Editor’s note: During the course of a week, issues are covered that might not lend themselves to full editorial comment, but they are worthy of The Sunday Telegraph weighing in – thumbs up, thumbs down or neutral.

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THUMBS UP – to U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan for seeking help for constituents who haven’t received the latest round of federal stimulus payments during the coronavirus pandemic. Hassan, a Democrat, wrote to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig last week urging the agency to ensure the third round of checks are sent as soon as possible. She said she has heard from constituents who were told they were eligible for the third round of payments but haven’t received them and are only being told the delay is caused by a “system issue.” “While the IRS has said that it may take until December 2021 to process all payments, Granite Staters cannot afford to keep waiting for relief,” she wrote. She did not say how many people may be waiting for the checks, which were part of a COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress in March.

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THUMBS UP – To U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, who has introduced a bill to reauthorize federal grants for the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Kuster, a Democrat, said the hotline’s call volume reached a “staggering record high” last year. The hotline is operated by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Scott Berkowitz, president of the network, said since March 2020, as the pandemic led to stay-at-home orders, the majority of victims receiving help from our online hotline have been minors. He said the reauthorization will help meet the increased demand. Kuster introduced the bill with U.S. Rep. David Joyce, a Republican from Ohio. Kuster and Joyce are two of the founding co-chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, which works to raise awareness and propose solutions to the challenges posed by sexual assault and violence.

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