States Plead for More Federal Help as Virus Outbreak Worsens

States in the U.S. are renewing their push for more federal money to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak and to help them distribute a vaccine when one becomes widely available sometime in 2021.

They are facing renewed restrictions on businesses, the end of unemployment benefits for those tossed out of work by the pandemic and overloaded hospitals.

Between now and June 2022, state and local governments could be facing a shortfall or $400 billion or more by some estimates. But help is not expected anytime soon from a divided and lame-duck Congress.