President focuses on pandemic

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SECONDIMPEACHMENTTRIAL -- REFUSING TO COMMENT ONTHE PROCEEDINGS.INSTEAD... HE'S WORKING TO PUSHHIS MASSIVE COVID RELIEF BILL.JEREMY DIAMOND HAS DETAILS.WITH HIS PREDECESSOR'SIMPEACHMENT TRIAL STARTINGTODAY --PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL NOT BEWATCHING"I THINK IT'S CLEAR FROM HISSCHEDULEAND HIS INTENTION HE WILL NOTTOO SPEND MUCH TIME WATCHING THEPROCEEDINGS."INSTEAD -- BIDEN WILL KEEP FOCUSON HIS ONE POINT NINE TRILLIONDOLLAR COVID-19 RELIEF BILL.MONDAY, HOUSE DEMOCRATS ADVANCEDA CHILD TAX CREDITEXPANSION AS PART OF THEPACKAGE.BOOSTING PAYMENTS TO THREETHOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS PERCHILD UNDER THE AGE OF SIX ANDTHREE THOUSADOLLARS FOR CHILDREN AGES SIX TOSEVENTEEN.THE FULL BENEFIT WOULD BEAVAILABLE FOR SINGLE PARENTSMAKING UP TO $75,000 PER YEARAND COUPLES EARNING UP TO$150,000 PER YEAR"IF WE CAN GET THIS DONE WHICHWE WILLIN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS WE'RELIKELY TO MAKE THIS A PERMANENTFEATUREOF WHAT IS KNOWN AS TAXEXPENDITURES."ON STIMULUS PAYMENTS -- EVEN ASBIDEN SIGNALED LASTWEEK THAT HE WAS WILLING TONEGOTIATE INCOTHRESHOLDS --HOUSE DEMOCRATS FLATLY REJECTINGA REPUBLICANCOUNTER PROPOSAL --THAT CALLED FOR $1,000 TOINDIVIDUALS EARNING LESSTHAN $40,000 A YEAR AND COUPLESEARNING LESSTHAN $80,000.INSTEAD, DEMOCRATS UNVEILINGLEGISLATION THATWOULD PROVIDE $1,400 PER PERSONTO INDIVIDUALSEARNING LESS THAN $75,000 PERYEAR AND COUPLESEARNING UNDER $150,000.THERE WOULD BE $1,400 FOR EACHDEPENDENT.UNDER THAT PLAN, INDIVIDUALSMAKING MORE THAN $100,000 ANDCOUPLES EARNING MORE THAN$200,000 WOULD GETNOTHING.

THAT'S DOUBLE THETHRESHOLD PROPOSED IN THEGOP PLAN.STILL IN LIMBO, BIDEN'S PROPOSALTO RAISE THEFEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE TO FIFTEENDOLLARS PER HOUR."APPARENTLY THAT'S NOT GOING TOOCCURBECAUSE OF THE RULES OF THEUNITED STATES SENATE."ON MONDAY - WHITE HOUSE PRESSSECRETARY JENPSAKI PLAYING CLEAN-UP."THE PRESIDENT REMAINS FIRMLYCOMMITTED TO RAISING THE MINIMUMWAGE TO $15.

THERE IS APARLIAMENTARIANWHO WILL MAKE DECISIONS ABOUTWHAT CAN END UP IN A FINALPACKAGE."THAT WAS JEREMY DIAMONDREPORTING.....ELSEWHERE, WALGREENS AND UBERARE TEAMIN