Vox Sentences - An eleventh-hour signature

Trump signs a Covid-19 relief and government funding bill at the last minute; a mutated strain of the coronavirus appears to be spreading.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters.

• On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed a combined omnibus government funding bill and coronavirus relief package at the last minute, heading off a government shutdown and renewing expanded unemployment benefits. [Vox / Emily Stewart]
• The relief package includes $600 direct checks, a $300-per-week unemployment benefit, rent relief, and an eviction moratorium extension, among other components. [NYT / Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber]
• Before Sunday, the bill’s fate was in doubt following a surprise broadside by Trump demanding larger direct stimulus checks and attacking spending on foreign aid — all after Congress had already passed the measure last Monday. [NPR / Benjamin Swasey and Barbara Sprunt]
• Despite signing the bill, Trump has indicated he will send a rescission request to Congress asking that some spending be pared back, though it’s highly unlikely Congress will do so. [Politico / Burgess Everett, Sarah Ferris, Marianne LeVine, and Melanie Zanona]
• Trump’s vacillating has already had consequences: His delay in signing the bill means that millions of out-of-work Americans could miss out on a week of much-needed unemployment insurance checks. [Business Insider / Kelsey Vlamis and Joseph Zeballos-Roig]
• Separately, a new push for $2,000 relief checks is ostensibly still alive and the House is set to vote on it Monday. It’s unclear if or when the Republican-controlled Senate will take it up, however. [CNBC / MacKenzie Sigalos]
• Trump appears to be all for more direct coronavirus relief. “$2000 + $2000 plus other family members. Not $600. Remember, it was China’s fault!” he tweeted Saturday. [Twitter / Donald J. Trump]
• Trump on Sunday also continued his push for Congress to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which pertains to liability for online platforms, and address his false allegations of widespread election fraud. [CNN / Kevin Liptak, Kate Bennett, Tami Luhby, Kaitlan Collins, Jason Hoffman, Phil Mattingly, and Jeremy Diamond]
• Trump vetoed the NDAA, an annual must-pass defense policy bill, last week over the absence of a Section 230 repeal, among other complaints, but a veto override — the first of Trump’s presidency, if it passes — is likely on the way, with the House set to vote on Monday. [CBS News / Melissa Quinn]