Haven't read the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security Act in full yet? You are not alone. I am working through it, but, though I am quite proud of my English degree, it is very weedy reading to a layman like me. I suspect most of us are not lawyers or legislators, and rely on thorough journalists and analysts to understand fully both the overarching program, and the thorny details. (I do have garden terms on my mind, I have been doing a lot of yard work to manage my own anxiety.) Two in-depth links below.
'Relief,' not 'Stimulus'
Forbes interviews Nicole Kaeding of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation about the creation of the bill. She clarifies that we should not see this law as 'stimulus,' but rather 'relief', because no one can go out an 'stimulate' the economy (we should not be going out at all), but rather it 'puts a floor underneath' all of us. Great insights into the law's main provisions, the mechanics of how you will get your direct relief money, as well as a deep look into the long-term questions arising from this law. This interview is also available as a podcast, which you can listen to within the article.
'Top 10 Takeaways'
This article from Foley is terrific, in that it lays out a Top 10 list of important features of the CARES Act's programs (see below), as well as delving into the details of each article of the law and explaining a complicated stimulus in clear language. It can be easy to go down rabbit holes in specific programs and lose sight of the other extremely important actions this law takes. Their 'Key Takeaways' were so well done I've included them here as a reference point: