President Joe Biden declared in his first address to a joint session of Congress that “America is rising anew” on the verge of overcoming the historic pandemic. Looking to the future, he urged a 1.8 trillion dollar (£1.3 trillion) investment in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform roles the government plays in American life. Mr Biden marked his first 100 days in office as the nation emerges from a menacing mix of crises, making his case before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators because of pandemic restrictions.