Hopes for Quick Coronavirus Stimulus Deal Break Down

Hopes for a quick bipartisan deal on a massive stimulus package quickly unraveled on Sunday as lawmakers remain deadlocked on several key provisions.

A meeting between the four congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to break the stalemate as Democrats voiced concern that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is trying to jam them with a bill they have not signed off on.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said as he left the meeting that they did not have a deal.

“We continue to talk,” he said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said after the meeting that House Democrats would offer their own stimulus package that she hoped would be “compatible” with the Senate’s package.

“I don’t know about Monday but we’re still talking,” Pelosi told reporters, referring to the preferred GOP timeline for passing a bill.

The impasse comes as the Senate will hold a first procedural vote at 3 p.m., where bipartisan support will be needed to move forward.

Democrats will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss their strategy. McConnell has given no indication that he will delay the vote, potentially forcing Democrats to either move forward with the GOP leader’s plan or block the bill from advancing. Schumer did not say as he left the meeting if Democrats would allow the bill to move forward.

McConnell told reporters after the meeting that he would move forward as planned with the scheduled 3 p.m. procedural vote, and still wants to pass a stimulus package on Monday. He described the talks as "very close," but acknowledged that people were still "elbowing and maneuvering for room."

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Pennsylvania Police to Enforce Business Closures

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) plan to enforce the closures of non-life-sustaining businesses that were ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf (D) in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, the agency said Sunday.

PSP Commissioner Col. Robert Evanchick said in a release that the state police, along with other state officials, will ensure Wolf’s order is followed. Wolf said Thursday that all businesses had to close amid the pandemic, except for “life-sustaining” businesses like grocery stores, gas stations, farms and transit systems.

Evanchick said in the release that violations of Wolf’s order could lead to fines, jail time or “additional administrative penalties.” 

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Pelosi says House will draft its own coronavirus funding bill

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Sunday that House Democrats would draft their own coronavirus stimulus bill after all sides failed to reach a deal on a massive proposal being negotiated in the Senate.

“We’ll be introducing our own bill and hopefully it will be compatible with what they discuss on the Senate side,” Pelosi said as she left a short meeting in the Capitol with the leaders of both parties negotiating the stimulus package.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has scheduled a procedural vote for 3 p.m. on Sunday to jumpstart the process, and has vowed a second vote on the massive proposal Monday.

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Coronavirus cases top 300,000 worldwide

What you need to know

• The global outlook: More than 300,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus and at least 12,944 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

• Threat of severe economic downturn: A global recession is looming as businesses down tools and send workers home to stop the spread of the virus.

• US death toll rises: More than 323 people have died from the virus in the United States.

• Have a question or a story about coronavirus? Share it here.

Scam Watch: André Pittmon aka Honore’ Scams Radio Station with Chargeback Fraud

Honore' is an artist that receintly contacted a radio network's programming department to advertise the above single. Cutting straight to the point, Honore' made our SCAM WATCH list because he disputed payments with his bank after his campaign was over. What honorable and respected grown man tries to get promotion for FREE. Proceeds from the campaign he disputed were to go to a non profit that was designed help the youth.

There’s Nothing Friendly About Chargeback Fraud

"Fraud" is one of the most common reasons cardholders cite when filing a chargeback. But under the wide umbrella of true fraud hides a more sinister form of deceit: chargeback fraud.

Charge-back Fraud is when cardholders dispute a transaction with the bank instead of contacting the merchant for a refund. Sometimes called friendly fraud, it involves actual consumers abusing the chargeback process to secure a refund.

Despite the wide range of excuses people may use, there is an increasing likelihood that these sorts of claims are false and the intent dishonest. Why would a customer misrepresent a transaction? There are multiple potential reasons, including:

Reasons a customer would misrepresent a transaction:

- The cardholder’s actual intention was to get something free.
- The cardholder simply did not understand the process.
- The cardholder experienced buyer’s remorse, regretting the purchase but not wanting to confront the merchant.
- A family member made the purchase, but the primary cardholder either didn't know or simply didn’t want to honor the charges.
- The cardholder didn’t recognize the charge or forgot about making the purchase.
- The cardholder didn’t qualify for a traditional refund (for example, the time limit had passed).

Obviously, a certain number of claims filed will be legitimate, caused by merchant errors or criminal fraud. But the percentage of fraudulent chargebacks is growing exponentially each year.