Paul’s deplatforming should anger and perhaps even frighten us. The widespread silencing of dissent is a serious matter; there’s no denying that. And matters are further complicated by the fact that Amazon, Google, and Apple have taken steps that will hinder social media platforms competing with Facebook and Twitter.
After months of backroom negotiations and lobbying, leaders in Congress have finally reached an agreement on a second COVID-19 relief bill. The $900 billion package will likely pass this week.
Here’s a brief overview of what’s in the behemoth package and a breakdown of the many glaring problems with it.
Key Provisions:
$600 “stimulus” checks for American adults who earned less than $75,000 in 2019 with additional $600 per household for each child
A federal $300/week add-on to existing state-level unemployment benefits and a renewal of provisions that expanded unemployment to new groups such as gig economy workers
$325 billion in grants and loans for businesses, largely funneled through the Paycheck Protection Program established in the first stimulus effort