Newsletter May 28, 2021

President Biden called out Republicans for playing both sides of the fence on his relief bill, pressuring them into supporting his infrastructure plan.

3 Things

Naughty list: :President Joe Biden says he is willing to extend an olive branch across the aisle to work with Republicans on bipartisan legislation. On Thursday, he tried the carrot-and-stick approach.
Speaking on the road to drum up support for his infrastructure bill, Biden came with a list of Republicans who are taking credit for his last piece of legislation back in their districts despite voting against it. The list was a long one, considering the bill got zero GOP support.
"Not a single one of them voted for the rescue plan. I'm not going to embarrass any one of them, but I have here a list about how back in their districts, they're bragging about the rescue plan," Biden told an approving crowd in Ohio. "I mean, some people have no shame.â€
Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan has proven popular with voters, distancing the GOP from taking credit for relief efforts. Biden hopes they won't miss out on another chance to tackle some issues both sides agree on, but the Republican counter-proposal to his $2 trillion infrastructure plan was less than what he had asked for.
FIND OUT IF BOTH SIDES CAN PUT POLICIES OVER POLITICS

Stimulus refill: If you were among the millions of Americans who were eligible for the $1,400 stimulus checks issued in March, you might want to check your bank statement in the coming days. That's because the first "plus-up payments" are currently being distributed.
Under Biden's American Rescue Plan, those who were hurt most by the coronavirus pandemic are also eligible for plus-up payments, additional funds to help with the economic recovery. The payments are based on IRS information comparing 2019 and 2020 incomes.
Following a two-week delay due to tax reviews, the IRS has sent out over $3.5 billion through 1.8 million payments. Meanwhile, some Democrats are calling for a fourth round of stimulus checks, although economists are advising it could prove counterproductive to growth.
SEE WHY ONE ANALYST IS OPPOSED TO MORE STIMULUS

Shades of Greene: Just when you thought Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had lowered the bar about as far as it can go in the House, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert proudly said "Hold my beer."
Coming days after Greene compared mask mandates to the Holocaust, Boebert took the tone-deaf baton and ran with it. She used the occasion of the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's death not to call for racial justice or healing, but to protest the decision to allow U.S. embassies to fly the Black Lives Matter flag.
Boebert also fired off several tweets about Biden and gun regulation as Twitter users took her to task for everything from condoning the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to her and her husband's arrest records. But the criticism is well worth the donations she and Greene generate.
CHECK OUT HOW OFF-COLOR TWEETS YIELD BIG BUCKS

Markets

DJIA	34,464.64	0.41%
S&P 500	4,200.88	0.12%
Nasdaq Composite	13,736.28	-0.01%
Japan: Nikkei 225	29,105.99	1.95%
UK: FTSE 100	7,019.67	-0.10%
Crude Oil Futures	67.29	0.66%
Gold Futures	1,898.50	0.00%
Yen	109.91	0.06%
Euro	1.22	-0.08%
* As of market close

Back to work

The U.S. economy got more good news on the job front as new filing for unemployment benefits declined for a fourth straight week, reaching a new pandemic low as COVID-19 vaccines help the economy rebound.

The Labor Department said 406,000 new seasonally adjusted claims for jobless benefits were made last week. That's 38,000 fewer than the previous week's unrevised total and fewer than analysts had expected.

"While the recovery in the labor market may be uneven at times, the declines in both initial and continuing claims are a clear sign that progress is ongoing," Nancy Vanden Houten of Oxford Economics said.

The report brings the closely watched indicator of labor market strength closer to the pre-pandemic level of 256,000. That happened the week of March 14, 2020 -- just before the spreading virus forced businesses to shut down and unemployment filings skyrocketed into the millions.

America may not be all the way back just yet, but she's well on her way.

SEE WHAT ECONOMIST SAY ABOUT THE LATEST JOBS NUMBERS

Vax for the memories

The COVID-19 vaccine has already been a lifesaver for the 132 million Americans who have received it. Now it's also serving as a life-changer.

The list of incentives that are being dangled in front of citizens to get vaccinated keeps getting longer and bigger. So much for the free beers and donuts; the latest offers include some tantalizing prizes, including the first $1 million Vax-a-million winner and scholarship recipient in Ohio.

Other state's are launching similar programs and the corporate world is also chipping in. CVS announced its OneStepCloser Sweepstakes that gives those vaccinated in its pharmacies to be eligible for a wide range of prizes, included cruises and tickets to the Super Bowl and World Series.

It's all in the name of combating the vaccine hesitancy that is starting to slow vaccination efforts. The U.S. recently surpassed the critical milestone of a 50% fully vaccinated rate, but experts say 70%-85% is needed to achieve herd immunity. In this situation, everyone really is a winner.

FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE CVS SWEEPSTAKES

Real 'Friends'

If you were not among the millions who streamed the long-anticipated "Friends" reunion special Thursday on HBO Max, it's your call. You can: A) stop reading now and watch it later, or B) treat yourself to one juicy detail from the show. However you decide, consider this your spoiler alert.

Can you believe that Ross and Rachel (played by David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston) almost hooked up in real life way before their characters did on screen in the early days of the 1990s hit sitcom? Confirming many "Friends" fans' suspicions and speculations, there was real chemistry to their on-air romance as both confessed to "crushing hard on each other."

"I remember saying, one time, to David, 'It's going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television. Sure enough, first time we kissed was in that coffee shop," said Aniston, referring to the show's famous "Central Perk" set. "So we just channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel."

FIND OUT WHAT THE OTHER "FRIENDS" CHOSE TO CONFESS