Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
U.S. CDC reports 262,673 deaths from coronavirus
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 12,823,092 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 324,358 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 3,668 to 262,673. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Nov. 26 versus its previous report on Wednesday. (https://bit.ly/33mTSJz)
Inching toward exit, Trump says he'll leave if Biden wins Electoral College vote
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, the closest he has come to conceding the Nov. 3 election, even as he repeated unfounded claims of massive voter fraud. Speaking to reporters on the Thanksgiving holiday, Republican Trump said if Democrat Biden - who is due to be sworn in on Jan. 20 - is formally declared the winner by the Electoral College, he will depart the White House.
'Kind of lonely': America marks COVID-altered Thanksgiving
Americans marked a muted Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, sometimes seeing family only by video after political leaders discouraged travel or large gatherings in the face of the surging coronavirus pandemic. Thanksgiving, typically celebrated with big family dinners, became the latest major event in American life to be altered or diminished by the coronavirus in 2020 as most U.S. states struggle with spiraling infections and deaths.
Lockdown-weary Americans begin pandemic-changed holiday season
Pandemic-weary Americans entered the holiday season on Friday under strong pressure from political leaders and health officials to stay home, avoid most gatherings and curtail Christmas shopping as the coronavirus surged nationwide. One day after the nation celebrated a muted Thanksgiving, malls and retailers imposing strict COVID-19 rules saw fewer Americans in stores for the traditional Black Friday start of the holiday shopping season.
New York's 'Santacon' bar crawl canceled by COVID-19
Santacon, an annual bar crawl in which thousands of young people dressed in Santa Claus costumes roam — or stagger — through the streets of Manhattan, has been canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said. The event, which had been scheduled for Dec. 12, is intended to raise money for charity, but more than a few locals may see the cancellation as an early Christmas present.
Trump says coronavirus vaccine deliveries to begin next week
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that delivery of the coronavirus vaccine would begin next week and the week after. Speaking to U.S. troops overseas via video link to mark the Thanksgiving holiday, Trump said the vaccine would initially be send to front-line workers, medical personnel and senior citizens.
U.S. appeals ruling that barred Postal Service changes before election
The government said it was appealing U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan's preliminary injunction orders issued in late September in a pair of legal challenges. Sullivan directed the USPS to take "extraordinary measures" to ensure that millions of ballots were delivered by mail and held numerous hearings on the status of ballots.
In fresh blow to Trump, U.S. court rejects Pennsylvania election case
A federal appeals court on Friday rejected an attempt by U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign to block President-elect Joe Biden from being declared the winner of Pennsylvania, dealing another significant setback to Trump's bid to overturn the Nov. 3 election. "Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so," wrote Stephanos Bibas on behalf of a three-judge panel.
Cuomo calls U.S. Supreme Court's religious gatherings ruling 'irrelevant'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday dismissed as "irrelevant" a U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking coronavirus restrictions imposed on religious gatherings, saying it related to specific areas that were no longer considered at high risk. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, voted 5-4 late on Wednesday in favor of requests by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two Orthodox Jewish congregations for an injunction to block the restrictions from being enforced.
Trump administration moves to weaken migratory bird protections
The Trump administration took a step on Friday toward rolling back protections for migratory birds and reducing penalties for companies that inadvertently kill them, the latest effort to finalize regulatory rollbacks before President Donald Trump leaves office in January. The Fish and Wildlife Service published its final environmental impact statement for regulations governing the killing of migratory birds. This bolstered the administration's proposal to reinterpret the 1918 migratory bird statute by limiting the definition of an illegal "taking" under the law to deliberate actions, so shielding from penalty energy companies, developers and others who inadvertently kill birds.
