The Biden administration on Thursday sought to ramp up its pandemic response following U.S. detection of the Omicron coronavirus variant this week, making at-home COVID-19 tests available free of charge, accelerating its push for booster shots and tightening rules for travelers.
The Biden administration late on Thursday restored a $929 million grant for California's high speed rail that former president Donald Trump revoked in 2019.
By Reuters Staff
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FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference with fellow Republican senators on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 25, 2021. REUTERS/ERIN SCOTT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said Republicans’ counter offer to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan was not a final offer and that his caucus was open to continued talks on a possible bipartisan deal.
McConnell, speaking in an interview on CNBC, said Republicans were open to more spending on infrastructure but that the money should come from funds already allotted to states and localities under earlier COVID-19 relief bills.
By Reuters Staff
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MEXICO CITY, May 8 (Reuters) - The families of victims who died after a Mexico City metro railway line collapsed onto a busy street will receive about 700,000 pesos ($35,175) in financial support, the capital’s mayor said on Saturday.
Relatives of the 26 people killed in the incident would receive 50,000 pesos from the city, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told a news conference. Another 650,000 pesos in compensation from the Metro train line would also be available, she said.
City officials were also working on a wider support program for the families that could include employment help, healthcare and education aid for victims’ children, she said.
By Reuters Staff
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April 17 (Reuters) - Channel tunnel operator Eurostar has struck a deal with its lenders to refinance hundreds of millions of pounds of debts, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Saturday, paving the way for talks to restart about financial support from British taxpayers.
A group of banks, including state-backed NatWest, have agreed to refinance 400 million pounds ($553 million) of loans that were due to be repaid this summer, according to the paper. ($1 = 0.7230 pounds) (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey)