A 30-year-old Jacksonville woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to several charges including wire fraud involving the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to the Department of Justice.

President Donald Trump has begun sketching a roadmap for dismantling the Education Department, with other agencies taking over responsibility for federal student loans and programs serving students with disabilities.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he’s committed to making the U.S. a world leader in cryptocurrencies as industry leaders heaped praise on him for reversing what they said had been unfair attacks on digital assets by the previous administration.

The Small Business Administration said it will relocate six of its regional offices in so-called “sanctuary cities,” part of a broader Trump administration effort to crack down on cities that it deems have immigrant-friendly policies.

The fires in California have been devastating for many small business owners and others who saw their homes, businesses or livelihoods go up in smoke.

Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part.

A 30-year-old woman faces over 25 years in prison after she was accused of defrauding the Small Business Administration through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, along with stealing victims' Social Security numbers, and wire fraud.

The White House says the federal government has approved nearly $2 billion in assistance across six states to help people hit hard by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Small Business Administration has run out of money for its disaster assistance loans, delaying much needed relief for people applying for aid in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

A pair of unwelcome and destructive guests named Helene and Milton have stormed their way into this year’s presidential election.

The Small Business Administration is looking to attract lenders to finance small businesses' clean energy projects.

Federal grants can be a huge boost for small businesses.

Engineers working to clear the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore say they expect to be able to restore navigation in and out of the port by the end of this month.

Flippa identified the counties in Florida where applicants were approved for the most Small Business Administration loan funds per capita in 2023.

President Joe Biden is swiping at Donald Trump and touting his administration's progress during a visit to Milwaukee.

Did you get a bill for a Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan or COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) you never applied for? If the answer is yes, an identity thief probably used your personal information to get the loan.

The Senate has confirmed the highest-ranking Muslim official in the U.S. government.

The U.S. Small Business Administration on Tuesday added Flagler County to the list of counties eligible for business and home disaster loans in the aftermath of Ian.

Federal resources have become available for counties in Northeast Florida following Hurricane Ian’s aftermath.

The U.S. Secret Service said Friday that it has recovered $286 million in fraudulently obtained pandemic loans and is returning the money to the Small Business Administration.

The nomination of a Pakistani-born businessman who'd be the highest-ranking Muslim in the U.S. government is in jeopardy because Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked his confirmation.

A salute to local businesses! Saturday is "904 Day"--in the 904. The special ways you can celebrate Jacksonville businesses, and how some are using the opportunity to give back.

Two Jacksonville residents are accused of defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program and then trying to cover their tracks afterward.

The government's key COVID-19 relief program for small businesses has run out of money.

Federal prosecutors say a central Florida couple tried to obtain more than $5.8 million in coronavirus relief funds by filing false loan applications.

WASHINGTON – The Senate passed a bill 92-7 on Thursday to extend the deadline for business owners to apply for forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, giving applicants two more months to apply for federal aid. The bill had already passed the House, so it now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Congress started the loan program last year to help businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Business groups lobbied lawmakers to keep the program going to help ensure businesses that still need help can get it. The Small Business Administration reports that it has approved nearly 7.9 million loans totaling about $704 billion.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – The Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved President Joe Biden's pick to oversee the Small Business Administration, an agency that has seen its portfolio expand in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Guzman is a former Obama administration SBA official who currently heads California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate. In that role, she oversaw efforts to help that state’s small businesses survive the pandemic. The Small Business Administration oversees loan programs to help businesses recover from natural disasters, enhances access to capital through loan guarantees and provides training and technical assistance. Guzman said she would work to ensure money gets into the hands of the small businesses hurt the most by the pandemic and the economic crisis through no fault of their own.

Did you get a bill for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, but you didn’t apply for one? It’s possible that an identity thief applied for the loan using your personal or business information. The SBA has new guidance about reporting the fraud, and the FTC has tips to help you clear up any credit problems it may cause. The SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance has been issuing the loans under its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Keep these invoices until the SBA has finished reviewing your identity theft report.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)NEW YORK – For Nancy Sinoway, a second coronavirus relief loan would increase the chances that her dressmaking business will survive. The SBA will initially accept only applications submitted by community financial institutions, or CFIs, lenders whose customers are minority-owned and economically disadvantaged businesses. Starting Monday, applications for first-time borrowers submitted by these lenders will be accepted, followed by applications for second loans on Wednesday. As with the first two rounds of the PPP, applications must be submitted online at banks and other SBA-approved lenders. The PPP loan Sheets got in the spring helped tide him over.

Congress has approved a third, $284 billion round of PPP loans. The recent data from the SBA provided a more in-depth look at businesses that received loans than data released on July 6. The AP and other news organizations successfully sued under the Freedom of Information Act to make data on all PPP loans public, leading to the latest release. The SBA did not address the timing of loans to minority-owned businesses when asked for comment by the AP. MBE Capital, a lender focusing on minority-owned companies, received a commitment in mid-May from NBA Hall of Fame member Magic Johnson for funding for $100 million in PPP loans.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Martinizing Dry Cleaning has opened its doors to the Jacksonville community for the last 18 years. “I wake up every morning my heart is pounding wondering is this going to be another day I stay in business or not." The only reason Olson says her doors are open right now is because of federal funding she received from the Paycheck Protection Program. She asked how another round of PPP funding would be used if Olson received it. Olson recently received an economic injury disaster loan that she will eventually have to pay back.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite repeated calls from news organizations and the GOP, the Florida Democratic Party has so far refused to release its Payroll Protection Program loan application. Political parties were supposed to be excluded from the PPP loan program, but somehow Democrats got at least $780,000. Now, the GOP is calling for the Small Business Administration to release that information. In documents, Democrats show repaying the money to a different bank than the one that issued the loan. We also asked the Florida Democratic Party why it isn’t releasing the application, but we’ve yet to hear back from them.

The PPP made very low-interest loans available to any business -- or any franchisee of a business -- with under 500 employees. It was not designed for very small businesses.Its not clear how many small companies have failed because of the pandemic. The data released by the SBA July 6 does show that by June 30, 85% of the PPP loans had been for less than $150,000. Among other big banks, nearly 18% of the 1,185 loans TD Bank made the first week were over $1 million, as were 13% of Truists 7,143 loans. But it may have been too late for who knows how many small businesses, said Karen Kerrigan, president of the advocacy group Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. New data released Monday by the Small Business Administration shows about 14,000 Jacksonville-based companies received federal loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP. Data shows 12,000 businesses received loans of less than $150,000, but several dozen were granted millions. The businesses that received $5-10 million includes Nextran Corp., Physicians Group Services, Stein Mart Inc., Vesta Property Services Inc, and others. In the $2-5 million dollar range include Celebration Church of Jacksonville, Farah and Farah, The Bolles School, Morgan and Morgan, and the Jacksonville Zoological Society. Dozens of restaurants were granted loans in the $150,000-$1 million range including, Firehouse Restaurant Group, Cowford Chophouse, Bonos of America, and Black Sheep.

WASHINGTON A House subcommittee investigating billions of dollars in coronavirus aid is demanding that the Treasury Department, the Small Business Administration and several large banks turn over detailed information about which businesses applied for and received federal loans. The letters ask the banks and the department for a complete list of applicants for loans, whether they were approved and also details on the guidance Treasury has issued. Democrats say they are not receiving enough information about the loan disbursements and fear the Treasury Department has favored large, well-funded companies over smaller businesses in underserved communities. The agency has only provided general information, such as the total amounts of loans awarded in a given time period. The loans can be forgiven if businesses use the money to keep employees on payroll or rehire workers who have been laid off.

(Al Drago/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON Building ramparts of secrecy around a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has moved from delay to denial in refusing outright to disclose the recipients of taxpayer-funded loans. We believe that thats proprietary information, and in many cases, for sole proprietors and small businesses, is confidential information, Mnuchin said during the hearing by the Senate Small Business Committee. Mnuchin promised in his testimony to give the GAO access to the PPP loan data. Mnuchin's pledge to give the GAO's auditors access to the PPP loan data appeared to satisfy some senators, who didnt press him on public release of the information. Praise for the small-business loan program flowed to Mnuchin and Carranza at the hearing from senators from both parties, who cited the positive economic impact across the country.

(Al Drago/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON Building ramparts of secrecy around a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has moved from delay to denial in refusing outright to disclose the recipients of taxpayer-funded loans. About 10 weeks after the program was launched, the SBA says it has processed 4.5 million loans worth $511 billion. While the SBA administers the program, Mnuchins Treasury Department has ultimate control over it. We believe that thats proprietary information, and in many cases, for sole proprietors and small businesses, is confidential information, Mnuchin said during the hearing by the Senate Small Business Committee. Praise for the small-business loan program flowed to Mnuchin and Carranza at the hearing from senators from both parties, who cited the positive economic impact across the country.

NEW YORK – Small businesses hoping for more leeway in using coronavirus loan money were disappointed as the government released instructions for seeking forgiveness for the loans. According to the instructions, loans can still be forgiven in full only if the money is spent within eight weeks of receiving it. Many small businesses say the eight-week period is too restrictive; loan forgiveness applies only for money spent through June 30. Loan forgiveness was a key factor in many owners seeking the loans. While technically they can do that, they could not get forgiveness on the money spent for unapproved items.

WASHINGTON A small, overlooked federal agency is shouldering a massive relief effort for the nations small businesses and their workers left reeling by the pandemic. The need for a detailed public accounting of the small-business relief program is amplified by controversy over how it has unfolded since early April. The agency recognizes the need to balance the interests of transparency with the privacy and confidentiality issues release of loan information raises." The SBA did not make the information public. Under the program, companies are required to use the funds exclusively for employee salaries.

She needs to use some of the loan money to pay those expenses. Many restaurants fear for their survival, according to a study released in April by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Restaurant owners may be getting some help from Congress. The House bill would allow business owners to use their loan money for whatever bills they need to cover. The Democratic bill would also give business owners more time to repay their loan amounts that aren’t forgiven, a minimum of five years.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Another $310 billion is being added to the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program so that lenders can offer more forgivable loans to small businesses. The second round of money is expected to go quickly. Bank of America reports they have $50 billion worth of applications ready to go through the second round. For example, BlueVine, Centerstone SBA Lending, Funding Circle, even PayPal are all accepting applications for PPP loans. On the SBA website, there is a page dedicated to showing you SBA-approved PPP lenders just by entering your ZIP code.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted. The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. “The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported the Lakers’ decision. The Treasury Department issued further guidance for the loan program last week, asking companies not to apply for the funds if they don't need the cash to survive.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – The Small Business Administration said Thursday that it reached the $349 billion lending limit for the Paycheck Protection Program. Nearly 1.7 million loans were approved for small businesses, including Poochie’s Park in Orange Park. Poochie’s Park, like many other small businesses, had to make changes amid the coronavirus pandemic, such as cutting employee hours. He found out Wednesday they could bring back their 24 full-time employees, like Kristi Cessna, and continue to pay them. For the money to run out so fast, it shows just how great the need has been for small businesses.

NEW YORK – The flow of money to small businesses under the government's $349 billion coronavirus relief plan is picking up momentum although many company owners are still waiting and wondering. The Small Business Administration reported Monday that more than 959,000 applications had been approved for over $232 billion from the Paycheck Protection loan program. The money Amy Power received Friday evening will go toward paying the eight staffers of her Dallas-based public relations company. Because the coronavirus has devastated the economy as a whole, some owners don’t feel that the loan money would guarantee their companies’ survival. Julie Goldman got her loan money Monday.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Desperate small business owners who hoped for a quick government lifeline to help them survive the coronavirus crisis are still without funds, instead are battling red tape, wary banks and swamped computer systems. Under this loan program, businesses with up to 1,500 employees can receive up to a $2 million, long-term loan. Thousands of others who sought relief through Small Business Administration economic injury disaster loans have waited even longer — some since mid-March. “These systems are not built for massive volumes,” said Karen Kerrigan, president of the advocacy group Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. Small business owners have also found the economic injury disaster loans problematic.

Many small business owners ran into bureaucratic or technological road blocks. A major trade group for small businesses complained that too many of its members were “shut out” from getting loans. Bank of America alone said 75,000 small businesses had applied for $7 billion of loans. Bank of America, for example, said the loans were available to customers who had business deposit accounts and business loans with the bank. “Small business owners have had their applications filled out.

That's the urgent question for small business owners who have been devastated by the coronavirus outbreak. “Relief can’t come soon enough — we’re a cash business with small margins," says Rammel, who is looking to Small Business Administration loans. The rescue package signed into law Friday provides for Small Business Administration loans to companies as well as to sole proprietors and freelancers. And the Federal Reserve plans to set up a program to lend directly to small business owners. On its face, the rescue aid appears to address some of the most vital needs of small businesses, notably their ability to maintain or hire back furloughed workers eventually.