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A group of young men allegedly ripped off $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds by stealing personal information from people in the assistance program, funneling their money to personal bank accounts, and withdrawing the cash at banks in Brooklyn and Queens. Many of the young men flaunted their ill-gotten fortunes on social media, posting pictures of themselves with large piles of cash, court documents show. Six of the eight defendants — ranging in age from 18 to 25 — were charged Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court, documents show. Two suspects — Armani Miller, 24, and Johan Santos, 19 — are...

Most Social Security recipients will be paid automatically, but there are some big exceptions. The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced that Social Security beneficiaries who aren't typically required to file a tax return won't need to take any special action to get a $1,200 stimulus payment. Because of this, most Social Security beneficiaries don't have to take any special action -- the payment will be automatically paid in the same manner as their Social Security benefits. On the other hand, there are some Social Security recipients who may still need to take action, especially if they want to maximize the...

April 15 (UPI) -- The IRS rolled out a new tool Wednesday that allows Americans to check the status of their stimulus payments, and tens of millions are expected to have their money by the end of the day. The agency launched the "Get My Payment" web page, where Americans can track their payments by entering tax return information for either 2018 or 2019. The U.S. Treasury began depositing the payments electronically last Friday. The first recipients are eligible U.S. taxpayers who filed a tax return for either of the last two years. For those, the funds will automatically appear...

Over 80 million Americans are expected to receive a stimulus check by the end of this week as part of the first wave of payments, the Treasury Department said this week. The Department expects “a large majority of eligible Americans” will get their payments in the next two weeks. While some have received theirs already, those who are still waiting for one will soon be able to track it online. Americans will also be able to provide the Internal Revenue Service with their direct deposit information if it’s not on file with the agency. “If you do not receive them...

Millions of Americans should receive their $1,200 relief payments beginning Thursday, as the first wave of payouts for citizens impacted by coronavirus begins.

Rebates for Individuals (§ 2201)The most wide-reaching provision in the law provides “2020 recovery rebates for individuals.” These rebates, which are characterized as credits against 2020 taxable income, will be issued in the amount of $1,200 for “eligible individuals” or $2,400 for “eligible individuals” filing a joint return. In addition, “eligible individuals” will receive $500 for each “qualifying child,” as defined by IRC § 24(c), for purposes of the child tax credit. This generally includes dependent children under the age of 17 for whom the individual has a social security number. “Eligible individuals” include “any individual” except for: Nonresident alien...

President Trump has signed the largest-ever US financial stimulus package, worth $2tn (£1.7tn), as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. The House of Representatives passed the cross-party bill two days after the Senate debated its provisions. On Wednesday the number of Americans filing for unemployment surged to a record high of 3.3 million people. The US has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other country, with more than 97,000 positive tests. No Democratic lawmakers were invited to the historic signing ceremony, which was held at the White House.

President Trump signs into law the bipartisan $2 trillion coronavirus economic aid bill.

The CARES Act, the $2 trillion coronavirus emergency relief bill that serves as Phase Three of Congress's coronavirus relief efforts, has passed the House of Representatives. It is the largest stimulus package in U.S. history and aims to provide funding for hospitals, and targeted relief for small businesses. The successful vote comes after hours of cantankerous debate, in which one unhinged Democratic representative was ruled " out of order " on the House floor. Once the measure finally passed, the entire House erupted - in a positive way. Lisa Desjardins ✔@LisaDNews WOW and just like that, the motion is adopted....

It makes sense that the federal government is stepping in to provide financial relief to the millions of citizens facing economic ruin due to the coronavirus crisis and subsequent government restrictions on activity. But what’s unconscionable is the fact that, thanks to the way Congress spent the last decade ignoring any sense of fiscal responsibility, coronavirus relief must come at the cost of further indebting future generations and dimming the outlook of our financial future. It’s not the $2 trillion price tag on the coronavirus relief bill, passed Wednesday evening by the Senate, that does this in and of itself....

Most Americans will be receiving checks from the federal government after President Donald Trump and Congress agreed to a $2 trillion coronavirus relief deal Wednesday. The stimulus is unprecedented in size, and politicians hope it will prevent the country from descending into a recession if a protracted fight against COVID-19 grinds the economy to a halt.

White House and Senate leaders reached a historic deal shortly after midnight Wednesday on a massive $2 trillion coronavirus relief package for workers and businesses, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered something of a tepid endorsement of the agreement after previously pushing for her own legislation. The bipartisan breakthrough in the Senate capped days of heated negotiations that had nearly been derailed by last-minute demands from House Democrats. “Ladies and gentleman, we are done," White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland announced as he left the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., near midnight. "We have a deal."

The White House and Senate leaders reached a breakthrough deal shortly after midnight Wednesday on a massive $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, Fox News has confirmed, capping off days of heated negotiations that had nearly been derailed by last-minute demands from House Democrats. “Ladies and gentleman, we are done," White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland announced as he left the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., near midnight. "We have a deal."

As members of Congress debate the terms of the trillion-dollar-plus coronavirus relief package for businesses and individuals, they would do well to remember our recent history. Most people in professional Washington hate the populist era we are going through. The populist period exists because Americans already feel like their elected officials are more responsive to large corporate interests than to the individuals who elected them. This played out big-time after the Wall Street bailouts fueled the tea party on the right and Occupy Wall Street on the left. People on the left and right agree that some government assistance...

According to ABC News, a new Ipsos poll released Friday shows that more Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak than not despite a high number of people saying their lives have been upended. This is a massive jump from what it was last week: In the new poll, 55% of Americans approve of the president’s management of the crisis, compared to 43% who disapprove. Trump’s approval on this issue is up from last week, when the numbers were nearly reversed. Only 43% approved of Trump’s handling of the pandemic and 54% disapproved in last week’s poll. Over...

The majority of Americans now approve of President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a change from just one week prior, according to a new Ipsos/ABC News poll.Of those surveyed, 55 percent said that they approved of the president's handling of the situation, while 43 percent said they disapproved. The numbers were basically reversed from one week ago when 54 percent said they disapproved and 43 percent approved. Trump's tone and approach to the outbreak has changed in recent weeks, with the president now appearing at daily briefings at the White House with his coronavirus task force. Trump said this...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 for couples amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to a copy of the legislation obtained by The Associated Press. The GOP leader was poised to unveil the sweeping response Thursday as Congress raced to draft a $1 trillion measure to shore up for households and the U.S. economy. Among key elements would be the direct payments to Americans, aligned with the Trump administration's push for quick cash aid. Under McConnell's proposal, the minimum payments would be $600, and aid would be phased down at income thresholds...

Driving home this week I passed a restaurant near my office in suburban Philadelphia. It was the lunch hour. No cars were in the normally crowded parking lot. Just one lonely tent with their logo and some employees gathered around. I’d forgotten for a second. The governor ordered their dining room closed to customers, just as he ordered all “non-essential” businesses in Pennsylvania to close in the midst of a national pandemic. But that lonely little tent in the parking lot restored some comfort to me during this otherwise surreal time. It was a makeshift drive-through born of necessity at...

Key Points Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday laid out details of the Trump administration’s plan to send Americans relief money. The White House is talking to congressional leaders of both parties about a massive stimulus package to blunt the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The proposal includes sending payments directly to Americans totaling $500 billion, broken up into two tranches. “The first one would be $1,000 per person, $500 per child,” Mnuchin said. “So for a family of four, that’s a $3,000 payment. ============================================================================= Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday laid out details of the Trump administration’s plan to...