The mastermind behind the proposal to issue "DOGE dividend" checks to Americans has confirmed to Newsweek that millions of taxpaying immigrants without legal status will not be eligible for the payments.

Are Donald Trump and Elon Musk going to send savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) back to the American people? Dozens of viral posts claim that the White House is considering a plan to either send Americans $5,000 checks or give taxpayers a $5,000 tax credit, all paid for by DOGE’s cost-cutting measures. “#ElonMusk is proposing a $5,000 tax refund for every American funded by the savings generated from DOGE,” says one Instagram post.

Donald Trump oversaw the release of two rounds of stimulus check packages while in office, providing Americans with thousands of dollars in relief during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Americans received $1,200 in March 2020 and $600 in December 2020. The former president urged lawmakers to increase the amount in December 2020 to $2,000 but eventually signed legislation approving the lower figure.

Recently, a group of viral TikToks suggested Trump will bring back the COVID-era policy, promising to send out more checks should he be elected in 2024.

For over a year, lawmakers and businesses have been bemoaning how hard it is to find workers.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered his own labor-shortage theory at an event in Paducah, Kentucky, on Tuesday. 

"You've got a whole lot of people sitting on the sidelines because, frankly, they're flush for the moment," the Kentucky Republican said. "What we've got to hope is once they run out of money, they'll start concluding it's better to work than not to work."

Millions of California residents could receive payments up to $1,050.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Sunday that he and the state's legislative leaders have agreed on a framework for the 2022-2023 state budget, which includes stimulus payments to help residents deal with rising inflation and gas prices.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced with state legislative leaders that they have agreed on a budget that will provide stimulus payments to most Californians.

Most Californians would receive stimulus payments ranging from $200 to $350 per person under a budget deal that Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders announced Sunday night.

Millions of residents of one state will be receiving direct payments of up to $1,050 to help offset the high price of gas and other goods.

The payments to Californians will go out after Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders reached an agreement on the framework for the 2022/2023 state budget, the governor's office announced on Sunday.

The plan will use part of California's record-setting $97 billion budget surplus to return money directly to taxpayers.

Inflation has surged across much of the developed world in the past year as COVID-19 lockdowns eased and pent-up demand for goods and services collided with ongoing supply chain snafus.

Rising inflation is hitting all sectors of the economy. The overall rate of inflation on an annual basis reached 7.5% at the end of January, the highest level since 1982. Gas prices, in particular, are rising especially fast, reaching $4.25 a gallon on Wednesday, up from about $2.86 per gallon last March. That means filling a 20-gallon tank right now costs $85, up from $57.20 last year at this time.

Concerns about a potential economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic have only worsened with the rise of the Omicron variant, as major health organizations go on high alert.

Americans continue to navigate the ongoing pandemic with some hoping lingering for a fourth stimulus check. 

Hopes for another round of stimulus checks have come from a petition on Change.org. The petition calls for recurring $2,000 payments to adults and $1,000 payments for children. It harkens to a plan proposed by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.