State Finance Chief: All Coronavirus Relief Money Will Be Spent
Agencies are scrambling to apply for Alabama’s coronavirus relief money. State Finance Director Kelly Butler during a media briefing Wednesday said his office has been working through a backlog of reimbursement requests from local governments sent out as late as September.
He gave assurances that local and state agencies that apply for reimbursements by the December 30 deadline will receive their funds, eventually. But the clock is ticking, and some local government leaders and nonprofits have complained the process is rife with red tape.
“The [U.S. Department of the] Treasury has said that if we have received a reimbursement request prior to the deadline, we will have a two to three month period to work out those prior bills as long as they were expenses incurred before December,” Butler said.
Butler said he’s confident the more than $800 million in remaining CARES Act relief money will be spent by the end of the month.
The state’s finance department is also working through nearly 30,000 applications for the state’s second round of coronavirus funding.
Butler said businesses, nonprofits and faith-based organizations have until Friday, December 4, to apply for their share of coronavirus relief money.
Alabama received nearly $2 billion dollars from Congress over the summer. Any unspent money will go back to the federal government.
Trump calls for Gaza deal, slams Netanyahu trial
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday pleaded for progress in ceasefire talks in the war in Gaza, calling for a deal, and doubled down on his criticism of the legal proceedings against Netanyahu.
Say ‘maybe’ to the dress? Tariffs are crashing the wedding planning party
How much extra would you pay to see your dream come true? It's always a big question for wedding-planning couples. Now, there's a new twist courtesy of U.S. trade policy.
The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system
The Department of Homeland Security, with help from DOGE, has rolled out a tool that purports to be able to check the citizenship status of almost all Americans.
Around 100,000 march in Budapest Pride event in defiance of Hungary’s ban
Marchers gambled with potential police intervention and fines to participate in the annual Budapest Pride, which was outlawed by a law passed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's right-wing governing party.
J.M. Smucker plans to remove artificial colors from its jams and other products
Smucker joins a growing number of big food companies that have announced plans to eliminate artificial dyes.
Man kicked and injured a CBP beagle during airport baggage search
An Egyptian traveler who kicked the 25-pound dog was ordered to pay its vet fees and turn himself in for removal from the country.