WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus rescue package on Thursday as the parties argued to a standstill over the size and scope of the aid, likely ending hopes for coronavirus relief before the November election. The mostly party-line vote capped weeks of wrangling that gave way to...
Top General Says No Role for Military in Presidential Vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. armed forces will have no role in carrying out the election process or resolving a disputed vote, the top U.S. military officer told Congress in comments released Friday. The comments from Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, underscore the extraordinary political environment...
Fresno County Voters Switching to Democratic Party
More voters in Fresno County are choosing a preference — the Democratic Party. The Secretary of State released the newest registration figures for registrations through July. According to those numbers, voters are switching from no party preference to Democrat. Overall registrants are up less than 1% since February, but up...
Last-Ditch Virus Aid Talks Collapse; No Help for Jobless Now
WASHINGTON — A last-ditch effort by Democrats to revive Capitol Hill talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money collapsed in disappointment Friday, making it increasingly likely that Washington gridlock will mean more hardship for millions of people who are losing enhanced jobless benefits and further damage for an economy pummeled by...
Virus Aid Talks on Brink of Collapse; Sides ‘Very Far Apart’
WASHINGTON — Washington talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money are teetering on the brink of collapse after a marathon meeting in the Capitol Thursday night generated a wave of recriminations but little progress on the top issues confronting negotiators. “There’s a handful of very big issues that we are still...
GOP Tucks $8 Billion for Military Weaponry in Virus Bill
WASHINGTON — A new $1 trillion COVID-19 response package by Senate Republicans is supposed to give the government more weapons to battle the surging coronavirus pandemic. But GOP lawmakers have more than just the “invisible enemy” in mind. The Republican measure includes billions for F-35 fighters, Apache helicopters and infantry carriers sought...
Republicans, With Exception of Trump, Now Push Mask-Wearing
WASHINGTON — In Republican circles -- with the notable exception of the man who leads the party -- the debate about masks is over: It’s time to put one on. As a surge of infections hammers the South and West, GOP officials are pushing back against the notion that masks...
Billions of Dollars in Aid for Small Businesses Go Unclaimed
NEW YORK — Billions of dollars offered by Congress as a lifeline to small businesses struggling to survive the pandemic are about to be left on the table when a key government program stops accepting applications for loans. Business owners and advocacy groups complain that the money in the Paycheck...
Somber Congress Delivers Nearly $500B More in Virus Aid
WASHINGTON — Congress delivered a nearly $500 billion infusion of coronavirus spending Thursday, rushing new relief to employers and hospitals buckling under the strain of a pandemic that has claimed almost 50,000 American lives and one in six U.S. jobs. The measure passed almost unanimously, but the lopsided tally belies...
$2.2T Stimulus Strengthens Valley vs. COVID-19: Costa
Congressman Jim Costa had more than two trillion reasons to fly in and out of Washington, D.C., to cast a single vote Friday. Costa (D-Fresno) took a red-eye flight Thursday night so he could vote for the $2.2 trillion stimulus package to help Americans cope with the COVID-19 crisis. "We...