The U.S. government is phasing out paper checks for most programs. The change starts Tuesday and affects recipients of benefits like Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and tax refunds. Nearly 400,000 Social Security and SSI recipients still rely on paper checks. The director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says many of these people lack access to digital services. President Donald Trump's Republican administration says electronic payments and collections will speed up processing and cut costs. The Social Security Administration says it will continue issuing paper checks if a beneficiary "has no other means to receive payment."

Rumors spreading on social media claim the U.S. government will soon be issuing stimulus checks to taxpayers in certain income brackets. But for now it's only wishful thinking. Congress has not passed legislation to authorize such payments. And the IRS says no new stimulus checks will be distributed in the coming weeks. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri last month introduced a bill that would send tax rebates to qualified taxpayers using revenue from tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump. Hawley's bill has not passed the Senate or the House.

A federal judge in New Hampshire has issued a ruling pausing President Donald Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship from taking effect anywhere in the United States. The judge issued a preliminary injunction Thursday blocking Trump's order and certified a class action lawsuit including all children who will be affected. The judge announced his decision, which includes a seven-day stay to allow for appeal, after an hourlong hearing. The ruling puts the birthright citizenship issue on a fast track to return to the Supreme Court.

A divided Supreme Court has ruled that individual judges lack the authority to grant nationwide injunctions, but the decision leaves unclear the fate of President Donald Trump's restrictions on birthright citizenship. The outcome Friday was a victory for Trump, who has complained about individual judges throwing up obstacles to his agenda. But a conservative majority left open the possibility that the birthright citizenship changes could remain blocked nationwide. The Republican president's order would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of people who are in the country illegally. Trump says the court's decision is "amazing" and a "monumental victory for the Constitution," the separation of powers and the rule of law.