Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Democrats seize on U.S. Supreme Court election deadlock in Barrett fight The Supreme Court's deadlock this week in a key election case illustrates the power President Donald Trump's nominee Amy Coney Barrett could wield and reveals why Republicans are hurrying to install her as a justice, Democrats said on Wednesday in their latest pitch to block her U.S. Senate confirmation.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. OxyContin maker Purdue to plead guilty over opioid practices, deal sparks opposition

Purdue Pharma LP agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges over the handling of its addictive prescription opioid OxyContin, in a deal with U.S. prosecutors that effectively sidestepped paying billions of dollars in penalties and stopped short of criminally charging its executives or wealthy Sackler family owners. In a far-reaching agreement unveiled on Wednesday, Purdue formally admitted to criminal conduct related to distribution of its painkillers and agreed to pay $225 million to resolve U.S. Justice Department investigations. U.S. intelligence agencies say Iran and Russia have tried to interfere in 2020 election

U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday that Russia and Iran have both taken actions to try to interfere with the 2020 presidential election. U.S. likely to have enough COVID-19 vaccines for all vulnerable Americans by year end - official

The United States is likely to have enough safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available to inoculate the most vulnerable Americans by the end of 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday. The U.S. government is "cautiously optimistic" that one or two vaccines, likely from Pfizer Inc or Moderna Inc, will be available by the end of the year and can begin to be distributed to Americans, officials said during a news conference. Trump says he doesn't see agreement with Democrats on stimulus

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not see any way House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer "will be willing to do what is right for our great American workers, or our wonderful USA itself, on Stimulus." U.S. coronavirus hospitalizations hit two-month peak

The number of COVID-19 patients in U.S. hospitals hit 40,000 for the first time since August on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the nation battles a surge in infections led by Midwest states. Hospitals have seen a 36% rise in coronavirus patients over the past four weeks and Midwest hospitals are setting new records every day. Democrats seize on U.S. Supreme Court election deadlock in Barrett fight

The Supreme Court's deadlock this week in a key election case illustrates the power President Donald Trump's nominee Amy Coney Barrett could wield and reveals why Republicans are hurrying to install her as a justice, Democrats said on Wednesday in their latest pitch to block her U.S. Senate confirmation. Chief Justice John Roberts broke with the four other conservative justices and joined with the court's three liberals on Monday in denying a request by Republicans seeking to block a state court's ruling that extended the deadline for the delivery of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania by three days. Democrats to boycott Senate panel vote on Trump Supreme Court pick

Democrats said on Wednesday they will boycott a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee vote scheduled for Thursday on President Donald Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, calling the confirmation process "a sham." The committee has 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats. Its Republican chairman, Lindsey Graham, has signaled that even with Democrats boycotting he will be able to move the nomination forward, according to a panel spokeswoman. The panel's expected approval of Barrett would pave the way for a confirmation vote on the Senate floor planned by Republicans for Monday. These voters sat out in 2016. Now they could determine the next U.S. president

Iowa resident LeAnne Putman-Thomas has watched her country pursue wars, endure recessions and elect its first Black president. Yet the 53-year-old never felt compelled to vote. That changed this month, when she went to an early voting center to cast a ballot for Democrat Joe Biden - or, more accurately, to vote out Republican incumbent Donald Trump. After keeping low profile on campaign trail, Obama makes debut for Biden

Former U.S. President Barack Obama will make his first appearance on the campaign trail on Wednesday for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who is locked in a tight race with President Donald Trump in crucial states 13 days before the Nov. 3 election. Obama, who served eight years in office with Biden as his vice president, will urge supporters to vote early for Biden and other Democratic candidates in the general election at an outdoor drive-in rally in Pennsylvania's biggest city, Philadelphia, an aide to the former president said. COVID-19 tightens grip on U.S. Midwest; six states report record daily deaths

Six U.S. states reported record daily increases in COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, including Wisconsin, a battleground in the Nov. 3 election, according to a Reuters analysis, as infections kept rising across the Midwest and beyond. Coronavirus deaths hit daily records in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Kansas, Hawaii and Wisconsin, the Reuters analysis found. Wisconsin also reported a record daily increase in new cases, together with Illinois, Kentucky, Colorado and Ohio, the analysis showed.

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