Congress

The chance of Congress passing a coronavirus relief deal before the November elections remains elusive as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continue to spar over how much money to inject into the pandemic-ravaged economy.

President Trump hinted he might intervene if Republican senators don't support a second coronavirus stimulus package worth trillions of dollars, during an interview with Charles Benson of WTMJ4 Milwaukee on Saturday. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a 48-hour deadline for the White House to reach an agreement on a new round of coronavirus stimulus before the upcoming presidential election, saying Sunday that she is still "hopeful" despite no agreement yet in the package's language.

Democrats cautioned Wednesday that the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett could spark a new chapter of conservative judicial activism. 

Senior White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Friday morning that it would be "almost impossible" to execute a coronavirus relief package before the November election, even if Congress overcame a months-long impasse and struck a deal. 

After finding that the poverty rate declined in April, May and June after the federal government sent stimulus checks and increased unemployment assistance, a group of researchers say all progress has been erased as House Democrats and the White House remain in a coronavirus stimulus stalemate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday rejected a coronavirus relief deal that costs more than $1.8 trillion, hours after President Trump signaled that he was "absolutely" willing to go higher.