IT: Congress passes $900 billion relief bill, and... 🏝 Should Trump help a GA teen jailed for breaking Cayman Island's COVID-19 protocols?

Welcome to Tuesday, December 22, hardcovers and paperbacks...

Congress has passed a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill, ending months of stalemate.

The bill combines $900 billion in COVID-19 relief aid with $1.4 trillion in regular government funding and a slew of tax breaks for businesses.

The vote was 92-6 in the Senate after the House passed the combined bill in two votes of 327-85 and 359-53.

The legislation now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it when it arrives at the White House.

Some of the provisions include:

• Stimulus Payments: This section would provide recovery rebates that total $600 per adult and child in a household. 
• Unemployment Insurance: The $300 per week federal enhancement of unemployment benefits under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) supplement would be extended for 11 weeks. 
• Relief for Small & Shuttered Businesses: This bill would provide $806.5 billion to reopen the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which makes forgivable loans to small businesses that are to be used to cover payroll for workers and certain operating expenses.

A breakdown of the various provisions in the 5,593-page bill can be found here.

Do you support the legislation?

GA Teen Jailed for Breaking Cayman’s COVID-19 Protocol

Skylar Mack traveled to the British Caribbean territory to visit her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, who was in the Caymans for a jet-skiing competition.

When Mack landed, she was administered a COVID-19 test, which came back negative. She was told she still needed to remain in isolation for two weeks. Instead, she left her mandatory quarantine to attend her boyfriend's competition two days later.

Justice Roger Chapple, of the Cayman's Grand Court, said it was the court’s duty to reflect the will of the Parliament and to impose a sentence on behalf of the people:

“This was as flagrant a breach as could be imagined; it was borne of selfishness and arrogance."

Mack's family said they appealed directly to President Trump, whose office responded that her case would be forwarded to the "appropriate" federal agency, likely the U.S. State Department.

Should Trump intervene?

And, in the End…

Baking sheets unite for National Cookie Exchange Day.

May be hard to accomplish with social distancing, but the day was created so cookies and recipes could be shared and swapped at home and office parties.

Which would you choose? I usually don't like sprinkles, but the bottom left looks scrumptious at the moment,

—Josh Herman

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