Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Trade war tradeoff: How a Missouri town got America’s dirtiest air

The residents of New Madrid County cheered in 2018 when a bankrupt aluminum smelter that rises over the Missouri region’s vast farm fields restarted operations and hiring, thanks to aluminum tariffs levied in President Donald Trump’s trade war. The smelter reclaimed its place as one of New Madrid’s biggest employers, with more than 500 workers. But the resurrection has come at a cost. Where U.S. coronavirus cases are on the rise

Several southern U.S. states reported sharp increases in COVID-19 infections, with Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia all seeing new cases rise 35% or more in the week ended May 31 compared with the prior week, according to a Reuters analysis. South Carolina health officials said they expected more increases in the future due to a lack of social distancing and mask wearing at protests triggered by the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota. Las Vegas police officer shot amid protests, police say: AP

A Las Vegas police officer was shot amid protests on Monday night over the killing of George Floyd, AP news agency said. The officer was shot in the area of the Las Vegas Strip and another officer was "involved in a shooting" in the same area, AP quoted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as saying. As racial tensions turn violent, a careful balancing act for Biden

The demonstrations convulsing U.S. cities have forced Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to strike a careful balance between validating anger over police mistreatment of minorities while condemning violence as a response. In one city after another, thousands have vented outrage in sometimes violent clashes over last week's death of George Floyd, a black man shown on video gasping for breath as a white Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck. Explainer: Can Trump send the U.S. military to quell violence at protests?

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested he would use federal troops to end unrest that has erupted following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed in police custody last week. "If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them," Trump said during brief remarks at the White House. Eight U.S. states cast ballots on biggest voting day since coronavirus pandemic

Eight states and the District of Columbia hold primary elections on Tuesday, the biggest test yet of officials' readiness to manage a surge of mail ballots and the safety risks of in-person voting during the coronavirus outbreak. The largest day of balloting since the pandemic began will serve as a dry run for the Nov. 3 general election, offering a glimpse of the challenges ahead on a national scale if that vote is conducted under a lingering threat from COVID-19. Five police shot during protests after Trump vows to bring in U.S. military

At least five U.S. police were hit by gunfire during violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody, police and media said, hours after President Donald Trump vowed to use the military to halt the unrest. Trump deepened outrage on Monday by posing at a church clutching a bible after law enforcement officers used teargas and rubber bullets to clear the way for him to walk there after he made his remarks in the White House Rose Garden. Bank of America pledges $1 billion to address racial, economic inequality

Bank of America Corp said on Tuesday it is making a $1 billion, four-year commitment to help communities address economic and racial inequality exacerbated by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The U.S. lender is the first big bank to pledge monetary support following violent protests across the country after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died while in police custody in Minneapolis last week. State, independent autopsies agree on homicide in George Floyd case, but clash on underlying cause

A medical examiner's office on Monday ruled that the death of George Floyd, the black man whose killing in Minneapolis police custody last week triggered nationwide protests, was a homicide and that he died from asphyxiation. The medical examiner's finding that the death was a homicide confirms the same conclusion of the independent autopsy that was also released on Monday, but there are key differences over the cause. Floyd family autopsy could help accused policeman's defense, legal experts say

An independent autopsy that found George Floyd died solely from asphyxiation could actually bolster the defense of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing him, legal experts said. The autopsy released on Monday said Floyd's death, which sparked nationwide protests, was a homicide and that he had no underlying medical conditions.