1 Biden Signs Stimulus Bill A Day Early, Checks Could Hit This Weekend
The massive stimulus bill is in the books. President Biden signed the measure in the Oval Office yesterday – a day earlier than planned. In doing so, Biden said the nearly two-trillion-dollar bill has enjoyed overwhelming support among the American people. He called it “historic” and said it's about rebuilding the backbone of the U.S. Aside from the next round of stimulus checks for most Americans, the package also extends unemployment benefits. The measure passed the House and Senate with no Republican support – but there’s a reason for that – the number of projects unrelated to Covid that are in the bill. Meanwhile, Americans may start seeing stimulus checks as soon as this weekend. That’s the word from Press Secretary Jen Psaki. She called it "the first wave" after President Biden signed the massive stimulus bill into law.
2 Monster Storm Threatens Millions
A monster storm of historic proportions is threatening millions of Americans with several feet of snow and tornadoes this weekend. The massive, slow-moving storm is expected to dump snow in the Rockies and western Plain states starting today. Forecasters say Denver could be in for one of the largest snowstorms in the city's history. In some areas, snowfall could reach three-feet. On the eastern side of the storm, people in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are being warned to watch for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. Of course, weather systems don’t stay in one place – they move – and as several systems collide and cause trouble in several states. That means travel is expected to be treacherous – and if you’re planning to head anywhere from the Rockies to the Mississippi Valley, getting anywhere could be downright impossible.
3 Biden Marks Covid Anniversary With His First Address
President Biden has marked the anniversary of the first coronavirus shutdowns. Addressing the nation from the White House, for the first time since his inauguration, Biden said "everything stopped" a year ago. He spoke of a "collective suffering" across the nation in the past year, noting that the pandemic has claimed more than 525-thousand lives in the U.S. Biden noted the deep the economic impacts and talked about the many children who have essentially lost a year of schooling. Biden argued that the only way for America to return to normal is to "beat the virus." The President said his administration has been on a "war footing" against the pandemic from day-one. Meantime, He condemned acts of hatred and violence against Asian Americans. Biden said it's wrong, un-American and "must stop." President Biden wants the states to make all adult Americans eligible for coronavirus vaccinations by May 1st. Biden stressed that his administration's vaccination plan is way ahead of schedule. He said the U.S. will reach his goal of 100-million doses in his first 60 days in office, instead of his first 100-days. Biden urged all Americans to "get vaccinated when it's your turn." Biden said he’s hopeful that Americans can safely gather in small groups to celebrate the July 4th holiday. In the meantime, the President is urging continued use of facemasks and safe social distancing. He argued that this is not the time to relax and warned against backsliding. Biden said he is optimistic that the U.S. can overcome one of the darkest periods in its history.