$1,400 direct relief checks and federal minimum wage raise to combat impact of Covid
- Full report: Biden unveils $1.9tn coronavirus stimulus package
- Trump impeachment risks bogging down early days of Biden presidency
- Flint water crisis: ex-governor and eight others charged
- Kamala Harris: how will the next vice-president wield her power? Join the Guardian for a live conversation on 18 January
10.13am GMT
Overnight the US government carried out its latest execution, ordered by the Trump administration just days before Joe Biden is inaugurated as president.
52 year old Corey Johnson’s execution went ahead after his lawyers scrambled to stop it on grounds that the lethal injection of pentobarbital would cause him excruciating pain due to lung damage from his coronavirus infection last month.
10.08am GMT
Last night Joe Biden unveiled his $1.9tn coronavirus stimulus package to tackle the virus and the economic crisis it has triggered. Vaccination and testing efforts in the US will be sustained with $160bn, a further $350bn will be issued for state and local government health programmes, and $1tn is to go families.
10.02am GMT
Welcome to our live coverage of US politcs at the end of what has been a busy week. President-elect Joe Biden last night tried to wrest attention away from Donald Trump’s second impeachment with an eye-catching announcement of his Covid vaccination and economic stimulus plans for when he takes office next week. Here’s where we are…
Related: Trump impeachment risks bogging down early days of Biden presidency