Biden news – live: President tours flood-hit Kentucky after major legislative victory

Fresh out of Covid-19 isolation after a second negative test, President Joe Biden is resuming in-person duties and events. First on his schedule is a visit to flood-stricken Kentucky where he and First Lady Jill Biden will meet with families impacted by the disaster that saw 37 people killed.

During his isolation in the White House due to a rebound case of the coronavirus, the president remained busy, overseeing several legislative victories, the killing of the leader of Al-Qaeda, and an impressive jobs report.

Most importantly, Senate Democrats managed to pass their signature legislation — the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 — which aims to help tackle the climate crisis, reduce the costs of prescription drugs, and create a 15 per cent minimum tax for corporations making over $1bn in income. The bill goes before the House of Representatives late this week.

On Tuesday, Mr Biden will sign CHIPS and Science Act which will make the US less dependent on semiconductor chips made in China and promote manufacturing. The following day he will sign PACT Act into law which expands access to health care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their service.

15:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of what will be a significant week in the presidency of Joe Biden as he returns to public duties from Covid isolation.

He will be signing two major pieces of legislation into law this week and a third, the landmark Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which passed the Senate at the weekend, will go before the House of Representatives on Friday.

First, the president and First Lady Jill Biden are travelling to eastern Kentucky to meet survivors and see damage from the flash-floods that struck the former coal mining region, killing 37.