The COVID relief plan that sent billions of dollars from Washington to states went into effect months ago. Michigan has spent only a fraction of those recovery dollars.

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners aims to ensure equitable futures for Washtenaw County residents with new plan.

County officials are urging anyone struggling to pay rent to apply for CERA benefits.

Elected officials in a conservative Michigan county who gave themselves bonuses of $65,000 with federal COVID-19 relief aid say they will return the money following days of criticism.

Billions of dollars on a deadline can change a freezeout in a hurry.

Michigan residents receiving food assistance will get additional benefits in June thanks to federal COVID funding.

As Michigan slowly reopens, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rolled out a plan to use the Federal COVID Relief funding.

Many small businesses are eligible for thousands of dollars in money from the federal government.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed at least $2 billion in COVID-19 relief spending. READ: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs $2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief fundingThe veto was the latest in a dispute between the GOP-led Legislature and the Democratic governor over her response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer vetoed legislation that would have ceded the state health department’s power to close schools and prohibit sports to local health departments.

Gretchen Whitmer has signed off on at least $2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funding. Whitmer’s administration wants to get the remaining $2 billion in federal funding appropriated. Whitmer also proposed fully allocating $2.7 billion to help residents feed their families. “Rather than these political games, we need to focus instead on how to best help businesses and individuals most impacted by the pandemic. The state has seen its COVID-19 numbers plateau over the past week after they declined steadily throughout the winter.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has billions of dollars in federal COVID relief to spend. The GOP Legislature has made a series of bills spending it, but a large piece of that $4.2 billion comes with strings attached. READ: Michigan Legislature nears passing $4.2B in virus aid without deal$2 billion goes to education, which means an additional $450 per student, as well as millions more for summer school and student health. About $840 million is tied to moving the power from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to local health departments when making decisions when it comes to in-person education and high school sports. Another $2.3 billion would give millions in aid to businesses, renters, hazard pay for care workers and more, but it ties $347 million for COVID testing to limiting the amount of time the health department restrictions can stay in place to 28 days.

The version sent to the Senate won’t include a plan to raise the minimum wage. “When it comes to the minimum wage, I am going to be one of the loudest screamers about it,” Dingell said Feb. 7. “There will be a lot of discussions about minimum wage and you may see it being moved as a separate bill,” Dingell said. The last time the federal minimum wage was raised was July 24, 2009. It is currently the longest period the U.S. has gone without raising the federal minimum wage since it was instituted in 1938.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Democrats are pressuring state Republicans to vote to release more than $5 billion in COVID relief, chastising them for holding the funds. “Republicans need to stop holding these federal stimulus dollars hostage. This is not a partisan issue, these dollars should be at work here in Michigan right now,” said Michigan House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski. READ: Michigan Republicans unveil $2B COVID relief plan for residents struggling due to shutdownsRepublicans have held funding, hoping to get Gov. In a statement, a spokesperson for Michigan House Speaker Jason Wentworth said, “Our plan addresses all needs...

(Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)LANSING, Mich. – The state of Michigan announced Wednesday that $52.5 million will be given to nearly 6,000 small businesses across the state that have been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will come from the Michigan Small Business Survival Grant program, Gov. “The Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program provides crucial support to Michigan’s small businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Whitmer said. “These grants, combined with additional business relief efforts offered by the MEDC, will create a strong foundation for Michigan’s long-term economic recovery.”The Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program allocated $55 million to provide support to Michigan small businesses hurt most by COVID-19 safety orders. Was not a live music and entertainment venue eligible for the Michigan Stage Survival grant program.

DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan returned to Michigan Friday evening after a meeting with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. “I’ve been to the White House several times, but this was the first time I’ve ever had a meeting in the Oval Office and that was very special,” Duggan said. The meeting with Biden and Harris also included a bipartisan group of mayors and governors. READ: Detroit Mayor Duggan meets with Biden administration to discuss COVID reliefREAD: 2 cases of COVID-19 B117 variant confirmed in Detroit, mayor saysAd“All of us have people who are out of work, who are afraid that they are going to be evicted when the courts open up, who need housing assistance. He’s very proud in the role he had in helping Detroit come out of bankruptcy when he was vice president and he’s still very much committed to our city,” Duggan said.

DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan joined leaders across to country Friday morning to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. It was a part of a group to discuss the American Rescue Plan, a nearly $2 trillion economic stimulus plan, and what is needed to help get the economy roaring again. The American Rescue Plan includes $20 billion for vaccinations and $50 billion dedicated for testing and reopening schools. “They’re worried as the landlord tenant courts open up they may be facing eviction and have no place else to go,” Duggan said. The hope in Washington is to have the bill passed and the money rolling by March.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan joined leaders across to country Friday morning to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. It was a part of a group to discuss the American Rescue Plan, a nearly $2 trillion economic stimulus plan. The hope is that Congress can get something finished in March, but there is a lot to do. AdIn addition to expediting vaccine supply, Biden said he aims to help states with unemployment benefits and reopening schools. The White House will be holding a press conference to cover the meeting at 1:30 p.m.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking state Legislature for $5.5 billion to battle COVID. In a statement, the office said “There is $40 million in the pipeline for release to local public health departments. Local health departments may need to take some actions to accept the funding, but money should be very close to being released.”AdHowever, Frederick said that that is not enough. Whitmer proposes $67 billion state budget that prioritizes pandemic recoveryREAD: Michigan Gov.

DETROIT – Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic. Read: Biden to reopen ‘Obamacare’ markets for COVID-19 reliefYet there are many questions and also concerns about what coverage will be available and at what cost to the user and taxpayers. The Dearborn-based social services organization works to help people navigate the health care changes coming. This will allow those who have lost their insurance due to the pandemic to sign up for coverage. “For President Biden, this is personal,” reads a statement from a White House spokesperson.

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 file photo, President-elect Joe Biden speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., to announce key administration posts. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden should bring fundamental change to U.S. policy on human rights and allow criminal investigations of President Donald Trump, the head of Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)President-elect Joe Biden announced a $1.9 trillion economic plan to help stem the virus and provide financial assistance to individuals, businesses and state and local governments during a live event Thursday. Learn more about the economic plan here. Once inaugurated on Jan. 20, Biden has promised to support a new economic plan that would deliver larger stimulus checks and financial relief to individuals and businesses struggling amid the pandemic’s economic fallout.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said getting $2,000 relief checks for Americans will be a priority for the new Senate in 2021. “One of the first things that I want to do when our new Senators are seated is deliver $2,000 checks to the American families,” he said Wednesday. “Senate Democrats know Americans are hurting. And we have two new Senators coming to help.”NEW: Senate Minority Leader Schumer:"One of the first things that I want to do ... is deliver the $2,000 checks to the American families." Trump had pressured lawmakers to approve $2,000 checks.

The additional $300 weekly unemployment payments for residents who qualify for COVID-19 relief will be delayed in Michigan, officials said. Congress passed a COVID-19 relief package that extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation federal unemployment programs. “This federal extension will bring much needed relief to nearly 700,000 Michigan workers who are currently receiving benefits under the PUA and PEUC programs,” said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency. “We will have to make updates to our systems to extend benefits and renew the FPUC $300 supplemental payments,” the release says. Year-end tax statements for anyone who received unemployment benefits in 2020 will be available online in mid-January.

Vaccines, testing, health providers ($69 billion)Delivers more than $30 billion for procurement of vaccines and treatments, distribution funds for states, and a strategic stockpile. Adds $22 billion for testing, tracing and mitigation, $9 billion for health care providers, and $4.5 billion for mental health. Postal Service ($10 billion)Forgives a $10 billion loan to the Postal Service provided in earlier relief legislation. The measure also provides President Donald Trump with a last, $1.4 billion installment for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Business meals would be 100% deductible through 2022 and out-of-pocket health care costs would be deductible after they reach 7.5% of income.

Gretchen Whitmer wants state legislators to approve a $100 million COVID-19 relief plan when they return to session during December. Coronavirus in MichiganThe number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 341,941 as of Friday, including 8,933 deaths, state officials report. Officials said 108 of the deaths reported Friday were identified during a Vital Records review and did not actually occur on Friday. READ: 97 takeaways from epidemiologist’s deep-dive into Michigan COVID-19 spread, deaths, future outlookNew COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Michigan. VIEW TREND: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 hospitalization data trendsMichigan’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 6,925 on Tuesday, near the highest it has ever been.

The leaders of Michigan’s House and Senate met with President Donald Trump Friday. We have since sent the same correspondence to congressional leaders.”They made sure to ask for further federal dollars to deal with the impact of COVID-19. Currently, it’s hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money that is back filling the state budget. Both leaders also addressed the vote certification process. Several legal experts and local leaders say the state’s certification of votes is simply the next step in the process and should carry on normally, despite drama over the certification process in Wayne County this week.