Democrats Reject Fix For $600 Jobless Benefit

WASHINGTON (AP) – With aid expiring, the White House has offered a short-term extension of a $600 weekly unemployment benefit that has helped keep families and the economy afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Democrats rejected it, saying President Donald Trump’s team failed to grasp the severity of the crisis. Democratic leaders panned the idea in talks late Thursday at the Capitol, opting to keep the pressure on for a more sweeping bill that would deliver aid to state and local governments, help for the poor, and funding for schools and colleges to address the pandemic. Talks will resume Friday.