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It’s mid-August, which means the annual Perseid meteor shower is active, and will be until Aug. 24. The Perseids are one of the best, brightest batches of shooting stars, and it feels like we could really use them now to add a bit of wonder and distraction into these pretty dismal times we’re living through.  

This famous shower comes around this time every year as the Earth drifts through a debris cloud left behind by the giant comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Bits of dust, pebbles and other cosmic detritus slam into our atmosphere, burning up into brief, bright streaks and even the occasional full-blown fireball streaking across the night sky. 

Technically, the 2020 Perseids peaked on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 11 and morning of Wednesday, Aug. 12, but that doesn’t mean the show is over. Far from it, actually. 

The popularity of the shower is a combination of the fact that it’s one of the strongest, with up to 100 visible meteors per hour on average, and it’s coinciding with warm summer nights in the northern

The timeline of when you might get your next stimulus check is less certain now that talks over another economic relief package are on hold. The debate is less over the total $1,200 upper limit for people who qualify and more about the total size of the package and additional aid. (Here’s how the current proposal, called HEALS, compares to the previous stimulus bill.)

If and when Republican and Democratic leaders are each willing to compromise — and here are five reasons we think that might happen — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that he can get it sent out faster than the first stimulus check.

So when will that happen? That all depends on when both sides renew serious negotiations. But the initial hope after comments over the weekend that there could be talks this week seem less sure now. If negotiations begin again and a deal is made, we’ve calculated some possible dates you could get your first check — assuming it happens.

This story was recently updated with new information.

Congress could still pass a second stimulus payment of up to $1,200 for qualifying Americans, but talks for a new economic relief package are currently at a standstill and are complicated by a series of executive actions of questionable legality signed by President Donald Trump on Saturday. 

“If we can get a fair deal, we’re willing to do it this week,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday, signaling that an agreement is still possible.

If a final deal becomes law, we can look at the first round of stimulus checks to glean some clues as to how long it will take for payments to arrive, whether it will be taxable on your 2020 return, who qualifies and what your rights are with regard to the money. The GOP-backed HEALS Act borrowed from the CARES Act guidelines for a new direct payment, so they could be similarly structured and sent out faster than last time.

If you were expecting to get the