WASHINGTON — For the first time in decades, the collective approval of the U.S. federal government was over 50%, as Americans continue to express appreciation for the recent passage of a monthly stimulus check. In a joint statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Liz Cheney said: “We are thrilled about the bipartisan approach to this legislation, and are even more ecstatic that the Senate has passed this same work with 62 senators in support. Our polarized days will soon be a memory.” This new monthly stimulus follows last month’s bipartisan effort to pass gun reform laws, signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden last week.

While remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic remain–including mask mandates sporadic across the country, namely in urban centers–Americans are returning in droves to public life. An initial study by the National Economic Council has found a boom for the economy, as more Americans are making reunions in the public sphere. The stock market has matched this same momentum, as an estimated 20% of Americans use their monthly stimulus checks to invest in the market, expanding their wealth and empowering generations previously left behind.

Next Thursday, April 14, President Biden is expected to sign into law bipartisan legislation that will officially create the National COVID-19 Memorial. The memorial will commemorate the 750,000+ Americans who have died from the virus, with construction set to begin early 2023. Several states have already begun construction for such memorials, or are considering similar funding legislation to honor their residents.

Though the last few decades in the United States have been characterized as highly divisive, moving into the heart of the 2020s, better days appear ahead. As the country overcomes the COVID-19 pandemic, a general air of calmness has reduced the anxiety that gripped the nation for so long. While bumps in the road are inevitable, a new era of American prosperity seems possible.

WASHINGTON — In an address to the nation last night, President Joseph R. Biden announced the federal government will be immediately cutting off funding to any states considering secession, in response to three more states—South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming—joining the Republican Congregation of America (RCA). This announcement comes three days after President Biden blasted South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for her continued attempts to lure surrounding states to join the Republican-led compact.

Following the arrest of former U.S. president Donald J. Trump on January 12, the U.S. has been mired in continuous political violence. Moreover, the FBI has stopped pursuing threats of violence across the country. Director Christopher Wray released a statement last week, stating: “We fear that many in our agency are compromised, affiliated with white supremacist and other domestic terrorist organizations. While it is my mission to ensure the safety of the American people, I cannot dispatch agents given the fear of further violence ensuing.”

In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis issued a curfew for 9:00 p.m. MST, after a multi-weeks-long protest finally came to a climax last week, with hundreds injured at a rally outside of the Capitol building in Denver. In New York, militia groups continue blocking traffic, interrupting trade and grinding the economy to a halt. Citing these incidents, President Biden has called for Americans to avoid public congregations in order to stay safe, as the militia groups grow in power. With the same fears expressed by FBI Director Wray, Biden has not authorized the National Guard to activate, with concerns about compromised servicemembers.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat to the country, as vaccine supply lines remain unsteady. In his same address last night, President Biden urged Americans to continue wearing their masks and maintaining social distance. “We are at a crossroads of our health and democratic future,” said Biden. “We must stay vigilant.”

Last night, in addition to President Biden’s address, the United Nations convened to issue emergency authorization for peacemaking forces to enter into the United States, should violence continue to escalate. The Biden administration has yet to respond to this UN meeting.

WASHINGTON — Gridlock remains the game in Washington, D.C.. Political tensions continue, as President Joseph R. Biden openly criticized Senate Minority Leader John Thune, following Thune’s continued filibuster of legislation for continued economic stimulus from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our nation deserves better. We cannot be held at the mercy of a losing party,” Biden said.

Thune replied to Biden early this morning, saying, “We do not need any further ‘pandemic’ aid. The pandemic is done. We cannot continue wasting government funds on a problem falsely extended by Democrats to push a socialist agenda.”

Biden’s legislative agenda is set to become more complicated, with the pending resignation of Senator Diane Feinstein of California. Late last week, Feinstein announced she would step down at the end of April, citing unspecified health conditions. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom, who made a surprisingly narrow victory in a December recall election, will appoint Feinstein’s successor, and recent reports suggest Newsom may nominate an independent as a way to salvage his future political ambitions.

While most of the visible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have all but evaporated, Americans continue struggling economically. A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that 7.4% of Americans are unemployed. Any recent observations of the stock market show a slump, with the Dow Jones closing below 17,000 yesterday, a lower point than any time during the heart of the pandemic.

“I cannot make my mortgage. I cannot feed my kids well. The pandemic may be over in-name, but not in effect,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar at a recent Senate hearing, reading a note from a constituent. “The failure of the Senate to pass more economic relief will kill my family. Please, Senator Klobuchar, let us have a chance. Let my kids have a chance.”

The Senate reconvenes tomorrow for further debate.