Congress

Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Democratic leaders to reject a $748 billion bipartisan coronavirus relief proposal because it leaves out stimulus checks for millions of Americans. 

A top Senate Democrat joined a growing number of rank-and-file lawmakers in backing a scaled-back coronavirus relief deal that excludes fiscal relief for states and local governments.

A bipartisan group of senators is set to unveil a $908 billion coronavirus relief bill on Monday as the deadline looms for Congress to strike a deal before the end of the year.

President Trump called on Congress to include a fresh round of stimulus checks for American families in the next coronavirus relief package as the year-end deadline for a deal looms.

Senior White House staff members who work in close proximity with President Trump were reportedly to be among the first Americans to receive coronavirus vaccine injections. 

Congress passed the first regulations on the cruise industry in a decade Friday, which include requiring a registered doctor to be aboard every ship, as just one provision of the $740 billion major national defense bill approved by the Senate with a veto-proof majority.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in comments on the Senate floor Friday morning dug in on Republicans' demand that Democrats drop funding for state and local governments from any coronavirus relief bill.

After several days of increasing optimism about the prospect that Congress could come to an agreement on a coronavirus stimulus bill, talks appeared on the edge of falling apart Thursday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democrats are stuck on the point of federal aid for state governments. 

Senate debates wrapped up Thursday night after legislators tried to get $740 billion defense spending bill passed, along with a COVID relief stopgap spending measure or face a government shutdown.

Christine Fang or Fang Fang, a suspected spy whose reported mission was to network with and befriend up-and-coming American officials on behalf of China, remained Facebook “friends” with a number of her targets for years after her cover was blown and she left the country in 2015.