As the U.S. approaches 30,000 coronavirus deaths, our team in Washington, D.C. is examining the issues that likely won’t be featured tonight during primetime cable news — including one proposal to send Americans $2,000/month during the coronavirus pandemic. You can watch their original reporting in the video above.
President Donald Trump says data indicates the U.S. is “past the peak” of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to “reopen” the country.
Speaking during his daily press briefing, Trump called the latest data “encouraging,” saying they have “put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country.” Trump said those guidelines will be unveiled Thursday at the White House.
The guidelines are expected to clear the way for an easing of social distancing guidelines in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.
As this was happening, government relief checks began arriving in Americans’ bank accounts as the damage to the U.S. economy piles up.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a new round of relief that would provide a $2,000 monthly payment to qualifying Americans until employment returns to pre-COVID-19 levels.
According to a press release, the Emergency Money for the People Act would mean $2000 monthly payments for those over the age of 16 who make less than $130,000 annually.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
