If you live in one of these states, your local government is handing out free stimulus money

The US is entering a new phase of the coronavirus crisis, one that seemed barely imaginable this time last year when case counts were still exploding, hospitalizations and deaths from the virus were still on their depressing upward climb, vaccinations were still months away from getting started, and only one round of stimulus checks had been distributed by the federal government.

The latest stimulus update, however, is a somewhat surprising turn of events at the state level and comes at a time when all of those factors mentioned above have reversed course. New coronavirus cases have plummeted to their lowest point in the US since March 2020, in large part a product of widespread vaccinations -- and many states, believe it or not, which thought the pandemic would obliterate their finances last year are now in a strange position they did not expect: Being flush with cash. This is why many of them are doing what the federal government can't or won't -- handing out new stimulus and other benefits to citizens.