Horizon Forbidden West went the extra mile to honor late Guerrilla Games lead producer Patrick Munnik with a special in-game memorial.

In Horizon Forbidden West, between Legacy’s Landfall and Thornmarsh, is a small island that can be reached by a series of sandbars. Scanning the island with Aloy’s focus reveals no loot to be found or machines to be hunted. It stands out from the rest of Forbidden West’s map, hiding an Easter egg that will only be revealed when Aloy steps on its shores.

Right away there is a sense that something about this island is special. No achievements or objectives are hiding there, only a fond memorial to a departed friend. This beautiful Easter egg was included to honor the late Patrick Munnik, the lead producer at Guerrilla Games until his death in 2019.

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Munnik started working for Guerrilla Games in 2011 and was the producer behind Killzone: Shadowfall and Horizon Zero Dawn. At only 44 years old, he made his mark on the gaming industry before his sudden passing. 2013’s Killzone was a PlayStation 4 launch title and 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn was massively successful, selling over 20 million copies and receiving critical acclaim.

It is with great shock and sadness we inform you that our lead producer Patrick Munnik is no longer with us. We are eternally grateful to have had our greatly valued and much loved Patrick on our team. pic.twitter.com/IpeNvSMmht

— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) June 13, 2019

While Guerrilla included a dedication to Munnik in Horizon Forbidden West’s ending credits, it also went the extra mile to honor his memory with an in-game location. Following a path lined by candles brings Aloy to a scenic view of the ruins of San Francisco. As Aloy sits on a woven mat, the camera pulls out to a cinematic angle.

A chorus of Utaru singers rises in the background as Aloy reads a note left at the site: “Here, we remember our friend, with a view as calming as his voice, on stone as strong as his spirit. He was not just our rock , he was our oak, sturdy and stoic, whose presence brought us comfort and whose branches touched us all. Rest in peace.” Additionally, Aloy makes comments about how the memorial “must be for a beloved friend” who “sounds like he’s truly missed.” It’s evident from this tribute that Munnik meant a great deal to the team at Guerrilla Games.

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While the note doesn’t mention a specific name, the language used indicates that it was written by a member of the Utaru tribe. The Utaru frequently use metaphors involving plants in their speech, and the note compares the departed to an oak. This is an interesting choice given the tribe’s philosophy and rituals surrounding life and death. Every Utaru has a seed pouch that they carry with them their entire lives, collecting seeds that are then planted upon their passing. This practice is symbolic of their belief in the cycle of life and death.

To the Utaru, death is natural and necessary, laying a foundation for new life to grow. The plants that grow from seed pouches of the fallen are looked after and treasured by their loved ones. To the Utaru, returning to the Earth and becoming part of that new cycle of life is sacred; from death comes new life. It seems only appropriate that the voices of the Utaru should be used to honor the departed Munnik, giving him an uplifting memorial that celebrates his life and the impact he left on those we worked with.

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About The Author

Taylor Piscitello
(10 Articles Published)

Taylor Piscitello is a life-long gamer with an extensive knowledge of video game lore and history. When it comes to character histories and lore Taylor is an expert on many popular video game franchises, and takes regular deep dives into the most interesting and obscure facets of her favorite games. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and served as a script writer for the YouTube Channel TheThings, providing analysis, behind-the-scenes information and trivia on pop culture topics like Marvel, DC, and Disney. She has a wide and varied taste for games ranging from Animal Crossing to Dark Souls, and she’s always eager to try out a new RPG or Roguelike. When she doesn’t have her hands on a controller Taylor enjoys role playing and the occasional crochet project.

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DUBLIN – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Horizon Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: HZNP) announced today that it has been selected as a Top Workplace for 2021 by the Chicago Tribune and ranks 5th out of 75 other midsize companies in the Chicago area. This is Horizon’s seventh time on the list.

“We are always honored to be included on the Chicago Tribune’s Top Jobs list,” said Tim Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Horizon. “Because giving back to the communities we live and work in is fundamental to our business, we proudly contribute to the Chicago area ecosystem, home to our US headquarters, innovators and our diverse future Actively support STEM managers. We also pride ourselves on providing state-of-the-art facilities for our employees in the greater Chicago area, where solutions for patients are brought to life. ”

The Chicago Tribune’s list of top jobs is based solely on employee feedback collected through an external survey conducted by research partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey takes into account workplace culture, including alignment, execution and connection, among other things.

Earlier this week, Horizon was also named an elite winner on the list of the best and best places to work in the San Francisco Bay Area and named a top company in the Best of the Best Small Business category. The Elite Award is presented by the National Association for Business Resources and recognizes companies that focus on employee needs while serving as leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is the second year the company has been listed and the first year as an elite winner since opening its South San Francisco office in November 2019.

“We are proud to be recognized as an elite winner in the San Francisco Bay Area’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For,” said Srini Ramanathan, Ph.D., senior vice president, Research and Development Sciences and Site Manager South San Francisco, Horizon. “This honor is important because it underscores our strong commitment to our employee experience and our continuous growth in the region.”

The “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®” competition identifies and honors companies that are committed to excellence in terms of their human resources work and the enrichment of their employees. Companies are rated based on categories such as communication, work-life balance, employee education, diversity, recognition, loyalty, and more. The San Francisco Bay Area Elite winners are those who set the highest standards for all San Francisco Bay Area businesses. The winners will be selected based on the overall high scores and then designated as elite winners in their respective category.

About Energage, LLC

Energage offers a fully unified SaaS platform, support and professional services to help companies recruit and retain the right talent. As a founding member of B-Corporation, Energage is committed to making the world a better place to work together. Based on 14 years of cultural research, the engine of 51 top workplaces programs across the country, and data gathered from over 20 million employees in 60,000 companies, Energage has isolated the 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any business . and developed the tools and expertise to help companies measure, shape and showcase their unique culture in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. More information is available at www.energage.com.

About the best and brightest programs

The “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®” competition identifies and honors companies that are committed to excellence in operations and the enrichment of employees that lead to greater productivity and financial performance. This competition identifies potential winners based on regional business performance data and a set standard across the country. This program recognizes the companies who are doing better business, creating richer lives, and building a stronger community as a whole. There are numerous regional celebrations across the country including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houston, Milwaukee, San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, New York, Charlotte, Denver, Seattle, Nashville, Portland, and Nationally.

Over the horizon

Horizon is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs that meet the critical needs of people affected by rare, autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases. Our pipeline is targeted: we use scientific expertise and courage to offer patients clinically meaningful therapies. We believe science and compassion must work together to change lives. For more information on how we are doing incredible things to influence lives, please visit www.horizontherapeutics.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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(CBS Detroit) — Many Americans have relied on stimulus checks to get through COVID. Nearly 17 months after the economy initially shut down, the pandemic is still going. The Delta variant is driving up case numbers among the unvaccinated. The rise, which comes amidst improving economic conditions, could tap the brakes on the recovery. Meanwhile, some people are still waiting on that recovery. Unemployment exceeds pre-pandemic levels, even with jobs widely available in certain sectors. The federal unemployment bonus is set to end on Labor Day, and about half of all states have already ended it (or attempted to). Millions of people remain short of food and behind on bills. A fourth stimulus check would certainly come in handy. But can we expect more help from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2021?

That question has not been definitively answered. But plenty of clues signal which direction things are heading.

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Economic Recovery For Some

Relief payments were intended to ease COVID’s economic impact and support the economy in the process. The third round of relief payments started back in March, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Since then, about 169 million people have received up to $1,400 each, including another 2.3 million last month. That accounts for most of the $422 billion set aside. The ARP checks closely followed the $600 payments from January, which came nine months after the $1,200 payments from the pandemic’s early days. They seem to have worked, but have also helped many who didn’t actually need the money.

In the second quarter of 2021, the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 6.5 percent, according to the advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Supply shortages may have prevented even faster growth.) That continues the torrid pace from the first quarter, which saw 6.4 percent growth. The Conference Board forecasts continued growth through the rest of the year. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP), an estimate of economic activity across the U.S., has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. By that general measure, the economy has already recovered.

Broad segments of the workforce have endured little economic hardship during the pandemic. Many jobs performed at a desk in an office are just as easily performed at a desk in someone’s home. And with fewer places to spend money during the pandemic, plus three stimulus checks, many Americans saved more than they might have otherwise. The personal saving rate ballooned to 33.7 percent in April of 2020 and has remained well above pre-pandemic levels ever since. In June of 2021, it sat at 9.4 percent, still above the 8.3 percent from February of 2020, the month before the pandemic started. On Face the Nation back in June, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan estimated that its customers had not spent 65-70 percent of their last two stimulus checks. That extra savings combined with pent-up demand has likely helped drive the broader economy during the rebound.

The housing market has also surged, thanks to low interest rates and people stuck at home realizing the limitations of their living space. The National Association of Realtors recently reported that the national median sales price for an existing home hit $370,600 in June, up 24.4 percent from June of 2020. That number rose or stayed the same all over the country. Much of that rise was helped along by houses priced above the median. Housing inventory increased over May, but was still down 18.8 percent year over year. And of the homes that sold in June, 89 percent were for sale for less than a month.

The stock market continues to perform well too. The Dow Jones remains far above where it was at this time last year. It regularly sets new record highs, or at least approaches them. It opened Monday morning at 35,229. Concerns about the Delta variant and lagging vaccination rates in parts of the world still linger. Slowing vaccination rates in the U.S. have also become a concern, as case numbers rise and mask mandates come back into effect in many parts of the country. Still, individual investors, flush with extra stimulus cash, remain in the market. Bigger investors continue to bet on a strong economic recovery in the months ahead.

While certain experts foresee some of the strongest economic growth in decades, many are also worried about higher inflation. Recent projections indicate that prices will rise about 5.5 percent in 2021, though the Fed believes inflation will be more like 3.0 percent. That’s compared to the 2.3 percent rate in 2019 and 1.7 percent rate in 2020. The latest data shows prices rising 5.4 percent over the last 12 months, the highest 12-month rate in over a decade. Prices moved up 0.9 percent in June. Rising used car prices account for about one-third of the rise, with inventory shortages largely to blame. Lumber prices also have played a part. Some of the rise is also likely due to depressed prices returning as the economy moves on from the pandemic.

Price hikes and product shortages also stem from the economy opening up all at once. Companies can’t keep pace with a year’s worth of pent-up consumer demand. They also have to revive and retool their supply chains in the midst of drastic changes in consumer demand patterns. And this is all happening as shipping issues and other slowdowns continue to slow production and delivery.

COVID has altered how and what people consume. The way these changes play out in a post-COVID world isn’t necessarily predictable. Companies, however, have had to guess where demand for their product will be when all the dust settles. Predicting the future is hard enough in a normal economy. It becomes much harder in an economy emerging from a pandemic. These price changes and shortages across a whole range of products will likely continue to plague consumers in the short-term. But economists predict they should improve with time. And some evidence, like the falling price of lumber, is already bearing that out.

No Economic Recovery For Others

The pandemic has better highlighted the growing imbalance across the broader economy. While many households have financially flourished during COVID, many others have fallen far behind where they were in early 2020. Much of the gap depends on whether wage earners could work remotely or had public-facing jobs that required them to be on-site.

Financial insecurity is still widespread, and the loss of a job and the loss of hours have been some of the main reasons. Ten percent of American adults (approximately 20 million people) reported a shortage of food in their household over the previous week, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of U.S. Census survey data from late June and early July. Approximately 16 percent of renters (11.4 million people) have fallen behind on their rent, including 21 percent of renters with children in their household. The federal eviction moratorium, which has been extended until October 3, doesn’t forgive rent that was owed, it pushed the debt into the future. Meanwhile, only a small fraction of the $46 billion Congress allocated for rental assistance has actually made it to tenants and landlords.

As of late June/early July, over a quarter of American adults (63 million people) reported some difficulty keeping up with expenses in the prior week. An April survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York determined that over 58 percent of those receiving a third stimulus check have or will use the money on consumption or paying down debt. That includes debt incurred during the pandemic. A Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll from last February listed food and housing costs as the second and third most popular uses of the then-upcoming stimulus.

Employment also remains below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent in July, but many fear the rise of the Delta variant will hinder that growth. (July numbers precede the latest spike.) Many of the low-wage jobs lost during the pandemic have not returned. Approximately 385,000 people initially applied for unemployment insurance for the week ending July 31. (A typical pre-pandemic week saw about 250,000 new unemployment applications.) Another 95,000 people sought Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which supports freelance and self-employed workers. The approximately 4..6 million people collecting PUA will lose benefits on September 6, when the program ends. As of the week ending July 17, about 13 million workers were receiving some form of unemployment aid. Many jobless Americans have not received unemployment insurance and other government benefits, because of long waits, perceived ineligibility and other issues.

Job growth still faces some headwinds, aside from the Delta variant. Some have argued that overly generous benefits made unemployment more attractive than working. But other considerations factor into one’s ability to work too. Remote schooling created childcare issues for many parents. Summer break doesn’t necessarily change anything. The full vaccination rate is 50.1 percent for the country. But state percentages range from 67.9 percent in Vermont to 34.8 percent in Alabama. Many counties across the country have vaccination rates lower than that.

So the threat of COVID, particularly the now-dominant Delta variant, is still real in places. Many people remain uncomfortable working in public around strangers. A gap between labor force skills and job requirements can make hiring more difficult, not to mention the rising standards of what workers will accept. And then there’s the general friction that inevitably arises when an entire economy slams its foot on the gas.

As before the pandemic, many who are willing to work cannot find jobs with the wages and benefits they need to survive. According to Marie Newman, a U.S. Representative from Illinois, “there is not a shortage of Americans looking for work, there is a shortage of Americans willing to work for starvation wages with no benefits, no health care, and no protections during a pandemic.”

About half of all states are trying to force the issue and push people back into the job market. These states, most led by Republicans, have discontinued the $300 federal unemployment benefit bonus for their citizens ahead of the official Labor Day end date. Alabama, Idaho, and Nebraska are among the states that stopped benefits on June 19. Arkansas, Florida, Ohio, and Texas followed on June 26. Maryland and Tennessee wrapped up benefits on July 3, and Arizona on July 10. But many workers have sued their states. Arkansas, Indiana and Maryland have since temporarily reinstated benefits. A recent analysis from a payroll services company called Gusto showed that cutting off federal benefits may not be leading to more hiring.

The federal unemployment bonus and the previous round of stimulus checks have helped Americans still awaiting their recovery to pay bills and put food on the table. The advance Child Tax Credit provides some additional support to families. But this money often runs out before some people can take another job. And some politicians feel that the payments haven’t been enough.

Support For A Fourth Stimulus Check

A group of Democratic Senators, including Ron Wyden of Oregon, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, sent a letter to President Joe Biden at the end of March requesting “recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions.”

As the Senators reasoned in their letter, “this crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions.”

An earlier letter to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from 53 Representatives, led by Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, carved out a similar position. “Recurring direct payments until the economy recovers will help ensure that people can meet their basic needs, provide racially equitable solutions, and shorten the length of the recession.”

Additional co-signers included New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, two other notable names among House Progressives. The letter didn’t place a number on the requested stimulus payments. But a tweet soon after put it at $2,000 per month for the length of the pandemic.

$2,000 monthly payments until the pandemic is over. https://t.co/6tuia6prFJ

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 28, 2021

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A May 17 letter from members of the House Ways and Means Committee renewed the push for additional stimulus. “The ARP’s $1,400 checks alone will keep 11 million people out of poverty this year, with UI (unemployment insurance) expansion and other provisions in the bill accounting for the another five million. A fourth and fifth check could keep an additional 12 million out of poverty. Combined with the effects of the ARP, direct payments could reduce the number in poverty in 2021 from 44 million to 16 million.”

There’s also talk about automatic payments that would go out when specific economic metrics reach certain thresholds (for example, if unemployment rises to 6 percent). These triggers would make stimulus checks a reactive force in countering what’s happening in the economy, sparing struggling Americans from Congressional delays.

A majority of Americans also favor recurring relief payments. According to a January poll from Data For Progress, nearly two-thirds of all voters support $2,000 monthly payments to all Americans for the length of the pandemic. Supporters include a majority of Independents and Republicans. A struggling restaurant owner’s online petition calling for $2,000 monthly payments for every American adult is approaching 2.8 million signatures.

The Urban Institute estimated that another stimulus payment could reduce poverty by at least 6.4 percent in 2021. Many economists are also onboard. A 2020 open letter from experts in the field argued “direct cash payments are an essential tool that will boost economic security, drive consumer spending, hasten the recovery, and promote certainty at all levels of government and the economy – for as long as necessary.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a new budget into law, which includes a stimulus check for about two-thirds of the state’s residents. The $100 billion California Comeback Plan, as part of their $262.2 billion budget, will pay $600 to residents earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year. Residents in that income range who have kids will receive $1,100. The state’s previous stimulus went to those with an annual income under $30,000.

The Biden administration, which authored the third round of stimulus checks, isn’t against a fourth round. But the president recognizes their high price tag. He also seems to have other priorities, specifically infrastructure and help for families. Neither the the American Jobs Plan or the American Families Plan included another relief payment as proposed. Other plans currently bouncing around Congress don’t either.

“He’s happy to hear from a range of ideas on what would be most effective and what’s most important to the economy moving forward,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “But he’s also proposed what he thinks is going to be the most effective for the short term for putting people back to work, to getting through this pivotal period of time, and also to making us more competitive in the long term.”

A Fourth Stimulus Check Is Unlikely

All of this tacit and explicit support keeps alive the possibility of another stimulus check. The support doesn’t make a fourth payment likely, however. And there are many reasons why.

Vaccinations are progressing steadily, albeit not as quickly as in the spring. Adults and those at least 12 years old are eligible to be inoculated in all 50 states. (Trials for children under 12 continue.) Three different options are available to the public. But actually putting needles in arms is taking time, even with supply readily available. Americans have received over 351 million doses, with 58.7 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 50.1 percent completely vaccinated. Vaccination numbers continue to increase at a rate of over half a million doses per day. That rate has ticked up in the last week or so. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had advised that the fully vaccinated could forgo masks and social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings. But their revised guidance recommends that vaccinated people in areas with higher COVID transmission revert to wearing masks indoors again.

With vaccinations rising, the nation’s economy continues to recover. Looser restrictions have helped businesses, and jobs are available in many sectors. Many industries are even complaining of worker shortages, which are leading to wage increases. The number of new unemployment claims remains lower than it has been for much of the pandemic. Consumer confidence has plateaued at its highest point since early last year. Inflation concerns and rising COVID case numbers could dampen optimism about business conditions and the job market.

Consumer spending drives two-thirds of the country’s economy. And excess pandemic savings, along with three stimulus checks, has boosted people’s spending power. That spending power has increased even more since monthly Child Tax Credit payments started arriving on July 15. An improved financial position generally also raises optimism for the future. The ongoing vaccinations, which have allowed the economy to safely reopen, certainly help. All that additional spending, along with the release of pent-up demand, has led to more jobs as companies hire to address consumer needs. With the economy surging, a fourth round of stimulus checks seems less urgent.

Aside from the generally improving economy, the political machinations of Washington make a fourth stimulus check a longshot. The American Rescue Plan, which included the third stimulus check, passed along party lines. Republicans were not interested in spending anywhere close to $1.9 trillion, though some did support the third relief payment. They termed the package a “blue state bailout,” claiming it went well beyond the scope of COVID and would increase the deficit, leading to inflation.

The Democrats used a process called reconciliation to pass the bill in the Senate without Republican support. That allows budget-related matters to proceed with a simple majority rather than the filibuster-proof 60 votes. Generally only one reconciliation bill can pass per fiscal year. But a subsequent ruling by the Senate parliamentarian, who interprets the legislative body’s rules, opened up a path for additional spending legislation. Without reconciliation, any bill would need at least 10 Republican votes, along with every Democratic vote.

But the Biden administration has other priorities. One of its biggest is addressing infrastructure. The proposed American Jobs Plan, which aimed to rebuild roads, repair bridges, do away with lead pipes, extend broadband, modernize the country’s electric grid and much more, carried a price tag of $2.3 trillion. Biden and a group of Senators from both parties agreed upon a scaled-back infrastructure plan costing around $1 trillion. The resulting bipartisan bill, now called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is nearing a final vote in the Senate. Neither the original version nor the bipartisan version includes a fourth stimulus check. One could, in theory, be added. That seems unlikely given the price tag.

The American Families Plan, focused on childcare, education and more, would have cost another $1.8 trillion in its initial form. The Democrats are now pushing forward a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint that focuses on their various “human infrastructure” initiatives. A fourth stimulus check is not included, though one could theoretically still be added as well. The Democrats’ extended plan is a more likely home for a fourth stimulus check than a traditional infrastructure plan. Funding these plans may also involve tax increases, which Republicans would oppose.

Plenty more negotiating seems inevitable before any bill comes to a final vote. And securing 10 Republican supporters in the Senate for whatever legislation results is far from certain. Democrats may very well be anticipating the need to use reconciliation again to push through legislation.

Joe Manchin of West Virginia, among the most centrist Democratic Senators, has warned against overusing reconciliation. He is also apparently unwilling to do away with the filibuster, which would lower the number of votes needed to pass legislation to 51. Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema doesn’t want to abandon the filibuster either. With bipartisanship still hard to come by (the tentative infrastructure deal notwithstanding), the Biden administration is in a tough spot. They’re unlikely to add a fourth stimulus check to any plan, driving up the price tag by hundreds of billions of dollars. They’re also unlikely to use reconciliation to pass another stimulus check on its own.

What Other Aid Is Out There?

While a fourth stimulus check is improbable, more direct payments to Americans have already been signed into law. The American Rescue Plan includes an improved Child Tax Credit and extended unemployment benefits.

Under the revised Child Tax Credit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is paying out $3,600 per year for each child up to five years old and $3,000 per year for each child ages six through 17. Monthly payments of up to $300 per child started July 15 and will continue through December of 2021. The remainder is to be issued when the recipient files their 2021 taxes. The benefit does not depend on the recipient’s current tax burden. In other words, qualifying families will receive the full amount, regardless of how much — or little — they owe in taxes. Payments start to phase out beyond a $75,000 annual income for individuals and beyond $150,000 for married couples. The more generous credit will apply only for 2021, though Biden has stated his interest in extending it through 2025.

The American Rescue Plan also extended the weekly federal unemployment insurance bonus of $300 through Labor Day. (As mentioned before, half of all states have ended the additional unemployment or will be ending it soon.) Those eligible for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which covers people who have used up their state benefits, and PUA have also seen their benefits extended through early September. PEUC runs out after 53 weeks. PUA expires after 79 weeks. The ARP also added $21.6 billion to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which is being distributed to state and local governments, who then assist households. Most of the $46 billion total has yet to reach tenants and landlords.

The infrastructure plan also has the potential to create many jobs across a wide swath of the economy. How the proposed initiatives are ultimately distributed across the scaled-back bipartisan outline or the broader Democratic plan remains to be seen. The American Families Plan includes 12 weeks of paid family leave that could reach as high as $4,000 per month, depending on a worker’s income. It also boosts the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and places a ceiling on the cost of childcare for many families. The plan sets aside $200 billion for universal preschool. In addition to helping working parents pay for childcare, the plan looks to allow more parents to return to the workforce.

Additional money in people’s pockets from any proposed plan is still hypothetical, of course. Nothing has found its way through Congress yet.

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Originally published Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 12:41 p.m. ET.

The post Is One other Aid Fee On The Horizon? – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.