The raise is more modest than the previous 0.75% consecutive increases, which comes as inflation starts to slow in the US. The move comes hours ahead of expected similar decisions in Europe and the UK.

Officials warned of "life-threatening" conditions as temperatures dropped as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. More than 4,000 flights planned for the Christmas weekend were canceled.

The spending bill includes provisions to reform US election laws — the first legislative response to the January 6 riots at the Capitol after Donald Trump refused to accept the results.

A massive polar blast making its way across North America is disrupting travel plans, causing power outages and putting huge pressure on homeless shelters. Around 60 percent of the US is estimated to be under a weather warning, with the huge storm stretching right across much of the US and Canada.

At least 34 people have died due to the storm, which has engulfed most of the US during the Christmas weekend. Buffalo, in New York, was hardest hit on Christmas Day with power outages and people trapped in cars.

Adam Fox planned to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and execute her for alleged treason. The foiled plot followed a public clash between the Democrat governor and former President Donald Trump.

Biden has authorized FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts at the epicenter of a snow storm that has killed more than 27 people in Buffalo, New York.

Title 42 is contentious as a pandemic-era restriction on immigration that some states have lobbied to retain. The rule will remain in place until the Supreme Court makes its final judgment next year.

The systems, worth $180 million, "serve US national, economic and security interests," the Pentagon said. The sale comes after China conducted one of its largest incursions into Taiwan-controlled airspace to date.

A travel advisory replaced the driving ban in Erie County, as it braced for floods due to the melting snow. Rescuers inspected the houses of those who suffered power outages.

The former US president fought for years to keep his tax affairs secret, even suing the committee that tried to make them public.

Despite major challenges like the potential for a recession, 2023 isn't all bad news. Find out why the global economic outlook isn't as dire as it seems.