Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Politics blunts Christmas as U.S. government shutdown nears, COVID-19 aid uncertain President Donald Trump spent Christmas Day golfing at his West Palm Beach club while millions of Americans faced the risk of losing jobless benefits on Saturday and the threat of a partial government shutdown next week if he refuses to sign a $2.3 trillion coronavirus aid and spending package.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Factbox-Trump on Twitter (Dec. 26) - Defense Bill, Election, Arizona

The following statements were posted to the verified personal Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy. Boston doctor has severe allergic reaction to Moderna COVID vaccine: NYT

A doctor in Boston with a shellfish allergy developed a severe allergic reaction after receiving Moderna's coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing the doctor. Dr. Hossein Sadrzadeh, a geriatric oncology fellow at Boston Medical Center, said he had a severe reaction almost immediately after being vaccinated, feeling dizzy and with a racing heart, the NYT reported. U.S. holiday retail sales rise 3% as online shopping booms- Mastercard report

U.S. retail sales rose 3% during this year's expanded holiday shopping season from Oct. 11 to Dec. 24, a report by Mastercard Inc said on Saturday, powered by a pandemic-driven shift toward online shopping. U.S. ecommerce sales jumped 49% in this year's holiday shopping season, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse report, underscoring the COVID-19 pandemic's role in transforming customers' shopping habits. Politics blunts Christmas as U.S. government shutdown nears, COVID-19 aid uncertain

President Donald Trump spent Christmas Day golfing at his West Palm Beach club while millions of Americans faced the risk of losing jobless benefits on Saturday and the threat of a partial government shutdown next week if he refuses to sign a $2.3 trillion coronavirus aid and spending package. Trump stunned members of both parties when he unexpectedly announced this week his dislike of the spending bill, which had taken members of Congress months to negotiate. The bill provides $892 billion in coronavirus relief, and $1.4 trillion in regular government appropriations. U.S. CDC reports 329,592 total deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 329,592 total deaths from the new coronavirus, an increase of 4,496 from its previous count, and said the number of cases had risen by 339,235 to 18,730,806. 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 Friday versus its previous report published on Dec. 24. https://bit.ly/2JkpCs https://bit.ly/2JkpCs3 The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states. Trump refuses to budge over aid bill, imperiling jobless benefits for millions

Millions of Americans are about to see their jobless benefits expire on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it did not do enough to help everyday people. Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on Dec. 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending. Nashville blast investigation leads U.S. agents to suburban home

Federal agents investigating an explosion in Nashville were searching a two-story suburban house on Saturday for clues to explain why a motor home blew up and injured three people in the heart of America's country music capital on Christmas Day. The motor home, parked on a downtown street of Tennessee's largest city, exploded at dawn on Friday moments after police responding to reports of gunfire noticed it and heard an automated message emanating from it warning of a bomb. U.S. judge again delays execution of lone woman on federal death row

A U.S. federal judge said that the Justice Department broke the law when it rescheduled the execution of the only woman on federal death row last month, potentially pushing her execution into Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's new administration. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss on Thursday vacated an order from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which is part of the Justice Department, that had rescheduled convicted murderer Lisa Montgomery's execution to Jan. 12.