Apr 27, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Pelosi: Guaranteed income during coronavirus crisis is "worthy of attention"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC Monday that minimum guaranteed income is "worthy of attention" as a policy measure to help Americans deal with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

The big picture: Pelosi's comments come as Congress is considering what to include in the next coronavirus stimulus bill. Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang has pitched the idea of giving $2,000 per month to every American for the duration of the crisis, calling it a necessity to ensure that citizens know "that they can feed their families." An aide for the Speaker later clarified to Axios that she was referencing paycheck guarantee proposals.

Editor's note: This article was updated to include a comment from Pelosi's aide.

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Fadel Allassan

Aug 5, 2020 - Politics & Policy

GOP senator says stimulus needs to be as "narrowly focused" on COVID-19 as possible

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said at an Axios virtual event Wednesday that the next coronavirus relief package needs to be as "narrowly focused" on COVID-specific issues as possible in order to resolve the differences between Republicans and Democrats.

Why it matters: Democrats and negotiators from the Trump administration remain far apart on a deal for the next tranche of relief. The fraught negotiations come as millions of Americans continue to suffer from the health and economic effects of the pandemic without the unemployment benefits from the first stimulus bill.

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Rashaan Ayesh

Aug 6, 2020 - Politics & Policy

GOP Rep. Rodney Davis tests positive for coronavirus

Rep. Rodney Davis. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) announced on Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Why it matters: Davis, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, said he has taken precautions against the virus, such as twice-daily temperature checks. He spoke to Republicans about staying safe after Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) recently tested positive for the virus and spoke out against wearing face masks, Politico notes.

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Axios

Updated 11 hours ago - Health

World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Australian officials in Victoria announced another 19 deaths from COVID-19 on Monday morning local time, breaking the state and national record set the previous day of 17. Victoria also reported 322 new cases — the lowest in 13 days.

The big picture: Australia was on track to suppress the virus in May, but cases have been spiking in Victoria in recent weeks, where a state of disaster was declared last week, enabling officials to introduce restrictions including a night-time curfew in state capital Melbourne.