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Economy

Who Is Eligible for an Economic Impact Payment, and When and How Will They Receive Them?

United States Treasury check surrounded by U.S. currency to illustrate a stimulus package or income tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (Photo: AdobeStock)
United States Treasury check surrounded by U.S. currency to illustrate a stimulus package or income tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (Photo: AdobeStock)

Millions of Americans have already or will receive stimulus checks as a result of the historic $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act — or the CARES Act — was signed by President Donald Trump on March 27.

Questions surrounding eligibility, the amount and timeframe of the checks, still remain for many impacted by efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Here is what you need to know about the coronavirus stimulus checks.

According to the internal payment schedule obtained by The Washington Post, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) generated electronic checks on April 9 for the first wave of recipients. Depending on their bank, roughly 50 million Americans will receive their stimulus checks by April 14.

The IRS estimates 80% of tax filers will be able to easily receive the money because they have already shared their account information with the government. But that certainly doesn’t apply to every eligible recipient.

Below is a FAQ section taken largely from IRS.gov.

Who Is Eligible to Receive Stimulus Checks?

U.S. residents will receive the Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 for individual or head of household filers, and $2,400 for married filing jointly if they are not a dependent of another taxpayer and have a work eligible Social Security number with adjusted gross income up to:

• $75,000 for individuals
• $112,500 for head of household filers and
• $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns

Taxpayers will receive a reduced payment if their AGI is between:

•$75,000 and $99,000 if their filing status was single or married filing separately
• 112,500 and $136,500 for head of household
• $150,000 and $198,000 if their filing status was married filing jointly

The amount of the reduced payment will be based upon the taxpayers specific adjusted gross income.

Eligible retirees and recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement, disability or veterans’ benefits as well as taxpayers who do not make enough money to normally have to file a tax return will receive stimulus checks. This also includes those who have no income, as well as those whose income comes entirely from certain benefit programs, such as Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Retirees who receive either Social Security retirement or Railroad Retirement benefits will also receive payments automatically. Payments for this group are expected within two weeks after the first wave of payments on April 14.

How Much Will You Get?

Eligible individuals with adjusted gross income up to $75,000 for single filers, $112,500 for head of household filers and $150,000 for married filing jointly are eligible for the full $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 married filing jointly.

In addition, they are eligible for an additional $500 per qualifying child.

For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced by $5 for each $100 above the $75,000/$112,500/$150,000 thresholds. Single filers with income exceeding $99,000, $136,500 for head of household filers and $198,000 for joint filers with no children are not eligible and will not receive stimulus checks.

Do You Need to Take Action?

No additional action is needed for taxpayers who have already filed their tax returns this year for 2019 or for taxpayers who haven’t filed yet for 2019 but filed a 2018 federal tax return. The IRS will use the information for whichever year last filed to calculate the payment amount.

No additional action is needed for recipients of Social Security — to include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) — and Railroad Retirement who are not typically required to file a tax return.

There are other eligible individuals such as low-income workers and certain veterans and individuals with disabilities who aren’t required to file a tax return. Check the IRS.gov tool – Do I Need to File a Tax Return? – to see if  they have a filing requirement.

The IRS will soon provide guidance for these individuals on the steps to take to get their payment as soon as possible.

Will the IRS Contact You?

The IRS plans to mail a letter about the stimulus checks to the taxpayer’s last known address within 15 days after the payment is paid. The letter will provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment. If a taxpayer is unsure they’re receiving a legitimate letter, the IRS urges taxpayers to visit IRS.gov first to protect against scam artists.

What If You Suspect Scams?

The IRS urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for scam artists trying to use the economic impact payments as cover for schemes to steal personal information and money. Remember, the IRS will not call , text you, email you or contact you on social media  asking for personal or bank account information – even related to the economic impact payments. Also, watch out for emails with attachments or links claiming to have special information about economic impact payments or refunds.

Here is what you need to know

Policy

School Closures ‘Did Not Contribute’ to Mitigation in Prior Epidemics

Vista, CA / USA - March 17, 2020: Sign at Lake Elementary School in San Diego alerting school closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo: AdobeStock)
Vista, CA / USA – March 17, 2020: Sign at Lake Elementary School in San Diego alerting school closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo: AdobeStock)

Research at University College London (UCL) suggests school closures will do little to mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Further, researchers are warning about prolonged school closures due to long-lasting, negative consequences for students.

“We know from previous studies that school closures are likely to have the greatest effect if the virus has low transmissibility and attack rates are higher in children. This is the opposite of COVID-19,” Russell Viner, researcher at UCL’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health who co-led the research, told Reuters.

“Policymakers need to be aware of the equivocal evidence when considering school closures for COVID-19 given the profound and long lasting effect they will have on children – particularly the most disadvantaged.”

Mr. Viner’s research was published on Monday in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. It reviewed 16 previous studies, to include 9 that looked at school closures during the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

SARS is a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus similar to the one that causes COVID-19. In summary, the research team concluded the data suggested school closures “did not contribute to control of the epidemic”.

The review came to light shortly before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signaled schools in the state could reopen in May. Schools in Florida have been closed since March.

“We’re going to look at the evidence and make a decision,” Governor DeSantis, R-Fla., said on Thursday. “If it’s safe, we want kids to be in school.”

“Even if it’s for a couple of weeks, we think there would be value in that.”

As of April 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded only 4 and 1 deaths for the 15-24 and 1-4 age groups, respectively. However, 2 of those in the 15-24 age group and the single death for the 1-4 age group, also developed pneumonia.

Data as of April 9, 2020

Age groupAll COVID-19 Deaths (U07.1)1Deaths from All CausesPercent of Expected Deaths2All Pneumonia Deaths
(J12.0–J18.9)3		Deaths with Pneumonia and COVID-19
(J12.0–J18.9 and U07.1)3		All Influenza Deaths
(J09–J11)4
All Ages4,065501,4448835,2301,8794,467
Under 1 year02,668641909
1–4 years15437626126
5–14 years07937326034
15–24 years44,5498287235
25–34 years389,4298624615103
35–44 years10213,5438851534158
45–54 years23626,104801,35697365
55–64 years50463,284864,111212799
65–74 years89598,429917,168374962
75–84 years1,135124,242919,8045671,008
85 years and over1,150157,8608711,872577968
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Seasonal flu has taken the lives of 104 individuals in that total age group (< 25) and pneumonia has taken even more — 158.

In the 1–4 age group, COVID-19 is allegedly “the cause of death” for 1 individual. By comparison, seasonal flu has taken 26 and pneumonia has taken 26. For the 15-24 age group, seasonal flu has taken 35 and pneumonia has taken 87.

For pneumonia, these numbers are notably less than in typical years. Given admissions by White House Task Force head Dr. Deborah Birx, the likelihood of the drop off in pneumonia deaths being attributable to COVID-19 records, is high.

Mr. Viner suggested that data along with the findings of the review should prompt leaders to “ask hard questions about when and how to open schools”.

He suggested several, less severe mitigation efforts to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 in schools, such as staggering start and break times, closing playgrounds and minimizing the movement of children between classes.

Research at University College London suggests school

US

Allowing Pharmacists, Other CBTS to Test for Coronavirus Will Lessen Burden on Healthcare Workers

Researcher holds test tube with coronavirus virus (COVID-19), analysis and medicine to fight the epidemic. (Photo: AdobeStock)
Researcher holds test tube with coronavirus virus (COVID-19), analysis and medicine to fight the epidemic. (Photo: AdobeStock)

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — The Trump Administration made two announcements this week that will expand access to and ramp up coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for more Americans.

Late Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health issued new guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. The guidance authorizes licensed pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Giving pharmacists the authorization to order and administer COVID-19 tests to their patients means easier access to testing for Americans who need it,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. “Pharmacists play a vital role in delivering convenient access to important public health services and information.”

“The Trump Administration is pleased to give pharmacists the chance to play a bigger role in the COVID-19 response, alongside all of America’s heroic healthcare workers.”

On Thursday, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the HHS also announced it will be exercising its enforcement discretion and will not impose penalties for violations of the HIPAA Rules.

It will allow these covered entities — which includes some large pharmacy chains — to operate Community Based-Testing Site (CBTS). That includes and will open up mobile, drive-through, or walk-up sites that only provide COVID-19 specimen collection.

The Trump Administration made two announcements this

Economy

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — The U.S. Labor Department (DOL) reported the advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 28 was 7,455,000. That’s an increase of 4,396,000 from the previous week’s revised level and marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series.

The previous high was 6,635,000 in May of 2009. The previous week’s level was revised up 30,000 from 3,029,000 to 3,059,000.

The 4-week moving average rose to 3,500,000, a gain of 1,439,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised average. The previous week’s average was revised higher by 7,500 from 2,053,500 to 2,061,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate rose 3.0% from 2.1% to 5.1% for the week ending March 28. It had fallen to historic lows at 1.1% under the Trump Administration.

It was last at that level on November 16, 2019 — and until now — hadn’t risen above 1.2% since April 28, 2018.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured

Economy

Insured Unemployment Now the Highest on Record as Coronavirus Mitigation Crushes Historic Labor Market

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — The U.S. Labor Department (DOL) reported initial jobless claims rose more than expected to 6,606,000 for the week ending April 9, attributable to the mitigation efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). That’s a decrease of 261,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised (+219,000) level at 6,867,000.

Forecasts ranged from a low of 3,000,000 to a high of 7,950,000. The consensus forecast was 5,000,000.

The 4-week moving average was 4,265,500, an increase of 1,598,750 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 54,750 from 2,612,000 to 2,666,750.

Lagging Jobless Claims Data

U.S. initial jobless claims graph on a tablet screen. (Photo: AdobeStock)
U.S. initial jobless claims graph on a tablet screen. (Photo: AdobeStock)

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate rose 3.0% from 2.1% to 5.1% for the week ending March 28. The previous week was unrevised.

The insured unemployment rate fell to historic lows at 1.1% under the Trump Administration. It was last at that level on November 16, 2019, and hasn’t risen above 1.2% since April 28, 2018.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 28 was 7,455,000. That’s an increase of 4,396,000 from the previous week’s revised level and marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series.

The previous high was 6,635,000 in May of 2009. The previous week’s level was revised up 30,000 from 3,029,000 to 3,059,000.

The 4-week moving average rose to 3,500,000, a gain of 1,439,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised average. The previous week’s average was revised higher by 7,500 from 2,053,500 to 2,061,000.

No state was triggered “on” the Extended Benefits program during the week ending March 21.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 21 were in Rhode Island (6.7), Minnesota (5.6), Massachusetts (5.1), Connecticut (4.9), Washington (4.7), Vermont (4.5), Nevada (4.3), Montana (4.2), New Hampshire (4.2), and Ohio (4.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 28 were in California (+871,992), New York (+286,596), Michigan (+176,329), Florida (+154,171), Georgia (+121,680), Texas (+120,759), and New Jersey (+90,438), while the largest decreases were in Nevada (-20,356), Rhode Island (-8,047), and Minnesota (-6,678).

Initial jobless claims rose another 6,606,000 for

Elections

Bernie Sanders stands at the podium on stage during a walk through before the start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2016. (Photo: SS)
Bernie Sanders stands at the podium on stage during a walk through before the start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2016. (Photo: SS)

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has suspended his campaign for president for the second time, though rightly touts pushing the Democratic Party far to the left. The decision all but ensures former Vice President Joe Biden will become the party’s nominee.

“I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful. … I do not make this decision lightly.”

Mr. Biden, the now-presumptive nominee, praised Senator Sanders in the hope to reach out to his voters, which are not at all excited or sure to support him come November.

“I want to commend Bernie for being a powerful voice for a fairer and more just America,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “It’s voices like Bernie’s that refuse to allow us to just accept what is — that refuse to accept we can’t change what’s wrong in our nation — that refuse to accept the health and well-being of our fellow citizens and our planet isn’t our responsibility too.”

“Bernie gets a lot of credit for his passionate advocacy for the issues he cares about. But he doesn’t get enough credit for being a voice that forces us all to take a hard look in the mirror and ask if we’ve done enough.”

From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talk to one another after participating in a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in Charleston, S.C., co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talk to one another after participating in a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in Charleston, S.C., co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Before Super Tuesday, Senator Sanders was the frontrunner for the nomination. But a series of events spoiled his hopes for the second cycle in a row, some self-inflicted.

First, what were construed as comments praising the communist regime in Cuba lost him all hope of being competitive in Florida, a state in which he got trounced. But more importantly, the Democratic Party feared a socialist at the top of the ticket and moved to block his nomination.

Old-fashion wheeling-and-dealing and pressure from the party establishment forced out rivals Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar following Mr. Biden’s outsized win in South Carolina ahead of Super Tuesday.

What resulted was the largest and fastest consolidation behind a Democratic presidential candidate in history, scoring Mr. Biden wins in states he had not visited nor spent a dime in to compete.

“With Bernie Sanders suspending his campaign, it’s all but official that the Democrat establishment got the candidate they wanted in Joe Biden, as well as the candidate President Trump will destroy in November,” Brad Parscale, campaign manager for President Donald Trump, said in a statement.

“Democrat elites shoved Bernie Sanders to the side for a second time, leaving many of his supporters looking for a new home.”

Senator Sanders will become the first Democratic candidate in history to win all three of the first three contests and not become the nominee. Mr. Biden, barring unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, will become the first nominee to not place competitively in any of the first three contests.

Nevertheless, Senator Sanders rightly touted moving the party toward his brand of socialism. Exit polling and voter analysis repeatedly — state after state — showed Democratic Party voters supported his far left policies over Mr. Biden.

But the relentless campaign from the party establishment deeming him unelectable was successful and proved too much for Senator Sanders to overcome.

“Medicare-for-all,” once considered on the fringe even among the Democratic electorate, now enjoys majority support. Mr. Biden has refused to embrace the proposal, though has demonstrated a willingness to reverse decades-long held positions on immigration, abortion and climate change.

While Mr. Biden leads President Donald Trump in early head-to-head general election polling nationwide, there is widespread concern in the party over the potential for a repeat of 2016.

Mr. Biden currently enjoys the lowest enthusiasm level among base voters in at least two decades, lower even than Hillary Clinton in 2016. Progressives took to social media after the news broke to vow never to vote for Joe Biden.

Jill Stein, the 2016 candidate for the Green Party, slammed the Democratic Party on Twitter.

Bernie Sanders stands at the podium on

US

Revisions Underscore Modeler’s Lack of Ability to Quantify Social Distancing

Researcher holds test tube with coronavirus virus (COVID-19), analysis and medicine to fight the epidemic. (Photo: AdobeStock)

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine now projects 60,415 total deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus (COVID-19). That’s yet another significant downward revision the authors attribute to social distancing.

“We are expecting a foreboding few weeks for people in many parts of Europe,” said IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray. “It seems likely the number of deaths will exceed our projections for the United States.”

Initially, as cited by the White House, the IHME projected total deaths to range from a low of around 100,000 to a high of 240,000 with social distancing efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Earlier this week, the model was revised down to around 81,000.

Now, the range for total deaths is from a low of 31,221 to a high of 126,703.

“It is unequivocally evident that social distancing can, when well implemented and maintained, control the epidemic, leading to declining death rates,” Murray added. “Those nations hit hard early on implemented social distancing orders and may have the worst behind them as they are seeing important progress in reducing their death rates.”

“Each nation’s trajectory will change – and dramatically for the worse – if people ease up on social distancing or relax other precautions.”

Not everyone agrees with that. Physicians and statisticians caution that there are myriad factors to remain skeptical of our current ability to quantify the effects of social distancing.

On Tuesday, Dr. Deborah Birx, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, made a stunning admission about the death count. Patients in U.S. who dies with COVID-19, regardless of other conditions, are now being recorded as an official death.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Politics

WHO Faces Increased Criticism for ‘China-Centric’ Handling of Coronavirus Outbreak

President Donald Trump holds a press briefing for the Coronavirus Task Force on March 30, 2020. (Photo: SS)
President Donald Trump holds a press briefing for the Coronavirus Task Force on March 30, 2020. (Photo: SS)

Washington, D.C. (PPD) — President Donald Trump announced a hold on U.S. funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) amid criticism surrounding their handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

“The WHO, that’s the World Health Organization, receives vast amounts of money from the United States. We pay for the majority, the biggest portion of their money and they actually criticized and disagreed with my travel ban at the time I did it,” the president said during his daily task force press briefing at the White House on Tuesday.

“They were wrong. They’ve been wrong about a lot of things and had a lot of information early and they seem to be very China-centric,” the president added. “We have to look into that.”

“They called it wrong. They missed the call. They could’ve called it months earlier. They would’ve known. They’ve should’ve known. They probably did know.”

“We’re going to put a hold on money spent to the WHO.”

The WHO has taken every opportunity to attack the U.S. and western allies while defending China. The organization repeatedly told the world falsehoods that benefited only the Chinese government,

On January 14, the WHO tweeted “Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China.”

The organization also lavished praise on China for their handling of the outbreak and called on Americans to stop calling COVID-19 the “Chinese” coronavirus.

Bruce Alyward, senior advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, in a recent interview pretended to not hear the question when asked if it would reconsider Taiwan’s membership.

President Trump announced a hold on U.S.

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