Jobless aid, direct checks in play as U.S. Senate nears vote on COVID-19 aid bill

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote as early as Wednesday on whether to move forward on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, an action that would set up a final Senate vote on passage for later this week.

The 100-seat chamber, which is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, is due to consider a motion to begin 20 hours of debate on the sweeping legislation, according to a Senate Democratic aide. A vote to proceed could be an early indicator of how much Republican opposition the package...