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US Congress Moving Toward Massive Economic Aid

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress is moving toward passage of a
   massive$1.8 trillion economicaidpackage to send money to most
   Americansand many businessesthat have beenseverely impacted by the
   deadlycoronavirus.

   Aside from the obvious impact of thepublic health crisis,perhaps two
   million or moreU.S. citizens have been laid off from workasthousands
   ofschools, national businessesand
   suchcommunityenterprisesasgyms,restaurants, bars and storeshave
   shuttheir doors, either voluntarily or under state and local government
   orders.

   Governors in five states --New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in the
   East, Illinois in the U.S.heartland and California on the Pacific coast
   --have ordered millionsof people to stay home, in effect quarantinedto
   prevent the spread of the coronavirus.No national shutdown is planned.

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