Local governments are spending billions of pandemic relief funds, but some report few specifics

Joplin officials say they have big plans for $13.8 million of pandemic relief funds the tornado-ravaged southwestern Missouri city received under a two-year-old federal law. In fact, about 6,300 cities and counties — nearly 1 in 4 nationwide — reported no expenditures as of this spring, according to an Associated Press analysis of data released by the U.S. Treasury Department. Federal officials estimate that governments have spending commitments for more than 80% of the funds, even if that's hard to tell from their reporting requirements.