Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk has championed Donald Trump's presidential campaign.</li><li>Musk's companies — including Tesla, SpaceX, and X — are being sued or probed by federal agencies.</li></ul>With a few pen strokes, Donald Trump could make many of Elon Musk's problems go away.Shortly after a gunman shot at Trump's head two weeks ago, injuring his ear, Musk made his preference for the 2024 presidential election known.After being openly hostile to President Joe Biden on X, he endorsed Trump. When Trump chose as his running mate JD Vance — the US Senator from Ohio with deep links to Silicon Valley power brokers — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-going-all-in-recruit-billionaire-peers-trump-vance-2024-7">Musk ramped up the promotion</a>. This week, he said on X he had formed a political action committee "supporting a meritocracy &amp; individual freedom," which he said he now associates with Republicans.If Trump were to become president again, he could repay the favor. Musk has a lot to gain.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariff-trade-tax-proposal-inflation-interest-rates-outlooks-predictions-2024-7">Trump's plans to lower corporate and personal taxes</a> are certainly a plus. But Musk also stands to gain with a new administration controlling federal regulations."You can think of Musk's contribution as an investment," Michael Gerhardt, an expert in administrative law at the University of North Carolina, told Business Insider. "To eliminate any governmental interference with his businesses."Musk owns six companies, all of which are subject to regulations from different agencies controlled by the executive branch.The conservative-controlled <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-strips-sec-enforcement-power-financial-fraud-jarkesy-2024-6">Supreme Court's recent SEC v. Jarkesy decision</a>, along with its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scotus-chevron-doctrine-bidens-climate-policies-at-risk-2024-6">Loper Bright decision striking down much of the Chevron doctrine</a>, made it harder for federal agencies to enforce laws and regulations against companies. But with Trump as president, Musk wouldn't even need to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-decisions-chevron-sec-federal-government-regulations-2024-6">dismantle the so-called "administrative state"</a> to get federal agencies out of his way.As the head of the executive branch, the president can simply sign executive orders and make hiring decisions to change the direction of federal agencies.Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter) are all <a target="_blank" href="https://www.madisontrust.com/information-center/visualizations/everything-elon-musk-owns/">the subjects of ongoing federal investigations and lawsuits</a>, and Musk's brain chip company, Neuralink, is highly regulated. A president has the power to change regulations, end those investigations, and free those companies from future regulatory action. Trump could also direct agencies to simply drop investigations or withdraw lawsuits, like the Justice Department's civil rights lawsuit against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tweet-spacex-sued-discrimination-refugees-doj-2023-8">SpaceX for Musk's refusal to hire refugees</a> for certain positions, or the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/feds-investigating-tesla-autopilot-recall-after-crashes-kept-happening-2024-4">agency's investigation into Tesla's self-driving claims</a>.As president, Trump could direct the Justice Department and other executive agencies to drop any actions against Trump and his friends' businesses, Gernhardt told BI.<div type="image" title="Elon Musk clasping his hands together." height="683" width="1024" msid="112050668" hostid="261" sizebytes="22408"></div>Musk's plans to build factories and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wants-move-spacex-x-headquarters-texas-tesla-california-2024-7">towns for his employees</a> in Texas have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/musk-boring-company-turned-texas-vistas-into-gravel-mines-local-2024-6">caused environmental problems</a>. Recent Supreme Court decisions have watered down the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to protect environments due to construction, according to Jillian Blanchard, an environmental lawyer at Lawyers for Good Government. But a president could make it even easier for companies to challenge regulations, she said."Federal environmental rules like NEPA require you to do all sorts of environmental analysis before you build out a big manufacturing plant, for example," she said, referring to the National Environmental Policy Act."And that's a federal rule, so it comes across the whole country no matter where he decides to move his plants," she added.Existing federal laws from the EPA and Department of Interior could be relaxed, Blanchard said."If Trump were in the White House, he would control the EPA, the head of the EPA, and they could also amend those regulations to make the permitting for Clean Water Act requirements easier," she said. "Same is true for the Endangered Species Act right now."Musk didn't respond to a request for comment for this story.Some agencies — called independent agencies — have statutory independence from the executive branch. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which has overseen numerous <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-sec-probe-reason-to-support-trump-2024-6">investigations into Musk and his companies</a> over the years, is one of them. The president can't fire any of the five commissioners who oversee the FEC, and no more than three of them may belong to the same political party.However, the conservative legal movement has waged a long war against the laws granting these agencies independence. And if Trump is president and Republicans control Congress, they could pass laws that give the president more authority over these agencies. The SEC's ongoing investigation into Musk's purchase of Twitter — now X — could go under Trump's control if Republicans get their way, Gerhardt said,"The probe is tied up with the independence of the agency," Gerhardt said. "And one thing that I think is clear is that Trump wants to lead a pushback against independent agencies."Even if a federal agency chooses not to enforce laws and regulations on the books, ordinary people can still bring the government and companies to court to force them to follow the law. Blanchard brought cases against the first Trump administration as the director of Lawyers For Good Government's climate change program to keep the EPA and Interior Department on notice.But that still effectively transfers enforcement power from taxpayer-funded government to less-resourced private citizens."It's going to be up to the individuals to be able to bring those private rights of action if the federal agencies won't enforce their existing laws," Blanchard said.

How Elon Musk could benefit from a second Trump presidency 

<ul><li>India’s telecom regulator, <keyword id="6356988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trai" source="Orion">TRAI</keyword>, has outlined multiple ways to increase broadband usage and coverage across the country.</li><li>TRAI has also increased the <keyword id="3596318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="minimum-broadband-speed" source="Orion">minimum broadband speed</keyword> four-fold to 2 Mbps from 512 Kbps as more people work and study from home.</li><li>It has also recommended the government to consider paying broadband subscribers in rural areas to subscribe to fixed-line broadband services.</li></ul>The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the government to look into the possibility of paying users to subscribe to broadband services, while increasing the minimum broadband speeds in the country to 2 Mbps. The minimum broadband speeds in India have been increased by four times to 2 Mbps from 512 Kbps TRAI, as the post-pandemic scenario pushes more professionals to work from home and students to attend classes online. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Direct benefit transfer to encourage adoption of broadband in rural areas" comment="subhead" text="Direct benefit transfer to encourage adoption of broadband in rural areas">Direct benefit transfer to encourage adoption of broadband in rural areas</cmsannotation> Apart from offering incentives to broadband providers, TRAI has recommended the government to consider using the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to encourage users in rural areas to subscribe to new broadband connections. The suggested plan states that the government should consider reimbursing 50% of the monthly broadband fee, subject to a maximum of ₹200 per month per subscriber. Given that this will be in the form of DBT, users will get the reimbursement directly in their linked bank accounts. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Minimum broadband speed increased four-fold" comment="subhead" text="Minimum broadband speed increased four-fold">Minimum broadband speed increased four-fold</cmsannotation> According to the telecom regulator’s press release, broadband services in India are classified into three categories – Basic, Fast and Super Fast. Speeds in the ‘Basic’ connection range between 2 Mbps to 50 Mbps. A ‘Fast’ connection ranges between 50 Mbps to 300 Mbps, while a ‘Super Fast’ connection is anything above 300 Mbps speed. Until now, the minimum broadband speed was 512 Kbps, an upgrade from the 256 Kbps and 56 Kbps years ago. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Incentivising broadband providers to boost internet speeds" comment="subhead" text="Incentivising broadband providers to boost internet speeds">Incentivising broadband providers to boost internet speeds</cmsannotation> TRAI is also offering incentives to broadband providers to offer the new minimum speed of 2 Mbps. This will be in the form of an exemption from licence fees. At present, broadband providers are charged 8% on their revenue in the form of a licence fee. “Initially, the proposed incentive, i.e., licence fee exemption to the eligible licensees should be allowed for a minimum period of five years. The need for incentives beyond the initial five years may be reviewed in the fifth year keeping in view the policy priorities and technological developments at that point of time,” the regulator said in a statement. To boost broadband adoption universally, TRAI states that licensees (broadband providers) will have to meet subscriber increase targets in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-launched-new-prepaid-plans-with-free-disney-hotstar-mobile-subscription/articleshow/85824111.cms">Jio launches new plans with free Disney+ Hotstar Mobile subscription</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-founder-sunil-mittal-wants-to-increase-mobile-tariffs-by-at-least-33-in-2021/articleshow/85763847.cms">Airtel founder Sunil Mittal says your mobile bills need to increase significantly</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hotstar-disney-mobile-plans-offered-by-airtel-and-reliance-jio/articleshow/85827714.cms">Here are Airtel and Jio's Disney+ Hotstar Mobile plans</a>

TRAI suggests government to pay for half of your broadband bill, increases minimum broadband speed to 2 Mbps

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A growing number of Americans who qualify for government housing assistance aren't getting it. </li><li>Experimental basic income programs and other temporary aid often go towards rent.</li></ul>Low-income Americans are struggling more than ever to afford housing. Homelessness has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/us/politics/homelessness-record-level.html">reached record highs</a>. The US is short an estimated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91000992/housing-market-bank-of-america-4-million-homes-deficit">four million homes</a>. And a growing number of people who are eligible for government housing assistance aren't getting it.But unlike other government benefits like Medicaid and food stamps, housing aid doesn't automatically go to those who need it. Just a fraction of those who qualify actually receive it. Those who've benefited from experimental <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/universal-basic-income-works-red-state-blue-state-2023-10">basic income programs</a> and temporary government assistance — like the expanded child-tax credit and pandemic emergency housing aid — often spend a large chunk of the cash on housing, including rent and utilities.More than half the recipients of a pandemic cash aid program in Washington, DC, called THRIVE East of the River, spent "all or almost all" or "a lot" of the aid on housing, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.urban.org/research/publication/evaluation-thrive-east-river">according to an Urban Institute report</a>. Meanwhile, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/21/how-one-universal-basic-income-experiment-is-helping-the-homeless.html">universal basic income program</a> in San Francisco that gave $500 a month to people experiencing homelessness found that more than a third used the money to secure permanent housing. And across <a target="_blank" href="https://guaranteedincome.us/">31 pilot basic income programs</a>, recipients spent an average of about 9.2% of their payments on housing and utilities.Further, the American Rescue Plan's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-could-get-a-child-tax-credit-2021-3">expanded child-tax credit</a> — which gave parents up to $3,600 per child under six and $3,000 per child ages six to 17 — has helped families stay housed. Parents on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who also received the temporary expanded child tax credit were "more likely to think they would be able to stay in their current housing for the next 30 days; less likely to have been evicted; less likely to have slept in a shelter in the past 30 days," according to <a target="_blank" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/610831a16c95260dbd68934a/t/61f946b1cb0bb75fd2ca03ad/1643726515657/Child-Tax-Credit-Research-Roundup-CPSP-2021.pdf">a December 2021 study</a> by Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Policy.Given the importance of maintaining a secure place to live, it's unsurprising that recipients of basic income and similar cash transfers use a significant portion of it on housing. As Princeton sociologist Matt Desmond put it, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/sunday/the-eviction-economy.html">"the rent eats first</a>.""Rent gets prioritized among other spending, or you risk being homeless," said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.<h2>A new form of housing assistance</h2>While building more housing will help make housing more affordable, real estate developers insist it's the government that has to improve its efforts to house those who can't afford market-rate homes."The biggest issue for all the cities, pretty much, in the world is affordability, but they shouldn't expect that affordability is solved by the private economy," Christian Ulbrich, CEO of the international real estate investment firm JLL, told Business Insider's Matt Turner at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. "That's something the public sector has to solve."The amount that the federal government spends on its housing assistance programs, mainly Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing, is determined by Congress each year. And as rents and home prices have skyrocketed, governmental aid hasn't come close to keeping up.Government housing assistance for the poorest renters has dropped to the lowest levels in 25 years even as the number who need the aid has soared, according to an analysis by Harvard housing experts <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/housing-aid-rent-costs.html">published in The New York Times</a> in December. Almost two-thirds of tenants among the bottom 20% of earners spend more than half of their income on housing.The assistance programs already in existence are going underutilized. Only <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/housing/families-wait-years-for-housing-vouchers-due-to-inadequate-funding">a quarter of those eligible</a> for a housing voucher receive one. And even when someone manages to score a voucher, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/Voucher-Success_Rates.pdf">about 40%</a> aren't able to find an eligible home with a landlord who will take a voucher."Housing support across America is very fractured and variable," said Sean Kline, director of Stanford's Basic Income Lab.This has led researchers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-frm-asst-sec-090523.html">propose piloting a direct cash transfer program for rent</a> as an alternative to housing vouchers. Cash payments for housing, researchers say, have a slew of benefits, and cut the red tape and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/cbs-new-york-investigates-housing-voucher-discrimination-in-new-york-city/">landlord discrimination</a> associated with vouchers.HUD's proposal involves partnering with a philanthropic group, which would give voucher-eligible people cash every month to spend on rent. The cash transfers would be compared to those who receive vouchers in an attempt to determine which method is more successful in getting people into housing.The Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation is already <a target="_blank" href="https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/philadelphias-first-guaranteed-income-program">experimenting with such a program</a>. The city's so-called PHLHousing Plus program, which is being implemented in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, is a guaranteed income program for 300 households who qualify for housing vouchers."The PHLHousing Plus program is really an opportunity to kind of increase, improve the evidence that we have, and really think about how we can offer flexible cash with a bit more dignity and self-determination for those who are receiving the benefit," said Matthew Fowle, a post-doctoral fellow at UPenn's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.housinginitiative.org/">Housing Initiative</a>.But Fowle and other supporters of basic income worry that the stigma around assorted kinds of government benefits will be the most significant obstacle to expanding cash transfer programs."I think that same thing is true, perhaps even more so, with cash — that people think the spending will be on things like cigarettes and alcohol and eating out, which people with a more paternalistic perspective don't like," Fowle said.Kline argued Americans need to start "trusting that families know how to spend money better than any researcher could."Of course, helping low-income people afford the rent is just one part of the solution to the severe shortage of affordable housing. The US also needs to build more homes that the poorest can afford. Fully funding rental assistance programs without simultaneously boosting the housing supply could also be inflationary, pushing already sky-high rents even further up."We should be building housing that's intended for people with lower incomes, to expand the supply, which could help relieve pressure on the market, and not just rely on demand-side subsidies," Herbert said.Matt Turner contributed to this report.

People are using cash transfers like basic income to pay rent, and it shows just how badly a housing-crisis solution is needed

<ul><li>Instead of allowing vaccine makers to charge customers different prices for the same vaccine, the government could offer subsidy for those who need it the most via direct cash transfer.</li><li>Allowing different prices offers an incentive to move the stock of vaccines to the buyers who pay more i.e. private hospitals.</li><li>That may leave a lot of poorer Indians waiting in queues for a long time to get their share of the jabs.</li><li>Even with direct cash transfer, there may be a need to cap prices and to declare hoarding as a criminal act to ensure that the kind of leakage seen in ration shops is not replicated in vaccines as well. </li><li>There are arguments against direct benefit transfer as well. </li></ul>The new prices for COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, has triggered a debate in India. Some argue that the prices are too high for everyone to be able to afford, and some say that it should be free for all and the government should bear the cost. The government already has a lot of expenses piling up as it manages the pandemic, and hence, there are also those who see merit in arguing that those who can pay for the vaccine, must pay for it. However, there is a problem with letting private and for-profit companies charge different prices from different customers. These are the prices fixed by Serum Institute of India (SII) for the Covishield vaccine: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">If the vaccine is sold to… </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price per dose </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Central government </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹150 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State government </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹400 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Private hospitals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹600 </td></tr></tbody></table> India is a developing country with millions of poor people with poor access to, and little money to spare for, healthcare. By allowing vaccine makers to choose the pricing based on who is buying the vaccine, the government may give the producer an incentive to direct more vaccines to the more expensive private hospitals, whereas a majority of the country still depends on state-run facilities. “Pricing should be uniform. Both the central and state governments should pay the same price for the vaccine. The government should also cap the price of the vaccine sold at private hospitals. Even the administrative charges should be capped. Otherwise a family of four may end up paying a lot for vaccination,” Doctor Sanjeev Bagai, Chairman and Managing Director of the New Delhi-based Nephron clinic told Business Insider. “Direct benefit transfer is also an option. And the cost of vaccination should be covered by all insurance companies,” Bagai added. <div type="image" title="Kolkata:Beneficiaries stands in a queue outside a health centre to receive a dos..." msid="82200586" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Beneficiaries stands in a queue outside a health centre to receive a dose of Covid-19 vaccine, amid surge in coronavirus cases, in Kolkata.Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)(&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The case for direct reimbursement for the cost of vaccine One may argue that there are covenants in place to ensure that the company sends an agreed amount of supply to government facilities. However, decades of similar policy experiments have taught us that such agreements are inefficient and provide a fertile ground for corrupt practices. The failure of such mechanisms gave birth to the idea of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). It could be deployed here as well, given that patients coming in for vaccination are already being asked to submit their Aadhaar (unique identity number) details. Vaccine makers should charge the same price from all customers. Those who access it via government agencies, or any other filter as may be applicable, should be allowed to get the subsidy reimbursed to their bank account. This has been effectively used in transferring other subsidies like the ones for cooking gas and fertilisers. The government’s own estimate is that it has saved over ₹1.78 lakh crore ($25 billion) in subsidy leakage because of DBT. The argument against direct benefit transfer There are two arguments here against direct benefit transfer. One from R Ramakumar, Professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, who wants vaccines to be free for all as it is in countries like US, UK and China. The other argument is from Dr Arvind Virmani, an economist and the former Chief Economic Advisor to the government of India, who wants drug prices to be decontrolled totally and do a direct cash transfer on a larger scale and not limit it to vaccines alone. “Supply chain has to be developed. It can’t be done overnight. The data on production and sale of vaccines is transparently available from the producers, for the government, Astrazeneca and others to see. To introduce DBT now, it would mean taking out funding from other budgeted activities like infrastructure construction. Right now, vaccination is working smoothly. Don’t disrupt it,” he told Business Insider. Aside from the fact this may add a bureaucratic layer, Ramakumar’s contention is that by allowing state-run facilities to charge less, and private hospitals to charge more, there is an incentive of corruption in distribution. India already has decades of bad experience. from the public distribution system a.k.a the ration shops, where the subsidised stock is moved out to be sold at a higher price. A cap on prices, and a crackdown on hoarders by making it a criminal act, may be necessary to counter this, even with reimbursement of the vaccine cost via direct transfer to bank accounts. Virmani’s take is that there is a case to be made for both deregulating drug prices, as well as direct cash transfer for a variety of reasons, in India but that can’t be debated in the middle of a pandemic. “All drugs are controlled. We should be discussing decontrol of drugs. That’s not the problem right now. For the last 12 months, I have been saying you can create a direct cash transfer in 4 months. It should still be considered,” he added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/while-covid-19-is-making-millions-gasp-for-breath-in-india-state-administrations-are-trying-to-hoard-oxygen/articleshow/82199390.cms">While COVID-19 is making millions gasp for breath in India, state administrations are trying to hoard oxygen</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/covid-19-lockdowns-and-curfews-affecting-worlds-fourth-largest-automobile-market/articleshow/82195326.cms">There is a virtual lockdown in the world’s fourth largest automobile market</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/revolut-appoints-former-flipkart-exec-paroma-chatterjee-as-its-india-ceo/articleshow/82181199.cms">Revolut starts India operations, appoints former Lendingkart, Flipkart executive Paroma Chatterjee as CEO</a>

If the COVID-19 vaccine prices are too high for some, then why not use direct benefit transfer

<ul><li>The <keyword id="3351117" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ujjwala-scheme">Ujjwala scheme</keyword> which provides free cooking gas connections to poor Indian homes has been a big vote gatherer for Narendra Modi.</li><li>The Indian Prime Minister wants to expand the programme to cover 8 million more households in the first 100 days of his second term.</li><li>So far, 72 million households in India have received free cooking gas connections from the government under the subsidy programme launched 3 years ago.</li></ul>The Ujjwala scheme, which provides free cooking gas connections to poor Indian homes, has been a big vote gatherer for Narendra Modi. The Indian Prime Minister wants to expand the programme to cover 8 million more households in the first 100 days of his second term. The scheme, which targets female members of below poverty line families that used conventional coal as cooking fuel, was launched on May 1, 2016 and has covered 72 million homes. The original target was 80 million, which the government wants to cover in the first 100 days. In addition, another 10-20 million new LPG connections would be given in subsequent months to cover all poor households as part of a Cabinet decision taken late last year, the IANS reported. There are about 5-6% of India's household which still do not have access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking, according to government data. The flip side While this move from the government has been lauded by many as a transformational step, it has also been criticised as just half a step. Poor people may have received a free connection and escaped the deadly pollution from the coal used for cooking earlier, the subsequent refills of LPG cylinders have proven too costly. And that may be the focus in the next phase of this programme-- ensuring that people do get a refill and do not go back to coal. The government is also toying with the idea of providing smaller LPG gas cylinders weighing about five kilogrmas (kg) compared to the current one which is 14.2 kg, according to a news agency. This may bring down the cost of refill as well as the burden on the exchequer if the government decides to cover the cost and transfer the money under the direct benefit transfer scheme. Currently, every LPG cylinder costs anywhere between ₹600 and ₹650 in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. After the subsidy under Ujjwala scheme, the cost comes down to a little less than ₹500 per cylinder. The subsidy is transfered directly to the eligible beneficiaries' bank accounts. The money Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), gas connections are provided to BPL families with a support of ₹1,600 for each connection. The LPG connection is provided in the name of the female member of the family. A sum of ₹8,000 crore was allocated for the scheme to start with but was later expanded to ₹4,800 crore as the target homes increased from 50 million to 80 million. In December, the Union Cabinet also decided to cover all poor households under the scheme that would further increase the number of new connections by 10-20 million. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/indian-railways-will-spend-nearly-a-billion-dollars-to-cut-travel-time-between-delhi-mumbai-and-delhi-howrah-by-5-hours/articleshow/70254817.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Indian Railways will spend nearly a billion dollars to cut travel time between Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah by 5 hours</a>

Narendra Modi aims to offer 8 million more cooking gas connections in the first 100 days of his second term-- and follow it up with smaller cylinders to encourage refills

<ul>
 
<li>As much as ₹600 billion ($9 billion) was spent, this election, according to a report by the Center for Media Studies. </li><li>The money spent in India’s 2019 general election was more than the money spent in a much richer country like US. </li><li>The cost of every vote in India is pegged at ₹700, according to the estimate. </li></ul>The Lok Sabha Poll 2019 is a vicious, vigorous money guzzler--- where candidates fought at ‘any cost’. The Election Commission of India (ECI) confiscated more than twice the amount of cash, gold and liquor they did, last year. But that seems to have had no effect on the amount spent on this costliest election ever, anywhere. According to a report by the Center for Media Studies, as much as ₹600 billion (nearly $9 billion) was spent, this election. Even in a much richer country like the US, the total amount of money spent in the last election in 2016 was relatively lesser at $6.5 billion for congressional and Presidential races combined, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/14/somebody-just-put-a-price-tag-on-the-2016-election-its-a-doozy/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.adcc2dd254d0">campaign watchdog Open </a>Secrets. This amount of money spent on election does more damage than just being a financial burden. “Even though the horrors of money are obvious, why will they legislate in their own self interest till sufficient advocacy on the ground pushes for it?” commented S Y Quraishi, former chief election commissioner (CEC) of India, said in a foreword to the report. Excessive money spent in campaigning is a harbinger of bad governance which will be ridden with vested interests who would want bang for the buck spent on electing a candidate or a government. According to Quraishi, the next election will be no better in terms of being free, fair and transparent, if the rising tide of criminalisation of politics and overarching influence of money in politics isn’t stemmed. Direct ‘Benefit’ Transfer More than two-thirds of India’s legislators are millionaires, many times over. It is hence not surprising that the candidates of this election have dug deep into their pockets. This time, newer and convenient delivery models of election bribing has come to the fore. “For the first time it is confirmed that bank transfer of money on the eve of poll has become a new route to lure voters in the name of one or more scheme,” the report said. As per the estimates, the cost of every vote is pegged at ₹700. One of the examples is the transfer of money to farmers under PM-KISAN, a central government scheme announced in the recent budget. Business Insider found that in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, farmers received the money into their bank accounts less than 48 hours before the polling. While this may be clear in legal terms as the PM-KISAN scheme was rolled out before the the Election Commission's model code of conduct kicked in. However, it cannot be denied that the transfer may have timed to influence the voter's choice in the nick of time. 
 <div type="image" title="InkedWhatsApp Image 2019-06-04 at 21.11.08_LI" msid="69662533" hostid="261"></div>

 Poll candidates have also diversified their offerings to voters. As per the seizures reported by the Election Commission, drugs and narcotics, liquor, gold and silver have made to the list of handouts, along <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-gold-confiscated-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-second-phase/articleshow/68933494.cms">with other freebies</a>. “It is high time that Parliament deliberates on poll expenditure for campaigns, and about election funding, preceded by serious national discussions,” the report said. But, like Quraishi doubted with lawmakers who have spent ‘so much’ to get there, will try to restrict money--- will remain a big question. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebooks-ad-archive-report-50-facebook-ads-by-bjp/articleshow/68304281.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">BJP spends too much on political advertising on Facebook as Congress spends too little — yet again</a>

The world’s costliest election just concluded in India-- and the ‘horrors of money’ are set to get worse

<ul><li>The <keyword id="44011" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="power">power</keyword> sector roughly constitutes 20% of all the bad loans on the balance sheets of Indian banks. </li><li>While the resolution of stressed power assets is an urgent priority, the government is also preparing <keyword id="6447217" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="reforms">reforms</keyword> to ensure the long-term viability of the sector. </li><li>These include the implementation of a <keyword id="6357205" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="direct-benefit-transfer">direct benefit transfer</keyword> scheme for consumer subsidies and the separation of production and distribution operations of power companies. </li></ul>Much has been made of the growing pile of non-performing assets emanating from India’s power sector. A number of power companies such as Jindal India Thermal Power and Lanco Anpara are expected to be referred to insolvency courts following the expiry of a deadline for the resolution of ₹1.7 trillion worth of bad loans from the sector. This is roughly 20% of all the bad loans on the balance sheets of India’s banks. Recognising the problems that are unique to the power sector - like a liquidity crunch and a dearth of power-purchase agreements - and the need to ensure these coal-fuelled projects don’t undergo liquidation, the Indian government is planning to establish <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Industry/H2ttLugifLjwv91QYdnPFM/REC-to-seek-central-banks-nod-for-Pariwartan-ARC.html">an asset reconstruction company</a> (ARC) to resolve stressed power assets. Under its Pariwartan scheme, the state-owned Rural Electrification Corp will set up the ARC to clean up the sector in anticipation of a future revival in demand. Bigger reforms in the works However, the power sector’s problems go well beyond bad loans. While the resolution of bad loans is an urgent priority, the Indian government is also planning to implement a series of reforms to ensure the long-term viability of the sector and its participants. A number of amendments to the Electricity Act of 2003 are in the works. First, the government is looking to establish a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for the targeted distribution of subsidies. The reason power producers and distribution companies are racking up so much debt is because state governments aren’t being able to allocate subsidies to consumers efficiently. A DBT will see the subsidy amount deposited in the bank account of a consumer. Second, the government is also looking to mandate the separation of production and supply operations of power companies, which means that power producers will not supply the electricity they generate. This reduces the complexity of operations and also gives consumers greater choice. Third, it also plans to exempt <keyword id="34553" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy">renewable energy</keyword> producers from licensing requirements in order to encourage thermal power generators to diversify their operations. Finally, payments security protocols are being devised for agreements between producers and distributors to prevent non-payment of dues. The reforms will be a much-needed step. In order to prevent any future pile-up in bad loans, the government needs to improve the supporting <keyword id="17408" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructure">infrastructure</keyword> and legislation for the power sector so that projects are capable of generating revenue.

Indian government is planning a package of reforms for the power sector

<keyword id="2552407" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="The-Central-Board-of-Direct-Taxes">The Central Board of Direct Taxes</keyword> (<keyword id="128665" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CBDT">CBDT</keyword>) has said that now companies can transfer up to 50% of their manpower from existing units to new ones in special economic zones (SEZs) without losing any tax benefits. This follows intense lobbying by the industry. 
 “It has now been decided that the new transfer or re-deployment of technical manpower from existing unit(s) to a new unit located in <keyword id="45393" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="SEZ">SEZ</keyword>, in the first year of commencement of business, shall not be construed as splitting up or reconstruction of an existing business, provided the number of technical manpower so transferred as at the end of the financial year does not exceed 50% of the total technical manpower actually engaged in development of software or IT enabled products in the new unit,” a CBDT circular said. The earlier limit was 20%. 
 
The CBDT increased the limit following intense lobbying by the industry. The industry had been demanding to enhance the limit in line with the recommendations of the Rangachary Committee, which was constituted to review the taxation of the IT sector. 
 
Welcoming the move, Dinesh Kanabar, deputy CEO, KPMG, said, "It is consistent with the stated policy of the government of removing tax aggression because it specifically provides that past assessments will not be reopened."

Companies Allowed To
Transfer Manpower To SEZs Without Compromising On Tax Benefits

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11916124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="paul-constant" source="Orion">Paul Constant</keyword> is a writer at Civic Ventures and the cohost of the "<a href="http://www.pitchforkeconomics.com/">Pitchfork Economics</a>" podcast.</li><li>He spoke with the Roosevelt Institute's Niko Lusiani about proposals in <keyword id="60973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden" source="Orion">Biden</keyword>'s 2023 budget plan.</li><li>Lusiani says the restrictions on stock buybacks and tax increases on the .01% will aid economic growth.</li></ul>In his time in office, President Joe Biden has demonstrated his support for everyday Americans by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/07/biden-union-labor-white-house-organizing">backing labor unions</a>, supporting <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/01/28/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-15-minimum-wage-for-federal-workers-and-contractors-going-into-effect/">a $15 minimum wage</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-gave-over-300000-workers-raise-15-hour-federal-contractors-2021-11">implementing it for federal contractors</a>, and calling for robust investments with his <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/">Bipartisan Infrastructure Law</a>. Most recently, his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/28/us/biden-budget-proposal">2023 budget plan</a> offered several economic proposals that would do even more to reduce income inequality and invest in middle-out economic growth. This week, Niko Lusiani, the director of corporate power at the Roosevelt Institute who leads the progressive think tank's program to analyze corporate behavior, joined <a href="https://pitchforkeconomics.com/episodes/?ordered=desc">the "Pitchfork Economics" podcast</a> to discuss what he considers three of the strongest policies in the 2023 <keyword id="13935664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-budget" source="Orion">Biden Budget</keyword> proposal: a new rule on stock buybacks, more funding for antitrust regulation, and changes to the tax code. <h2>1. Restricting corporate stock buybacks</h2>First, Lusiani praised the budget's call to "tackle the pernicious use of share buybacks," which is when corporations buy back a large amount of stock from investors in order to intentionally elevate stock prices and earnings per share. Stock buybacks reached a high last year, with companies spending <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/business/dealbook/biden-stock-buybacks.html">a record $882 billion </a>to repurchase shares from investors. Instead of companies putting profits back into their business by raising wages, expanding benefits, hiring more workers, or making other investments in their workforce, stock buybacks <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/outlawing-stock-buybacks-to-protect-workers-power-opinion-2022-4">transfer profits away</a> from workers and benefit only a small class of investors. And the C-suite executives that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-report-compares-corporate-profits-worker-wages-during-covid-2022-4">approve the buybacks</a> are often incentivized to burn cash on buybacks because they're paid based on earnings per share and other stock-related metrics.Under President Biden's proposed budget plan, corporate executives would be required to hold onto their stock for three years after a buyback, which "<keyword id="11916123" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pitchfork-economics" source="Orion">Pitchfork Economics</keyword>" host Nick Hanauer said would have a cooling effect on stock buybacks by ensuring that CEOs wouldn't be able to extract short-term profits at the expense of their companies.This isn't the first time the Biden administration has made a pass at limiting corporate stock buybacks: The ill-fated Build Back Better Act included <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/19/business/biden-tax-buyback-stock.html">a 1% tax on buyback profits</a>.<h2>2. Investing in antitrust agencies to break up monopoly power</h2>Second, Lusiani praised the Biden budget's extra $227 million in funding to <a href="https://qz.com/2147910/biden-proposed-a-big-funding-increase-for-us-antitrust-enforcers/">the antitrust divisions of the DOJ and the FTC</a> to break up <keyword id="12320127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="monopolies" source="Orion">monopolies</keyword>. The monopolization of American firms in monolithic corporations has helped create what President Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/09/remarks-by-president-biden-at-signing-of-an-executive-order-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy/">called</a> "capitalism without competition" — which in turns means a labor market without competition that would incentivize companies to attract and retain employees by offering higher wages, better benefits, more flexible workloads, and other worker protections and benefits. But antitrust lawsuits are expensive, in part because large corporations can afford pricey legal teams and long, expensive court battles, which discourages pursuit from agencies like the DOJ and FTC. "Those agencies are incredibly understaffed, and we need to build them up to be able to take on corporate power," Lusiani said.<h2>3. Raising <keyword id="11898253" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taxes" source="Orion">taxes</keyword> on the top .01%</h2>Third, and perhaps the most transformative feature of the new budget, Lusiani said, is Biden's proposed changes to the tax code that, per the administration's slogan, promises to "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2022/03/28/presidents-budget-rewards-work-not-wealth-with-new-billionaire-minimum-income-tax/">Reward work, not wealth.</a>" President Biden's budget proposes a 20% tax on both the income and capital gains profits of the top .01% — including on profits earned through unrealized appreciation, which is how many of the uber-rich build their wealth. Centi-millionaires and billionaires don't get biweekly paychecks the way most Americans do. Their wealth is in unrealized assets, which are stocks or other commodities that haven't yet been sold for cash, and instead of selling those assets, they borrow against the unrealized gains — profits that haven't yet been cashed out by selling the underlying asset — at low interest rates whenever they need cash, which allows their income to grow even while they're spending it. "So if you're [Mark] Zuckerberg and Facebook stock jumps 20%, you're going to pay the existing capital gains tax on that unrealized gain — even if you didn't sell the stock," Lusiani said.For too long, Lusiani said, the tax code hasn't reflected the reality of how wealthy people amass and store their wealth, which is why <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/23/americas-richest-400-families-pay-a-lower-tax-rate-than-average-taxpayer.html">the wealthiest 400 American families pay a lower tax rate than the average taxpayer</a>. Balancing the federal tax code to ensure that the super-rich and wealthy corporations pay more in taxes is a fundamental piece of creating a more prosperous <keyword id="11893570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy" source="Orion">economy</keyword> for everyone. It would also help fund programs — like the <a href="https://basicincometoday.com/poll-parents-who-have-received-the-expanded-child-tax-credit-strongly-support-permanent-extension-including-73-of-trump-voters/">incredibly popular</a> Child Tax Credit that Congress let expire — that deliver broad-based benefits to a majority of Americans and lead to economic growth from the middle out.Despite the positive impact these proposals could have — and even though <a href="https://americansfortaxfairness.org/wp-content/uploads/Toplines-ALG-HART-ATF-Tax-Poll-May-2021-for-release.pdf">taxes on the wealthy poll exceptionally well</a> — due to a hairline majority of Democrats in the Senate, Biden's budget will likely not be approved by Congress this year. Still, federal budgets are directional documents that signal the future of policy and lawmaking. By overtly calling out the ways that America's wealthiest people amass and protect their fortunes, and by centering the American middle class in <keyword id="12476199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="economic-policy" source="Orion">economic policy</keyword>, Biden is potentially shifting the economic focus of Democratic politicians for years to come.

3 policies in Biden's 2023 budget proposal that will restrict corporate power and benefit workers

<ul><li><keyword id="6357961" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="odisha">Odisha</keyword> has unveiled its own unconditional direct benefit transfer (<keyword id="281010" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DBT">DBT</keyword>) scheme that will give all of its state farmers ₹20,000 a year. </li><li>The launch of <keyword id="272930" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kalia">KALIA</keyword> preempts a likely budget announcement by <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> administration, which is planning a similar nationwide scheme. </li><li>The first phase of the programme will see transfers of ₹5,000 each to as many as 1.25 million beneficiaries.</li></ul>The state government of Odisha unveiled its own direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme that will give all of its state farmers-- without any sort of filter-- ₹20,000 a year. The announcement from chief minister Naveen Patnaik preempts a likely budget announcement by Modi administration, which is said to be planning a similar DBT scheme of its own in the run-up to national <keyword id="6355644" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="elections">elections</keyword>. 
 <div type="image" title="Kalia Ad" msid="67720045" hostid="261"></div>



 Handouts under the KALIA scheme, which stands for Krushak Assistance for Livelihood Income Augmentation, have commenced in <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/patnaik-distributes-benefits-to-farmer-under-kalia-scheme-119012700465_1.html">Ganjam</a>, the home constituency of Naveen Patnaik - the chief minister of Odisha. <keyword id="37885" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cash">Cash</keyword> is being transferred electronically to eligible farmers through their bank accounts to enable investment in the rabi cropping season. Around 92% of the state’s farmers - from sharecroppers to large-holding farmers - are eligible, according to the state government. While the scheme is unconditional, which means a beneficiary’s land holdings has no bearing on his/her eligibility, landless households will be given special privileges under the programme such as payments of ₹12,500 for poultry farming and goat rearing, for instance. Electronic transfers would mean that only farmers with bank accounts -- or those with access to any other formal institutions -- will enjoy the benefit of the cash transfer scheme. The proportion of households where at least one member was reported to have saved any money with a formal institution in the state of Odisha <a href="https://www.nabard.org/auth/writereaddata/tender/1608180417NABARD-Repo-16_Web_P.pdf">was 71% in 2016-17</a>, according to a survey by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The national average was 48% at the time. The first phase of the programme will see transfers of ₹5,000 each to as many as 1.25 million beneficiaries. They will receive handouts twice a year - during the rabi and kharif seasons - in addition to a ₹10,000 payment upfront. They will also receive insurance support and access to interest-free loans. In an SBI report, S K Ghosh, the bank’s chief economic advisor, also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-largest-bank-bats-or-the-governments-proposed-cash-handouts-to-farmers-but-says-they-must-be-unconditional/articleshow/67652841.cms">recommended an unconditional transfer programme</a>, at least in the short term. A majority of India’s rural population does not own land. Even for those who own land, many states have not digitised land records fully. All of this makes the categorisation of farmers based on the size of their land holdings extremely difficult. And Odisha’s scheme is not the first. Telangana operates its Rythu Bandhu scheme, under which the state government provides smallholder farmers a handout of ₹4,000 per acre on an annual basis for investment in two crops. However, KALIA stands out because it is unconditional and therefore, will reach more farmers and yield better results politically. If the Modi government does plan to unveil direct cash transfers at the national level on friday, he has two designs to choose from and one of them is more politically savvy than the other. Overall, Odisha’s move is well-timed. State elections for Odisha happen alongside national elections. The incumbent government, which is led by the Biju Janata Dal, has criticised the BJP and Congress’s promises for loan waivers in the state. By kicking off direct cash transfers, Patnaik has not only given himself a head start, he has also stolen at least part of the thunder that from his political rivals. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/interest-free-loans-and-income-support-the-upcoming-budget-may-be-a-song-for-indias-farmers/articleshow/67538156.cms">Interest-free loans and income support— the upcoming Budget may be a song for India’s farmers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-largest-bank-bats-or-the-governments-proposed-cash-handouts-to-farmers-but-says-they-must-be-unconditional/articleshow/67652841.cms">India’s largest bank bats for the government’s proposed cash handouts to farmers but says they must be unconditional</a>

Here’s what Modi government can learn from Odisha’s direct cash transfer scheme

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden's third wave of executive actions will provide aid to Americans struggling financially.</li><li>Addressing the hunger crisis, increasing <keyword id="24754" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="snap">SNAP</keyword> benefits, and ensuring quick delivery of <keyword id="45304" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stimulus">stimulus</keyword> payments are core components of Biden's relief plan.</li><li>Biden also plans on encouraging government agencies to raise the minimum hourly wage to $15.</li></ul>President <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> signed an executive action on Friday to address the financial struggles facing millions of Americans as the pandemic continues."We need more action and we need to move fast," Biden said during a signing ceremony on Friday.While Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package is centered on providing aid, executives orders will allow for immediate action without having to wait for congressional approval, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-plans-push-faster-stimulus-check-rollout-increase-food-stamps-2021-1">Insider previously reported</a>. The move underscores the <keyword id="10092361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden-administration">Biden administration</keyword>'s intent to move rapidly to address the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.The Biden administration is also kick-starting relief talks with Congress this weekend, attempting to garner bipartisan support for a large rescue package that's already running into strong Republican opposition.Here's a detailed breakdown of what the executive action includes and how it will provide economic relief for businesses, families, and individuals:<h2>Address the growing hunger crisis facing children and adults in America</h2>According to the <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-recessions-effects-on-food-housing-and">Center on Budget and Policy Priorities</a>, one in seven households in the country is struggling to obtain the food they need. Biden is calling on Congress to extend the 15% Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit increase and invest $3 billion to help women, infants, and children get the food they require.<h2>Increase access to nutritious foods for children missing meals during school closures</h2>The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer connects low-income families with children with the equivalent amount of money spent on school meals. Biden is asking the Department of Agriculture to increase the benefits by about 15% to accurately reflect the cost of missed meals during the pandemic.<h2>Allow larger emergency SNAP allotments for lowest-income households</h2>Congress has previously authorized emergency SNAP benefits, but those benefits have not been made available to the lowest-income households in the country. The USDA will consider extending those benefits to the households that need them the most, increasing benefit access to an additional <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2020/07/28/488085/12-million-people-excluded-emergency-increases-snap-benefits/">12 million</a> people.<h2>Update the true cost of a healthy diet</h2>The USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, which determines SNAP benefits, is not up to date with the economic realities households face when attempting to buy healthy food, so the benefits fall short of what a healthy diet truly costs. Biden will request that the USDA review the Thrifty Food Plan to better reflect the modern cost of a healthy diet.<h2>Ensure efficient delivery of direct stimulus payments</h2>With many Americans experiencing challenges receiving the first round of <keyword id="1894174" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="direct-payments">direct payments</keyword> - 8 million eligible households never received the checks - Biden plans to provide equitable delivery of his proposed $1,400 <keyword id="9071639" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stimulus-checks">stimulus checks</keyword> by asking the Treasury Department to improve delivery of the payments. This can be done through a series of measures, including establishing online tools for claiming payments, working to make sure everyone can access the payments, and analyzing unserved households for additional outreach efforts.<h2>Guarantee safety and economic coverage for working families</h2><a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/269003/households-report-preexisting-conditions.aspx">Forty-three percent of American households</a> in a Gallup poll reported having at least one member of a family with a preexisting condition, which makes going into work a significant health risk. Biden will ask the Department of Labor to clarify that workers have a federally guaranteed right to refuse employment that could jeopardize their health, and that if they choose to do so, they will still qualify for unemployment insurance.<h2>Help families, workers, and small businesses access relief quickly through coordinated benefit-delivery teams</h2>While many government programs have provided support for families struggling financially, many people and small businesses have encountered difficulty in navigating relief services, leaving many benefits unclaimed. As a result, Biden plans on establishing benefit-delivery teams and a coordination structure across federal and state programs to provide greater ease in accessing urgent relief.<h2>Protect and empower federal workers and contractors</h2>Biden will direct his administration on Friday to begin the work that will allow him to issue an executive order in his first 100 days to require federal contractors to pay workers a $15 minimum wage, along with providing emergency paid leave to workers.To further protect federal employees, Biden will sign an executive order that:<ul><li>Restores collective bargaining powers and worker protections.</li><li>Eliminates <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-f-form-1040">Schedule F</a>, which threatens critical protections of career employees and allows for civil-service positions for political appointees.</li><li>Promotes a $15 minimum wage for all federal workers.</li></ul>

Biden just signed an executive order to expand food stamps and send stimulus checks to people who haven't already received one

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11893181" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword> doesn't let you pay with <keyword id="11928905" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="paypal" source="Orion">PayPal</keyword> when making purchases. </li><li>However, you can use the PayPal Cash Card or PayPal Key to make purchases on Amazon. </li><li>You can also use PayPal to buy an Amazon gift card, and then make purchases on Amazon. </li></ul>In the world of <keyword id="11898814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="online-shopping" source="Orion">online shopping</keyword>, Amazon and PayPal are widely used. However, if you've tried to use your PayPal balance to purchase something on Amazon, you'll already know that PayPal is not an accepted payment method. Of course, you can transfer your PayPal balance to your bank account to use those funds however you please, but if you're set on using it to buy things on Amazon, there are some workarounds to make it happen.<h2>Can you use PayPal on Amazon?</h2>Amazon doesn't let you pay with PayPal directly, but you can use the PayPal Cash Card or PayPal Key to make purchases. You can also use PayPal to buy Amazon gift cards. Here's how to do it all. <h3>Pay with the PayPal Cash Card</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-activate-paypal-cash-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PayPal Cash Card</a> is a debit card that draws funds from your PayPal account, and it works anywhere (online and physical stores) that accepts Mastercard payments (like Amazon). Since it's a debit card, not a credit card, you need to have a balance on your PayPal account to use a PayPal Cash Card.To apply for a PayPal Cash Card, simply <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/money-management/paypal-debit-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go to this link</a>, log in to your PayPal account, and follow the on-screen prompts. While there isn't a credit check involved in the application process, note that <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/myaccount/bundle/fees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PayPal charges fees</a> for adding money to your account.<div type="image" title="Screenshot of the PayPal Cash Card landing page" height="1692" width="2500" msid="87031991" hostid="261"></div>Once approved for a PayPal Cash Card, you can use it as a payment method on Amazon the way you would with any other credit or debit card.<h3>Use PayPal Key</h3><a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/what-is-paypal-key-and-where-can-i-use-it-faq4240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PayPal Key</a> is a virtual card that gives you access to your PayPal account when shopping online from vendors that accept Mastercard. It's similar to the PayPal Cash Card with the key difference being that there's no physical card; just a card number, expiration date, and security code. Essentially, it's a virtual card number that lets you use your PayPal balance with online merchants that don't directly accept PayPal as a payment method.To apply for PayPal Key, log in to your <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/signin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PayPal account</a> and look for the PayPal Key option. Since this is a new product, it's not currently available to everyone just yet.<div type="image" title="Screenshot of a PayPal account summary page" height="1692" width="2500" msid="87031993" hostid="261"></div>Once approved for PayPal Key, you can use it to buy things on Amazon as if it were any other credit or debit card.<h3>Buy Amazon gift cards</h3>One of the easiest ways to use PayPal to buy from Amazon is to purchase Amazon gift cards with your PayPal account. You can buy an Amazon gift card from a site like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.egifter.com%2F%3Fsscid%3Da1k5_5io5n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eGifter.com</a> using a PayPal balance and then use that gift card to shop normally on Amazon.Just be sure you verify that the site from which you're buying a gift card is safe and secure.Quick tip: For more places to buy an Amazon gift card, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-to-buy-amazon-gift-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see our article here</a>. <h2>Why doesn't Amazon accept PayPal directly?</h2>There are two major reasons that Amazon does not work with PayPal. First, historically PayPal was a part of eBay, one of Amazon's direct competitors. From 2002 to 2015, PayPal and eBay were linked together. PayPal has since split into an independent brand, but their partnership with eBay remains strong.Second, PayPal is a direct competitor to Amazon's own payment service, the rather bluntly named <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?asin&amp;platform=browser&amp;postSource=bi%7C5c5c7708d7ab671e207a241e&amp;postTag=biauto-41219-20&amp;sc=false&amp;type=AMAZON-AFFILIATE-LINK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fpay.amazon.com%2Fuk%2Fhelp%2F201754640%3Ftag%3Dbiauto-41219-20&amp;sessionid=1633537248132&amp;tag=bisafetynet2-2037248132&amp;tag=bisafetynet2-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Pay</a>. Just as with PayPal, Amazon Pay is accepted by numerous third-party retailers, letting you use Amazon payment methods beyond the immediate orbit of Amazon itself.<a data-type="5d03fdf36fc9200c54692055">What is Amazon Prime? The benefits of Amazon's popular membership program, and whether it's worth the cost</a><a data-type="5f04c6d24dca68521b6f7802">How to cancel your Amazon Prime Video subscription through Amazon's website</a><a data-type="5dc1a0473afd3744d604ce24">How to set up a PayPal account and link a bank account or credit card</a>

You Searched For "Direct Benefit Transfer" and got 12 results

How Elon Musk could benefit from a second Trump presidency

Jacob Shamsian

TRAI suggests government to pay for half of your broadband bill, increases minimum broadband speed to 2 Mbps

Rounak Jain

People are using cash transfers like basic income to pay rent, and it shows just how badly a housing-crisis solution is needed

Eliza Relman

If the COVID-19 vaccine prices are too high for some, then why not use direct benefit transfer

Sriram Iyer

Narendra Modi aims to offer 8 million more cooking gas connections in the first 100 days of his second term-- and follow it up with smaller cylinders to encourage refills

Sriram Iyer

The world’s costliest election just concluded in India-- and the ‘horrors of money’ are set to get worse

Katya Naidu

Indian government is planning a package of reforms for the power sector

Dilsher Dhillon

Companies Allowed To Transfer Manpower To SEZs Without Compromising On Tax Benefits

BI India Bureau

3 policies in Biden's 2023 budget proposal that will restrict corporate power and benefit workers

Paul Constant

Here’s what Modi government can learn from Odisha’s direct cash transfer scheme

Dilsher Dhillon

Biden just signed an executive order to expand food stamps and send stimulus checks to people who haven't already received one

Ayelet Sheffey,Joseph Zeballo…

Can you use PayPal on Amazon? Not directly, but there are a few workarounds

Abigail Abesamis Demarest,Ste…

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides