A San Antonio woman was sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay more than $492,000 after defrauding a COVID relief program, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.

Hill Country and Central Texas homeowners, renters and businesses have two weeks left to request federal assistance after the catastrophic floods in July.

Those seeking federal assistance programs now have until Sept. 28 to apply for funds from FEMA and loans from the Small Business Administration.

Hill Country and Central Texas homeowners, renters and businesses have less than 30 days to request federal help after catastrophic floods pummeled the state last month.

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.

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 Texas 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.

Aaron Sams, 39 of Converse; Beverly Smith, 40, of Converse; Jesus Rodriguez, 63, of San Antonio; Uchennaya Ogba, 35, of San Antonio; Kristin Harrison, 37, of Killeen; Jonathan Adams, 36, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; and Barbara Sanders, 41, of San Antonio, were all arrested this week and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

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

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.

San Antonio's only Nestle Toll House Cafe is closing its doors for good because of financial blows delivered by the pandemic.

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

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.

The SBA then released general guidelines for borrowers and lenders which authorized up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses. “The Paycheck Protection Program has successfully provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to America’s small businesses, supporting more than 51 million jobs,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “This updated guidance enhances the PPP’s targeted relief to small businesses most impacted by COVID-19. “The historically successful Paycheck Protection Program served as an economic lifeline to millions of small businesses and their employees when they needed it most,” said SBA administrator Jovita Carranza. If you qualify to apply for a PPP loan, contact your local community financial institution to see if they are a participating lender.

(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.

Most recently, Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch made headlines after it was reported that Lakewood Church received $4.4 million in federal PPP loans. Of the 46 churches KSAT found in data provided by the SBA, nine received somewhere between $2-5 million in PPP loans, including seven in the Houston area. In San Antonio, the Catholic Archdiocese and Catholic Charities each received PPP loans between $1-2 million along with Concordia Lutheran Church and Oak Hills Church. A CBS report from May also notes that more than 12,000 Catholic churches in the U.S. applied for PPP loans – and 9,000 got them. KSAT compiled a list of Texas churches that received loans between $1-5 million.

HOUSTON – Joel Osteen, the pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, has come under fire in recent days after Houston Chronicle reported that the megachurch received $4.4 million in PPP loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). The data shows that Lakewood Church applied for the loan on July 21 and that 368 jobs would be affected by the loan. In order to have the loan fully forgiven, the PPP loan must be used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. Osteen’s Lakewood Church and other megachurches have been criticized by some for taking part in the federal recovery program because of their tax-exempt status. Joel Osteen claimed his church took no PPP money, but his congregation was just one of many that received MILLIONS.

The Small Business Administration, which has been in charge of the loan program, disclosed this week that roughly 411,000 loans approved were for Texas businesses. In total, Texas businesses received more than $41 billion in loans, including $13.8 billion to roughly 6,200 recipients who received more than $1 million. The Texas companies supported by the $41 billion in loans reported retaining 4.3 million workers. In Texas, for instance, four companies that received loans worth $10 million reported not having any jobs retained or didn’t say. The SBA also sent more than 27,000 loans worth at least $3.7 billion to businesses in Dallas; sent more than 23,000 loans worth at least $2.7 billion to businesses in Austin; sent more than 20,000 loans worth at least $2.3 billion to businesses in San Antonio; and sent more than 11,000 loans worth at least $1.4 billion to businesses in Fort Worth.

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.

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.

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.

I'm hopeful that we can get that done," Mnuchin told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." Mnuchin told Tapper he is hopeful that if a deal is reached, the Senate could pass the bill on Monday and the House could pass one Tuesday. The funding is needed to continue the Payroll Protection Program, a program for small businesses affected by the coronavirus crisis that ran out of funding last week. On Thursday, the Small Business Administration officially ran out of money for the PPP, its $349 billion emergency lending program for small businesses. "The President has heard from the governors and he's prepared to discuss that in the next bill," Mnuchin told CNN.

On Thursday morning, the $349 billion emergency small business lending program officially tapped out. The Small Business Association officially ran out of money for the Paycheck Protection Program, according to a message for lenders posted on the administration’s website. That's how urgent it is for small business owners. ET, $338 billion in loans have been approved, per an official with the Small Business Administration. If you are reading the tea leaves: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement Wednesday didn't exactly reveal that Democrats are anywhere close to reaching a deal with Republicans on money for the Small Business Administration.

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.

NEW YORK – Desperate small business owners who hoped for a quick government lifeline to help them survive the coronavirus crisis are still without funds, instead battling red tape, wary banks and swamped computer systems. Thousands of owners who applied for loans under the government's Paycheck Protection Program are in their second week of waiting for their money. And thousands who sought relief through Small Business Administration economic injury disaster loans have waited even longer — some since mid-March. “It’s been absolute chaos, and we haven’t even gotten to the point where the program is fully open yet,” said Jack Heath, president of Washington Trust. Small business owners have also found the economic injury disaster loans problematic.

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.

SAN ANTONIO – People and business impacted by the tornadoes two weeks ago are now able to go in person and apply for low-interest-rate loans from the Small Business Administration. The office opened Monday inside the San Antonio Central Library on Soledad Street. Five tornadoes impacted the San Antonio area on Feb. 19, and Bexar County was declared a disaster area on Friday. The most extensive damage occurred on the city's North and Northeast sides, but no serious injuries were reported. Get alerted to news events as they happen or sign up for a scheduled news headline email that is delivered right to your inbox.