3 publishers · first seen Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:29 UTC · updated Thu, 05 Nov 2026 19:47 UTC
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that New York's Strand Bookstore will reimburse nearly $1.5 million after improperly obtaining a pandemic-era small business loan despite being ineligible. The bookstore's owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, is married to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, making the establishment unqualified for the Paycheck Protection Program loan. The DOJ stated that the program was intended to save American jobs, not to benefit ineligible individuals. Bass Wyden explained that the bookstore was unaware of the eligibility rule changes between its first and second loan applications during the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic regulations.
The Strand Bookstore, known for its extensive collection of books, has been a significant part of New York's cultural scene. Despite the controversy, the bookstore remains a popular destination for book lovers and authors alike, offering a wide range of books from inexpensive paperbacks to rare first editions.
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