the nation's readiness to deal with future pandemics. H.R. 6429, the National Commission on COVID-19 Act, was introduced... Read More

Everyone wants to know: When, oh when, will it go back to normal? As some governors across the United States begin to ease restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, hopes are soaring that life as Americans knew... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — The second round of loan applications for the government's small business relief program has been slowed by computer issues at the Small Business Administration. Lenders complained Monday that they couldn't get their applications into the SBA... Read More

WASHINGTON - NewDEAL, a network of state and local leaders, is urging Congressional leaders of both parties to consider the input of those on the front lines of dealing with the coronavirus outbreak as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill to... Read More

The day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early April advised everyone to cover their faces in public, the co-owner of a small network of grocery stores in Wisconsin logged into Facebook and began a post: “HELP!”... Read More

LONDON (AP) — Nations and U.S. states have begun easing coronavirus lockdowns, each pursuing their own approach but all with a common goal: restarting their economies without triggering another surge of infections. Restrictions are being lifted piecemeal with no clear... Read More

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives approved a new coronavirus relief package on Thursday, replenishing funds for small business loans, hospitals, and to expand virus testing. The bill, signed by President Trump Friday afternoon, adds $310 billion to the Paycheck... Read More

WASHINGTON — When the governor of Georgia and other leaders press for ending government restrictions aimed at containing the coronavirus, they are proposing a huge gamble, not just for people in their own states but for millions of others nationwide.... Read More

WASHINGTON — With unemployment claims topping 26 million in the last five weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic, the House voted Thursday to approve another half-trillion dollars in federal relief to replenish a depleted small-business loan program and provide money... Read More

WASHINGTON - A bill introduced by two Democratic congressmen Thursday would make businesses in the previously flourishing cannabis industry eligible to apply for COVID-19 relief programs run through the Small Business Administration. In the wake of the shuttering of many... Read More

WASHINGTON - As the House prepares to vote on a $483 billion coronavirus aid package, a majority of Americans say they'd like Congress to return to Washington immediately to try to deal with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, a new poll... Read More

WASHINGTON - Just over 4.4 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to tame it continue to batter the U.S. economy. The Labor Department said Thursday that 4,427,000 Americans applied for benefits... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Census Bureau is launching two new surveys to gather data on disruptions to households and small businesses due to the coronavirus outbreak. The bureau received emergency approval from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Sunday... Read More

WASHINGTON - The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus has released a lengthy checklist it hopes will help guide the White House and congressional leaders as they continue to work toward fully reopening the U.S. economy. While the caucus, which has 25... Read More

WASHINGTON - Congressional negotiators and the White House reached agreement Tuesday on a $500 billion coronavirus relief bill that includes $331 billion to replenish a small business rescue fund while also providing an additional $75 billion to hospitals. The new... Read More