US President Donald Trump signed into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and averting afederal government shutdown in a crisis of his own making.
Mr Trump, who leaves office on 20 January after losing November's election to President-elect Joe Biden, backed down from his threat to block the bill, which was approved by Congress last week, after he came under intense pressure from politicians on both sides.
The Republican president, who golfed and remained out of public view even as the potential government crisis loomed, had demanded that Congress change the bill to increase the size of stimulus checks for struggling Americans to $2,000 from $600.