Money to be released: The Education Department will release $1.3 billion in previously withheld grant money for after-school programs, days after 10 Republican senators sent a letter imploring the Trump administration to allow frozen education money to be sent to states. President Donald Trump’s administration on July 1 withheld more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs, adult literacy and English language instruction, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House’s priorities. Read more from the AP.
Press Club: Roxson Welch, director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Family and Youth Services Center, will be the guest speaker at the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday. Welch will talk about the center’s upcoming groundbreaking on its new facility and resources available for families ahead of the new school year. Learn more about the event.
Second-quarter surge: In the second quarter, total spending on American Express credit cards jumped 7%, matching the first quarter and higher than the 6% increase a year ago. But travel spending in the quarter was weaker than transactions for goods and services, and that’s specifically because airline spending has stalled, coming in flat from a year ago, American Express said Friday. Read more from CNBC.
