US News Roundup: U.S. CDC reports 265,166 deaths from coronavirus; Monolith mystery deepens as Utah desert object vanishes and more

Biden transition kicks into gear, as Trump acknowledges dwindling legal options President-elect Joe Biden is expected to unveil his picks for several top economic positions as early as Monday when he will also finally receive his first classified intelligence briefing, an essential step towards taking control of national security.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Canada extends travel restrictions for those entering the country

Canada will extend its restrictions for all travelers entering the country, except from the United States, until Jan. 21, the government said on Sunday, in a move to limit the spread of COVID-19. Restrictions for U.S. citizens and foreign nationals arriving from the United States will continue until Dec. 21 and may be extended at that time, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement http://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20201129:nCNWVRqK2a&default-theme=true.

Biden transition kicks into gear, as Trump acknowledges dwindling legal options

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to unveil his picks for several top economic positions as early as Monday when he will also finally receive his first classified intelligence briefing, an essential step towards taking control of national security. While Biden's transition to the White House appeared to be hitting its stride, the president-elect was hobbling after fracturing his foot while playing with his dog on Sunday.

U.S. CDC reports 265,166 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported a total 13,142,997 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 143,333 from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,210 to 265,166. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 28 compared with its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/36f8EUx)

Biden identifies more administration officials, Trump vows continued election fight

President-elect Joe Biden chose more senior aides to lead his administration's efforts to defeat the coronavirus and rebuild the U.S. economy, and his office confirmed on Sunday he would begin receiving classified briefings that are an essential step toward taking control of national security. As the Democratic former vice president prepared for his move to the White House, Republican President Donald Trump pledged to maintain his legal fight to overturn the result of the Nov. 3 vote even while indicating in comments to Fox News that he was growing resigned to leaving office on Jan. 20.

Monolith mystery deepens as Utah desert object vanishes

No word as to whether Star Trek's Scotty "beamed it up," but the mysterious, shiny monolith that was spotted in a remote southeastern Utah desert two weeks ago is gone. A state crew that buzzed through the wilderness, counting bighorn sheep from a helicopter, found the alien-looking object on Nov. 18 and touched off international sci-fi speculation, harkening to the classic Stanley Kubrick 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

U.S. Supreme Court mulls Trump bid to exclude illegal immigrants from population count

U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday are set to consider President Donald Trump's move to exclude illegal immigrants from the population totals used to allocate congressional districts to states, a facet of his hardline stance toward immigration being pursued in his final weeks in office. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority including three justices appointed by Trump, is scheduled to hear an 80-minute oral argument by teleconference. The justices are deciding the case on a expedited schedule, with a ruling due before the end of the year. That would make it difficult for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, set to take office on Jan. 20, to revisit Trump's plan if it is upheld.

New York City public schools will begin to reopen with weekly COVID-19 testing

New York City's public schools will begin to reopen for in-person learning on Dec. 7, starting with elementary schools for students whose parents agree to a weekly testing regimen for the novel coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday. The schools, which make up the country's largest school system, were closed less than two weeks ago after the citywide rate of coronavirus tests coming back positive exceeded a 3% benchmark agreed to by the mayor and the teachers' union.

Democrat Schumer says $30 billion in federal funds needed to distribute COVID vaccine

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday that $30 billion in federal funds was needed to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine as legislative negotiations over an economic relief bill remain stalled. Schumer, a Democrat, said that New York state alone would need "hundreds of millions" for distribution and education work around the distribution of the vaccine.

President-elect Joe Biden suffers fractures in foot

President-elect Joe Biden suffered hairline fractures in his foot while playing with one of his dogs and will probably have to wear a protective boot for several weeks, his personal physician said on Sunday. The incident happened on Saturday, Biden's office said in a statement, with the 78-year-old Democrat visiting an orthopedist on Sunday for x-rays and a CT scan.