Access to these Washington Post updates is free – Live updates: Confirmed coronavirus cases approach 500,000 worldwide; Senate passes stimulus, but new U.S. jobless claims shatter decades-old record – “Much of the world’s population is now living under some sort of coronavirus-related restrictions as the total number of confirmed cases worldwide approaches 500,000. In Washington, the Senate unanimously passed a $2 trillion emergency relief package late Wednesday [H.R. 748 – Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019], concluding a grim day in which health departments around the country reported more than 200 coronavirus-related deaths. Meanwhile, the weekly U.S. tally of new jobless claims was historically bleak, with a record 3.3 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits. That shattered the old record of 695,000, set in 1982. Here are some significant developments…”

Note – the link to the full text of the House bill – H.R. 6321 – Financial Protections and Assistance for America’s Consumers, States, Businesses, and Vulnerable Populations Act is here