The Trump administration on Monday published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US&nbsp;goods and technology. 
 
Reuters first reported last month that the US&nbsp;Department of Commerce drafted a list of companies that it linked to the Chinese or Russian military, news that brought a rebuke from Beijing. 
 
The final list does not include Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), or the Hong Kong subsidiaries of Colorado`s Arrow Electronics and Texas-based TTI Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway electronics distributor. Those companies were on the draft list seen by Reuters. 
 
The final list names 103 entities, 14 fewer than on the draft list seen by Reuters in November. Fifty-eight are designated under China, down from 89, and 45 entities are tied to Russia, up from 28. 
 
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday the action establishes&nbsp;a new process "to&nbsp;assist exporters&nbsp;in&nbsp;screening&nbsp;their customers for military end users." 
 
The final list was published on the Commerce Department website&nbsp;on Monday and is scheduled to be posted for public inspection in the Federal Register on Tuesday. 
 
Publishing the list in the waning days of the Trump administration follows the addition of dozens of Chinese companies to another U.S. trade blacklist, including the country`s top chipmaker, SMIC, and Chinese drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, on Friday. 
 
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated over the past year, as Trump blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic, a national security law was imposed in Hong Kong and a dispute involving the South China Sea has intensified. 
 
The U.S. government also has grown increasingly concerned about China’s “military-civil fusion,” a policy that aims to build up its military might and technological development in tandem. 
 
Last spring, the Commerce Department expanded the definition of "military end users," as the department defines the companies with military ties. 
 
The category includes not only armed service and national police, but any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items - even if their business is primarily non-military. 
 
The "military end user" designation requires U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms, which are more likely to be denied than granted. 
 
The list is not definitive and Commerce said U.S. companies must continue to do their own due diligence to help decide whether their buyers are considered military end users. 
 
Publication of the list is likely to inflame Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in November called news of the draft list "unprovoked suppression of Chinese companies by the United States." 
 
While COMAC was removed, seven Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) subordinate entities remain on the list. 
 
General Electric Co and Honeywell International both have joint ventures with AVIC and supply COMAC, which is spearheading Chinese efforts to compete with Boeing Co and Airbus. 
 
Earlier this month, Arrow and TTI both denied their subsidiaries have ties to the Chinese military and said they were working to be removed from any final list.

The Trump administration on Monday published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US goods and technology.

The Trump administration on Monday published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a wide range of US goods and technology. Reuters first reported last month that the US Department of Commerce drafted a list of companies that it linked to the Chinese or Russian military, news that brought a rebuke from Beijing. The final list does not include Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), or the Hong Kong subsidiaries of Colorado`s Arrow Electronics and Texas-based TTI Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway electronics distributor. Those companies were on the draft list seen by Reuters. The final list names 103 entities, 14 fewer than on the draft list seen by Reuters in November. Fifty-eight are designated under China, down from 89, and 45 entities are tied to Russia, up from 28. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday the action establishes a new process "to assist exporters in screening their customers for military end users." The final list was published on the Commerce Department website on Monday and is scheduled to be posted for public inspection in the Federal Register on Tuesday. Publishing the list in the waning days of the Trump administration follows the addition of dozens of Chinese companies to another U.S. trade blacklist, including the country`s top chipmaker, SMIC, and Chinese drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, on Friday. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated over the past year, as Trump blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic, a national security law was imposed in Hong Kong and a dispute involving the South China Sea has intensified. The U.S. government also has grown increasingly concerned about China’s “military-civil fusion,” a policy that aims to build up its military might and technological development in tandem. Last spring, the Commerce Department expanded the definition of "military end users," as the department defines the companies with military ties. The category includes not only armed service and national police, but any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items - even if their business is primarily non-military. The "military end user" designation requires U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms, which are more likely to be denied than granted. The list is not definitive and Commerce said U.S. companies must continue to do their own due diligence to help decide whether their buyers are considered military end users. Publication of the list is likely to inflame Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in November called news of the draft list "unprovoked suppression of Chinese companies by the United States." While COMAC was removed, seven Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) subordinate entities remain on the list. General Electric Co and Honeywell International both have joint ventures with AVIC and supply COMAC, which is spearheading Chinese efforts to compete with Boeing Co and Airbus. Earlier this month, Arrow and TTI both denied their subsidiaries have ties to the Chinese military and said they were working to be removed from any final list.

US publishes list of Chinese, Russian firms with military ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the ‘Legion of Merit’ by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday for his role in advancing the India-U.S. relationship

Indian PM Narendra Modi awarded ‘Legion of Merit’ by Donald Trump

U.S. congressional leaders said on Sunday they had reached agreement on a $900 billion package to provide the first new aid in months to an economy hammered by the coronavirus pandemic

What's in the $900 billion U.S. COVID-19 aid package?

The analysis comes as the list of US agencies, private companies and other entities affected by the hacking campaign continues to increase.

What led to the worst cyber attack in the U.S.

On Sunday the advisory committee recommended states should put adults over 75 and “essential workers” next in line, as bus drivers, grocery store clerks and others are infected most often.

Moderna starts shipping its COVID-19 vaccine in U.S.

Lawmakers in the US are expected to back $1.9 billion in a bid to kick start a programme which would remove a lot of telecom network equipment from the country.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Reuters reported that the government will replace infrastructure which it feels poses risks to American national sovereignty. This will be provisioned along with the year-end spending bill, and a COVID-19 bill.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/huaweis-revenue-growth-slowed-significantly-faces-intense-scrutiny-from-us-337428/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In addition, Americans will back $3.2 billion for benefit in terms of broadband especially for low-income Americans.

In June, the Federal Communications Commissions claimed that it had formally designated Huawei Technologies Co, and ZTE Corp - both from China - as threats.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/uighur-alarm-huawei-worked-with-companies-to-build-tools-that-track-people-by-ethnicity-349670" hreflang="en">Uighur alarm: Huawei worked with companies to build tools that track people by ethnicity</a> 
 
Since then, US firms have been disallowed from purchasing Chinese equipment.

Earlier in December, the FCC has finalised rules that require carriers with Huawei and/or ZTE equipment to “rip and replace” all paraphernalia in place, but no funding from US Congress has been green lit so far.

Huawei has responded to the decision, saying it was disappointed in the decision “to force removal of our products from telecommunications networks. This overreach puts US citizens at risk in the largely underserved rural areas – during a pandemic - when reliable communication is essential."

A source told Reuters that the bill "establishes a temporary, emergency broadband benefit program at the FCC to help low-income Americans, including those economically challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, get connected or remain connected to broadband”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/britain-bans-installation-of-new-huawei-5g-equipment-from-september-2021-346456" hreflang="en">Britain bans installation of new Huawei 5G equipment from September 2021</a> 
 
To ensure connectivity is not affected, the programme will also provide $50 per month to households to ensure that they are able to afford broadband service and an device with internet capability.

The bill, which is currently in drafting phases, will include $285 million set aside for minority connectivity development, and to establish an Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Lawmakers in the US are expected to back $1.9 billion in a bid to kick start a programme which would remove a lot of telecom network equipment from the country. On Sunday, Reuters reported that the government will replace infrastructure which it feels poses risks to American national sovereignty.

Lawmakers in the US are expected to back $1.9 billion in a bid to kick start a programme which would remove a lot of telecom network equipment from the country. On Sunday, Reuters reported that the government will replace infrastructure which it feels poses risks to American national sovereignty. This will be provisioned along with the year-end spending bill, and a COVID-19 bill. In addition, Americans will back $3.2 billion for benefit in terms of broadband especially for low-income Americans. In June, the Federal Communications Commissions claimed that it had formally designated Huawei Technologies Co, and ZTE Corp - both from China - as threats. Also read: Uighur alarm: Huawei worked with companies to build tools that track people by ethnicity Since then, US firms have been disallowed from purchasing Chinese equipment. Earlier in December, the FCC has finalised rules that require carriers with Huawei and/or ZTE equipment to “rip and replace” all paraphernalia in place, but no funding from US Congress has been green lit so far. Huawei has responded to the decision, saying it was disappointed in the decision “to force removal of our products from telecommunications networks. This overreach puts US citizens at risk in the largely underserved rural areas – during a pandemic - when reliable communication is essential." A source told Reuters that the bill "establishes a temporary, emergency broadband benefit program at the FCC to help low-income Americans, including those economically challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, get connected or remain connected to broadband”. Also read: Britain bans installation of new Huawei 5G equipment from September 2021 To ensure connectivity is not affected, the programme will also provide $50 per month to households to ensure that they are able to afford broadband service and an device with internet capability. The bill, which is currently in drafting phases, will include $285 million set aside for minority connectivity development, and to establish an Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Lawmakers in US to back almost $2 billion to replace Chinese telecom equipment from companies like Huawei

Washington is "prepared to react" if Tehran launches an attack to mark the first anniversary of the killing of powerful Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the head of US forces in the Middle East warned Sunday.

"We are prepared to defend ourselves, our friends and partners in the region, and we're prepared to react if necessary," General Kenneth McKenzie, who heads the US Central Command (Centcom), told journalists.

He was touring the region weeks before the anniversary of the January 3, 2020 killing of Soleimani by a US drone strike near the Baghdad airport.

"My assessment is we are in a very good position and we'll be prepared for anything the Iranians or their proxies acting for them might choose to do," McKenzie, a four-star marine general, told a small group of journalists in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location in the region.

The Centcom commander said he had recently visited Baghdad, where he met with the head of the anti-jihadist coalition, American General Paul Calvert, as well as the Iraqi army chief of staff, General Abdul Amir Yarallah.

McKenzie said he had also gone to Syria to meet with American forces deployed in the small southern base at Al-Tanf, near the border with Jordan and Iraq.

In an apparent sign of US military leaders' concerns about Iranian intentions after Soleimani's killing, McKenzie's current tour was not announced in advance.

Similarly, last week's visits by General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Afghanistan were kept secret until he had left the region.

"I talk to my commanders about it every day and I think we will be ready," McKenzie said.

Even as the US Army continues troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan ordered by President Donald Trump -- with a goal of drawing down to 2,500 in each country by January 15 -- the Pentagon has substantially reinforced its posture around Iraq to dissuade Iran from launching any attack.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been patrolling Gulf waters since late November, and two American B-52 bombers recently overflew the region in a demonstration of strength clearly aimed at Iran and its allies.

Still, a volley of rockets exploded Sunday near the US embassy in Baghdad, causing material damage but no casualties, according to Iraqi security forces.

It was the third attack on American military and diplomatic installations there since an indefinite truce was agreed with pro-Iranian groups in October.

Washington is "prepared to react" if Tehran launches an attack to mark the first anniversary of the killing of powerful Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the head of US forces in the Middle East warned Sunday.

Washington is "prepared to react" if Tehran launches an attack to mark the first anniversary of the killing of powerful Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the head of US forces in the Middle East warned Sunday. "We are prepared to defend ourselves, our friends and partners in the region, and we're prepared to react if necessary," General Kenneth McKenzie, who heads the US Central Command (Centcom), told journalists. He was touring the region weeks before the anniversary of the January 3, 2020 killing of Soleimani by a US drone strike near the Baghdad airport. "My assessment is we are in a very good position and we'll be prepared for anything the Iranians or their proxies acting for them might choose to do," McKenzie, a four-star marine general, told a small group of journalists in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location in the region. The Centcom commander said he had recently visited Baghdad, where he met with the head of the anti-jihadist coalition, American General Paul Calvert, as well as the Iraqi army chief of staff, General Abdul Amir Yarallah. McKenzie said he had also gone to Syria to meet with American forces deployed in the small southern base at Al-Tanf, near the border with Jordan and Iraq. In an apparent sign of US military leaders' concerns about Iranian intentions after Soleimani's killing, McKenzie's current tour was not announced in advance. Similarly, last week's visits by General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Afghanistan were kept secret until he had left the region. "I talk to my commanders about it every day and I think we will be ready," McKenzie said. Even as the US Army continues troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan ordered by President Donald Trump -- with a goal of drawing down to 2,500 in each country by January 15 -- the Pentagon has substantially reinforced its posture around Iraq to dissuade Iran from launching any attack. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been patrolling Gulf waters since late November, and two American B-52 bombers recently overflew the region in a demonstration of strength clearly aimed at Iran and its allies. Still, a volley of rockets exploded Sunday near the US embassy in Baghdad, causing material damage but no casualties, according to Iraqi security forces. It was the third attack on American military and diplomatic installations there since an indefinite truce was agreed with pro-Iranian groups in October.

US says ‘prepared to react’ if Iran seeks to avenge its top general's killing 

United States Congress reached an agreement to roll out a relief package worth $900 billion, in what is being seen as the first set of reliefs in months for people in an economy which has been hammered by COVID-19, which has killed the most number of people in the US. Even then, it’s unclear when Congress would vote to cement the deal.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/biden-meets-top-american-ceos-corporate-america-agrees-on-need-for-stimulus-343791/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Earlier, a $2.3 trillion aid bill was passed in March, which was the largest economic stimulus in the country’s history.

As of now, COVID-19 is infecting over 214,000 people everyday, with 317,000 Americans dead so far.

Another Senate leader - Chuck Schumer claimed that the package should be approved in both the chambers of the Congress.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/americans-scraping-by-say-they-fear-a-second-stimulus-wont-be-enough-351244" hreflang="en">Americans scraping by say they fear a second stimulus won’t be enough</a>

"Finally we have some good news to deliver to the American people," he said on the Senate floor.

The package would provide $600 worth of boost to individuals. In addition, it would provide $300 unemployment payments, with additional aid worth billions of dollars.

The package also provides $25 billion in rental assistance, Reuters reported.

Lawmakers were able to resolve disputes over the Federal Reserve’s pandemic lending authority, funding of education and lending for small businesses.&nbsp;

"I think it's for the most part wrapped up," Republican Senator John Thune said to reporters.

The Congress is attempting to imbibe the aid package in a $1.4 trillion spending bill, which will fund government aid programmes upto September 2021.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-resolve-fed-dispute-as-they-race-to-close-stimulus-deal-351240" hreflang="en">Lawmakers resolve fed dispute as they race to close stimulus deal</a>

However, analysts believe that it may not be done soon enough before the expiration of government funding, implying a temporary extension must be passed to keep the government operable.

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of House of Representatives said on Sunday that she wishes to review the package before calling a vote.

United States Congress reached an agreement to roll out a relief package worth $900 billion, in what is being seen as the first set of reliefs in months for people in an economy which has been hammered by COVID-19, which has killed the most number of people in the US.

United States Congress reached an agreement to roll out a relief package worth $900 billion, in what is being seen as the first set of reliefs in months for people in an economy which has been hammered by COVID-19, which has killed the most number of people in the US. Even then, it’s unclear when Congress would vote to cement the deal. "At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. Earlier, a $2.3 trillion aid bill was passed in March, which was the largest economic stimulus in the country’s history. As of now, COVID-19 is infecting over 214,000 people everyday, with 317,000 Americans dead so far. Another Senate leader - Chuck Schumer claimed that the package should be approved in both the chambers of the Congress. Also read: Americans scraping by say they fear a second stimulus won’t be enough "Finally we have some good news to deliver to the American people," he said on the Senate floor. The package would provide $600 worth of boost to individuals. In addition, it would provide $300 unemployment payments, with additional aid worth billions of dollars. The package also provides $25 billion in rental assistance, Reuters reported. Lawmakers were able to resolve disputes over the Federal Reserve’s pandemic lending authority, funding of education and lending for small businesses. "I think it's for the most part wrapped up," Republican Senator John Thune said to reporters. The Congress is attempting to imbibe the aid package in a $1.4 trillion spending bill, which will fund government aid programmes upto September 2021. Also read: Lawmakers resolve fed dispute as they race to close stimulus deal However, analysts believe that it may not be done soon enough before the expiration of government funding, implying a temporary extension must be passed to keep the government operable. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of House of Representatives said on Sunday that she wishes to review the package before calling a vote.

US Congress reaches deal on aid package worth $900 billion

U.S. Embassy in Iraq condemned a rocket attack on its compound in Baghdad’s Green Zone on Sunday, saying it resulted in minor damage but no casualties or injuries.

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad condemns rocket attack on its compound

With millions of Americans out of work and at risk of losing their homes, Congress’ failure to quickly reach a deal that would send more money to struggling families is increasingly frustrating those hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers on Saturday were stymied over a proposed stimulus package, and the clock was ticking. Millions of people are at risk of being kicked out of their homes after Dec. 31, when a federal moratorium on evictions ends, and as many as 12 million people could lose unemployment benefits Dec. 26, when two emergency programs expire.

For Renée DeCarlo, 49, an artist in San Francisco, the near-daily calls about her credit card payments make it impossible to forget about a mountain of debt that keeps piling higher. She has had to keep her studio closed to the public, and she sold her car to try to stay on top of expenses. Now, as the holidays approach, she is selling as much of her art as she can and using the money — coupled with unemployment benefits — to support her two teenage children.

“I need that money to live on,” she said. “I’ve been trading art for rent.”

DeCarlo is hoping that Congress makes an effort to forgive some of the debt that has piled up for her and others as the pandemic drags on.

“Getting those calls just makes you feel worse and sort of inadequate, as a person and as a society,” DeCarlo said. “I don’t want to be pulling the economy down. I’m trying to bring things up in what I do every day.”

Lawmakers were working Saturday to strike an agreement on a $900 billion stimulus package before Sunday night. The plan under discussion would extend unemployment benefits and issue stimulus checks of $600, half of what the government sent to many Americans in April and an amount that many say would be gone — spent on necessities — as soon as it arrived.

“It’s a joke,” said Chant’e Catt, an off-campus housing coordinator at Humboldt State University in Northern California. “It’s a slap in the face, and it’s really disrespectful for somebody who lost their job.”

Aid organizations that have been flooded with people seeking help amid the pandemic are also anxiously waiting for Congress to act.

The Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit ramped up its distribution this year as the virus spread and families lost jobs, delivering food to 150,000 households in the Detroit area each month, 50,000 more than normal. Now those who work to distribute 6.7 million pounds of food each month say they could lose half of it if a federal farm-to-family program enacted during the pandemic expires.

“Michigan winters aren’t the greatest, which means that heating bills are going up, and on top of that, there are people working or learning from home, so their heating bills are increasing as well,” said Stacy Averill, vice president of community giving at Gleaners. “All of those things are coming together now and bringing additional anxiety to households as they try to navigate trying to put food on the table.”

In Cleveland, people were lining up Saturday outside of a house in the city’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood to get donated toys for their young relatives. The house serves as a food pantry for most of the year but doubles as a toy center during the Christmas season.

Among those putting her name on the list for toys was a retiree who said she was looking out for her grandchildren. “I’ve never had to get Christmas toys for free like this,” she said. “Sometimes you have to swallow your pride.”

The woman said a $600 check could help her family stay afloat. “Right now we are trying to live month to month, and a little bit more money might help us get to the next month,” she said.

David Caron, 22, recently got a job at a J. Crew store in Boston after working part time for DoorDash, the delivery service, and receiving some unemployment payments. He said a stimulus check of $600 would not be nearly enough to help him recover from the pandemic’s toll.

“We bail out companies and corporations all the time,” a frustrated Caron said Saturday. “When it comes to helping the individual, we are left to hang dry.”

With millions of Americans out of work and at risk of losing their homes, Congress’ failure to quickly reach a deal that would send more money to struggling families is increasingly frustrating those hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

With millions of Americans out of work and at risk of losing their homes, Congress’ failure to quickly reach a deal that would send more money to struggling families is increasingly frustrating those hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers on Saturday were stymied over a proposed stimulus package, and the clock was ticking. Millions of people are at risk of being kicked out of their homes after Dec. 31, when a federal moratorium on evictions ends, and as many as 12 million people could lose unemployment benefits Dec. 26, when two emergency programs expire. For Renée DeCarlo, 49, an artist in San Francisco, the near-daily calls about her credit card payments make it impossible to forget about a mountain of debt that keeps piling higher. She has had to keep her studio closed to the public, and she sold her car to try to stay on top of expenses. Now, as the holidays approach, she is selling as much of her art as she can and using the money — coupled with unemployment benefits — to support her two teenage children. “I need that money to live on,” she said. “I’ve been trading art for rent.” DeCarlo is hoping that Congress makes an effort to forgive some of the debt that has piled up for her and others as the pandemic drags on. “Getting those calls just makes you feel worse and sort of inadequate, as a person and as a society,” DeCarlo said. “I don’t want to be pulling the economy down. I’m trying to bring things up in what I do every day.” Lawmakers were working Saturday to strike an agreement on a $900 billion stimulus package before Sunday night. The plan under discussion would extend unemployment benefits and issue stimulus checks of $600, half of what the government sent to many Americans in April and an amount that many say would be gone — spent on necessities — as soon as it arrived. “It’s a joke,” said Chant’e Catt, an off-campus housing coordinator at Humboldt State University in Northern California. “It’s a slap in the face, and it’s really disrespectful for somebody who lost their job.” Aid organizations that have been flooded with people seeking help amid the pandemic are also anxiously waiting for Congress to act. The Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit ramped up its distribution this year as the virus spread and families lost jobs, delivering food to 150,000 households in the Detroit area each month, 50,000 more than normal. Now those who work to distribute 6.7 million pounds of food each month say they could lose half of it if a federal farm-to-family program enacted during the pandemic expires. “Michigan winters aren’t the greatest, which means that heating bills are going up, and on top of that, there are people working or learning from home, so their heating bills are increasing as well,” said Stacy Averill, vice president of community giving at Gleaners. “All of those things are coming together now and bringing additional anxiety to households as they try to navigate trying to put food on the table.” In Cleveland, people were lining up Saturday outside of a house in the city’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood to get donated toys for their young relatives. The house serves as a food pantry for most of the year but doubles as a toy center during the Christmas season. Among those putting her name on the list for toys was a retiree who said she was looking out for her grandchildren. “I’ve never had to get Christmas toys for free like this,” she said. “Sometimes you have to swallow your pride.” The woman said a $600 check could help her family stay afloat. “Right now we are trying to live month to month, and a little bit more money might help us get to the next month,” she said. David Caron, 22, recently got a job at a J. Crew store in Boston after working part time for DoorDash, the delivery service, and receiving some unemployment payments. He said a stimulus check of $600 would not be nearly enough to help him recover from the pandemic’s toll. “We bail out companies and corporations all the time,” a frustrated Caron said Saturday. “When it comes to helping the individual, we are left to hang dry.”

Americans scraping by say they fear a second stimulus won’t be enough

It's been a little over a week since the US government discovered that several of it's agencies were the target of one of the biggest cyber attacks that the country has ever seen. It was first discovered by the US cyber security firm fire eye and everyday more developments continue to come to light while the full scale & consequences of the attack still remain unclear.

What led to the worst cyber attack in US?

Senators broke through an impasse late Saturday night over a Republican effort to curtail the powers of the Federal Reserve, clearing away what had been seen as the final hurdle to a deal on a $900 billion stimulus package as lawmakers raced against a Sunday night deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

With time running out for a compromise, Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., agreed to narrow his effort to rein in the central bank, according to three aides familiar with the discussion. All three aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted that the precise language was still being finalized.

Toomey had sought to bar the Fed and Treasury Department from setting up any loan program similar to those established this year that have helped to keep credit flowing to corporate, municipal and medium-size business borrowers during the recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The agreed-upon alternative, which was still being drafted near midnight on Saturday, aides familiar with the process said, would bar only programs that were more or less exact copycats of the ones newly employed in 2020.

The agreement was a critical breakthrough for lawmakers who have been racing to complete the emergency plan to rush direct payments, unemployment benefits and food and rental assistance to millions of Americans, as well as provide relief to businesses and funds for vaccine distribution. While negotiators were still wrangling over a number of smaller issues, the Federal Reserve language had emerged as the thorniest sticking point to a final agreement.

“If things continue on this path, and nothing gets in the way, we’ll be able to vote tomorrow,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, told reporters as he left the Capitol shortly before midnight. “House and Senate.”

In an indication that a final deal was close, House leaders notified lawmakers to expect votes as soon as early Sunday afternoon.

President Donald Trump, who has been absent from the frenzied negotiations on the measure, weighed in on Twitter, exhorting Congress to “GET IT DONE” and provide “more money in direct payments.”

The emerging deal would send direct payments of $600 to many Americans and provide enhanced federal jobless payments of $300 per week until early spring. It would also provide hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up small businesses, schools and other institutions struggling amid the pandemic.

With government funding set to lapse Sunday and both chambers hoping to merge the stimulus package with a catchall measure to cover all federal spending for the remainder of the fiscal year, time was dwindling to finalize the recovery plan and rush it to Trump’s desk.

Without action by Congress, two programs designed to expand and enhance unemployment benefits are set to expire in the coming days, leaving about 12 million Americans without federal support. A number of other benefits are set to expire at the end of the year.

Democrats had said that Toomey’s proposal, which had been embraced by Republicans, amounted to an attempt to undercut President-elect Joe Biden and his administration’s ability to continue supporting the country’s economic recovery.

The Fed rolled out a wide-ranging suite of emergency loan programs in response to market disruptions in March and April, and Congress allotted $454 billion to back up those efforts in the first pandemic stimulus law, enacted in March. But Toomey remained concerned for months that the programs might last past the end of the year. Though Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, moved to claw back the money in mid-November, Toomey insisted that the new stimulus measure close off the programs for fear that a new Treasury secretary might try to restart the effort next year, once Biden takes office.

As initially drafted, Toomey’s proposal would have prevented the Fed and the Treasury Department from reestablishing emergency lending programs that had been backed by the congressional appropriation, and would have barred the creation of “similar” programs going forward.

While it was not clear exactly what the new language would say, two aides familiar with the agreement said it would prevent the new Treasury secretary from revamping carbon copies of the pandemic lending programs. But under the compromise struck late Saturday, proposed by Schumer, it would not prevent Fed emergency programs from lending to states or medium-size businesses in the future, so long as the design of the programs was somewhat different, the people said.

Toomey had been particularly concerned that Democrats might harness the Fed’s powers to funnel cheap money to state and local borrowers. Democrats have been seeking additional avenues to provide relief to those governments.

“This agreement will preserve Fed independence and prevent Democrats from hijacking these programs for political and social policy purposes,” Steve Kelly, a spokesman for Toomey, said in a statement.

Senators broke through an impasse late Saturday night over a Republican effort to curtail the powers of the Federal Reserve, clearing away what had been seen as the final hurdle to a deal on a $900 billion stimulus package as lawmakers raced against a Sunday night deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Senators broke through an impasse late Saturday night over a Republican effort to curtail the powers of the Federal Reserve, clearing away what had been seen as the final hurdle to a deal on a $900 billion stimulus package as lawmakers raced against a Sunday night deadline to avoid a government shutdown. With time running out for a compromise, Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., agreed to narrow his effort to rein in the central bank, according to three aides familiar with the discussion. All three aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted that the precise language was still being finalized. Toomey had sought to bar the Fed and Treasury Department from setting up any loan program similar to those established this year that have helped to keep credit flowing to corporate, municipal and medium-size business borrowers during the recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The agreed-upon alternative, which was still being drafted near midnight on Saturday, aides familiar with the process said, would bar only programs that were more or less exact copycats of the ones newly employed in 2020. The agreement was a critical breakthrough for lawmakers who have been racing to complete the emergency plan to rush direct payments, unemployment benefits and food and rental assistance to millions of Americans, as well as provide relief to businesses and funds for vaccine distribution. While negotiators were still wrangling over a number of smaller issues, the Federal Reserve language had emerged as the thorniest sticking point to a final agreement. “If things continue on this path, and nothing gets in the way, we’ll be able to vote tomorrow,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, told reporters as he left the Capitol shortly before midnight. “House and Senate.” In an indication that a final deal was close, House leaders notified lawmakers to expect votes as soon as early Sunday afternoon. President Donald Trump, who has been absent from the frenzied negotiations on the measure, weighed in on Twitter, exhorting Congress to “GET IT DONE” and provide “more money in direct payments.” The emerging deal would send direct payments of $600 to many Americans and provide enhanced federal jobless payments of $300 per week until early spring. It would also provide hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up small businesses, schools and other institutions struggling amid the pandemic. With government funding set to lapse Sunday and both chambers hoping to merge the stimulus package with a catchall measure to cover all federal spending for the remainder of the fiscal year, time was dwindling to finalize the recovery plan and rush it to Trump’s desk. Without action by Congress, two programs designed to expand and enhance unemployment benefits are set to expire in the coming days, leaving about 12 million Americans without federal support. A number of other benefits are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats had said that Toomey’s proposal, which had been embraced by Republicans, amounted to an attempt to undercut President-elect Joe Biden and his administration’s ability to continue supporting the country’s economic recovery. The Fed rolled out a wide-ranging suite of emergency loan programs in response to market disruptions in March and April, and Congress allotted $454 billion to back up those efforts in the first pandemic stimulus law, enacted in March. But Toomey remained concerned for months that the programs might last past the end of the year. Though Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, moved to claw back the money in mid-November, Toomey insisted that the new stimulus measure close off the programs for fear that a new Treasury secretary might try to restart the effort next year, once Biden takes office. As initially drafted, Toomey’s proposal would have prevented the Fed and the Treasury Department from reestablishing emergency lending programs that had been backed by the congressional appropriation, and would have barred the creation of “similar” programs going forward. While it was not clear exactly what the new language would say, two aides familiar with the agreement said it would prevent the new Treasury secretary from revamping carbon copies of the pandemic lending programs. But under the compromise struck late Saturday, proposed by Schumer, it would not prevent Fed emergency programs from lending to states or medium-size businesses in the future, so long as the design of the programs was somewhat different, the people said. Toomey had been particularly concerned that Democrats might harness the Fed’s powers to funnel cheap money to state and local borrowers. Democrats have been seeking additional avenues to provide relief to those governments. “This agreement will preserve Fed independence and prevent Democrats from hijacking these programs for political and social policy purposes,” Steve Kelly, a spokesman for Toomey, said in a statement.

Lawmakers resolve fed dispute as they race to close stimulus deal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Russia for the massive cyberattack against multiple US agencies and thousands of individual federal and private entities.

Pompeo says Russians engaged in the massive cyberattack

Women's World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe has said her inclusion in FIFA's "Women's World11" team of the year despite playing so little is a sign that the women's game needs more visibility and exposure.

Rapinoe, who was named best player at the 2019 World Cup and finished top scorer, said she appreciated being included in the team of the year but pointed out she had not played since March, when the coronavirus pandemic disrupted global sport.

The winger said on Twitter she appreciated being chosen by her fellow professionals but other players deserved more recognition this year.

"We have so many phenomenal female players around the world and all of us need to do what we can to recognise them," she said.

She added that her inclusion "sheds light on the fact that to push our game forward we need continued investment ... to give more female players the opportunity to be seen on TV in their home countries and globally while performing for club and country".

Rapinoe, who won FIFA's The Best award last year and gained extra attention for her criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump, chose not to play for her club OL Reign when the U.S. women's season resumed in June.

But she said she was excited to return to playing next year, when the United States will be playing in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

"The future of our game is so bright, the potential is limitless, and our commitment to pushing it forward from every possible angle has to match that," she added.

"Again, I am honoured and flattered to have been recognised by my peers for this honour, and look forward to getting back out on the field in 2021!"

Women's World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe has said her inclusion in FIFA's "Women's World11" team of the year despite playing so little is a sign that the women's game needs more visibility and exposure.

Women's World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe has said her inclusion in FIFA's "Women's World11" team of the year despite playing so little is a sign that the women's game needs more visibility and exposure. Rapinoe, who was named best player at the 2019 World Cup and finished top scorer, said she appreciated being included in the team of the year but pointed out she had not played since March, when the coronavirus pandemic disrupted global sport. The winger said on Twitter she appreciated being chosen by her fellow professionals but other players deserved more recognition this year. "We have so many phenomenal female players around the world and all of us need to do what we can to recognise them," she said. She added that her inclusion "sheds light on the fact that to push our game forward we need continued investment ... to give more female players the opportunity to be seen on TV in their home countries and globally while performing for club and country". Rapinoe, who won FIFA's The Best award last year and gained extra attention for her criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump, chose not to play for her club OL Reign when the U.S. women's season resumed in June. But she said she was excited to return to playing next year, when the United States will be playing in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. "The future of our game is so bright, the potential is limitless, and our commitment to pushing it forward from every possible angle has to match that," she added. "Again, I am honoured and flattered to have been recognised by my peers for this honour, and look forward to getting back out on the field in 2021!"

Megan Rapinoe questions her inclusion in FIFA team of year

The Commerce Department is expected to add around 80 additional companies and affiliates to the so-called entity list, nearly all of them Chinese.

U.S. to blacklist dozens of Chinese firms including SMIC

A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday (December 17) overwhelmingly endorsed emergency use of Moderna coronavirus vaccine, virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation.

FDA expert panel endorses Moderna coronavirus vaccine

US congressional negotiators on Wednesday were "closing in on" a $900 billion COVID-19 aid bill that will include a new round of stimulus checks and extended unemployment benefits, lawmakers and congressional aides said.

US Congress 'closing in' on $900 billion COVID-19 aid bill

US experts will meet Thursday to decide whether to recommend approval of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.

Moderna vaccine inches closer to emergency use approval in United States

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday U.S. sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of Russian defence systems were a "hostile attack" on its sovereign rights and defence industry, and the move was bound to fail.

Erdogan says US sanctions an attack on ally Turkey's rights

As Democrats look to the incoming Biden administration to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s work, the conservative imprint he has left on the federal courts is only deepening.

Much attention in recent months has focused on the Supreme Court and its newly appointed justice, Amy Coney Barrett. But an analysis of decisions by the country’s appellate bench — where nearly all contested federal litigation ends — shows the transformation of the judiciary under Trump.

Early this year, The New York Times reviewed more than 10,000 published decisions and dissents during the first three years of the Trump administration. It found that the president’s picks for the appeals courts were more likely than past Republican appointees to disagree with peers selected by Democrats and more likely to agree with their Republican colleagues, suggesting they were more consistently conservative.

An updated analysis of more than 1,700 opinions published over the first six months of the year shows that the trend has intensified as the judges have established a larger body of work.

“It’s more polarized,” said Joshua Fischman, a law professor at the University of Virginia. “We’ve seen a huge conservative shift. A lot of these judges are very young, and they’ll be there for a long time.”

Trump has named 53 of the 165 judges on the nation’s regional appeals courts, lifetime appointments that will have a vast and enduring effect. Most cases on the courts are decided unanimously by three-person panels, and dissent is relatively rare. But as a group, his selections were nearly four times as likely to clash with colleagues appointed by Democratic presidents as those appointed by Republicans. Judges nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush showed the same tendency, but to half the extent.

The judges who exhibited the pattern included some who had been under consideration for the Supreme Court and some who had deep political connections on Capitol Hill. One had done legal work for Trump’s 2016 campaign and later, as acting head of the Justice Department’s civil division, was in charge of defending high-profile presidential policies that came under attack in the courts.

Yet while Trump has made clear that he expects loyalty from his judicial appointees, they have ruled against him in lawsuits that his campaign brought regarding the 2020 election. Most notably, Barrett last week joined her fellow justices in denying an effort by Texas to overturn the Biden victory in four battleground states.

At the appeals level, Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd Circuit, nominated in 2017, wrote a blistering decision last month rejecting the Trump campaign’s election challenge in Pennsylvania. And Judge Andrew L. Brasher of the 11th Circuit, appointed this year, wrote an opinion this month rebuffing the campaign’s effort to bypass the lower federal court and decertify Georgia’s election results.

Fischman said that to rule differently would have been to flout the law. “It’s completely against judicial culture,” he said. “They just could not be taken seriously as judges if they sided with Trump here.”

Bibas and Brasher serve on courts that Trump has flipped toward conservative majorities. While Bibas was not among the most disputatious of the appointees, according to the analysis, he dissented in a significant gun-rights case in which two Democratic appointees upheld New Jersey’s limit on large-capacity magazines.

“We must treat the right to keep and bear arms like other enumerated rights,” he wrote. “We may not water it down and balance it away based on our own sense of wise policy.”

Barrett — who until October served in Indiana on the 7th Circuit, where there is a particular culture of agreement — also followed the pattern, striking out against Democratic-named colleagues over 7% of the time and against Republican appointees 2.5% of the time, the analysis showed.

In one such case, she disagreed that a man who had admitted to killing his wife was denied the right to a lawyer when a judge questioned him. (Her position later held sway when the case was considered by a full slate of 7th Circuit judges.)

On the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Neomi Rao, confirmed to the bench just last year, has already made waves. Of four cases with published opinions that she participated in alongside two Democratic appointees, she dissented three times, the analysis showed. In June, she wrote the majority opinion ordering a lower-court judge to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser.

In a case decided in May, Judge Joel M. Carson III of the 10th Circuit dissented as his Democratic-appointed peers ruled against a challenge to the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks, the attachments that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire in sustained bursts. That case is now under consideration by the full circuit.

And this month, Judge Lawrence J.C. VanDyke broke from his colleagues on the 9th Circuit, objecting as they ruled against the Trump administration and called an immigration policy favoring wealthy immigrants for green cards “arbitrary and capricious.” VanDyke was among the handful of Trump nominees at the appellate level whose qualifications were questioned by the American Bar Association.

Not all the judges fit the pattern: Many serve on courts with a majority of Republican appointees, and some belong to circuits with a stronger culture of consensus. But The Times found that Trump appointees were more likely to be involved in a case featuring dissent even when those factors were accounted for.

The analysis examined how often and with whom the judges agreed but not the ideological content of their opinions. Though the cases sometimes touched on big policy debates — abortion, gun rights, policing — they more often concerned matters like employment disputes and criminal and immigration court appeals.

The Trump administration’s work in swiftly filling vacant judgeships has depended heavily on Republicans in the Senate, particularly Mitch McConnell, the majority leader. He has encouraged eligible federal judges to retire to create more openings and has led a confirmation process in which Republicans shunned compromise and sought unbending conservatives and reliable political allies to populate the bench.

As of this month, if pending nominations are taken into account, President-elect Joe Biden stands to inherit fewer than 25 openings across the federal judiciary, compared with the more than 100 that carried over to Trump from Barack Obama's administration.

Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee have appealed to Lindsey Graham, its Republican chairman through the end of the year, asking him not to proceed with any more nominations before Biden is sworn in.

But even with a Democrat in the White House, the Republicans will be in a position to continue their push for conservative appointees, or at least block liberal ones, unless Democrats gain control of the Senate by winning both seats in next month’s special election in Georgia.

“A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election,” McConnell said in October as Barrett was confirmed. “They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

As Democrats look to the incoming Biden administration to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s work, the conservative imprint he has left on the federal courts is only deepening.

As Democrats look to the incoming Biden administration to reverse much of President Donald Trump’s work, the conservative imprint he has left on the federal courts is only deepening. Much attention in recent months has focused on the Supreme Court and its newly appointed justice, Amy Coney Barrett. But an analysis of decisions by the country’s appellate bench — where nearly all contested federal litigation ends — shows the transformation of the judiciary under Trump. Early this year, The New York Times reviewed more than 10,000 published decisions and dissents during the first three years of the Trump administration. It found that the president’s picks for the appeals courts were more likely than past Republican appointees to disagree with peers selected by Democrats and more likely to agree with their Republican colleagues, suggesting they were more consistently conservative. An updated analysis of more than 1,700 opinions published over the first six months of the year shows that the trend has intensified as the judges have established a larger body of work. “It’s more polarized,” said Joshua Fischman, a law professor at the University of Virginia. “We’ve seen a huge conservative shift. A lot of these judges are very young, and they’ll be there for a long time.” Trump has named 53 of the 165 judges on the nation’s regional appeals courts, lifetime appointments that will have a vast and enduring effect. Most cases on the courts are decided unanimously by three-person panels, and dissent is relatively rare. But as a group, his selections were nearly four times as likely to clash with colleagues appointed by Democratic presidents as those appointed by Republicans. Judges nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush showed the same tendency, but to half the extent. The judges who exhibited the pattern included some who had been under consideration for the Supreme Court and some who had deep political connections on Capitol Hill. One had done legal work for Trump’s 2016 campaign and later, as acting head of the Justice Department’s civil division, was in charge of defending high-profile presidential policies that came under attack in the courts. Yet while Trump has made clear that he expects loyalty from his judicial appointees, they have ruled against him in lawsuits that his campaign brought regarding the 2020 election. Most notably, Barrett last week joined her fellow justices in denying an effort by Texas to overturn the Biden victory in four battleground states. At the appeals level, Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd Circuit, nominated in 2017, wrote a blistering decision last month rejecting the Trump campaign’s election challenge in Pennsylvania. And Judge Andrew L. Brasher of the 11th Circuit, appointed this year, wrote an opinion this month rebuffing the campaign’s effort to bypass the lower federal court and decertify Georgia’s election results. Fischman said that to rule differently would have been to flout the law. “It’s completely against judicial culture,” he said. “They just could not be taken seriously as judges if they sided with Trump here.” Bibas and Brasher serve on courts that Trump has flipped toward conservative majorities. While Bibas was not among the most disputatious of the appointees, according to the analysis, he dissented in a significant gun-rights case in which two Democratic appointees upheld New Jersey’s limit on large-capacity magazines. “We must treat the right to keep and bear arms like other enumerated rights,” he wrote. “We may not water it down and balance it away based on our own sense of wise policy.” Barrett — who until October served in Indiana on the 7th Circuit, where there is a particular culture of agreement — also followed the pattern, striking out against Democratic-named colleagues over 7% of the time and against Republican appointees 2.5% of the time, the analysis showed. In one such case, she disagreed that a man who had admitted to killing his wife was denied the right to a lawyer when a judge questioned him. (Her position later held sway when the case was considered by a full slate of 7th Circuit judges.) On the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Neomi Rao, confirmed to the bench just last year, has already made waves. Of four cases with published opinions that she participated in alongside two Democratic appointees, she dissented three times, the analysis showed. In June, she wrote the majority opinion ordering a lower-court judge to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. In a case decided in May, Judge Joel M. Carson III of the 10th Circuit dissented as his Democratic-appointed peers ruled against a challenge to the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks, the attachments that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire in sustained bursts. That case is now under consideration by the full circuit. And this month, Judge Lawrence J.C. VanDyke broke from his colleagues on the 9th Circuit, objecting as they ruled against the Trump administration and called an immigration policy favoring wealthy immigrants for green cards “arbitrary and capricious.” VanDyke was among the handful of Trump nominees at the appellate level whose qualifications were questioned by the American Bar Association. Not all the judges fit the pattern: Many serve on courts with a majority of Republican appointees, and some belong to circuits with a stronger culture of consensus. But The Times found that Trump appointees were more likely to be involved in a case featuring dissent even when those factors were accounted for. The analysis examined how often and with whom the judges agreed but not the ideological content of their opinions. Though the cases sometimes touched on big policy debates — abortion, gun rights, policing — they more often concerned matters like employment disputes and criminal and immigration court appeals. The Trump administration’s work in swiftly filling vacant judgeships has depended heavily on Republicans in the Senate, particularly Mitch McConnell, the majority leader. He has encouraged eligible federal judges to retire to create more openings and has led a confirmation process in which Republicans shunned compromise and sought unbending conservatives and reliable political allies to populate the bench. As of this month, if pending nominations are taken into account, President-elect Joe Biden stands to inherit fewer than 25 openings across the federal judiciary, compared with the more than 100 that carried over to Trump from Barack Obama's administration. Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee have appealed to Lindsey Graham, its Republican chairman through the end of the year, asking him not to proceed with any more nominations before Biden is sworn in. But even with a Democrat in the White House, the Republicans will be in a position to continue their push for conservative appointees, or at least block liberal ones, unless Democrats gain control of the Senate by winning both seats in next month’s special election in Georgia. “A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election,” McConnell said in October as Barrett was confirmed. “They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

As Trump leaves the White House, his imprint on the judiciary deepens

A group of US states is planning to take aim at Google with an antitrust lawsuit, saying the internet giant abused its power when ranking its own offerings in search results.

Politico reported Tuesday that a complaint led by attorneys general from Colorado and Nebraska could be filed as early as Thursday.

Amazon, TripAdvisor, Yelp and other internet firms that involve recommending products or services have complained that Google favours its own offerings in general search results.

The suit being prepared by states will argue that Google's search engine disadvantages rivals by design.

Google called the US lawsuit "deeply flawed."

Google's long-running business model based on free services and advertising is already being put to the test in a landmark antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department.

The US government filed a blockbuster lawsuit in October accusing Google of maintaining an "illegal monopoly" in online search and advertising. The country's biggest antitrust case in decades, it opens the door to a potential breakup of the Silicon Valley titan.

The politically charged case, which could take years to play out, draws new battle lines between the US government and Big Tech, with potentially major implications for the sector.

But the government is likely to face challenges proving monopoly allegations against the tech firm, which grew into one of the world's most successful companies by leveraging its powerful search engine for a network of services such as maps, email, shopping and travel that feed its data-driven digital advertising.

Legal experts point to the fact that it may be difficult to show Google's conduct was illegal under the longstanding "consumer welfare" standard in monopoly cases because its services are largely free.

The case -- joined by 11 states, all of which have Republican attorneys general -- comes against a backdrop of fierce political backlash against Big Tech giants that have extended their dominance in recent years.

The Justice Department argues that Google has cemented its monopoly position using deals with device makers to ensure its apps and services are prominently displayed, and sometimes can't be deleted.

(with inputs from agencies)

A group of US states is planning to take aim at Google with an antitrust lawsuit, saying the internet giant abused its power when ranking its own offerings in search results.

A group of US states is planning to take aim at Google with an antitrust lawsuit, saying the internet giant abused its power when ranking its own offerings in search results. Politico reported Tuesday that a complaint led by attorneys general from Colorado and Nebraska could be filed as early as Thursday. Amazon, TripAdvisor, Yelp and other internet firms that involve recommending products or services have complained that Google favours its own offerings in general search results. The suit being prepared by states will argue that Google's search engine disadvantages rivals by design. Google called the US lawsuit "deeply flawed." Google's long-running business model based on free services and advertising is already being put to the test in a landmark antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department. The US government filed a blockbuster lawsuit in October accusing Google of maintaining an "illegal monopoly" in online search and advertising. The country's biggest antitrust case in decades, it opens the door to a potential breakup of the Silicon Valley titan. The politically charged case, which could take years to play out, draws new battle lines between the US government and Big Tech, with potentially major implications for the sector. But the government is likely to face challenges proving monopoly allegations against the tech firm, which grew into one of the world's most successful companies by leveraging its powerful search engine for a network of services such as maps, email, shopping and travel that feed its data-driven digital advertising. Legal experts point to the fact that it may be difficult to show Google's conduct was illegal under the longstanding "consumer welfare" standard in monopoly cases because its services are largely free. The case -- joined by 11 states, all of which have Republican attorneys general -- comes against a backdrop of fierce political backlash against Big Tech giants that have extended their dominance in recent years. The Justice Department argues that Google has cemented its monopoly position using deals with device makers to ensure its apps and services are prominently displayed, and sometimes can't be deleted. (with inputs from agencies)

US expands Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine rollout; reassure its safety

It's official! Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th U.S. President. With 306 votes, the U.S. Electoral College has confirmed Biden's victory

Gravitas: Joe Biden's victory confirmed

The first COVID-19 test that can be performed entirely at home was cleared by U.S. regulators on Tuesday, and it can be acquired without a prescription.

FDA approves first non-prescription COVID-19 test kit

United States' President Elect Joe Biden has announced his former rival Pete Buttigieg as U.S. Secretary of Transportation. This made Buttigieg the first of Biden's democratic rivals to play a role in his cabinet for the presidency.

U.S. President elect Joe Biden chooses Pete Buttigieg as U.S. Secretary of Transportation

India's oil imports from Africa & U.S., they rose sharply last month. While, from middle-east and Latin America were down. India became third-largest oil importer and consumer last month.

World Business Watch: India's oil imports from Africa & U.S. rose sharply last month

The first trucks carrying the COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use in the US pulled out of a Pfitzer manufacturing plant in Michigan on Sunday

Nurse gets New York’s first Covid-19 vaccine as US rollout begins

The electoral college has confirmed Joe Biden's victory in state by state voting in the United States. This has now closed all doors on Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the result the 2020 US Presidential election.

US Election 2020: Joe Biden wins by getting 306 electoral college votes

US Election 2020: Electoral college formalises Joe Biden's victory

Canada became the third country in the world to begin the inoculation of its citizens with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

On Monday, Canada began injecting its frontline workers and the elderly in nursing homes.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/canada-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine-expects-inoculations-next-week-348743/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The first person to receive the vaccine was Anita Quidangen - whose inoculation was broadcast on live TV. Quidangen works at the Rekai Centre, a non-profit nursing home for the elderly in Canada’s largest city - Toronto, and claimed that she was “excited” to be the first person to get the vaccine in the country.

Soon after she was injected, healthcare workers donning masks and white coats applauded her.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about it and called it a “great relief”. 
 
"It's a great relief. Clearly, it may only be the beginning of the end but we sense nevertheless that there will be an end to this pandemic," said Justin Trudeau.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/how-canada-switzerland-stuck-a-secret-deal-with-china-348918" hreflang="en">How Canada, Switzerland stuck a secret deal with China</a> 
 
He also added that he was in no hurry to get vaccinated himself, saying priority must be given to the most vulnerable people. 
 
"We obviously have to give priority to the most vulnerable but the second I have a chance - like all healthy adults - I will do so very visibly and with enthusiasm," he said in conversation with French-language broadcaster Radio-Canada. 
 
Currently, Canada is witnessing a second wave of COVID-19, whereby businesses are forced to shut again, and social gatherings extremely limited.

So far, the country has reported 460,743 cases of COVID-19. Most cases come from Quebec, the country’s most populous province.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/how-the-vaccine-rollout-will-compare-in-britain-canada-and-the-us-349368" hreflang="en">How the vaccine rollout will compare in Britain, Canada and the US</a> 
 
"It's really good news for Canada. It's really good news for Quebec," country’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu said from the Maimonides Geriatric Center in Montreal, where inoculation also began on Monday.

According to Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dube, 50,000 people will be vaccinated in the province by January 4. 
 
13,431 people have lost their lives to the virus in Canada, 60 per cent of which have taken place in care homes for the elderly. But it’s an improvement from the grim 80 per cent during the first wave.

On Monday, the US also began vaccinating its citizens. Last week, the UK kicked off its national programme to inoculate against COVID-19. 
&nbsp;

Canada became the third country in the world to begin the inoculation of its citizens with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. On Monday, Canada began injecting its frontline workers and the elderly in nursing homes.

Canada became the third country in the world to begin the inoculation of its citizens with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. On Monday, Canada began injecting its frontline workers and the elderly in nursing homes. The first person to receive the vaccine was Anita Quidangen - whose inoculation was broadcast on live TV. Quidangen works at the Rekai Centre, a non-profit nursing home for the elderly in Canada’s largest city - Toronto, and claimed that she was “excited” to be the first person to get the vaccine in the country. Soon after she was injected, healthcare workers donning masks and white coats applauded her. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about it and called it a “great relief”. "It's a great relief. Clearly, it may only be the beginning of the end but we sense nevertheless that there will be an end to this pandemic," said Justin Trudeau. Also read: How Canada, Switzerland stuck a secret deal with China He also added that he was in no hurry to get vaccinated himself, saying priority must be given to the most vulnerable people. "We obviously have to give priority to the most vulnerable but the second I have a chance - like all healthy adults - I will do so very visibly and with enthusiasm," he said in conversation with French-language broadcaster Radio-Canada. Currently, Canada is witnessing a second wave of COVID-19, whereby businesses are forced to shut again, and social gatherings extremely limited. So far, the country has reported 460,743 cases of COVID-19. Most cases come from Quebec, the country’s most populous province. Also read: How the vaccine rollout will compare in Britain, Canada and the US "It's really good news for Canada. It's really good news for Quebec," country’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu said from the Maimonides Geriatric Center in Montreal, where inoculation also began on Monday. According to Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dube, 50,000 people will be vaccinated in the province by January 4. 13,431 people have lost their lives to the virus in Canada, 60 per cent of which have taken place in care homes for the elderly. But it’s an improvement from the grim 80 per cent during the first wave. On Monday, the US also began vaccinating its citizens. Last week, the UK kicked off its national programme to inoculate against COVID-19.

Canada joins US, UK to inoculate people with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey on Monday over its purchase of S-400 Russian missile defence system. The outgoing Trump administration implemented penalties against the NATO ally over its 2019 purchase.

U.S. imposes sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian missile defence system

While drafting the constitution, America's founders struggled with how the new nation should choose its leader and ultimately created the electoral college system.

WION Fineprint: What happens when the U.S. electoral college meets?

us-1

Us, News on Us, stories on Us, articles on Us, Us stories at Wion, Us news, Us latest news

us 1