Federal government united states

The US House of Representatives approved a $1.9 trillion (€1.57 trillion) coronavirus stimulus fund in the early hours of Saturday morning. Lawmakers passed the bill — aimed at giving money to individuals, businesses, states and cities hit hard by the pandemic — on a narrow, near party-line vote of 219 to 212. President Joe Biden has been pushing for the relief package, saying it will be used to stimulate the economy and create new jobs. All Republican representatives voted against the bill, which will now go to the Senate, where many progressive Democrats are also keen on resuscitating a drive for an increase to the minimum wage. Joe Biden returns to Munich Security Conference in new role 2009: The vice president meets the chancellor Weeks after being sworn in as vice president of the United States, Joe Biden made his first visit to the 45th Munich Security Conference in 2009. There he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who at that time had already led … [Read more...] about US House passes Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill

A couple say their Help to Buy dream became a nightmare as they claim to have found 150 problems in their new-build home in two years. Amy Fenn, 24, and fiancé George Watts-Sturrock, 32, bought the £265,000 starter home under the flagship Government scheme. But their joy turned to misery with a seemingly never-ending list of “snags”. The couple claim there was damp and mould, uneven walls and unfinished stairs. They say a sink was wonky, doors were wobbly, worktops damaged, tiling was iffy and drains were blocked with rubble. Then – through sheer bad luck, not down to poor building – there were two floods. In that second, a water tank exploded as horrified Amy and George lay in bed. Amy said: “We heard a huge bang and gushing water and found the tank in our boiler system had literally exploded. It has just been one thing after another.” George, who works in quality assurance, said: “We were so excited to get our first home but it’s been a nightmare.” The detached … [Read more...] about Young couple say they’ve found 150 faults in brand-new £265,000 Help to Buy home

PFIZER is to start testing its Covid vaccine on children as young as five. The pharmaceutical company's boss said it has already finished enrolling volunteers aged 12 to 15 and is now looking at younger subjects. It will begin trials on kids aged five to 11 soon, with data available by the end of 2021. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told NBC News : "We have already licensed in kids 16 and above. "We are already doing trials with kids 12 years old, all the way to 16 and I hope that we will be able to have data in a couple of months. "We are also planning to initiate pediatric studies from younger ages, from five all the way to 11. "And I believe we should have data about this population by the end of the year." Children as young as six are already being given the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in a new trial in the UK. Researchers are studying 300 kids aged between six and 17 to examine whether the jab produces a strong immune response in youngsters. So far, … [Read more...] about Pfizer to test Covid vaccine on children aged five to 11, boss reveals

A former chief scientific adviser says rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine by age rather than prioritising professions "makes sense". Professor Sir Mark Walport, who advised the government from 2013-2017, defended the decision to not prioritise frontline professions after teacher and police unions voiced their disappointment. On Friday, the government announced who would be the next priority for getting the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the second phase of the rollout. If everyone in the top nine priority groups has had their first dose by 15 April, the next group will be those aged 40-49, then 30-39 year olds and finally 18-29 year olds by 31 July. "The rollout is going in such an efficient way by doing it through the ages," Professor Sir Mark told the BBC. Advertisement "Of course, there will be many teachers, many police, who are in the 40-50 age group and indeed who will have been immunised already. So, it does make sense. "It's still … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Vaccine rollout by age not profession makes sense, says ex-chief scientific adviser Mark Walport

Lyon is one of France's culinary hubs. It's known throughout the country for its bouchons, or traditional restaurants, serving high-end hearty fare. But now Mayor Gregory Doucet has decided that the city's schools should only serve meatless meals during lunch breaks — a sacrilege to many in this city. Farmers from the Rhone region suspect that Doucet's political beliefs — he's a member of the Green Party — are behind the meat ban. The Greens, after all, have always been critical of conventional agriculture . Doucet's decision was met with protests by local farmers It wasn't long until representatives from two agricultural associations gathered outside Lyon's city hall to express their displeasure with the meat ban. They even brought along cows for extra effect. Local controversy splits national government The local dispute has now come to the attention of lawmakers in Paris. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin of the governing Republic on the Move party decried the … [Read more...] about France: Meat-free school lunches in Lyon spark controversy