Venezuela experienced devastating earthquakes over a month ago, and to this day the nation is rebuilding while coping with a multitude of developing environmental and health risks.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
The relief law also extends the federal boost for unemployment benefits as well as food stamps and other aid programs for struggling renters and homeowners throughout the country. The overall goal of this relief package was to specifically help lower-income households who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
GOP Senators are meeting with President Biden today to propose an alternative Covid-19 relief package as the White House and congressional Democrats gear up to move forward with Biden’s current $1.9 trillion plan.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
Congress passed a $900 billion economic relief package Monday night that would give $600 stimulus checks to American adults to help them cope with the Covid-19 pandemic; the checks are half of the $1,200 that most adults received during the initial stimulus package at the beginning of the pandemic, the federal government has not provided any further financial assistance to its citizens until now.
President Donald Trump, however, tweets on Tuesday night that he would not be signing the economic relief package, and then a video in which he urged Congress to increase the stimulus checks.
“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 dollars to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple.”
The $600 is obviously not going to be enough for most American households that have been struggling to cope with unemployment, monthly bills, and a lack of security. 6 in 10 Americans have claimed to be financially impacted by the pandemic. The checks will likely begin hitting individuals accounts as early as next week.
Dependent children will now be receiving the same $600 checks that adults receive as well; which is an increase from the $500 checks that children received in the initial relief package. So who is eligible for the package in general?
Single individuals earning up to $75,000 will receive a check for $600 while married couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $1,200; overall this package is half of what Americans received during the first round of stimulus payments. According to the House Appropriations committee, the amount of stimulus payment will decrease by $5 for every $100 of income that is earned above those thresholds.
As previously mentioned an additional $600 will be directed towards every dependent child under the age of 17. Adult dependants, such as older high school students or college students, won’t qualify for checks as it’s expected that they rely on their parents for financial security. A family with two parents and two child dependents could receive up to $2,400.
Couples that include an immigrant without a Green Card will also qualify for the checks, a move that will be important for many families because the first round of stimulus checks didn’t provide payments for households unless all members held legal citizenship. This issue was taken to court, where it was found that denying checks to US citizens based on their spousal or parental relationships to someone who may not have a Green Card, is unconstitutional.
Individuals receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or Veteran benefits will also be receiving the $600 checks; these groups of people were also denied payments during the initial round of stimulus payments.
The stimulus bill also includes an extra $300 a week for individuals on unemployment. This means current jobless Americans will receive their regular state unemployment payments as well as an additional $300 until March 14th, 2021. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program will also be extended; the program covers gig workers and self-employed individuals.
The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program will also be extended into March; this program provides additional weeks of jobless aid to individuals who have already utilized all of their regular state unemployment benefits. The Paycheck Protection Program is also being extended by another $282 billion of forgivable loans. Some of that funding is being set aside for small businesses, nonprofits, and local newspaper, TV, and Radio broadcasters.
Another $20 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loans is being set aside for businesses in low-income communities, after the government received a ton of backlash for bailing out multi-million dollar corporations in the beginning of the pandemic, and continuing to leave smaller businesses in the dust.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
The special is called “One World: Together at Home” and will be a two-hour long concert event beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. And in a rare turn of events for prime time cable programming, the special will be televised across multiple networks including ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
Some use the drug in an attempt to rid themselves of an opioid addiction, while others simply use it to get high. The drug has been used in herbal medicines in Asia for hundreds of years, but little research has been conducted on its effects on the body. Despite the potential danger of using it, the drug is legal throughout most of the United States, as regulators have not yet caught up with its growing popularity. The drug, derived from a tree indigenous to Southeast Asia, is called kratom, and while some swear by its supposed healing properties, others warn that it could carry as-of-yet unknown dangers.
In the United States alone, between ten to fifteen million people use kratom, for a wide variety of reasons. Though it is not itself an opioid, kratom has some opioid-like effects, as it’s often used to provide relief from chronic pain. While the scientific evidence for its effectiveness in treating addiction is scarce, many people who are addicted to opioids turn to kratom in desperation, and some swear by kratom’s effectiveness for this person. Others use the drug in a purely recreational way, as it generates a sense of euphoria, lasting for two to five hours. While the drug is not strictly speaking a hallucinogen, in high doses it can lead to psychosis. It has a number of other serious side effects as well: some users report nausea, vomiting, and constipation, while others experience dangerous effects like decreased rate of breathing, seizures, and addiction. At very high doses, kratom is potentially fatal.
For these reasons, the federal government, as well as many state governments, are pushing for a ban on the drug. While many view this as a necessary step to prevent the rise of another drug-related public health crisis, others warn that banning kratom could prevent people who are struggling with opioid addiction from accessing a potentially effective treatment. Kratom users believe that the drug offers a wide range of beneficial effects, from improving eyesight, to clearing skin, to boosting the immune system. Unfortunately, however, the scientific research that currently exists about the drug is far too sparse to justify any of these claims.
The research that does exist, however, ought to be sufficient to dissuade any reasonable person from using kratom, despite its mild euphoria-inducing effects. When taken with some prescription medicines, kratom causes abnormal brain function, leaving a person unable to communicate and experiencing a severe headache. Kratom has also been found to be harmful to fetuses when used by pregnant women, leading to an infant who is born with withdrawal symptoms as their access to kratom is cut off. And it can be difficult to tell whether kratom has been mixed with other drugs to alter its effects, posing even more and unpredictable dangers to the user. Kratom is even sometimes sold mixed with dirt and mold by careless dealers. Despite these risks, however, kratom has become a trendy drug just like CBD has, and kratom is sold openly in cities like Portland. What’s important to keep in mind, though, is that just because a drug is legal, that doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Tyler Olhorst is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. You can reach him at inquiries@thenationaldigest.com.
The historic and massive wildfires currently devastating Australia have inspired people around the world to raise money in order to aid in the relief efforts, as the resources necessary to combat the fires are overwhelming. The global running community is among those who are trying to help, as thousands of runners will participate in a virtual race taking place on January 18th and January 19th, with 100% of proceeds going towards relief efforts in Australia. The event, which anyone around the world with the Strava smartphone app can participate in, will consist of a 5k race and a half-marathon race, and the effort has already raised $345,000 with the event still more than a week away.
The idea was born when Samantha Gash, a 35-year-old endurance athlete from Australia, was watching the destruction unfold on TV and felt compelled to help in any way she could. Though she contemplated simply donating to existing organizations, she ultimately decided her efforts would be more successful if she tapped into the fundraising potential of the running community. In order to participate in the virtual event, people must enter in advance on the organization’s website and contribute a minimum of $50. Because of the large number of runners expected to participate in the event, Gash is working directly with Strava, an app that bills itself as a social network for runners, to ensure that the races go off without a hitch.
Thanks to the internet and the vast network of runners around the world wanting to pitch in to help Australia, the website reached dozens of countries, including the United States, New Zealand, and Germany within 48 hours of its launch. The organizers have already exceeded their wildest fundraising expectations, as their original goal was to raise just $20,000. Of course, you don’t have to be a runner to participate, as you can donate directly to relief efforts through the organization’s website even if you don’t plan to participate in the race.
Tyler Olhorst is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. You can reach him at inquiries@thenationaldigest.com.