Reuters US Domestic News Summary

"The Biden-Harris White House will issue a memo to take effect afternoon Eastern Time on January 20 that will halt, or delay, midnight regulations," Jen Psaki told a news conference. U.S. may expand required COVID-19 testing to more international passengers The U.S. government may expand coronavirus testing requirements for international air travelers beyond Britain as early as next week, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

U.S. emergency medical personnel are getting quick access to COVID-19 vaccines in some parts of the United States while fire chiefs in other areas forecast a delay of weeks or months, highlighting the chaotic nature of a rollout that relies on states and counties to plan and administer distribution. A lack of detailed federal guidelines has forced U.S. states and counties to create their own plans for distributing initially limited doses of COVID-19 vaccines in hopes of curbing a raging pandemic that has killed more than 332,000 Americans.

Cash-strapped Americans ask Mnuchin where their “stimmy” checks are Mixed messages from banks and the U.S. Treasury Department have caused confusion and frustration for millions of struggling Americans waiting for the government to deposit stimulus payments into their bank accounts. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tweeted on Tuesday that $600 stimulus direct deposits could begin to arrive that evening prompting some banks to inform customers that their payments were on the way. But very few account holders said the money had hit their accounts as of Wednesday afternoon.

McConnell rules out quick vote on House bill for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday that the Senate would not move quickly to consider a bill from the House of Representatives that would raise direct coronavirus relief payments to Americans from $600 to $2,000. McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor that the stand-alone House bill, which sought to meet President Donald Trump's demands for bigger relief checks, "has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate."

Biden to act quickly to roll back harmful 'midnight regulations' -transition The Biden administration will take swift action when it assumes office on Jan. 20 to roll back harmful Trump administration policies that have not taken effect by Inauguration day, a spokeswoman for President-elect Joe Biden's transition team said on Wednesday. "The Biden-Harris White House will issue a memo to take effect afternoon Eastern Time on January 20 that will halt, or delay, midnight regulations," Jen Psaki told a news conference.

U.S. may expand required COVID-19 testing to more international passengers The U.S. government may expand coronavirus testing requirements for international air travelers beyond Britain as early as next week, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other U.S. agencies held a lengthy call with U.S. airlines Wednesday that discussed expanding COVID-19 test requirements to travelers arriving from other countries, sources briefed on the call said.