Biden signs short-term government funding bill ahead of midnight deadline
CBSN
President Biden has signed a short-term government funding bill to keep the government operating, the White House announced late Friday, avoiding a partial shutdown that would have otherwise occurred when the fiscal year runs out at midnight.
The law funds the federal government at current spending levels through Dec. 16, by which point Congress will have to pass additional legislation to keep the government running. The law also provides more than $12 billion in security and financial assistance to Ukraine, as it continues to push back against Russia's onslaught.
The White House thanked Senate and House leadership for pushing the funding across the finish line before the deadline.
President Biden on Monday signed into law a defense bill that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion despite his objections to language stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families.
It's Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is suiting up for his annual voyage from the North Pole to households around the world. In keeping with decades of tradition, the North American Aerospace Command, or NORAD, will once again track Santa's journey to deliver gifts to children before Christmas 2024, using an official map that's updated consistently to show where he is right now.