Author: Samuel Wonacott
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Biden signs $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
On Thursday, March 11, President Joe Biden (D) signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Here’s a look at some of the provisions contained in the $1.9 trillion package: • The law provides for a third round of relief checks to eligible individuals and couples. Individuals and dependents earning up to $75,000 and married…
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One year ago, California became the first state to issue a stay-at-home order
One year ago, as the novel coronavirus spread across the country, California became the first state to order residents to stay home unless engaged in essential activities. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued the order on March 19, 2020. Over the following three weeks, 42 governors would follow suit. South Carolina was the last state to…
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Three-hundred and forty-four elected officials at the state and federal levels sought another office in 2020
In 2020, Ballotpedia tracked 344 officials in Congress and state legislatures who ran for a different office than the one to which they were elected. Of those 344 officials, 162 (47%) won election to a new position. Fourteen members of the U.S. House and eight members of the U.S. Senate sought election to a different office. Four…
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U.S. Small Business Administration relaunches Paycheck Protection Program
On Friday, January 8, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) would make another round of loans available to new and some existing borrowers on January 11. Congress allocated $284 billion to the program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which President Donald Trump (R) signed into law on December 27, 2020. The PPP, which Congress first authorized…
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In five elections since 1920, the winning presidential candidate’s party has lost seats in the U.S. House
On Dec. 14, 2020, the Electoral College cast votes for president and vice president of the United States. Joe Biden (D) won 306 electoral votes, defeating President Donald Trump (R) who won 232. In the same 2020 election cycle, Biden’s Democratic party lost 13 U.S. House seats (one race remains uncalled). How many times has…
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Jason Williams defeats Keva Landrum in Orleans Parish District Attorney race
Jason Williams (D) defeated Keva Landrum (D) in the December 5, 2020, general election for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney. Williams received 57.8% of the vote, while Landrum received 42.2%. Williams is an at-large member of the New Orleans City Council, a seat he won in 2014. Landrum served as a judge at the…
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States publish coronavirus vaccine distribution plans
All 50 states have released plans for distributing a coronavirus vaccine once one or more have been made available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set an October 16 deadline for states to submit first drafts of the plans. The CDC asked states to respond to a set of planning assumptions in…
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Traveling over Thanksgiving? Here are the states with restrictions on travel
Heading into Thanksgiving, 12 states plus the District of Columbia have active restrictions on travel intended to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Since the pandemic began, 26 states have issued restrictions on travel, and 14 have been rescinded. The states (plus D.C.) with active travel restrictions as of Nov. 23 are: Alaska Connecticut District of…
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Senator Rick Scott, other federal lawmakers test positive for coronavirus
On November 20, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fl.) announced he tested positive for COVID-19. On November 14, he announced he would quarantine himself after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for the virus. Scott was the 31st member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19, and the seventh to announce a positive test…
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Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) wins Wisconsin
As of Nov. 4, former Vice President Joe Biden (D) is the projected winner of the presidential election in Wisconsin. As of 4:00 p.m. E.T., 99% of the popular vote had been tabulated in the state, with Biden receiving 49.4% of the vote and former President Donald Trump (R) receiving 48.8% of the vote. Wisconsin…