Patabook: October 2021

Sunday, 31 October 2021

Lions Looking For 1st Victory Against Struggling Eagles – CBS Detroit

Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions are desperate for a victory, growing tired of being the NFL’s only winless team. DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 17: Head Coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions reacts during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Ford Field on October 17, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) READ MORE: Michigan Matters: Education in the Spotlight! The first-year coach was fired up about the opportunity to turn around the long-suffering franchise when he was hired 10 months ago, but seven setbacks without success have taken a toll. Campbell cried in front of cameras and reporters after a comeback fell short earlier this month. And, he didn’t hide his hopes and emotions about the Lions (0-7) possibly beating Philadelphia (2-5) on Sunday at home. “It would mean everything, look, particularly going into a bye, too,” Campbell said softly. “Any time it would be good, but man, you end on a right note and we get those guys, get their bodies back a little bit, and then you come back in. You almost feel like you’re starting over somewhat.” Likewise, the Eagles and their first-year coach are shooting for a win to potentially start the process of salvaging their season after dropping two straight games. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 24: Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts during the first half in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Morris/Getty Images) “This is what I said to the team: ‘The results aren’t there right now, but what’s going on here is that there’s growth under the soil,” coach Nick Sirianni recalled. “I put a picture of a flower up, and it’s coming through the ground, and the roots are growing out. The roots are continuing to grow out. Everybody wants to see results. Shoot, nobody wants to see results more than us, right?” PITCH AND CATCH Opposing quarterbacks are completing 74.4% of their passes against the Eagles. If that holds up, it will break the NFL record of 72.7% set by the Lions in 2016. Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr was 31 of 34 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns last week against Philadelphia. Carr’s 91.2% completion rate was the second-highest by a quarterback throwing at least 30 passes in NFL history. “That needs to get corrected because it’s hard to play winning football when the ball doesn’t hit the ground,” Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said. PHILLY’S OWN Second-year running back D’Andre Swift, who is from Philadelphia, has been perhaps the brightest spot during a dim season in Detroit. After being slowed in training camp with a groin injury, the former Georgia star has steadily improved even as defenses have focused on trying to slow him down. DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 12: Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift (32) breaks loose on a long touchdown run during the Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers game on Sunday September 12, 2021 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Swift had a season-high 144 yards of offense last week, giving him an average of 93.3 yards per game this season, and matched his career-high with eight receptions. He leads NFL running backs with 42 catches and 391 yards receiving. Swift leads the Lions with five touchdowns, three more than any teammate. READ MORE: Study Says Workers Leaving Jobs That Are Not Remote Campbell said he sees similarities to Alvin Kamara, who he coached in New Orleans. “They can both, I think, somewhat take a game over,” Campbell said. INCONSISTENT HURTS Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has completed just 53.6% of his passes over the past three games. Hurts’ accuracy issues have been a concern throughout his first two seasons. His overall numbers are inflated by several late scores that have come after the outcome was decided. Seven of Philadelphia’s 18 offensive touchdowns were scored after the team trailed by at least 19 points in the second half. “It’s all self-inflicted things that have stopped us,” Hurts said. HOMECOMING Eagles cornerback Darius Slay will face his former team for the first time. Detroit drafted Slay in the second round in 2013 and after a mostly productive career, former general manager Bob Quinn traded him to Philadelphia after the 2019 season. CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 10: Darius Slay #2 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after intercepting the ball during a football game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) “That’s like my second home,” Slay said. “I was there seven years. I appreciate (former Lions general manager) Martin Mayhew and the Lions taking a chance on me. It’s a good home visit for me. I appreciate the fans, for sure, because I’m real big in the community there.” GOING FOR IT The Lions are trying almost anything to win. Detroit recovered an onside kick and successfully faked two punts to pick up first down, including one with punter Jack Fox throwing a sharp, 17-yard pass, in a loss against the Los Angeles Rams. “Last week was special, obviously, with what they did, getting us three extra possessions there,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “I think Jack’s pretty versatile with his ability to throw the ball. I was around Johnny Hekker for five years and he was very similar where he played high school quarterback, too, and could throw it a little bit. That’s always a weapon you’ve got there.” MORE NEWS: Study: Detroit Ranks 96th In Places To Trick-Or-Treat © 2021 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Related The post Lions Looking For 1st Victory Against Struggling Eagles – CBS Detroit appeared first on Patabook News .

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New Sense of Normalcy Creeps Into the Bay Area on Halloween Weekend – CBS San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Another busy weekend across the Bay Area is bringing a renewed sense of normalcy along with it. “It feels great, honestly,” said Christian Ortiz. Whether at a farmer’s market in Foster City or at the newly reopened Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, several people told KPIX they’re feeling a change. “What we’ve really seen is some more of the vendors coming out. That’s what’s changed over the last few weeks,” said Scott Patterson, visiting the Foster City Farmer’s Market on Saturday. “It does feel like life is coming back to normal,” said Carolyn O’Reilly, who was at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Being open for the first time in 19 months brought that feeling back for Adam Frost, who works at the museum. “It’s definitely starting to get back to normal. Seeing the kids here, running around, playing in our exhibits is a big part of that,” Frost said. “We love sharing those ‘a-ha moments’ of learning and science. When kids just enjoy it and get it and learn things while having fun at the same time, that’s what we strive for. It’s great to have that happening here inside again.” In San Francisco, the Castro District’s annual Halloween celebration is expected to draw a good crowd this weekend. Across the city in Golden Gate Park, around 70,000 people are expected to attend Day Two of the Outside Lands music festival. Though the pandemic isn’t over yet, O’Reilly plans to make the most of “normal” as it comes back into life. She and her husband spent the day with their grandson at the Lawrence Hall of Science. “To see everything opening up and to take him out and have fun — it just means everything to us,” she said. The post New Sense of Normalcy Creeps Into the Bay Area on Halloween Weekend – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Patabook News .

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Mayor De Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray Host Children’s Halloween Party At Gracie Mansion – CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray hosted a Halloween party for children Saturday at Gracie Mansion. The two were dressed up as “Star Trek” characters as they handed out candy to the kids. Our mission this spooky holiday weekend is to explore new frontiers and boldly go where no other city has gone before. Mission accomplished.Happy #Halloween, New York City! pic.twitter.com/HFmca90uDW — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) October 30, 2021 Later, the children enjoyed a haunted Halloween experience on the grounds of Gracie Mansion. The post Mayor De Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray Host Children’s Halloween Party At Gracie Mansion – CBS New York appeared first on Patabook News .

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Will You See Another Relief Payment? – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

(CBS Baltimore) — The pandemic goes on, long after COVID first shut down the economy last year. The Delta variant is still causing positive cases, albeit at a reduced rate, and President Biden has more strongly pushed to encourage vaccines. The broad economy has surpassed where it was in early 2020. Still, shortages and inflation persist, and some people haven’t caught up. Unemployment exceeds pre-pandemic levels, even with jobs widely available in certain sectors. The federal unemployment bonus ended in early September, but millions of people remain short of food and behind on bills. A fourth stimulus check would help. A few places, including California, have recognized the need for more help and provided additional payments. But will the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) be sending out another stimulus check in 2021? That hasn’t been decided. But plenty of clues point to where things are heading. Economic Recovery For Some READ MORE: 5 Passengers Hospitalized Following Parker County Plane Crash, Officials Say Relief payments were intended to ease COVID’s economic impact and support the economy in the process. The third round of relief payments started back in March, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Over the following months, about 169 million people received up to $1,400 each. That accounted for nearly all of the $422 billion set aside. The ARP checks closely followed the $600 payments from January, which came nine months after the $1,200 payments from the pandemic’s early days. They seem to have worked, but have also helped many who didn’t actually need the money. In the third quarter of 2021, the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.0 percent, according to the most recent estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Supply chain issues may have prevented faster growth.) That’s a major slowdown from the torrid pace in the second quarter, which saw 6.7 percent growth. The Conference Board forecasts continued though slower growth through the rest of the year. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP), an estimate of economic activity across the U.S., has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. By that general measure, the economy has fully recovered. Broad segments of the workforce have endured little economic hardship during the pandemic. Many jobs performed at a desk in an office are just as easily performed at a desk in someone’s home. And with fewer places to spend money during much of the pandemic, plus three stimulus checks, many Americans saved more than they might have otherwise. The personal saving rate ballooned to 33.7 percent in April of 2020 and has remained well above pre-pandemic levels until September of 2021. In September, it dropped to 7.5 percent, below the 8.3 percent from February of 2020, the month before the pandemic started. On Face the Nation back in June, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan estimated that its customers had not spent 65-70 percent of their last two stimulus checks at that point. The extra savings combined with pent-up demand likely helped drive the broader economy during the rebound. The housing market has also surged, thanks to low interest rates and people stuck at home realizing the limitations of their living space. The National Association of Realtors recently reported that the national median sales price for an existing home hit $352,800 in September, up 13.3 percent from September of 2020. Much of that rise was helped along by houses priced above the median. Housing inventory decreased over August, and was down 13 percent year over year. And of the homes that sold in September, 86 percent were for sale for less than a month. The stock market continues to perform well too. Despite some bumpy weeks, the Dow Jones remains far above where it was at this time last year. It has regularly approached record territory. The market closed Friday morning at 35,839 as compared to 26,501 at this time a year ago. Concerns about the Delta variant and lagging vaccination rates in parts of the world still linger. Overall COVID case numbers continue to fall, but mask guidelines remain more stringent in some places. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, along with the approval of booster shots for those at risk or over 65 yeas old, has been good news for the market. Individual investors who saved their stimulus cash remain invested. Bigger investors continue to bet on a strong economic recovery in the months ahead. While certain experts foresee some of the strongest economic growth in decades, many are also concerned about higher inflation. Recent projections indicate that prices will rise about 5.3 percent in 2021. That’s compared to the 2.3 percent rate in 2019 and 1.7 percent rate in 2020. The latest data shows prices rising 5.4 percent over the last 12 months. Should that rate persist for the rest of the year, it would be the highest in three decades. Prices moved up 0.4 percent in September, matching early-summer highs. Core consumer prices — excluding food and energy, which tend to be volatile — rose 0.2 percent. Rising prices continue for many products that require semiconductors, including new cars, computers, and TVs. Price hikes and product shortages stem, in part, from the economy opening up all at once. Prices depressed by the pandemic have had to normalize. But companies couldn’t keep pace with a year’s worth of pent-up consumer demand. They also have had to revive and retool their supply chains in the midst of drastic changes in consumer demand patterns. And this has all happened as shipping issues and other constraints continue to slow production and delivery. COVID has altered how and what people consume. The way these changes continue to play out isn’t necessarily predictable. However, companies have had to guess where demand for their product will be when all the dust settles. Predicting the future is hard enough in a normal economy. It became much harder in an economy trying to move past a pandemic then forced to deal with a resurgence. Price changes and shortages across a whole range of products will likely continue to plague consumers well into 2022. But economists think they should improve with time. Consumer spending remains strong, with the rate up 0.7 percent in September, as compared to a 0.9 percent rise in August. Demand for clothing and sporting goods continues to rise. Spending on food and household supplies stayed high. New car purchases continue to be a drag, with semiconductor shortages still creating production and supply issues. Overall, goods spending remains above pre-pandemic levels. No Economic Recovery For Others The pandemic has further highlighted the growing imbalance across the broader economy. While many households have financially flourished during COVID, many others have fallen behind where they were in early 2020. Much of the gap depends on whether wage earners could work remotely during the shutdown or had public-facing jobs that required them to be on-site. Financial insecurity is still widespread, and the loss of a job and the loss of hours were some of the main reasons over the course of the pandemic. Nine percent of American adults (approximately 20 million people) reported a shortage of food in their household over the previous week, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of U.S. Census survey data from late September and early October. Approximately 16 percent of renters (12 million people) have fallen behind on their rent, including 23 percent of renters with children in their household. The federal eviction moratorium, which ended October 3, didn’t forgive rent that was owed, it pushed the debt into the future. And evictions continued in some parts of the country regardless. Meanwhile, only a fraction of the $46 billion Congress allocated for rental assistance has actually made it to tenants and landlords. As of late September, over a quarter of American adults (63 million people) reported some difficulty keeping up with expenses in the prior week. Employment also remains below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8 percent in September, with some workers finding jobs or leaving the workforce. Job growth continues to not meet expectations. Forecasters expected roughly 490,000 new jobs in September, but employers only added about 194,000. (August saw about 366,000 new jobs, also well short of expectations.) Many fear the rise of the Delta variant is hindering growth. Low-wage jobs made up the bulk of those lost during the pandemic, and while plenty of openings have returned, many remain unfilled. Approximately 281,000 people initially applied for unemployment insurance in the week ending October 23. (A typical pre-pandemic week saw about 250,000 new unemployment applications.) As of the week ending October 9, almost 2.8 million workers were receiving some form of unemployment aid. (The approximately 4.9 million people previously collecting PUA lost benefits on September 6, when the program ended.) Many jobless Americans never received unemployment insurance and other government benefits, because of long waits, perceived ineligibility and other issues. Job growth still faces some headwinds, aside from the Delta variant. Some have argued that overly generous benefits made unemployment more attractive than working. But other considerations factor into one’s ability to work too. Remote schooling created childcare issues for many parents that summer break didn’t change. The resumption of in-person learning, if it lasts, could free up some parents to return to work. The full vaccination rate is 57.5 percent for the country. But state percentages range from 71 percent in Vermont to 41 percent in West Virginia. Many counties across the country have vaccination rates lower than that. The threat of COVID, particularly the now-dominant Delta variant, is still real in places. Many people are uncomfortable working in public around strangers. A gap between labor force skills and job requirements can make hiring more difficult, not to mention the rising standards of what workers will accept in a job. And then there’s the general friction that inevitably arises when an entire economy slams its foot on the gas. As before the pandemic, many who are willing to work cannot find jobs with the wages and benefits they need to survive. According to Marie Newman, a U.S. Representative from Illinois, “there is not a shortage of Americans looking for work, there is a shortage of Americans willing to work for starvation wages with no benefits, no health care, and no protections during a pandemic.” About half of all states tried to force the issue and push people back into the job market. These states, most led by Republicans, discontinued the $300 federal unemployment benefit bonus for their citizens ahead of the official Labor Day end date, or at least attempted to. Analysis from a payroll services company called Gusto showed that cutting off federal benefits didn’t lead to more hiring. The federal unemployment bonus and the previous round of stimulus checks helped Americans still awaiting their recovery to pay bills and put food on the table. The advance Child Tax Credit provides some additional support to families. But this money only goes so far. And some politicians feel that the payments haven’t been enough. Support For A Fourth Stimulus Check A group of Democratic Senators, including Ron Wyden of Oregon, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, sent a letter to President Joe Biden at the end of March requesting “recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions.” As the Senators reasoned in their letter, “this crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions.” An earlier letter to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from 53 Representatives, led by Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, carved out a similar position. “Recurring direct payments until the economy recovers will help ensure that people can meet their basic needs, provide racially equitable solutions, and shorten the length of the recession.” Additional co-signers included New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, two other notable names among House Progressives. The letter didn’t place a number on the requested stimulus payments. But a tweet soon after put it at $2,000 per month for the length of the pandemic. $2,000 monthly payments until the pandemic is over. https://t.co/6tuia6prFJ — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 28, 2021 A May 17 letter from members of the House Ways and Means Committee renewed the push for additional stimulus. “The ARP’s $1,400 checks alone will keep 11 million people out of poverty this year, with UI (unemployment insurance) expansion and other provisions in the bill accounting for the another five million. A fourth and fifth check could keep an additional 12 million out of poverty. Combined with the effects of the ARP, direct payments could reduce the number in poverty in 2021 from 44 million to 16 million.” READ MORE: MedStar Escorts Local Trick-Or-Treaters With Medical Needs There’s also been talk about automatic payments that could be sent when specific economic metrics reach certain thresholds (for example, if unemployment rises to 6 percent). These triggers would make stimulus checks a reactive force in countering economic dips, sparing struggling Americans from Congressional delays. A majority of Americans also favor recurring relief payments. According to a January poll from Data For Progress, nearly two-thirds of all voters support $2,000 monthly payments to all Americans for the length of the pandemic. Supporters include a majority of Independents and Republicans. A struggling restaurant owner’s online petition calling for $2,000 monthly payments for every American adult has surpassed 2.9 million signatures. The Urban Institute estimated that another stimulus payment could reduce poverty by at least 6.4 percent in 2021. Many economists are also onboard. A 2020 open letter from experts in the field argued “direct cash payments are an essential tool that will boost economic security, drive consumer spending, hasten the recovery, and promote certainty at all levels of government and the economy – for as long as necessary.” California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a budget into law in July, which includes a stimulus check for about two-thirds of the state’s residents. The $100 billion California Comeback Plan, as part of their $262.2 billion budget, is paying $600 to residents earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year. Residents in that income range who have kids are receiving $1,100. Those checks started going out the last Friday in August The state’s previous stimulus went to those with an annual income under $30,000. Other states have also authorized payments. Maryland handed out $300 or $500 checks to those who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their tax returns. Florida gave $1,000 bonuses to teachers, which started showing up in August. Denton and Irving school districts in north Texas were scheduled to give retention bonuses of $500 and $2,000 respectively at the start of the school year. The Biden administration also planned to give a one-time $600 payment to farm workers and meatpacking workers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the plan in early September. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated up to $700 million for the limited-scope stimulus check. The aid will be handed out through state agencies and include a pilot program giving extra money to grocery store workers. The Biden administration, which authored the third round of stimulus checks, isn’t against a fourth round. But the president recognizes their high price tag. He also has other priorities, specifically infrastructure, global warming, and help for families. Neither the American Jobs Plan nor the American Families Plan, the administration’s original infrastructure and human infrastructure proposals, included another relief payment. Other plans currently bouncing around Congress don’t either. A Fourth Stimulus Check Is Unlikely All of the tacit and explicit support for stimulus checks keeps the possibility alive. The support doesn’t make a fourth payment likely, however. And there are many reasons why. Vaccinations are progressing steadily, albeit not as quickly as in the spring. Adults and those at least 12 years old are eligible to be inoculated in all 50 states. (Emergency approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 is expected as soon as next week.) Three different options are available to the public, with the Pfizer vaccine fully approved by the FDA. Booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine have also been approved and rolled out for those at risk or over 65. Actually putting needles in arms is taking time, even with supply readily available. Americans have received over 416 million doses, with 66.5 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 57.5 percent completely vaccinated. Vaccination numbers continue to increase at a rate of over 800,000 doses per day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its guidance and recommends that vaccinated people in areas with higher COVID transmission revert to wearing masks indoors again. With vaccinations rising, the nation’s economy continues to recover. Looser restrictions have helped businesses, and jobs are available in many sectors. Many industries are even complaining of worker shortages, which are leading to wage increases. The number of new unemployment claims remains lower than it has been for much of the pandemic. In September, consumer confidence dropped again due to ongoing concerns over the Delta variant and rising prices. Consumer sentiment is also subdued due to the Delta variant, supply chain questions, and ongoing labor force issues. Confidence, however, remains higher than it’s been for much of the pandemic. Consumer spending drives two-thirds of the country’s economy. And excess pandemic savings, along with three stimulus checks, has boosted people’s spending power. That spending power has increased even more since monthly Child Tax Credit payments started on July 15. The most recent payment went out October 15. An improved financial position generally also raises optimism for the future. The ongoing vaccinations, which have allowed the economy to reopen to some degree, certainly help. All that additional spending, along with the release of pent-up demand, has led to the availability of more jobs as companies try to hire to address consumer needs. With the economy growing, a fourth round of stimulus checks seems less urgent. Aside from the generally improving economy, the political machinations of Washington make a fourth stimulus check a longshot. The American Rescue Plan, which included the third stimulus check, passed along party lines. Republicans were not interested in spending anywhere close to $1.9 trillion, though some did support the third relief payment. They termed the package a “blue state bailout,” claiming it went well beyond the scope of COVID and would increase the deficit, leading to inflation. The Democrats used a process called reconciliation to pass the bill in the Senate without Republican support. That allows budget-related matters to proceed with a simple majority rather than the filibuster-proof 60 votes. Generally only one reconciliation bill can pass per fiscal year. But a subsequent ruling by the Senate parliamentarian, who interprets the legislative body’s rules, opened up a path for additional spending legislation. Without reconciliation, any bill would need at least 10 Republican votes, along with every Democratic vote. But the Biden administration has other priorities. One of its biggest is addressing infrastructure. The proposed American Jobs Plan, which aimed to rebuild roads, repair bridges, do away with lead pipes, extend broadband, modernize the country’s electric grid and much more, carried a price tag of $2.3 trillion. Biden and a group of Senators from both parties agreed upon a scaled-back infrastructure plan costing about $1 trillion. The resulting bipartisan bill, now called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed the Senate in early August. Neither the original version nor the bipartisan bill that moved forward includes a fourth stimulus check. One could, in theory, be added when the House takes up the bill. That seems unlikely given the price tag. The American Families Plan, focused on childcare, education and more, would have cost another $1.8 trillion in its initial form. The Democrats were then pushing forward a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint that focused on their various “human infrastructure” initiatives, such as Medicare expansion, child care, and climate change. A $1.75 trillion version of that second plan is now nearing a vote. A fourth stimulus check is not included, though one could theoretically still be added as well. The Democrats’ latest plan is a more likely home for a fourth stimulus check than a traditional infrastructure plan. Funding these plans will almost certainly involve tax increases on corporations and wealthy individuals, which Republicans would oppose. More negotiating seems inevitable before any bill gets passed into law. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised not to take up the infrastructure bill until the Senate also passes the human infrastructure bill. Democrats are already laying the groundwork to use reconciliation again to push through this legislation. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, among the most centrist Democratic Senators, has warned against overusing reconciliation. He is also apparently unwilling to do away with the filibuster, which would lower the number of votes needed to pass legislation to 51. Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema doesn’t want to abandon the filibuster either. Manchin also wants to see the human infrastructure bill shrink. With bipartisanship still hard to come by, the Biden administration is in a tough spot. They’re unlikely to add a fourth stimulus check to any plan, driving up the price tag by hundreds of billions of dollars. They’re also unlikely to use reconciliation to pass another stimulus check on its own. What Other Aid Is Out There? While a fourth stimulus check is improbable, more direct payments to Americans have already been signed into law. Up until Labor Day, the jobless received extended unemployment benefits. The American Rescue Plan also includes an advance Child Tax Credit. Under the revised Child Tax Credit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is paying out $3,600 per year for each child up to five years old and $3,000 per year for each child ages six through 17. Monthly payments of up to $300 per child started July 15 and will continue through December of 2021. The remainder is to be issued when the recipient files their 2021 taxes. The benefit does not depend on the recipient’s current tax burden. In other words, qualifying families will receive the full amount, regardless of how much — or little — they owe in taxes. Payments start to phase out beyond a $75,000 annual income for individuals and beyond $150,000 for married couples. The more generous credit will apply only for 2021, though Biden has stated his interest in extending it through 2025. The ARP added $21.6 billion to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which is being distributed to state and local governments, who then assist households. Most of the $46 billion total has yet to reach tenants and landlords. The infrastructure and human infrastructure plans also have the potential to create many jobs across a wide swath of the economy. How the proposed initiatives are ultimately distributed across the bipartisan bill or the broader Democratic plan remains to be seen. The American Families Plan boosted the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and placed a ceiling on the cost of childcare for many families. The plan set aside $200 billion for universal preschool. In addition to helping working parents pay for childcare, the plan sought to allow more parents to return to the workforce. Look for similar programs and more when the specifics of the human infrastructure plan are worked out. Additional money in people’s pockets from any bill or proposed plan is still hypothetical, of course. Nothing has found its way through Congress yet. And it could be months until it does. MORE NEWS: Police Officer Injured In Northwest Dallas Crash Originally published on Monday, April 5 @ 4:45 p.m. ET. The post Will You See Another Relief Payment? – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth appeared first on Patabook News .

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Bride Surprises Groom, Who Is Blind, With Special Wedding Dress For Him To Feel – WCCO

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — When Kelly Anne and Anthony Ferraro met through mutual friends in New Jersey, she knew he was blind. So she wanted to do something special for their first date. She got a new dress — one that he could feel. “She’s like, ‘Well you can’t see me, so I’ve got to wear something that feels nice.’ No one thought to do that, like ever,” Anthony Ferraro said. READ MORE: 6 Armed Carjackings Reported In 5 Hours In South Minneapolis: People Have The Perception That It’s Dangerous To Be Out “I remember my sister making fun of me, because I was like, ‘I’m going to wear a velvet dress so he can feel it.’ She was like, ‘That is so corny, he’s not actually going to feel your dress just because he’s blind.’ I was like, ‘No he might, you don’t know,” said Kelly Ferraro. “Then it ended up being something that was so important to him.” Anthony competes in wrestling and judo and travels a lot. Kelly began going with him. “My whole life changed when I met Kelly. I remember not being able to see anything when I traveled,” he said. “She would describe these landscapes to me, like visually, where they would paint these pictures in my head. She literately became my eyes for the world.” READ MORE: Weve Seen Really Booming Interest: Work From Home Has More Homeowners Making The Switch To Solar This year, the couple got married, and Kelly wanted to do something special for Anthony again. So she got a custom wedding dress with many textures, so he could see by feeling. Anthony was shocked when his bride met him at the altar. “She’s like, I’m here, I’m here, feel my dress,” he said. “My mind was blown, I started crying. It was just like I was able to see Kelly. That was the best part. I was able to feel her dress. When I was feeling the dress, it was just painting this image of an angel in my mind, and it was just so beautiful.” Kelly goes above and beyond for her love, serving as a lesson of acceptance for others. MORE NEWS: Supply Chain Problems Lead To Limited Furnace Supply “To put yourself in other people’s shoes, I think really helps. But understanding everyone in life is different and going that extra step to just think about that other person, and kind of put yourself in their experiences,” said Anthony. The post Bride Surprises Groom, Who Is Blind, With Special Wedding Dress For Him To Feel – WCCO appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122470/Bride-Surprises-Groom-Who-Is-Blind-With-Special-Wedding-Dress

Michelle Wu Leads Annissa Essaibi George By 30 Points In Boston Mayoral Race Before Election Day, Poll Finds – CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) — A new poll shows Michelle Wu has a commanding lead over Annissa Essaibi George in the Boston mayoral race just days before election day. A poll from Emerson College released this week found Wu has 61% support, while Annissa Essaibi George has 31% support. 8% of the 500 likely voters surveyed are undecided between the two city councilors. There is a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points. READ MORE: Boston City Councilors Say Postal Worker Threw Mail-In Ballots Away Wu drew more than 10,000 votes than Essaibi George in the preliminary election. READ MORE: For Those Still Without Power, Hopes Are High That Theres A Light At The End Of The Tunnel Voters were also asked what the next mayor’s top priority should be in their first 100 days, and 28% percent believe the focus should be on housing. MORE NEWS: Most Power In The State Will Be Restored By Midnight; Baker Says Halloween Will Go According To Plan Join WBZ-TV for live election night coverage on Tuesday, November 2. It starts at 8 a.m. on CBSN Boston. The post Michelle Wu Leads Annissa Essaibi George By 30 Points In Boston Mayoral Race Before Election Day, Poll Finds – CBS Boston appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122469/Michelle-Wu-Leads-Annissa-Essaibi-George-By-30-Points-In

Just 10 Minutes Dessert with few Ingredients | Instant & Easy Dessert Recipe

Just 10 Minutes Dessert with few Ingredients | Instant Easy Dessert Recipe. © Hands Touch The post Just 10 Minutes Dessert with few Ingredients | Instant Easy Dessert Recipe appeared first on Patabook Cooking.

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10 Mins Quick & Instance breakfast | breakfast recipes | Healthy Breakfast recipes | Easy breakfast

5 Minute Warm Up for At Home Workouts | No Jumping!

5 Minute Warm Up for At-Home indoor Workouts for women. 10 x low impact warm up exercises, all are standing exercises with no jumping and no equipment. Perfect for all fitness levels including seniors and beginners. Welcome to fabulous50s! Here you will find content that relates to how to look younger, mature skincare, anti aging, wrinkles, how to dress over 50, style, fitness, health and beauty over 50. All the videos here have you, a mature Woman in mind and if you have any questions or video suggestions for mature Women, please feel free to leave your comment below. ⬇️This 5 minute pre workout warm up is part of the November 14 day challenge (which you will love doing!) https://fabulous50s.com/new-14-day-challenge/ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TODAY I AM WEARING… ➜ Im Wearing (and love) Spanx Active Leggings Amazon https://amzn.to/2H3OVe4 Nordstrom https://go.magik.ly/ml/mvps/ UK Amazon https://amzn.to/2J2OByg ➜ Nike Running shoe: https://amzn.to/3gsibKR ➜ 1kg (2pound) dumbbell hand weights: https://amzn.to/349c7ng ➜ BEST Dumbbell set for overall fitness: https://amzn.to/2CErety ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 💪FREE 7 DAY 150 MINUTE WALKING CHALLENGE PLAYLIST FOR WOMEN OVER 50💪 https://fabulous50s.co/150-minute-walking-challenge/ 💪FREE 14 DAY WORKOUT CHALLENGE PLAYLIST FOR WOMEN OVER 50💪 https://fabulous50s.co/14-day-challenge/ ⬇️⬇️CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE “STAY YOUNGER LONGER” EBOOK (Learn to F E E L G O O D L O O K G O O D over 50!) ➜ http://eepurl.com/dxHX01 ⬇️⬇️CLICK HERE FOR GUIDE TO MAKEUP TIPS FOR MATURE SKIN https://fabulous50s.co/the-5-biggest-makeup-mistakes-on-mature-skin/ ⬇️⬇️CLICK HERE FOR MY ANTI AGING SKINCARE ROUTINE https://fabulous50s.co/anti-ageing-skincare-routine-for-mature-skin/ If you enjoyed this video, I think you will enjoy watching these videos next xx 10 Minute Tone Your Arm Workout For Women Over 50 | Beginner Friendly ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E7cjvOit64 10 Minute Ab Workout For Women Over 50 | Reduce Belly Fat Fast | Fabulous50s ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdC3OfWI5cwt=212s 5 Minute Full Body Stretching Routine! ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ferw4VhbN54 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ***Disclaimer: Information provided in this video is of a general nature only and is for entertainment/educational purposes. We strongly recommend that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. Performing any of these exercises is done so at your own risk.*** ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● To find out more: LETS CONNECT👋 Fabulous50s INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fabulous.50s/ ———————————————————— Fabulous50s PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/29024 ———————————————————— Fabulous50s FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/fabulous50ss/ ———————————————————— Fabulous50s WEBSITE: https://fabulous50s.co ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● 🙏THANK YOU so much for watching. If you know someone who may enjoy this videoPlease share 🙏 Please tune in for new videos each Friday at 9.15pm (Australia NSW time) (7.15am EDT) ———————————————————— FOLLOW MY YOUTUBE JOURNEY INTERVIEW HERE ⬇️ ———————————————————— SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWP ———————————————————— EMAIL ALL ENQUIRIES TO: foabuss. ———————————————————— MAIL: Po Box 6092 Park Beach Plaza Coffs Harbour Australia 2450 ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ***This content is not sponsored and all opinions are 100% honest and what I truly believe. If I LOVE a product first, and there is an affiliate link availableI will use itI WILL NOT look for a product that pays a commission first, and then do a reviewEVER! Some links are affiliate links. If you click a link and buy something, I may receive a small commission for the sale. It doesnt cost you anything extra and you are free to use the link or notIts totally up to you If you do use my linksThank you so much xx #fabulous50s #indoorworkout #5minutewarmup The post 5 Minute Warm Up for At Home Workouts | No Jumping! appeared first on Patabook Active Women.

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Easy Cardio Workout for Women Over 50, Mirabai Holland

20 Min Easy Cardio Workout for Women over 50 JOIN ONLINE WORKOUT CLUB! VISIT https://bit.ly/2Ysh2gx The post Easy Cardio Workout for Women Over 50, Mirabai Holland appeared first on Patabook Active Women.

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122452/Easy-Cardio-Workout-for-Women-Over-50-Mirabai-Holland

2 Killed, 4 Injured In Avalon Park Crash – CBS Chicago

By Mary Chappell CHICAGO (CBS) – Two people were killed and four others injured in an Avalon Park crash late Saturday, police said. READ MORE: Man Fatally Shot In Ukrainian Village A gray Dodge Charger was traveling northbound on the 8200 block of South Stony Island Avenue at about 11:38 p.m. when it struck the driver’s side of a brown Nissan SUV attempting to cross 82nd Street, authorities said. READ MORE: Police Increase Patrols In Hyde Park Ahead Of Time, Amid Concern Given History Of Violence And Mayhem In Past Years Two passengers in the Nissan, a 76-year-old man and an unidentified woman in her 30s, were both taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where they were pronounced dead. The driver of the Nissan, a 49-year-old woman, was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. Also in the Nissan, a 68-year-old woman was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center with minor injuries in fair condition and a teenage boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, also with minor injuries in fair condition, authorities said. The driver of the Dodge had traumatic injuries and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition. MORE NEWS: Chicago Weather: Quiet And Cooler Next Week There are no citations pending as Area Two detectives investigate. The post 2 Killed, 4 Injured In Avalon Park Crash – CBS Chicago appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122451/2-Killed-4-Injured-In-Avalon-Park-Crash-CBS-Chicago

Tamalpais High in Mill Valley Renames Campus Building for Beloved School Employee – CBS San Francisco

MILL VALLEY (KPIX) — Family, friends, alumni, staff and current students came together at Tamalpais High School on Saturday to celebrate the career of a retired employee who served her community for almost 50 years. To honor the work of Clara “Jewel” Barrow the school renamed a building on its campus, Barrow Hall. “Today has been overwhelming. It’s just so hard to wrap my mind around what is going on,” Barrow said after the ceremony. It was a historic move for a school that dates back more than 110 years. Barrow is the first woman of color to have her name attached to a building and it’s rare to see a classified employee, someone who is not in a certified position like a teacher, to get this level of recognition. “I think it’s important to give people their flowers and let them know they’re appreciated while they’re alive,” said J.C. Farr, the current principal at the school. Barrow retired before Farr arrived but he has heard from many about the legendary role she played in so many lives. “It sends a message to the students, it sends a message to the staff and the community that, you know, people who do great things will be acknowledged.” Former school leaders and students joined current staff in sharing stories and highlighting the difference Barrow made for students. Some shared that Barrow herself got kicked out of schools when she was a student. She admitted that fifth grade to ninth grade was a tough time for her and she was difficult to deal with in school. But the focus of the ceremony was on the work she did at Tam High to make sure others stayed on track to graduate. “I don’t know if there’s been a person more deserving in the history of this school,” one alumnus of the school said. Classified employees can include cafeteria workers, administrative assistants and custodians. Barrow first started working at the school in 1968 where, over the years, she was an instructional aide, staff assistant, athletics supervisor and para-educator among other positions. “She was the first person in our family to graduate from Tam and she said how beautiful the ceremony was. We all wanted to go to Tam, we all wanted to graduate, we all wanted to follow in the footsteps of what Jewel did,” said Martin Evans. He is one of Barrow’s nephews and he traveled from southern California to attend the ceremony. Relatives from across the country were in the audience. Evans said this honor for his aunt gives him hope about the community he used to call home. He and Principal Farr say it demonstrates a move in the right direction to make Tam High a more equitable and inclusive campus for people of all backgrounds. “It’s all about the students, it’s all about the students, not me or anybody else, everything was to help the students,” Barrow said. The post Tamalpais High in Mill Valley Renames Campus Building for Beloved School Employee – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122438/Tamalpais-High-in-Mill-Valley-Renames-Campus-Building-for-Beloved

WCBS Takes Home Several Trophies At 64th Annual New York Emmy Awards – CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The 64th Annual New York Emmy Awards were held Saturday, recognizing the best in broadcast journalism. CBS2’s Jessica Moore was a co-emcee for the event, which was held virtually again this year due to the pandemic. We’re proud to announce WCBS won several Emmys. The single spot image promotion for Lonnie Quinn action figure took home a statue, along with Elle McLogan’s The Dig in the lifestyle short form contest category, the 18th annual Tunnel 2 Towers special in the news special category, Black History Is Our History for public service announcement campaign, and two awards for our Jersey City shootout coverage. The post WCBS Takes Home Several Trophies At 64th Annual New York Emmy Awards – CBS New York appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122437/WCBS-Takes-Home-Several-Trophies-At-64th-Annual-New-York

High Winds, Short Staffing Cause Hundreds Of Cancellations At American Airlines – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — American Airlines has cancelled 427 flights Saturday, all of which are attributed to high winds and/or short staffing. According to FlightAware, 195 of those flights were either coming to or traveling from DFW International Airport. READ MORE: 5 Passengers Hospitalized Following Parker County Plane Crash, Officials Say In a statement released by the Fort Worth-based airline, an official wrote that the high wind gusts in North Texas this week led to tight staffing. “With additional weather throughout the system, our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences.” North Texas saw two days of severe winds with gusts up to 50 mph on Thursday. This winds created limitations that reduced arrival capacity by more than half, the official said. “This weather drove a large number of cancellations at DFW, as we could only use two runways instead of the usual five that handle our operation.” The official also wrote that the last days of October “will be challenging.” “To make sure we are taking care of our customers and providing scheduling certainty for our crew, we have adjusted our operation for the last few days this month by proactively canceling some flights. We are taking this measure to minimize any inconvenience as much as possible. Most of the customers impacted by these changes are being rebooked the same day, and we apologize for having to make these changes.” Although travelers are getting rebooked, some are still left frustrated. “It’s very frustrating,” Vance Nelson said. “The last few times we’ve flown American Airlines we’ve had nothing but issues.” READ MORE: MedStar Escorts Local Trick-Or-Treaters With Medical Needs Customer Christopher Jordan said he just gave up when they moved him to another flight. “Because once I went down to customer service… from C24 to C5, there’s just tons of people in line from cancellation flights all day.” Moving forward, the airline official said more staff will be returning in the coming months. Eighteen-hundred flight attendants are returning Nov. 1 and the remainder are set to return by Dec. 1. Over 600 new-hire flight attendants are expected to be on property by the end of December as well. Additional hiring is also underway, the statement said. “We anticipate 4,000 new team members joining us across the system in the fourth quarter. The hiring of pilots and within Tech Ops continues to take place, and we already began ramping up hiring in Reservations so more team members will be in place for the holiday season.” FlightAware reports American Airlines has already cancelled 126 flights in and out of DFW Airport Sunday and more than 300 total. MORE NEWS: Police Officer Injured In Northwest Dallas Crash Read the full statement from American Airlines: “We continue to welcome back more and more customers as travel returns, and our team has done an incredible job delivering day in and day out. Of course, not every moment has been easy and these few days to close out October will be challenging. This week saw two days of severe winds in DFW, with gusts of up to 50 mph on Thursday, creating crosswind limitations that sharply reduced arrival capacity by more than half. This weather drove a large number of cancellations at DFW, as we could only use two runways instead of the usual five that handle our operation. With additional weather throughout the system, our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences. To make sure we are taking care of our customers and providing scheduling certainty for our crew, we have adjusted our operation for the last few days this month by proactively canceling some flights. We are taking this measure to minimize any inconvenience as much as possible. Most of the customers impacted by these changes are being rebooked the same day, and we apologize for having to make these changes. Our team members are continuing to take great care of our customers and we anticipate getting through this brief irregular ops period quickly with the start of a new month. The good news moving forward is that we continue to staff up across our entire operation and we will see more of our team returning in the coming months. Specifically, for flight attendants we have nearly 1,800 returning from leave starting Nov. 1 — and the remainder coming back by Dec. 1 — and will have 600+ new hire flight attendants on property by end of December. Additionally, hiring for our Airports is well underway and we anticipate 4,000 new team members joining us across the system in the fourth quarter. The hiring of pilots and within Tech Ops continues to take place, and we already began ramping up hiring in Reservations so more team members will be in place for the holiday season. Our team is extraordinarily resilient, and we cannot thank each and every team member enough for all you are doing to take care of our customers as well as each other.” The post High Winds, Short Staffing Cause Hundreds Of Cancellations At American Airlines – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122436/High-Winds-Short-Staffing-Cause-Hundreds-Of-Cancellations-At-American

Supply Chain Problems Lead To Limited Furnace Supply – WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Winter is on the way, which means Minnesotans will be cranking up the heat. Like many industries, supply of furnaces and their parts is backed up. The pandemic is to blame. READ MORE: 6 Armed Carjackings Reported In 5 Hours In South Minneapolis: People Have The Perception That It’s Dangerous To Be Out “This supply chain issue is something that none of us have ever experienced,” said Andy Ryan, President of Homeworks Plumbing, Heating, and Air in Eagan. “This is hopefully a once in a life time issue that we can all get through, take care of everybody and hopefully it never happens again.” With cooler temperatures on the way, now is the time to make sure your furnace is good to go. “We always recommend that clients do their annual furnace tune-ups,” said Ryan. “So if you haven’t done your tune-up, call Homeworks, call another company. Get someone out there to take a look. Get the state of affairs of your heating system. To make sure it’s safe, it’s performing right, and it’s efficiently operating.” READ MORE: Weve Seen Really Booming Interest: Work From Home Has More Homeowners Making The Switch To Solar Waiting months to get the furnace you need is a possibility. Homeworks has done their best to stock up on inventory to fight the supply chain problem. But prices keep going up. “Every month that goes by, the prices are increasing. This year alone we’ve seen five price increases on furnaces and air conditioners,” said Ryan. “So we recommend to clients, the sooner they buy, the more likely they’re going to pay a lower price, the longer they wait, the higher the costs are going to become.” So to keep your wallet full, and your home warm, acting sooner is better. “The worst thing you could do is it be negative 20 degrees in Minnesota which is right around the corner, and be stuck without heat, and having to pick an inferior product,” said Ryan. MORE NEWS: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Tests Positive For COVID The post Supply Chain Problems Lead To Limited Furnace Supply – WCCO appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122435/Supply-Chain-Problems-Lead-To-Limited-Furnace-Supply-WCCO

Marshfield World War II Veteran Laid To Rest – 60 Years After His Death – CBS Boston

MARSHFIELD (CBS) – A World War II veteran from Marshfield has been laid to rest with full military honors – more than 60 years after his death. Arthur Lewis was buried on Thursday at a military cemetery in Dijbouti. He died in 1959 while at sea in the Horn of Africa. He was originally buried in Dijbouti in an unmarked grave. When his remains were recently identified, his gravesite was cleaned up and given a new headstone, which was unveiled during a dedication ceremony Thursday. The post Marshfield World War II Veteran Laid To Rest – 60 Years After His Death – CBS Boston appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122434/Marshfield-World-War-II-Veteran-Laid-To-Rest-60-Years

Authorities Arrest New Jersey Man For Allegedly Buying Ghost Gun Kits At Pennsylvania Gun Show With Intent To Build, Sell Them – CBS Philly

EWING, N.J. (CBS) — Authorities say they’ve arrested a New Jersey man for allegedly buying ghost gun kits at a Pennsylvania gun show and taking them to New Jersey with the intent to build and sell them. The press conference was streamed on CBSN Philly Friday morning. “It’s important to know that these guns are unserialized and these guns are untraceable and far too often end up in the hands of criminals and people who could not pass a basic background check,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s acting attorney general said the investigators obtained 13 handgun kits, 16 high capacity magazines, as well as a semi-automatic ghost assault rifle. The suspect, William Pillus, and his girlfriend, Makenna Sweeney, face charges in the case. The post Authorities Arrest New Jersey Man For Allegedly Buying Ghost Gun Kits At Pennsylvania Gun Show With Intent To Build, Sell Them – CBS Philly appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122433/Authorities-Arrest-New-Jersey-Man-For-Allegedly-Buying-Ghost-Gun

160 Myanmar buildings destroyed by government troops’ blaze

“Most of the structures on the main street, which has shop stalls and all kinds of businesses, have been destroyed. There is nothing left to salvage,” said a statement signed by Salai Za Uk Ling, the deputy executive director of the Chin Human Rights Organization. The post 160 Myanmar buildings destroyed by government troops blaze appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122432/160-Myanmar-buildings-destroyed-by-government-troops-blaze

Biden Strikes Deal to Ease Trump-Era Tariffs on European Aluminum and Steel at G20 Summit

The Biden administration struck a deal with the European Union (EU) on Saturday to ease tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on steel and aluminum imports, an agreement that will resolve strained trade relations and lower the cost of cars and other metal goods. The Trump administration imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum in 2018 in an effort to bolster domestic industries. Under the new agreement, the EU will be able to send a limited volume of steel and aluminum to the U.S. duty free. Todays announcement delivers on President Bidens vision to turn the page on past disputes and begin a new chapter of enhanced trans-Atlantic relations, said U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Both sides see the easing of tariffs—which came after months of negotiations between U.S. trade officials and their European counterparts—as a clear signal that the Biden administration intends to strengthen relations with its longtime ally and begin a new phase following four years under a hostile Trump presidency. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the deal removes one of the largest bilateral irritants in the U.S.-EU relationship. The Biden administration struck a deal with the European Union (EU) on Saturday to ease tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on steel and aluminum imports. Above, (L-R) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and U.S. President Joe Biden, pose for the media prior to a meeting at the La Nuvola conference center for the G20 summit on October 30th, 2021 in Rome, Italy. Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images However, EU Trade Commission Valdis Dombrovskis suggested that the agreement may not be a permanent solution, describing it as a pause on the steel and aluminum trade dispute in a tweet. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo lauded the agreement while making clear that the Trump-era tariffs will still be maintained. Weve reached an agreement with the EU which maintains the 232 tariffs but allows limited volumes of EU steel and aluminum to enter the US territory, she told reporters. Weve also agreed to work together with the EU to use trade tools to fight global excess capacity of steel and aluminum to address carbon intensity, which is a huge milestone in our fight against climate change. The U.S. will also maintain and pursue regulations to block China from routing cheap steel into the U.S. via Europe and other markets, Raimondo added. U.S. manufacturers that work with steel and aluminum praised the announcement on Saturday. This is an important course correction in U.S.-EU trade relations, that will allow us to further Harley-Davidsons position as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world, Jochen Zeitz, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, said in a statement. Newsweek reached out to the White House for further information. The post Biden Strikes Deal to Ease Trump-Era Tariffs on European Aluminum and Steel at G20 Summit appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122431/Biden-Strikes-Deal-to-Ease-Trump-Era-Tariffs-on-European

Texas cops refused to help Biden bus after “Trump Train” incident, 911 transcripts reveal

As supporters of then-President Donald Trump surrounded and harassed a Joe Biden campaign bus on a Central Texas highway last year, San Marcos police officials and 911 dispatchers fielded multiple requests for assistance from Democratic campaigners and bus passengers who said they feared for their safety from a pack of motorists, known as a Trump Train, allegedly driving in dangerously aggressive ways. San Marcos refused to help, an amended federal lawsuit over the 2020 freeway skirmish claims. Transcribed 911 audio recordings and documents that reveal behind-the-scenes communications among law enforcement and dispatchers were included in the amended lawsuit, filed late Friday. The transcribed recordings were filed in an attempt to show that San Marcos law enforcement leaders chose not to provide the bus with a police escort multiple times, even though police departments in other nearby cities did. In one transcribed recording, Matthew Daenzer, a San Marcos police corporal on duty the day of the incident, refused to provide an escort when recommended by another jurisdiction. No, were not going to do it, Daenzer told a 911 dispatcher, according to the amended filing. We will close patrol that, but were not going to escort a bus. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. The amended filing also states that in those audio recordings, law enforcement officers privately laughed and joked about the victims and their distress. Former state Sen. Wendy Davis, who was running for Congress at the time, is among the four plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The new complaint also expands the number of people and entities being sued to include Daenzer, San Marcos assistant police chief Brandon Winkenwerder and the city itself. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday. Daenzer and Winkenwerder could not immediately be reached. The confrontation between the Biden bus and the Trump supporters made national news after it was captured on video the last weekend of October 2020, when polls showed a tight race in Texas between the two candidates. Trump later praised his supporters behavior, which occurred months before the former presidents backers violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in an apparent attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of his reelection loss. The Texas highway incident featured at least one minor collision and led to Texas Democrats canceling three scheduled campaign events in Central Texas, citing safety concerns. The original lawsuit was filed against Chase Stapp, San Marcos director of public safety, and the San Marcos city marshals department and claims the plaintiffs continue to suffer psychological and emotional injury from the event. They are asking for compensatory and punitive damages and for legal fees. The lawsuit alleges that by refusing the help, law enforcement officers violated the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 because they were aware of acts of violent political intimidation but did not take appropriate steps to prevent the Trump supporters from intimidating eligible voters. RELATED: Millions of Americans say theyd support violence to restore Trump to power The provision of the Klan Act that the plaintiffs are citing in the lawsuit has laid dormant for years, but saw a resurgence under the Trump administration, according to Project Democracy lawyer John Paredes, who is representing some of the plaintiffs. It was also recently cited in a federal lawsuit against Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection. A second lawsuit was filed against a group of Trump supporters who allegedly harassed and followed the bus. That lawsuit claims the group of Trump supporters who surrounded the bus also violated Ku Klux Klan Act and Texas law by organizing a politically-motivated conspiracy to disrupt the campaign and intimidate its supporters. Were not going to escort a bus The amended complaint in the lawsuit against officials said that a San Marcos crime analyst and a Biden supporter both alerted city police that the Biden bus was being followed by Trump supporters as it traveled to a scheduled campaign stop at Texas State University in San Marcos. While Stapp, the public safety director, told the Biden supporter that San Marcos police would send backup, he did not order an escort. The complaint said he sent the information to Winkenwerder, the assistant police chief. Winkerwerder also did not order an escort or assistance, the complaint alleges. Instead, he told officers to close patrol the area near the university. When the Biden bus entered San Marcos jurisdiction, a New Braunfels 911 dispatcher attempted to get San Marcos police to take over the escort that city had provided along Interstate 35. The 911 dispatcher in San Marcos put the New Braunfels dispatcher and the Biden campaign staffer who was pleading for assistance on hold and called Daenzer, the police supervisor on duty. I am so annoyed at New Braunfels for doing this to us, the dispatcher tells Daenzer, who answered the call and began laughing, according to the transcribed recording in the filing. They have their officers escorting this Biden bus, essentially, and the Trump Train is cutting in between vehicles and driving — being aggressive and slowing them down to like 20 or 30 miles per hour. And they want you guys to respond to help. No, were not going to do it. We will close patrol that, but were not going to escort a bus, Daenzer responds. The transcript shows that the 911 dispatcher passes along information about the sense of danger expressed by the Biden campaign staffer who called for assistance as he was trying to caravan behind the bus in a white SUV. [T]heyre like really worked up over it and hes like breathing hard and stuff, like, theyre being really aggressive. Okay. Calm down, she said to Daenzer. The transcription shows that Daenzer said the Biden bus should drive defensively and itll be great. Or leave the train, the 911 dispatcher responds. Theres an idea. RELATED: Republicans are increasingly ready for violence: We look away at our peril According to the transcription in the complaint, the dispatcher gets back on the phone with the Biden staffer and tells him there would be no escort. If you feel like youre being threatened or your life is threatened, definitely call us back, she told him. Are you kidding me, maam? the staffer responded before saying theyve threatened my life on multiple occasions with vehicular collision and again asking for an escort. The dispatcher repeated that officers would be there to monitor traffic infractions, but said there would be no escort and indicated that decision was made by a high-ranking police official the lawsuit claims is Winkenwerder. The bus could really use your help According to Fridays filing, San Marcos police continued to receive 911 calls from other witnesses warning them of reckless driving along I-35, but the police department did not send an escort. The Biden campaign decided to cancel its event in San Marcos and continue north toward Austin. Eric Cervini, one campaign volunteer and a plaintiff, had already arrived at the San Marcos event location. He alerted Cole Stapp, a deputy in the city marshals department who was at the site, that the event was canceled and told him the bus could really use your help, the filing stated. When Cole Stapp called 911 dispatch to relay the message that the Biden event in San Marcos was canceled, he did not share that the bus needed help, according to another transcribed audio recording in the amended filing. Instead, he told Cervini the people on the bus should call 911 if they needed emergency services. When Cervini informed him the bus had already called 911 and shared the buss exact location, Cole Stapp noted the bus was near the police headquarters, the filing states. Despite these multiple calls for help from Plaintiffs and others, for the roughly 30 minutes it took to drive through San Marcos on the main highway that runs through it, there were no officers from San Marcos or any other police cars in sight–not on the I-35 exit or entrance ramps, nor on either side of the highway, the filing read. Without a police escort, those on the bus allege, the Trump supporters grew more aggressive surrounding the bus and the campaign staffers car. At one point, there was a collision between one of the Trump supporters and the white SUV driven by the Biden campaign staffer who had earlier connected to the San Marcos dispatcher. It wasnt until the bus reached Kyle around 3:46 p.m. that a police escort from that city arrived and the Trump supporters moved away from the vehicle, the lawsuit alleges. But when the Kyle police escort departed at the Travis County line, the filing stated, the trucks of Trump supporters resumed their threatening behavior. It wasnt until the bus was able to make it to a campaign stop in Austin that those onboard were able to get off. The Biden campaign canceled multiple events due to safety reasons. Allegations of poking fun at the attack According to the filing, plaintiffs argue a text message between some of the San Marcos police officers who refused to provide assistance poked fun at the attack. To support that claim, the lawsuit refers to a group text message among San Marcos officers, including Winkenwerder, in which an unidentified person appears to refer to Democrats who drove through town as a derogatory slang term for someone who is mentally disabled. The following day, Chase Stapp, the public safety director, texted multiple officers about the situation, according to Fridays filing. From what I can gather, the Biden bus never even exited I-35 thanks to the Trump escort. Yet in the days afterward, after news of the melee spread, officers started calling the event a debacle in internal emails and braced for a political fire storm after officers realized that what happened in San Marcos might lead to political and legal consequences, the complaint alleges. When Daenzer wrote the report of the incident four days later, he said due to the staffing issues, lack of time to plan, and lack of knowledge of the route, we were unable to provide an escort. A spokesperson for the city of San Marcos told The Texas Tribune last year that police responded to requests to assist the bus, but traffic prevented officers from catching up before the bus left the city limits. Yet Lisa Prewitt, a former San Marcos City Council member who was running for a county commissioner seat at the time, told the Tribune in the days after the skirmish that she had flagged the event to local law enforcement 24 hours in advance and mentioned safety concerns. Prewitt said she had also called Chase Stapp and alerted him the bus was 30 minutes away from the event location in San Marcos and was being followed by 50 or more vehicles with Trump flags. Last year, Chase Stapp denied that Prewitt specifically requested a police escort or mentioned the Trump Train was causing issues, but did not respond to follow-up questions at the time. With the exception of the two phone calls to me from Ms. Prewitt, at no time did anyone from the campaign request assistance from the San Marcos Police Department in advance of the event so that the request could be evaluated and prepared for, Chase Stapp said in a statement to the Tribune last year. The post Texas cops refused to help Biden bus after Trump Train incident, 911 transcripts reveal appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122430/Texas-cops-refused-to-help-Biden-bus-after-Trump-Train

A post-Trump test for Democrats looms in Virginia election – The Denver Post

RICHMOND, Va. — For four years, nothing rallied Democrats like the push to get Donald Trump out of office. Now, they’re not sure what to do without him. Democrats in Virginia are scrambling to stave off disaster in the state’s governor’s race — the most competitive major election since Trump left the White House. The surprisingly tight contest has exposed the depth of the party’s dependence on Trump as a message and motivator. Without him top of mind for many, and with headwinds from Washington, Democratic officials privately fear they may lose their first statewide election in Virginia in more than a decade on Tuesday. Public polling has been shifting in Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin’s direction in recent weeks, while Democrat Terry McAuliffe, a former governor and close ally of President Joe Biden, has struggled to energize his base as Biden’s approval ratings sink. Republicans, consumed by infighting and crisis while Trump was in office, are suddenly optimistic they can win in a state Trump lost by 10 percentage points last year. “Virginia is a very blue state — I do not consider Virginia a purple state — so the fact that we’re this competitive speaks volumes about the state of our country and the popularity of Biden,” said Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel. A loss in the Virginia governor’s race, long considered a bellwether for midterm elections, would trigger all-out panic among Democrats far beyond Virginia. The party is already wary about their chances in elections that will decide control of the House and Senate and statehouses next year. Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, acknowledged a McAuliffe loss would be a “doomsday” scenario. But he argued that Virginia Democrats would show up and pull off a win for McAuliffe. “I’m not running around with my hair on fire, not at this point,” he said. Regardless of the outcome, the race will be picked over for clues about what resonated with voters — and what didn’t. The politics surrounding Trump, who left office more than nine months ago, remain complicated. McAuliffe’s team believes he remains very unpopular among the Democratic base, independents and even some moderate Republicans in Virginia. As such, he should be a good motivator for McAuliffe’s coalition. But Trump’s absence from the spotlight, combined with voter fatigue and the lingering pandemic, seems to have diluted anti-Trump passions — at least for now. Still, McAuliffe spent the vast majority of his record fundraising haul warning voters that his opponent, who was endorsed by Trump but kept his distance from him, is a “Trump wannabe.” McAuliffe’s closing TV ads featured footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection led by Trump supporters who believed the former president’s lies about a “stolen election.” Youngkin created the opening for those attacks when he made “election integrity” the centerpiece of his run during the nomination contest and declined to say Biden was legitimately elected until after he locked up the nomination. Youngkin has shown a “disqualifying lack of leadership,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, defending McAuliffe’s decision to elevate the issue. “We can’t forget — and I certainly will never forget — that we had an insurrection on Jan. 6 at the nation’s Capitol,” she said. “Literally, people beat police officers with American flags under this notion of a lie that the former president spewed and people with loud voices, elected officials, propagated.” In an interview that aired Saturday night on Fox News, Trump addressed dismissed McAuliffe’s’ anti-Trump strategy. “I think it backfires, because I think that gets the base to come out and vote,” Trump said, noting that he has endorsed Youngkin “strongly.” “I think if my base doesn’t come out he can’t win. I think my base has to come out very strong.” Meanwhile, Youngkin has not played the part of an angry Trump loyalist. A former private equity executive who often dodges questions on thorny policy issues, Youngkin devoted more than $20 million of his personal fortune to a monthslong advertising campaign defining himself as an affable, suburban dad in a fleece vest. He has not campaigned with Trump or any high-profile Republicans, and he told reporters he would not be involved with a Trump telerally on Monday. To connect with the party’s base, Youngkin seized on conservatives’ frustrations with schools over pandemic policies and race and diversity education. He’s benefited from a network of parent groups, some led by political professionals with ties to the GOP and Trump administration, activated in key suburbs. He ran an ad featuring a mother and GOP activist who eight years ago led an effort to ban “Beloved,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Black Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, from classrooms. McAuliffe calls it a “racist dog whistle,” an allegation Youngkin denied. History is working against Democrats, who control the legislative and executive branches in Virginia and in Washington. Traditionally, the party that holds the White House almost always loses the Virginia governor’s race. McAuliffe himself was the first in 40 years to break that trend in 2013. McAuliffe’s team points to Biden’s slipping popularity, which has fallen close to Trump’s levels at this point in his presidency. Meanwhile, the Democratic-led Congress has failed to deliver sweeping campaign promises as negotiations over a massive climate change and social safety net package drag on. This week, Democrats dropped a popular paid family leave proposal, disappointing many Democratic women in Virginia, a critical constituency. Aside from disappointment, Democrats in Virginia say they’re exhausted. “We’ve had four years of being on high alert, coming out of COVID, coming out of a lockdown. I think people were just living their lives and didn’t want to think about an election,” said state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, who ran against McAuliffe for the Democratic nomination. A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t carried the state since 2004. Census data shows the state’s Democratic-leaning northern part of the state growing, while GOP strongholds lose population. Fairfax County, which voted nearly 70% for Biden and is by far Virginia’s most populous county, grew at a 6% rate to a population of 1.15 million in the last decade. It also became a majority-minority county. Meanwhile, in deep red southwest Virginia and along the state’s southern border, nearly every locality lost population. The trends, combined with a Democratic shift among suburban Republicans during the Trump era, suggest that Democrats would win easily on Tuesday if only they turn out their supporters. The early voting period, which ends Saturday, did not attract the surge in voters in key areas that Democrats hoped for, however. A McAuliffe get-out-the-vote event in the conservative southern edge of the state drew only a few dozen people to a church reception hall earlier in the week. One attendee, Martinsville Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles, said she hopes McAuliffe wins but sees evidence of Trump’s strength where she lives. “It’s not diminished. If anything, it feels like it’s getting stronger,” Bowles said. “It scares me.” McAuliffe campaigned alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and musical artist Pharrell Williams on Friday night in Norfolk, drawing roughly 1,000 people, according to a state party spokesperson. McAuliffe went after Youngkin and his supporters, telling the crowd: “I cannot tell you how critical this election is. The stakes could not be any more clear. On one side … conspiracy theorists, we’ve got antivaxxers and we got Donald Trump. They’re all on one side.” Three hours to the north in rural Warrenton, more than 1,000 people attended a rally that featured Youngkin and a handful of state legislators. “We have Terry on the run,” Youngkin told the electric crowd. “We are gonna sweep Republicans in across this Commonwealth and make a statement that will be heard around the world.” ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. The post A post-Trump test for Democrats looms in Virginia election – The Denver Post appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122429/A-post-Trump-test-for-Democrats-looms-in-Virginia-election

Saturday, 30 October 2021

CBS2 Gets Exclusive, Close-Up Look At One Of NYC’s Fastest Growing Gun Safety Issues – CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — We report all too often on gun violence spiraling out of control in our city, and one of the fastest growing gun safety issues may also be the most chilling: cheap, easy to get and completely untraceable firearms. They’re called ghost guns. READ MORE: Vaccine Mandate Deadline For New York City Workers Arrives; Officials Preparing For Possible First Responder Shortage Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a package of bills to crack down on the firearms. CBS2’s Maurice DuBois got exclusive access to the NYPD’s battle against these lethal weapons. He went to the forensic investigations division in Queens with Deputy Chief Emanuel Katranakis, the commanding officer there. He fired off several rounds from a ghost gun. “What did that feel like to you?” DuBois asked. “Deadly weapon. No difference. Same effect. Same output, except unregulated,” Katranakis said. DuBois handled two unloaded guns, including one ghost gun. “Basically the same thing,” DuBois said. “Same effect,” Katranakis said. There’s no serial number on the ghost gun, making it impossible to know where it was sold, who was the owner, was it ever used in a crime. And, more concerning, it takes just a few minutes online to order parts to assemble. “Literally anybody can do this, a kid, a felon, someone who’s not supposed to be doing it, anybody?” DuBois asked. “Any person that has the finances … to go online purchase the parts,” Katranakis said. Katranakis showed DuBois what they may be buying. “The lower part is as simple as putting this jig together and then carrying out a few steps of some drilling … There are several holes and there are instructions that are available online,” he explained. In many cases, we’re told, an individual can put together a ghost gun in just a few hours. READ MORE: Halloween Events Offer Scares, Tricks Treats For New Yorkers Across City The NYPD readily acknowledges ghost guns are a growing problem. In 2019, 48 ghost guns were recovered in New York City. Last year, 150. This year, more than 200 have been confiscated so far. DuBois spoke with Inspector Courtney Nilan, who heads up a team within the intelligence bureau and is seeing some encouraging results. The very morning they spoke, a cache of ghost guns was recovered from a Queens location. “What was the situation?” DuBois asked. “We recovered six fully functional ghost gun handgun firearms, and in addition to that, we recovered seven lower receivers of the ghost gun and a plethora of parts, which could be used to build additional guns,” Nilan said. Just four days later, Nilan was with Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz to show off another high profile bust. RELATED STORY: Queens DA, NYPD Announce Massive Ghost Guns Bust About a third of the ghost guns seized this year have come from Queens. Other recent New York seizures include a doorman selling the untraceable weapons and an MTA employee also caught with the illegal firearms. While the proliferation of these guns on the street is a major concern, ghost guns aren’t new. Kastranakis took DuBois into the gun library for some early iterations of these illegal weapons. “This was a flashlight firearm. Somebody converted a flashlight into an actual gun … This is going back to decades ago,” he said. Jackie Rowe-Adams, the founder of the support group Harlem Mothers Save, lost two sons to gun violence and says she’s become increasingly afraid of how ghost guns are flooding the streets “They’re selling ghost guns. Ghost guns are out there like this is Black Friday,” she said. But Rowe-Adams says we can take measures to try and stop that, especially when it comes to young people. “Pay attention to your kids. Know what your kids are doing on those computers and internet and look at their phones and stuff,” she said. To those selling the parts online, Kastranakis says, “I say they need to look in the mirror and say, where do your ethical values lie? … They’re snubbing their nose at legislators. They’re snubbing their nose at the government saying, we can work around this.” CBS2 reached out to a number of these ghost gun part dealers, and non got back to us. MORE NEWS: Powerful Winds Cause Damage, Power Outages Throughout Tri-State Area We also reached out to the NRA. They responded with a statement that says in part, “People have made their own firearms since before the country was founded and there is no valid reason why any law-abiding person should be barred from possessing them.” The post CBS2 Gets Exclusive, Close-Up Look At One Of NYC’s Fastest Growing Gun Safety Issues – CBS New York appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122124/CBS2-Gets-Exclusive-Close-Up-Look-At-One-Of-NYC

Missing Fort Worth Teen Found Safe And Back With Mother, Pastor Says – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Fourteen-year-old Dashayla Wolfe, who went missing Oct. 20, has been found and is back with her mother Dr. Cynthia Wolfe, Pastor John Reed of the Walls of Deliverance Church said Friday, Oct. 29. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation for all the Prayer Warriors, Pastors, Press, and People who paused to send up a prayer, thoughts and support,” said Pastor Kyev Tatum, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church and Ministers of Justice Coalition of Texas in a statement. READ MORE: Section Of TEXpress Lanes Has Become Most Expensive Area To Drive In North Texas Dashayla Wolfe (credit: Wolfe family) READ MORE: World War I Brought An End To Hells Half Acre In Fort Worth A group of pastors highlighted the case and announced a $5,000 reward Wednesday, Oct. 27 at the Walls of Jericho Deliverance Church. Reported as a runaway to Fort Worth Police, the missing person unit has been investigating and working with family to try to find the teenager. MORE NEWS: 6-Year-Old North Texas Girl Meets Her Hero, A Female Firefighter No other details were released Friday. The post Missing Fort Worth Teen Found Safe And Back With Mother, Pastor Says – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122123/Missing-Fort-Worth-Teen-Found-Safe-And-Back-With-Mother

‘It’s Scary To Drive Here’: Minneapolis School Bus Drivers Concerned For Safety After Gun-Related Incidents – WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minneapolis Public School bus drivers are worried about safety, for themselves and the children they transport. They’re concerned overcrowded buses could spread COVID-19. More urgently, they say some buses and drivers have been recently targeted with gunfire. READ MORE: Woman Killed After SUV Collides With Tractor Near Bemidji Bus drivers are responsible for getting our most precious cargo, our children, to and from school, but those who drive for Minneapolis Public Schools say their safety concerns are being dismissed. “It’s scary to drive here,” said Marjie Weinberger. Just two weeks ago a driver and students were put in harm’s way, at a bus stop near 36th and 6th Avenue North. “As I approached the stop somebody shot at the bus and hit the window directly behind him. Not only was my life in danger but the children’s lives had I lost control of that bus what would have happened to those kids, ” said Driver Sidney Nevils. Nevils says his calls for help that day went unanswered. “I was pleading for someone to answer the radio and it didn’t happen,” Nevils. On Wednesday, a substitute driver was threatened by a parent with a gun. He was upset the bus was late. The driver, concerned about her safety, did not want her face on television. “The dad, he came to me yelling and telling me bad words and he said he was going to blow up my head and showing me his gun. The dispatch tried to call police but no police came,” the bus driver said. READ MORE: Moving Nightmare: Months After Hiring Moving Company, Family Still Waiting On Belongings “Besides the actual physical violence that we are being threatened with it also COVID concerns,” Weinberger said. Drivers also have concerns about the spread of COVID-19 on buses that are over capacity. Buses top out at 72 kids. “77, 78 children and telling you to put two and three to a seat but where is the distance,” said Marleana Best. “They don’t warn us if we got kids that are sick to take home, they never warn us,” Weinberger said. They’re told because of a shortage of drivers, there is nothing the district can do. “Do the best you can do the best you can that is always the answer for everything,” Best said. WCCO reached out to Minneapolis Public Schools for comment and did not hear back. The district is in contract negotiations with the union that represents bus drivers. After drivers expressed their safety concerns to the district, they say they were offered an 11 cent raise. MORE NEWS: 1 Dead, 1 In Custody After Shooting In Western Wisconsin The post ‘It’s Scary To Drive Here’: Minneapolis School Bus Drivers Concerned For Safety After Gun-Related Incidents – WCCO appeared first on Patabook News .

source https://patabook.com/blogs/122122/It-s-Scary-To-Drive-Here-Minneapolis-School-Bus-Drivers

Will You See Another Relief Payment? – CBS Tampa

(CBS Baltimore) — The pandemic goes on, long after COVID first shut down the economy last year. The Delta variant is still causing positive cases, albeit at a reduced rate, and President Biden has more strongly pushed to encourage vaccines. The broad economy has surpassed where it was in early 2020. Still, shortages and inflation persist, and some people haven’t caught up. Unemployment exceeds pre-pandemic levels, even with jobs widely available in certain sectors. The federal unemployment bonus ended in early September, but millions of people remain short of food and behind on bills. A fourth stimulus check would help. A few places, including California, have recognized the need for more help and provided additional payments. But will the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) be sending out another stimulus check in 2021? That hasn’t been decided. But plenty of clues point to where things are heading. Economic Recovery For Some READ MORE: Supply Chain Issues: There Really Are Problems Everywhere, Even For Small Companies Relief payments were intended to ease COVID’s economic impact and support the economy in the process. The third round of relief payments started back in March, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Over the following months, about 169 million people received up to $1,400 each. That accounted for nearly all of the $422 billion set aside. The ARP checks closely followed the $600 payments from January, which came nine months after the $1,200 payments from the pandemic’s early days. They seem to have worked, but have also helped many who didn’t actually need the money. In the third quarter of 2021, the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.0 percent, according to the most recent estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Supply chain issues may have prevented faster growth.) That’s a major slowdown from the torrid pace in the second quarter, which saw 6.7 percent growth. The Conference Board forecasts continued though slower growth through the rest of the year. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP), an estimate of economic activity across the U.S., has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. By that general measure, the economy has fully recovered. Broad segments of the workforce have endured little economic hardship during the pandemic. Many jobs performed at a desk in an office are just as easily performed at a desk in someone’s home. And with fewer places to spend money during much of the pandemic, plus three stimulus checks, many Americans saved more than they might have otherwise. The personal saving rate ballooned to 33.7 percent in April of 2020 and has remained well above pre-pandemic levels until September of 2021. In September, it dropped to 7.5 percent, below the 8.3 percent from February of 2020, the month before the pandemic started. On Face the Nation back in June, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan estimated that its customers had not spent 65-70 percent of their last two stimulus checks at that point. The extra savings combined with pent-up demand likely helped drive the broader economy during the rebound. The housing market has also surged, thanks to low interest rates and people stuck at home realizing the limitations of their living space. The National Association of Realtors recently reported that the national median sales price for an existing home hit $352,800 in September, up 13.3 percent from September of 2020. Much of that rise was helped along by houses priced above the median. Housing inventory decreased over August, and was down 13 percent year over year. And of the homes that sold in September, 86 percent were for sale for less than a month. The stock market continues to perform well too. Despite some bumpy weeks, the Dow Jones remains far above where it was at this time last year. It has regularly approached record territory. The market closed Friday morning at 35,839 as compared to 26,501 at this time a year ago. Concerns about the Delta variant and lagging vaccination rates in parts of the world still linger. Overall COVID case numbers continue to fall, but mask guidelines remain more stringent in some places. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, along with the approval of booster shots for those at risk or over 65 yeas old, has been good news for the market. Individual investors who saved their stimulus cash remain invested. Bigger investors continue to bet on a strong economic recovery in the months ahead. While certain experts foresee some of the strongest economic growth in decades, many are also concerned about higher inflation. Recent projections indicate that prices will rise about 5.3 percent in 2021. That’s compared to the 2.3 percent rate in 2019 and 1.7 percent rate in 2020. The latest data shows prices rising 5.4 percent over the last 12 months. Should that rate persist for the rest of the year, it would be the highest in three decades. Prices moved up 0.4 percent in September, matching early-summer highs. Core consumer prices — excluding food and energy, which tend to be volatile — rose 0.2 percent. Rising prices continue for many products that require semiconductors, including new cars, computers, and TVs. Price hikes and product shortages stem, in part, from the economy opening up all at once. Prices depressed by the pandemic have had to normalize. But companies couldn’t keep pace with a year’s worth of pent-up consumer demand. They also have had to revive and retool their supply chains in the midst of drastic changes in consumer demand patterns. And this has all happened as shipping issues and other constraints continue to slow production and delivery. COVID has altered how and what people consume. The way these changes continue to play out isn’t necessarily predictable. However, companies have had to guess where demand for their product will be when all the dust settles. Predicting the future is hard enough in a normal economy. It became much harder in an economy trying to move past a pandemic then forced to deal with a resurgence. Price changes and shortages across a whole range of products will likely continue to plague consumers well into 2022. But economists think they should improve with time. Consumer spending remains strong, with the rate up 0.7 percent in September, as compared to a 0.9 percent rise in August. Demand for clothing and sporting goods continues to rise. Spending on food and household supplies stayed high. New car purchases continue to be a drag, with semiconductor shortages still creating production and supply issues. Overall, goods spending remains above pre-pandemic levels. No Economic Recovery For Others The pandemic has further highlighted the growing imbalance across the broader economy. While many households have financially flourished during COVID, many others have fallen behind where they were in early 2020. Much of the gap depends on whether wage earners could work remotely during the shutdown or had public-facing jobs that required them to be on-site. Financial insecurity is still widespread, and the loss of a job and the loss of hours were some of the main reasons over the course of the pandemic. Nine percent of American adults (approximately 20 million people) reported a shortage of food in their household over the previous week, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of U.S. Census survey data from late September and early October. Approximately 16 percent of renters (12 million people) have fallen behind on their rent, including 23 percent of renters with children in their household. The federal eviction moratorium, which ended October 3, didn’t forgive rent that was owed, it pushed the debt into the future. And evictions continued in some parts of the country regardless. Meanwhile, only a fraction of the $46 billion Congress allocated for rental assistance has actually made it to tenants and landlords. As of late September, over a quarter of American adults (63 million people) reported some difficulty keeping up with expenses in the prior week. Employment also remains below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8 percent in September, with some workers finding jobs or leaving the workforce. Job growth continues to not meet expectations. Forecasters expected roughly 490,000 new jobs in September, but employers only added about 194,000. (August saw about 366,000 new jobs, also well short of expectations.) Many fear the rise of the Delta variant is hindering growth. Low-wage jobs made up the bulk of those lost during the pandemic, and while plenty of openings have returned, many remain unfilled. Approximately 281,000 people initially applied for unemployment insurance in the week ending October 23. (A typical pre-pandemic week saw about 250,000 new unemployment applications.) As of the week ending October 9, almost 2.8 million workers were receiving some form of unemployment aid. (The approximately 4.9 million people previously collecting PUA lost benefits on September 6, when the program ended.) Many jobless Americans never received unemployment insurance and other government benefits, because of long waits, perceived ineligibility and other issues. Job growth still faces some headwinds, aside from the Delta variant. Some have argued that overly generous benefits made unemployment more attractive than working. But other considerations factor into one’s ability to work too. Remote schooling created childcare issues for many parents that summer break didn’t change. The resumption of in-person learning, if it lasts, could free up some parents to return to work. The full vaccination rate is 57.5 percent for the country. But state percentages range from 71 percent in Vermont to 41 percent in West Virginia. Many counties across the country have vaccination rates lower than that. The threat of COVID, particularly the now-dominant Delta variant, is still real in places. Many people are uncomfortable working in public around strangers. A gap between labor force skills and job requirements can make hiring more difficult, not to mention the rising standards of what workers will accept in a job. And then there’s the general friction that inevitably arises when an entire economy slams its foot on the gas. As before the pandemic, many who are willing to work cannot find jobs with the wages and benefits they need to survive. According to Marie Newman, a U.S. Representative from Illinois, “there is not a shortage of Americans looking for work, there is a shortage of Americans willing to work for starvation wages with no benefits, no health care, and no protections during a pandemic.” About half of all states tried to force the issue and push people back into the job market. These states, most led by Republicans, discontinued the $300 federal unemployment benefit bonus for their citizens ahead of the official Labor Day end date, or at least attempted to. Analysis from a payroll services company called Gusto showed that cutting off federal benefits didn’t lead to more hiring. The federal unemployment bonus and the previous round of stimulus checks helped Americans still awaiting their recovery to pay bills and put food on the table. The advance Child Tax Credit provides some additional support to families. But this money only goes so far. And some politicians feel that the payments haven’t been enough. Support For A Fourth Stimulus Check A group of Democratic Senators, including Ron Wyden of Oregon, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, sent a letter to President Joe Biden at the end of March requesting “recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions.” As the Senators reasoned in their letter, “this crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions.” An earlier letter to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from 53 Representatives, led by Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, carved out a similar position. “Recurring direct payments until the economy recovers will help ensure that people can meet their basic needs, provide racially equitable solutions, and shorten the length of the recession.” Additional co-signers included New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, two other notable names among House Progressives. The letter didn’t place a number on the requested stimulus payments. But a tweet soon after put it at $2,000 per month for the length of the pandemic. $2,000 monthly payments until the pandemic is over. https://t.co/6tuia6prFJ — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 28, 2021 A May 17 letter from members of the House Ways and Means Committee renewed the push for additional stimulus. “The ARP’s $1,400 checks alone will keep 11 million people out of poverty this year, with UI (unemployment insurance) expansion and other provisions in the bill accounting for the another five million. A fourth and fifth check could keep an additional 12 million out of poverty. Combined with the effects of the ARP, direct payments could reduce the number in poverty in 2021 from 44 million to 16 million.” READ MORE: Operation Shared Hope Success There’s also been talk about automatic payments that could be sent when specific economic metrics reach certain thresholds (for example, if unemployment rises to 6 percent). These triggers would make stimulus checks a reactive force in countering economic dips, sparing struggling Americans from Congressional delays. A majority of Americans also favor recurring relief payments. According to a January poll from Data For Progress, nearly two-thirds of all voters support $2,000 monthly payments to all Americans for the length of the pandemic. Supporters include a majority of Independents and Republicans. A struggling restaurant owner’s online petition calling for $2,000 monthly payments for every American adult has surpassed 2.9 million signatures. The Urban Institute estimated that another stimulus payment could reduce poverty by at least 6.4 percent in 2021. Many economists are also onboard. A 2020 open letter from experts in the field argued “direct cash payments are an essential tool that will boost economic security, drive consumer spending, hasten the recovery, and promote certainty at all levels of government and the economy – for as long as necessary.” California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a budget into law in July, which includes a stimulus check for about two-thirds of the state’s residents. The $100 billion California Comeback Plan, as part of their $262.2 billion budget, is paying $600 to residents earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year. Residents in that income range who have kids are receiving $1,100. Those checks started going out the last Friday in August The state’s previous stimulus went to those with an annual income under $30,000. Other states have also authorized payments. Maryland handed out $300 or $500 checks to those who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their tax returns. Florida gave $1,000 bonuses to teachers, which started showing up in August. Denton and Irving school districts in north Texas were scheduled to give retention bonuses of $500 and $2,000 respectively at the start of the school year. The Biden administration also planned to give a one-time $600 payment to farm workers and meatpacking workers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the plan in early September. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated up to $700 million for the limited-scope stimulus check. The aid will be handed out through state agencies and include a pilot program giving extra money to grocery store workers. The Biden administration, which authored the third round of stimulus checks, isn’t against a fourth round. But the president recognizes their high price tag. He also has other priorities, specifically infrastructure, global warming, and help for families. Neither the American Jobs Plan nor the American Families Plan, the administration’s original infrastructure and human infrastructure proposals, included another relief payment. Other plans currently bouncing around Congress don’t either. A Fourth Stimulus Check Is Unlikely All of the tacit and explicit support for stimulus checks keeps the possibility alive. The support doesn’t make a fourth payment likely, however. And there are many reasons why. Vaccinations are progressing steadily, albeit not as quickly as in the spring. Adults and those at least 12 years old are eligible to be inoculated in all 50 states. (Emergency approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 is expected as soon as next week.) Three different options are available to the public, with the Pfizer vaccine fully approved by the FDA. Booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine have also been approved and rolled out for those at risk or over 65. Actually putting needles in arms is taking time, even with supply readily available. Americans have received over 416 million doses, with 66.5 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 57.5 percent completely vaccinated. Vaccination numbers continue to increase at a rate of over 800,000 doses per day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its guidance and recommends that vaccinated people in areas with higher COVID transmission revert to wearing masks indoors again. With vaccinations rising, the nation’s economy continues to recover. Looser restrictions have helped businesses, and jobs are available in many sectors. Many industries are even complaining of worker shortages, which are leading to wage increases. The number of new unemployment claims remains lower than it has been for much of the pandemic. In September, consumer confidence dropped again due to ongoing concerns over the Delta variant and rising prices. Consumer sentiment is also subdued due to the Delta variant, supply chain questions, and ongoing labor force issues. Confidence, however, remains higher than it’s been for much of the pandemic. Consumer spending drives two-thirds of the country’s economy. And excess pandemic savings, along with three stimulus checks, has boosted people’s spending power. That spending power has increased even more since monthly Child Tax Credit payments started on July 15. The most recent payment went out October 15. An improved financial position generally also raises optimism for the future. The ongoing vaccinations, which have allowed the economy to reopen to some degree, certainly help. All that additional spending, along with the release of pent-up demand, has led to the availability of more jobs as companies try to hire to address consumer needs. With the economy growing, a fourth round of stimulus checks seems less urgent. Aside from the generally improving economy, the political machinations of Washington make a fourth stimulus check a longshot. The American Rescue Plan, which included the third stimulus check, passed along party lines. Republicans were not interested in spending anywhere close to $1.9 trillion, though some did support the third relief payment. They termed the package a “blue state bailout,” claiming it went well beyond the scope of COVID and would increase the deficit, leading to inflation. The Democrats used a process called reconciliation to pass the bill in the Senate without Republican support. That allows budget-related matters to proceed with a simple majority rather than the filibuster-proof 60 votes. Generally only one reconciliation bill can pass per fiscal year. But a subsequent ruling by the Senate parliamentarian, who interprets the legislative body’s rules, opened up a path for additional spending legislation. Without reconciliation, any bill would need at least 10 Republican votes, along with every Democratic vote. But the Biden administration has other priorities. One of its biggest is addressing infrastructure. The proposed American Jobs Plan, which aimed to rebuild roads, repair bridges, do away with lead pipes, extend broadband, modernize the country’s electric grid and much more, carried a price tag of $2.3 trillion. Biden and a group of Senators from both parties agreed upon a scaled-back infrastructure plan costing about $1 trillion. The resulting bipartisan bill, now called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed the Senate in early August. Neither the original version nor the bipartisan bill that moved forward includes a fourth stimulus check. One could, in theory, be added when the House takes up the bill. That seems unlikely given the price tag. The American Families Plan, focused on childcare, education and more, would have cost another $1.8 trillion in its initial form. The Democrats were then pushing forward a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint that focused on their various “human infrastructure” initiatives, such as Medicare expansion, child care, and climate change. A $1.75 trillion version of that second plan is now nearing a vote. A fourth stimulus check is not included, though one could theoretically still be added as well. The Democrats’ latest plan is a more likely home for a fourth stimulus check than a traditional infrastructure plan. Funding these plans will almost certainly involve tax increases on corporations and wealthy individuals, which Republicans would oppose. More negotiating seems inevitable before any bill gets passed into law. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised not to take up the infrastructure bill until the Senate also passes the human infrastructure bill. Democrats are already laying the groundwork to use reconciliation again to push through this legislation. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, among the most centrist Democratic Senators, has warned against overusing reconciliation. He is also apparently unwilling to do away with the filibuster, which would lower the number of votes needed to pass legislation to 51. Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema doesn’t want to abandon the filibuster either. Manchin also wants to see the human infrastructure bill shrink. With bipartisanship still hard to come by, the Biden administration is in a tough spot. They’re unlikely to add a fourth stimulus check to any plan, driving up the price tag by hundreds of billions of dollars. They’re also unlikely to use reconciliation to pass another stimulus check on its own. What Other Aid Is Out There? While a fourth stimulus check is improbable, more direct payments to Americans have already been signed into law. Up until Labor Day, the jobless received extended unemployment benefits. The American Rescue Plan also includes an advance Child Tax Credit. Under the revised Child Tax Credit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is paying out $3,600 per year for each child up to five years old and $3,000 per year for each child ages six through 17. Monthly payments of up to $300 per child started July 15 and will continue through December of 2021. The remainder is to be issued when the recipient files their 2021 taxes. The benefit does not depend on the recipient’s current tax burden. In other words, qualifying families will receive the full amount, regardless of how much — or little — they owe in taxes. Payments start to phase out beyond a $75,000 annual income for individuals and beyond $150,000 for married couples. The more generous credit will apply only for 2021, though Biden has stated his interest in extending it through 2025. The ARP added $21.6 billion to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which is being distributed to state and local governments, who then assist households. Most of the $46 billion total has yet to reach tenants and landlords. The infrastructure and human infrastructure plans also have the potential to create many jobs across a wide swath of the economy. How the proposed initiatives are ultimately distributed across the bipartisan bill or the broader Democratic plan remains to be seen. The American Families Plan boosted the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and placed a ceiling on the cost of childcare for many families. The plan set aside $200 billion for universal preschool. In addition to helping working parents pay for childcare, the plan sought to allow more parents to return to the workforce. Look for similar programs and more when the specifics of the human infrastructure plan are worked out. Additional money in people’s pockets from any bill or proposed plan is still hypothetical, of course. Nothing has found its way through Congress yet. And it could be months until it does. MORE NEWS: WATCH: Ghosts of Ybor City | 5 Part Series Originally published on Monday, April 5 @ 4:45 p.m. ET. The post Will You See Another Relief Payment? – CBS Tampa appeared first on Patabook News .

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