Biden’s Covid plan gets backing from more than 150 top business leaders
By Phil Mattingly, CNN More than 150 senior executives from some of the largest American companies across several major industries have lined up behind President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, according to a letter obtained by CNN. The group of executives includes the top executives representing some of the powerful business interests in the US, ranging from bank and investment firms like Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, to technology companies like Google, Intel and IBM, to hospitality companies like Loews Hotels & Co. and airlines including American and United Airlines. Top executives from real estate, insurance and utility firms
After the GameStop fiasco, momentum builds for an $800 billion tax
By Matt Egan, CNN Business Uncle Sam is in search for a pot of gold that could ease the pain of trillion-dollar deficits. And some believe Wall Street might just have the answer. For more than a decade, progressives have tried and failed to impose a financial transaction tax. But there is new momentum for such a levy as the national debt skyrockets during the pandemic and in the wake of the GameStop trading frenzy that shined a bright light market structure concerns. The White House told CNN Business on Sunday that a financial transaction tax on GameStop-like trading deserves
Everything you need to know about the debate over the $15 minimum wage
By Zachary B. Wolf, CNN House Democrats have included a minimum wage hike in their latest Covid relief bill, although opposition among some Senate Democrats means it is not at all clear they will have the votes to pass it. Improving worker pay is unrelated in that raising the minimum wage has long been a Democratic priority. It is completely related in that the Covid economy has hurt low wage workers — those in food service, child care and home health care, for instance, who can’t work from home — more than it’s hurt people who are able to work
‘Absolutely defeated’: Black nurses struggle with mental health support while battling Covid-19
By Megan Marples, CNN Throughout Olivia Thompson’s 12-hour shift as a cardiac and Covid-19 nurse in Chandler, Arizona, she closely monitors the oxygen levels of several patients at a time and works with other medical specialists to heal them. For some, no amount of care Thompson gives prevents them from being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. “There were times where I was dreading going to work because of the unknown,” Thompson said. “Am I going to be a good nurse for my patients? Am I going to make a mistake?” Thompson graduated from Arizona State University in May 2020
Black History Month: Fritz Pollard
By Amir Vera The son of a boxer, Fritz Pollard (1894-1986) had grit in his veins. At 5 feet, 9 inches and 165 pounds, he was small for football. But that didn’t stop him from bulldozing barriers on and off the field. Pollard attended Brown University, where he majored in chemistry and played halfback on the football team. He was the school’s first Black player and led Brown to the 1916 Rose Bowl, although porters refused to serve him on the team’s train trip to California. After serving in the Army during World War I, he joined the Akron Pros
Biden to announce billions in aid for global vaccine effort at G7
By Kevin Liptak and Kylie Atwood, CNN President Joe Biden will unveil a $2 billion US contribution to a global coronavirus vaccine initiative when he speaks with the leaders of the world’s leading market economies on Friday, according to senior administration officials, boosting efforts to distribute shots to low- and middle-income countries as wealthier nations snap up the limited supply. The announcement, which Biden will announce on a call with G7 leaders, will provide a boon to Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, which is led by the World Health Organization. It is the first US contribution to the scheme,
Maxine Waters is planning to call multiple hearings on the GameStop frenzy
By Matt Egan, CNN Business Congresswoman Maxine Waters plans to thoroughly investigate the GameStop trading frenzy by holding multiple hearings on the matter. Waters, the chairwoman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, told CNN Business she will likely hold three hearings, with the first one occurring Thursday. Subsequent hearings could focus on expert testimony and potential legislation, Waters said. “The size of the occurrence is such that we need to put substantive time on it,” Waters said in an interview, “to make sure we understand exactly what happened, how it happened and whether or not there are conflicts of
Biden administration confronts regulatory maze and hazy messaging in push to reopen schools
Analysis by Maeve Reston and Stephen Collinson, CNN President Joe Biden’s promise to try to open schools within his first 100 days has become one of most vexing puzzles facing the new administration, leading to confusion and anger among parents who still aren’t getting clear answers. There are few more urgent issues facing the country with the pandemic about to hit the one-year mark. Many kids have been out of in-person school for almost that long. Online school is especially tough for lower income children, particularly for households where parents cannot oversee daily school work because their careers require them
White House announces sweeping immigration bill
By Priscilla Alvarez and Lauren Fox, CNN The White House announced a sweeping immigration bill Thursday that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for millions of immigrants already in the country and provide a faster track for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. The legislation faces an uphill climb in a narrowly divided Congress, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has just a five-vote margin and Senate Democrats do not have the 60 Democratic votes needed to pass the measure with just their party’s support. Administration officials argued Wednesday evening that the legislation was an attempt by President
Two lifelines for America
Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN Two different Americas are waiting on lifelines. For part of the country, it’s a literal shot in the arm — the vaccine. For the other it’s a metaphorical shot — the new stimulus package that will help keep them going while we’re stuck in the Covid economy. Tuesday’s CNN town hall was President Joe Biden’s moment to move on from the impeachment trial that wrapped up over the weekend. Here are 6 of Biden’s top priorities On vaccines: CNN reached out to all 50 states about what their health departments would like to see