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President Joe Biden's State of the Union address as prepared for delivery:Good evening. A former American president actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader. And it’s because of you that tonight we can proudly say the State of our Union is strong and getting stronger. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else. I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Franklin Roosevelt, “, Hitler, Roosevelt’s, Lincoln, Putin, Ronald Reagan, thundered, Mr, Gorbachev, we’ve, Insurrectionists, ., Jan, I’ve, Latorya Beasley, Roe, Wade, Harris, Kate Cox, Kate, – that's, won’t, Hope, Shawn Fain, Dawn Simms, Dawn, That’s, Jill, I’m, Keenan Jones –, Sen, Bob Casey’s, It’s, It’d, Edmund Pettus, John Lewis, Betty May Fikes, ”, Banning, Jasmine, Jackie, we’re, Evan, Paul, Israel, –, We’ve, aren’t, They’ve, We’re, King, Bobby Kennedy, you’ve, Let’s Organizations: Madame, Union, Overseas, Republican, NATO, Alliance, National Security, America, That's, Act, Infrastructure Law, UAW, Big Pharma, Medicare, Affordable, White, Initiative, Women’s Health Research, Grants, Child, Big Oil, Social Security, Border Patrol Union, Dreamers, Peace Corps, Ameri Corps, Corps, American, House, NRA, Hamas, United, U.S, ARPA, Star Locations: Joe Biden's State, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, American, Russian, America, Finland, Sweden, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, Alabama, Dallas, Texas, COVID, That's America, Belvidere , Illinois, Belvidere, it’s, Shawn, HBCUs, Minnesota, Ireland, Selma , Alabama, Selma, Uvalde , Texas, Uvalde, Iowa, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Red, China, Taiwan Strait, I’ve, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Claymont , Delaware, United States of America

☆ 1 million Arizonans will have all their medical debt wiped out, joining other states' efforts to make sure the burden doesn't 'torpedo' Americans' lives, Arizona's governor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNearly 1 million Arizona residents will soon see their medical debt balances turn to zero. AdvertisementA February analysis conducted by nonprofit health organization KFF, based on government data, estimated that about 20 million Americans owe at least $220 billion in medical debt, with 14 million people owing over $1,000 in medical debt and about 3 million people owing more than $10,000. Ned Lamont, who announced in early February that the state would cancel $650 million in medical debt for about 250,000 residents. Arizonans deserve a break, and they deserve a government that fights for them, helping ensure that medical debt is not going to torpedo their lives." Are you struggling to pay off medical debt?

Persons: —, Katie Hobbs, Joe Biden, Jeff Smedsrud, Hobbs, Smedsrud, Ned Lamont, Phil Murphy, Murphy, Arizonans, Jim Baker, Baker, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Arizona Gov, American, Plan, Business, Arizonans, Connecticut Gov, New, New Jersey Gov Locations: Arizona, New Jersey, Phoenix

☆ The American Dream is under siege
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Parents of young children are making difficult choices to afford child care — or they’re opting to evade it by dropping out of the workforce altogether. Even as the inflation rate has cooled across the US economy, child care remains a sore spot for many families. The weekly price of day care for a toddler surged 9% in 2023, according to Care.com, a marketplace for child care. Of course, Allison is hardly alone in feeling like the American Dream has been more difficult — and expensive — to attain than imagined. “The American dream is being taken away from the younger generation by the housing affordability challenges,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Persons: Hana Husković, Price, Hana, Michelle, they'll, ” Hana, “, It’s, they’ll, ’ Allison Powell, Liam Kelly, ” Allison, Allison Powell, Corinne ., ”, Allison, I’ll, homebuyers, Lotfi Karoui, Goldman Sachs, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae, ” Almodovar, that’s, Almodovar, they’d, Homebuilding, Mark Zandi, Biden, ” Lael Brainard, Brainard, ” Brainard, ‘, Rachael Gambino, Garrett Mazzeo, Rachael, Deborah Brunswick, John General, ” Rachael, won’t, they’ve, – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wall, CNN, Federal, Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, Bloomberg, Getty, Rust Belt, National Association of Realtors, North, NAR, That’s, Baby Boomers, Homeowners, Federal Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, White, National Economic Council, American, Target, Starbucks, Facebook Locations: New York, United States, Atlanta, Peachtree Corners , Georgia, Decatur, Decatur , Georgia, Carolina, Yugoslavia, Italy, Mexico, Oakland , California, Livermore, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, Francisco, Miami, Honolulu, Rust, Des Moines , Iowa, Dayton , Ohio, Cleveland , Ohio, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Los Angeles , California, North America, America, States, Lansdale , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

☆ Biden Looks to Change the Conversation on Immigration and Crime
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Katie Rogers | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For years, Republicans have assailed President Biden and Democrats for policies they say are too lax on curbing immigration and tamping down on violent crime. This week, with a trip to the border planned and remarks delivered next to police chiefs assembled at the White House on Wednesday, Mr. Biden is trying to change the conversation, saying he is making progress on those very issues despite Republican intransigence. In remarks at the White House, Mr. Biden said that a stimulus package passed without Republican support during the coronavirus pandemic had made $350 billion available to local communities across the United States. There was flexibility with how the funds could be spent, but Mr. Biden has pressed repeatedly for them to be used to bolster local law enforcement efforts. “Thanks to my American Rescue Plan, which I might note, not a single person on the other team voted for, we provided $350 billion — $350 billion — that was available to deal with these issues,” Mr. Biden said, referring to Republican inaction on his signature legislation.

Persons: Biden, Republican intransigence, Mr, ” Organizations: White, Republican, American Locations: United States

☆ St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income of $500 a Month Spent on Bills, Debt: City
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe city of St. Louis is giving out $500 a month to 540 families, and in just three months recipients say it's helped them pay off debts and their bills. In St. Louis, recipients were chosen from over 5,500 applicants. Advertisement"The main categories where we see spending is pretty much where we anticipated," Adam Layne, the St. Louis city treasurer, told Business Insider in an interview. They had to be residents of St. Louis, have a school-age child, and have had a negative financial impact from the pandemic. Layne said the guaranteed basic income program took about a year and a half of planning and coordinating with partners, including researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.

Persons: —, Louis, it's, Adam Layne, Layne, St, Jack Dorsey's, St . Louis, Louisans Organizations: Service, Business, American, Washington University Locations: St, Louis, St .

☆ 3 signs the economy is thriving — and 3 red flags to monitor
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Positive labor market data and GDP growth support this, but job opportunities in some sectors are down. Not all job data is positive, with job openings falling from their post-pandemic highs. Below are some of the signs the economy is thriving, as well as some warning signs. Labor market data is mostly positiveThe labor market is still stable despite gradually slowing, Kimbrough said during the forum. "I think the investment side of our economy is going to start to chip away a little bit at the discretionary consumption weight in our economy."

Persons: —, Marc Giannoni, LinkedIn's Karin Kimbrough, Charles Schwab's Liz Ann Sonders, Giannoni, Kimbrough, Jerome Powell, Powell, NerdWallet's Elizabeth Renter, Sonders, They're, there’s, there's, — Kimbrough, it’s Organizations: Federal, Service, Barclays, NYU Stern Economic, Labor, Conference, University of Michigan's, Market Committee, Health, New, New York City Housing Locations: York, New York City

☆ Texas state lawmaker criticizes 'universal basic income' programs: 'We can't just hand out money like popcorn on street corners'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Texas state senator said a Texas-based basic income plan will "hand out money like popcorn." State Sen. Paul Bettencourt asked the state attorney general to declare it unconstitutional. Bettencourt's request came on the same day that the program — called Uplift Harris — started taking applications. The Uplift Harris program plans to provide eligible households in Harris County, which includes Houston, $500 a month for up to 18 months. "We just can't hand out money like popcorn on street corners to people that walk by," Bettencourt told Fox.

Persons: Sen, Paul Bettencourt, —, State Sen, Harris —, Bettencourt, Fox, Harris, Menefree, Bettencourt's Organizations: Service, Republican, American, Plan, Houston Chronicle, Fox News, Texas, Houston Public Media Locations: Texas, Houston, State, Harris County, Harris

☆ Connecticut says it will become first state to cancel medical debt for many residents
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Connecticut will cancel roughly $650 million in medical debt for an estimated 250,000 residents this year, Gov. More than 1 in 10 Connecticut residents have medical debt in collections. New Jersey included $10 million in its most recent budget to fund a pilot program to cancel residents’ medical debt, and Gov. Medical debt is now the largest source of debt in collections, totaling more than credit cards, utilities and auto loans combined, according to the White House. And the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Biden administration are also considering ways to minimize the burden of medical debt.

Persons: Ned Lamont, Lamont, ” Lamont, “ It’s, Phil Murphy, ” Murphy, Jessica Hill, Allison Sesso, Biden Organizations: CNN, Gov, Connecticut Gov, New, New York City, Black, Third, Financial Protection Bureau Locations: Connecticut, Covid, New Jersey, New York

☆ House passes child tax credit expansion — which could benefit millions of families, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

J_art | Moment | Getty ImagesHouse lawmakers on Wednesday night passed a $78 billion bipartisan tax package, including a child tax credit expansion that could benefit millions of children in low-income families, according to policy experts. If enacted, the bill would expand access to the child tax credit, or CTC, and retroactively boost the refundable portion for 2023, which could affect taxpayers this filing season. The child poverty rate "precipitously dropped" during the 2021 child tax credit expansion, Hamilton said. Modeling a permanent version of the 2021 child tax credit increase, the report projects higher graduation rates and future earnings for childhood child tax credit recipients. Nikhita Airi Research analyst at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center

Persons: Chuck Marr, Marr, Steven Hamilton, Hamilton Organizations: Images, Center, Budget, Urban, Brookings Tax, The George Washington University, Rescue Plan, Columbia University, . Census, CTC, Urban Institute, Modeling, Airi

☆ Democratic Senate candidate Tammy Murphy backs removing filibuster after saying she hadn't 'given it much thought'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTammy Murphy, a leading Democratic candidate for Senate in New Jersey, is endorsing the removal of the Senate's "filibuster" rule. Under Senate "filibuster" rules, 60 votes are required to advance most legislation. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday about whether he supports removing the filibuster. AdvertisementIn 2021 and 2022, Democratic opposition to the came to a fiery head, with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and then-Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona staunchly opposing changes to the rule.

Persons: —, Tammy Murphy, Tammy, Alex Altman, Murphy —, Phil Murphy —, Murphy, Andy Kim, Sen, Bob Menendez, Kim, It's, Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten, Roe, Wade, Manchin Organizations: Service, Democratic, Senate, Business, New York Magazine, Rep, Democratic Senate, White, American, Infrastructure Law, Communities, Republican Locations: New Jersey, West Virginia, Arizona, Ohio, Montana

The total for the latest open enrollment period marks a 30% increase from a year ago, based on past enrollment figures published by the health policy research organization KFF. Officials said the figures include 5 million new signups and more than 16 million people with 2023 ACA plan coverage. West Virginia, which has expanded Medicaid, saw the largest percentage increase in enrollment at 80%. “Marketplace coverage is very important to those in those states whose incomes are under 138% of poverty,” says Sara Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access and tracking health system performance for The Commonwealth Fund. “It is a reflection of the lack of Medicaid expansion in those states.”An analysis by KFF notes ACA health plan enrollment has increased each year during the Biden administration.

Persons: It’s, Xavier Becerra, “, ”, Sara Collins, KFF, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Cynthia Cox, Cox, signups, ” Cox, Collins, ” Collin Organizations: Biden, “, Social Security, Affordable, ” Department of Health, Human Services, District of Columbia, Commonwealth Fund, American Locations: Texas, enrollees, Florida, West Virginia, signups

☆ Yellen to step up campaign touting Biden's economic record
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks alongside Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo during a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on June 06, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Biden administration is dispatching U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to Chicago and Milwaukee this week as part of a stepped-up domestic travel schedule to sell Americans on the benefits of President Joe Biden's economic policies. Yellen will make the case in remarks to the Economic Club of Chicago on Thursday that the pandemic recovery was faster, fairer and more transformative than previous economic recoveries, the Treasury said late on Sunday. Yellen has previously touted Biden's investment legislation, taking trips to North Carolina and Boston in recent weeks, but has avoided direct comparisons with former President Donald Trump. After her speech in Chicago, Yellen will travel to Milwaukee on Jan. 26 to visit a worker training facility, partly funded by Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law, the American Rescue Plan Act.

Persons: Joe Biden, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Biden, Joe Biden's, Yellen, Donald Trump, Trump, Nikki Haley Organizations: White House, U.S, Treasury, Economic, of Chicago, Trump, Trump Administration, United Nations, University of, Biden's, American Locations: Washington ,, Chicago, Milwaukee, North Carolina, Boston, New Hampshire

☆ People are using cash transfers like basic income to pay rent, and it shows just how badly a housing-crisis solution is needed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And a growing number of people who are eligible for government housing assistance aren't getting it. But unlike other government benefits like Medicaid and food stamps, housing aid doesn't automatically go to those who need it. And across 31 pilot basic income programs , recipients spent an average of about 9.2% of their payments on housing and utilities. AdvertisementThe amount that the federal government spends on its housing assistance programs, mainly Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing, is determined by Congress each year. "Housing support across America is very fractured and variable," said Sean Kline, director of Stanford's Basic Income Lab.

Persons: —, doesn't, Matt Desmond, Chris Herbert, Ulbrich, Matt Turner, hasn't, Sean Kline, Matthew Fowle, Fowle, Kline, Herbert Organizations: Service, Homelessness, Business, Urban Institute, Assistance, Columbia University's, Poverty, Princeton, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Economic, Congress, Harvard, The New York Times, Department of Housing, Urban Development, Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn's Housing Locations: Washington ,, San Francisco, Davos, America, Philadelphia

☆ Texas senator says the plan to give poor residents a $500 guaranteed basic income is unconstitutional
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Guaranteed basic income is similar to universal basic income except it targets a particular group. Similar programs to the one in Harris County are being adopted in cities all over the country. The Uplift Harris program plans to provide eligible households in Harris County, which includes Houston, $500 a month for up to 18 months. "They are not a Home Rule city," Bettencourt told Houston Public Media. Uplift Harris provides guaranteed basic income to households in the zip codes with the highest poverty rates in Harris County, according to the program's website.

Persons: —, Sen, Paul Bettencourt, Harris —, Bettencourt, I've, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee Organizations: Service, Business, American, Plan, Houston Chronicle, Houston Public Media, Harris, Harris County Attorney Locations: Texas, Houston, Harris County

☆ A bipartisan group of lawmakers' plan to boost the child tax credit for parents would help 'hundreds of thousands of kids get out of poverty,' a top economic official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed boosting the child tax credit for parents. The White House told BI that Biden is committed to fighting "for the full expanded Child Tax Credit." AdvertisementA bipartisan proposal to boost the child tax credit for parents appears like it might be on track to get the White House's stamp of approval. "We're very supportive of expanding the child tax credit," Bernstein said. "So, helping hundreds of thousands of kids get out of poverty, reaching 16 million kids with a more fair child tax credit, that sounds like a really smart idea to us."

Persons: Jared Bernstein, Biden, —, Ron Wyden, Jason Smith, Poppy Harlow, White, Bernstein, Joe Biden, hasn't, it's, Michael Kikukawa, Wyden, Smith's, Kikukawa, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown, GOP Sen, Mike Crapo Organizations: White House, Service, Democratic, Republican, Tax Relief, American Families and Workers, White House Council, Economic Advisers, American, Budget, Child, GOP

But I believe seeing where we are today vindicates the approach we took,” Yellen said in the prepared remarks. As President Joe Biden seeks reelection, he is trying to convince voters who are gloomy about the economy that inflation is under control and the economy is strong. An October AP-NORC poll stated that roughly three-quarters of Americans described the nation’s economy as poor. At the mayors' conference, Yellen planned to say the Biden administration's COVID-19 spending benefited states and local governments — and that had the administration’s response been smaller the U.S. economy could be worse off. Waller said inflation was slowing even as growth and hiring remain solid, a combination that he called “almost as good as it gets.”___Follow the AP's coverage of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at https://apnews.com/hub/janet-yellen.

Persons: Janet Yellen, “ vindicates, “, Yellen, ” Yellen, Biden, Joe Biden, Biden administration's COVID, Christopher Waller, Waller, janet, yellen Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Democrats, U.S . Conference, Mayors, Washington , D.C, Republican, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S, Washington ,

☆ Congress announces tax deal to expand child tax credit and revive breaks for businesses
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Sahil Kapur | Kate Santaliz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Senior lawmakers in Congress announced a bipartisan deal Tuesday to expand the child tax credit and provide a series of tax breaks for businesses. The deal, details of which were reported earlier by NBC News, would enhance refundable child tax credits in an attempt to provide relief to financially struggling and multi-child families. Democrats had demanded a larger child tax credit after an earlier version they passed for less than one year expired, causing child poverty to fall and then rise again after it lapsed. And Republicans were motivated to revive some expired portions of the 2017 Trump tax cuts for businesses. Wyden has said he hopes to pass the deal by the beginning of tax filing season, which is Jan. 29.

Persons: Cara Baldari, Evie, Sarah Orrin, Vipond, Otto, Jason Smith, Ron Wyden, Smith, " Wyden, Wyden, That's Organizations: D.C, U.S, Capitol, WASHINGTON —, Congress, NBC News, American Locations: China

☆ A bigger tax break for parents and companies is getting closer to becoming a reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThere might be welcome tax news for parents and businesses soon — if legislators are finally able to wrangle a deal. "We've made a substantial kind of progress," Wyden told Semafor. AdvertisementRyan Carey, a spokesperson for Wyden, told BI last week that discussions were "ongoing" and "productive." At the same time, Democrats have been pushing for some renewal of pandemic-era expansions to the Child Tax Credit that expired in December 2021. Wyden told Semafor that he'd want the package in front of President Joe Biden by January 29, when filing season begins.

Persons: —, Ron Wyden, Jason Smith, Semafor's Joseph Zeballos, We've, Wyden, Semafor, Smith, Ryan Carey, Carey, Spokespeople, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Senate, Democrat, Tax, Business, Senate Finance, Child Tax, American, Child, ARP CTC

☆ Treasury’s Hidden Stash of Covid Cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: EV dealers ask Biden where they're supposed to put the glut. Images: AP/Shutterstock Composite: Mark KellyIf you thought Washington’s pandemic-cash bonanza was behind us, keep an eye on the Treasury Department. The Biden Administration made a quiet move late last month to let states spend up to $90 billion of leftover “emergency” money. The rule change pushes back the deadline for states to claim cash from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, a pandemic aid giveaway that President Biden set up through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. Now Treasury plans to give out unspent cash beyond next year, as long as states say what they’ll spend it on by April.

Persons: Biden, they're, Mark Kelly Organizations: Treasury Department, The Biden Administration, State, Treasury

☆ The IRS’s Act of $600 Mercy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week’s best and worst from Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson, Mary O'Grady and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/AFP/Getty Images/Reuters/Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyWhile rarely a bearer of good news, the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday postponed a $600 reporting threshold for payments received via online platforms such as Venmo, eBay and Airbnb . The IRS is doing a favor for itself and President Biden as much as it is for Americans. Readers may recall that the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021 lowered the threshold for third parties reporting transactions on Form 1099-K to $600 annually from $20,000. Democrats’ goal was to nab Americans who allegedly dodge taxes by failing to report income earned from, say, driving for Uber or renting out second homes on Airbnb.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson, Mary O'Grady, Dan Henninger, Mark Kelly, Biden, ’ Organizations: Getty, Zuma, Internal Revenue Service, eBay, IRS, American, nab Locations: Airbnb

☆ IRS postpones rule change on digital payment reporting for small businesses and side hustles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The change might have resulted in 44 million more 1099-K forms being sent in January to such filers, including small business owners, freelancers, those with side hustles and gig workers. Regardless of delay or rule change, your tax obligations remain the sameNeither the delay of the rule change nor the eventual implementation of it will change your tax burden in any way. That’s because you have always been obligated as a taxpayer to report the money you make from your business activities to the IRS. The difference once the rule change goes into effect is that the IRS will be learning about your business income from a third party payment platform. And the change will effectively pull back the curtain on just how much business income is being generated on third-party payment platforms.

Persons: “, ”, Danny Werfel, –, Sherrod Brown of, Bill Cassidy, Biden, Arshi Siddiqui, Akin Gump, they’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, IRS, American, The Coalition, Electronic Transactions, Airbnb, PayPal, Democratic, Ks Locations: New York, Poshmark, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Louisiana

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Monday will start taking orders for another round of free COVID-19 tests for delivery across the country, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson said. Households that had ordered four free tests through COVIDTests.gov when they were offered again in September are eligible to order four more, while those that did not can submit two orders for a total of eight free tests. It resumed offering the tests in December 2022 as cases were surging, and opened another round of orders on Sept. 25 this year. The tests are paid for using COVID-19 supplemental funding from the American Rescue Plan, the HHS spokesperson said. HHS and the Department of Education plan to expand a program that brings tests to schools nationwide over the coming weeks.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Joe Biden's, Biden, Ahmed Aboulenein, Bill Berkrot Organizations: District of Columbia, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, of Health, Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, American, HHS, Department of, Thomson

☆ Watch for this 'phantom tax' before taking Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, advisor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

d3sign | Moment | Getty ImagesAs millions of Americans compare health plans on the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces, experts say it's critical to run projections and rethink popular tax moves before enrolling in subsidies. The average enrollee is paying premiums of $124 per month after the subsidies, which were boosted through 2025 via the Inflation Reduction Act. If your actual income exceeds your estimates, you might be required to repay some or all of the subsidy. "If your actual income exceeds your estimates, you might be required to repay some or all of the subsidy." The subsidy eligibility calculation also considers your location, family size and whether you spouse has available coverage.

Persons: Tommy Lucas, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, Lucas, Sean Lovison Organizations: Affordable, American, Center of Budget, Security, Philadelphia Locations: Orlando , Florida

☆ Biden’s economic scorecard touts fragile advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

And if the political strategist James Carville was right that “it’s the economy, stupid,” the next several months could make or break Joe Biden’s economic record. As things stand, the current ruler of the free world touts a fragile advantage. Households’ disposable income after adjusting for inflation hit a record $20 trillion in the month that Biden’s measure was approved, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. STUDENT LOANSForgiving swaths of student debt was another of Biden’s campaign promises, but his efforts have so far failed. And with higher interest rates making debt service more expensive, Biden’s spending could come back to bite him on election day.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ken Cedeno, James Carville, Joe Biden’s, “, aren’t, Breakingviews, it’s, Biden, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, ”, Realtor.com, Congressional Republicans haven’t, haven’t, WALL, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Edmond's Catholic, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, House, Republican, AMERICAN, ACT, Brookings Institution, Analysis, Walmart, Nordstrom, Deere, Caterpillar, Republicans, Commerce Department, Micron, Bank of America, Gallup, Federal Reserve, United Auto Workers, RSM, Congressional Republicans, Biden, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Conservative, Thomson Locations: St, Rehoboth Beach , Delaware, U.S, New York, Arizona, West Virginia

☆ A third of Columbus, Ohio's population just had $335 million in medical debt wiped out thanks to Biden's American Rescue Plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The letters are informing more than 300,000 residents that some, if not all, of their medical debt will be forgiven. All told, the hospitals are wiping clean about $335 million in medical debt for nearly one-third of the city's population. The Columbus City Council first approved the plan on October 16 after months of research and planning. The plan was made together with the Central Ohio Hospital Council, which represents four major hospital systems in the region. Cook County, Illinois, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have all implemented similar plans to provide medical debt relief.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Pro Tem Rob Dorans, Dorans, Jeff Klingler, Columbus, Klingler, Andrea Organizations: Rescue Plan, Morning, Columbus City Council, City, Pro Tem, Central Ohio Hospital Council, Associated Press, American Rescue, Ohio State University Locations: Columbus , Ohio, Columbus, New York, Ohio, Toledo, United States, Cook County , Illinois, New Orleans , Louisiana, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Franklin County

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