US judge says he’ll rule quickly on funding for tribes

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A federal judge said Friday he will work quickly to deliver a ruling in a case that centers on who is eligible for coronavirus relief funding for tribes. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., heard more than three hours of arguments in the case that he says has been challenging. He is deciding whether Alaska Native corporations can receive a share of $8 billion in funding that Congress approved in March. Numerous Native American tribes that sued the U.S. Treasury Department, which is tasked with doling out the money, say no.