Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Trump pulls statistically even with Biden in Florida; Arizona is a dead heat: Reuters/Ipsos
President Donald Trump has pulled into a virtual tie with Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Florida, just a week after the former vice president held a narrow lead there, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll showed on Wednesday. With less than a week to go before next Tuesday's election, a second Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that the two candidates remain neck and neck in Arizona.
U.S. Supreme Court deals blow to Republicans in Pennsylvania vote-by-mail fight
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday handed a setback to Republicans by declining to quickly decide whether to hear their latest bid to block an extended deadline for receiving mail-in ballots in next Tuesday's election in Pennsylvania, a state pivotal to President Donald Trump's re-election chances. The action by the justices - with their new colleague Amy Coney Barrett remaining on the sidelines - means a Sept. 17 ruling by Pennsylvania's top court allowing mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and received up to three days later to be counted will remain in place for now.
New York governor proposes bill for storm response violations by utilities
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday proposed legislation to hold utilities accountable for failure to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events. If passed into law it would increase penalties for violating emergency response plans, according to a statement on the governor's official website https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-introduces-legislation-provide-additional-enforcement-tools-hold-utilities.
A lesson learned: Democrats plot route to Washington through statehouse races
Even as the presidential election dominates the country's attention, Democrats have spent record-breaking sums this year on winning seats in state legislatures, 10 years after a Republican wave gave that party the power to reshape U.S. congressional maps. Democrats have poured tens of millions of dollars into state-level contests to oust Republican lawmakers ahead of 2021, when state legislatures will draw new boundaries for U.S. congressional districts in many states. The redistricting follows this year's decennial U.S. census, the results of which will determine how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Father of Black man killed by Philadelphia police urges calm after further unrest
The family of a Philadelphia Black man shot dead by police appealed on Tuesday for calm as a second night of protests over his death once again turned violent, with clashes between police and protesters and the looting of stores. Tension has gripped the streets since Monday's deadly police shooting of Walter Wallace, 27, who was armed with a knife and described by relatives as suffering from a mental breakdown in a confrontation with law enforcement.
Man arrested for altering voter registration data of Florida governor: police
A man was arrested for making unauthorized changes to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' voter registration details, state authorities said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it arrested Anthony Steven Guevara, 20, of Naples, Florida, on Tuesday night on charges of unauthorized access of a computer and altering a voter registration without consent after he changed DeSantis' address via his web browser.
Porn star Ron Jeremy charged with seven more sex crimes
Porn star Ron Jeremy was charged on Wednesday with an additional seven counts of rape and sexual assault, bringing to 23 the number of his alleged victims, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said. Jeremy, 67, one of the biggest names in the adult film industry, was initially charged in June with raping three women and sexually assaulting a fourth, but more women have come forward to police since then.
Business partner of ex-Giuliani associate expected to enter guilty plea
A business partner of Lev Parnas, the former associate of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, is expected to enter a guilty plea on Thursday after being charged with defrauding investors in an insurance startup they founded. Manhattan federal court records on Wednesday show that David Correia, the business partner, will appear for a change-of-plea hearing, which signals a guilty plea from a defendant who previously pleaded not guilty.
California crews begin to tame two Orange County wildfires as winds ebb
Weakening winds on Wednesday enabled firefighters in Southern California to begin to corral two raging wildfires that critically injured two frontline crew members and had threatened tens of thousands of homes, authorities said. Fire authorities reported significant progress in setting up containment lines around the two Orange County blazes, the latest eruptions in a year in which the state's hills, valleys and forests have been scorched throughout its North-South span.
Democrats raise concerns about U.S. Postal delays ahead of election
Democrats in Congress on Wednesday said reported delays in mail deliveries in some U.S. cites could jeopardize delivery of ballots ahead of next week's presidential election. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington late Tuesday ordered the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to release daily reports on mail deliveries, participate in daily court conferences and take other steps to ensure timely delivery of ballots.
