Food assistance funds for mothers and children are up for debate in Congress

Sep 6, 2023
While the White House is asking for more money for the Women, Infants, and Children program, a House bill would reduce WIC funds.
In addition to determining overall WIC funding, Congress has to decide whether to renew a boost in funds recipients can spend on fruits and vegetables.
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Child care is about to get even more expensive as pandemic funds end

Aug 17, 2023
Already, child care inflation is running nearly double the rate of overall inflation.
When pandemic funding runs out in September, experts expect even higher costs for child care.
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Can pandemic relief money help schools bring kids up to speed academically?

Oct 26, 2022
National reading and math scores are way down. But school leaders say it can be hard to put all that money toward instruction.
School districts have until September 2024 to spend the last of the $190 billion allocated to them in COVID relief funds.
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Small businesses push back on plan to redirect COVID relief funds

Apr 19, 2022
The Biden administration, pressured to avoid new spending, may reallocate the money to pandemic health care needs.
Congress could reroute about $5 billion in COVID relief set aside for small business to pandemic-related health care needs.  
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Most of the nearly 70,000 housing vouchers Congress authorized last year remain unused

Feb 14, 2022
The pandemic response program provided billions of dollars that were meant to help get unhoused people into permanent housing.
Dale Bonanno received an emergency housing voucher as part of a pandemic program designed to move unhoused people into more permanent housing.
Gretchen Ertl

For small businesses, this fourth COVID wave feels different

Jan 24, 2022
For one thing, more people are sick. For another, government aid has dried up.
As omicron forces many workers to stay home, small business owners are grappling with how to stay open without federal aid.
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UK government aids battered hospitality businesses, but is it enough?

Dec 30, 2021
Hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs suffered in December, normally a strong season, due to the pandemic and may need more help.
Bars and restaurants in London were fairly quiet during the normally festive end of December, largely because the coronavirus kept people at home.
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For public good, not for profit.

Omicron will disrupt staffing in more than just the airline industry

Dec 27, 2021
With the expiration of federally mandated COVID sick leave and related tax incentives, businesses are on their own.
The spread of omicron has brought with it staffing issues in the service industry and health care. Above, a "We're Hiring" sign hangs near the entrance to a CVS store on Nov. 5.
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We're back to saving less

Dec 23, 2021
The personal savings rate dropped in November to its lowest level since December 2017.
After squirreling away money at the heights of the pandemic, Americans are reverting back to their pre-COVID spending habits.
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How government spending can affect inflation

Dec 20, 2021
What's the link between government funding for aid and new programs and that 6.8% inflation rate?
Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Thursday that he had agreed to support the Biden administration's climate change package.
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