Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
President Trump announced today that he plans to travel to Puerto Rico — which he said was "literally destroyed" and "hit as hard as you can hit" — next Tuesday to view firsthand the devastation from Hurricane Maria.
On the difficulty of sending aid to Puerto Rico: "It's very tough because it's an island...an island sitting in the middle of an ocean — and it's a big ocean. It's a very big ocean."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told "Fox News Sunday" that states don't have the funds to comply with the executive order President Trump signed on Friday, which requires them to cover 25% of an additional $400 in weekly unemployment benefits.
Why it matters: Many state and local governments have had their budgets devastated by the economic impacts of the coronavirus, which have caused expenses to soar and revenues to plunge.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that he regrets suggesting this week that unemployment benefits can only be extended by Congress.
Why it matters: President Trump's decision to bypass Congress to sign four executive actions, including one that provides $400 per week in extra unemployment benefits, has prompted outcry from Democrats and even some Republicans who believe he is overstepping his constitutional authority.
Anti-government protesters in Beirut. Photo: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Lebanon’s information minister resigned on Sunday in the wake of mass protests over the deadly blast in Beirut's port last week, which has killed at least 160 people and injured nearly 6,000, AP reports.
Why it matters: In her resignation letter, Manal Abdel-Samad called change "elusive" and apologized for not delivering more to the country, which had been devastated by a financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic even before the blast destroyed much of the capital city.