US News Roundup: Biden names additional members to National Economic Council; Vaccinations move to nursing homes as pandemic rages in California and more

The pandemic is crushing hospitals in the most-populous U.S. state, even as the U.S. government and two of the nation's largest pharmacy chains began a nationwide campaign on Monday to vaccinate nursing home residents against the highly contagious respiratory disease.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden names additional members to National Economic Council

U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden on Monday named additional members of the National Economic Council, rounding out his economic policymaking team with people his transition office said would help lift Americans out of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. David Kamin, an official in former President Barack Obama's White House, will be the NEC deputy director, and Bharat Ramamurti, a former top economic adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign, will serve as NEC deputy director for Financial Reform and Consumer Protection, Biden's team said in a statement.

U.S. could require negative COVID-19 tests for passengers from Britain - sources

The U.S. government is considering requiring that all passengers traveling from the United Kingdom receive a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure as a condition of entry, airline and U.S. officials briefed on the matter said Monday. A White House coronavirus task force discussed requiring pre-flight tests after a meeting on Monday regarding the emergence of a highly infectious new coronavirus strain in Britain that prompted dozens of countries to close their borders to Britain.

Water chestnuts and Smokey Bear: Surprises await under the 'Christmas tree' COVID-19 relief bill

The 5,593-page bill poised to pass the U.S. Congress on Monday provides plenty of coronavirus aid. It also ensures that you will not go to prison for transporting water chestnut plants across state lines. After months of inaction, Congress has rolled coronavirus aid, federal government funding and a grab bag of miscellaneous provisions into one massive year-end piece of legislation - called a "Christmas tree" in Washington parlance.

Vaccinations move to nursing homes as pandemic rages in California

The U.S. government and two of the nation's largest pharmacy chains on Monday began inoculating nursing home residents against COVID-19, among the first Americans besides healthcare workers to get the vaccine. The vaccinations, carried out under a program led by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and CVS Health Corp, are the latest effort to rein in a pandemic that has killed more than 317,000 Americans and strained healthcare systems.

U.S. airlines prepare employee recalls as relief nears; United calls them 'temporary'

American Airlines and United Airlines said on Monday they were preparing to recall tens of thousands of furloughed employees as they awaited lawmakers' approval of a fresh $15 billion in payroll support under a broader COVID-19 relief package. But in a staff memo, United executives warned that it expects the recall will be "temporary" as travel demand remains depressed. The relief would cover employee payroll costs until March 31, 2021.

No intensive care beds for most Californians as COVID-19 surges

There are no intensive care beds available in densely populated Southern California or the state's agricultural San Joaquin Valley, together home to nearly 30 million people, amid a deadly surge of COVID-19, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday. The pandemic is crushing hospitals in the most-populous U.S. state, even as the U.S. government and two of the nation's largest pharmacy chains began a nationwide campaign on Monday to vaccinate nursing home residents against the highly contagious respiratory disease.

U.S. judge to hear case that could end 'Dreamer' deportation protections

A U.S. judge in Texas will hear arguments on Tuesday in a lawsuit that could end an embattled program that grants deportation relief to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as children. The case is one of the most significant challenges yet to the legally and politically contentious Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2012.

U.S. loses one life every 33 seconds to COVID-19 in deadliest week so far

In the United States last week, someone died from COVID-19 every 33 seconds. The disease claimed more than 18,000 lives in the seven days ended Dec. 20, up 6.7% from the prior week to hit another record high, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports.

Some U.S. Black pastors, key players in COVID education, are hesitating to push vaccine

When a major healthcare organization asked A.R. Bernard, the Black head of a Brooklyn megachurch, to sit on a committee tasked with boosting acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in communities of color in New York City, he demurred. Bernard, who leads the Christian Cultural Center, the largest church in the city, said he turned down the offer because he worried some members of his congregation could view his participation as "joining forces with the system" to use African Americans "as guinea pigs" for vaccines that have been developed in record time.

After months of inaction, U.S. Congress approves $892 billion COVID-19 relief package

The U.S. Congress on Monday approved an $892 billion coronavirus aid package, throwing a lifeline to the nation's pandemic-battered economy after months of inaction, while also keeping the federal government funded. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the package into law.