Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The holiday marking the country's 244 years of independence comes four days into a month when at least eight states have seen record daily increases in coronavirus cases, leading several governors to toughen social distancing measures and urge people to celebrate from home.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Several U.S. states post record COVID cases, curfew ordered in Miami

Alabama and several other states reported record increases in coronavirus cases on Friday as Florida's most populous county imposed a curfew ahead of the Independence Day weekend and Arkansas joined a push towards mandating mask-wearing in public. North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alaska all saw new daily highs in cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, while Texas hit a new peak for hospitalizations, with one doctor calling for a "complete lockdown" in the state to get the virus under control. Washington Redskins to consider changing name of team

Under mounting pressure from sponsors and Native American rights groups, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder said on Friday he would consider changing the name of the National Football League team whose roots date back to the 1930s. Snyder, who has previously stated he would not change the name, softened his stance a day after FedEx Corp, which owns the naming rights to the team's Landover, Maryland, stadium, called for the NFL club to be rebranded. The world's largest Confederate monument faces renewed calls for removal

Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial, a nine-story-high bas-relief sculpture carved into a sprawling rock face northeast of Atlanta, is perhaps the South's most audacious monument to its pro-slavery legacy still intact. Despite long-standing demands for the removal of what many consider a shrine to racism, the giant depiction of three Confederate heroes on horseback still towers ominously over the Georgia countryside, protected by state law. Alleged Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell being held at 'well-run' jail, local lawyers say

Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, is being detained at a New Hampshire jail where she is likely separated from other inmates and under constant surveillance, local lawyers said. A source familiar with Maxwell's case said she is being held at the Merrimack County Jail, a medium-security facility 20 miles from the luxurious home where she was arrested Thursday. Colorado police officers fired after photos mocking death of Black man surface

Three Colorado police officers were fired and a fourth resigned after they shared photographs they took of themselves re-enacting a chokehold officers used to subdue a Black man who later died, authorities said on Friday. Vanessa Wilson, interim chief of police in the Denver suburb of Aurora, called the officers' actions surrounding the death of Elijah McClain, who was unarmed, "reprehensible." Texas Republicans to host in-person convention despite coronavirus surge

The Executive Committee of the Texas Republican Party voted on Thursday to push ahead and have their state convention in person this month despite a surge in coronavirus cases in Houston, where it will take place. The committee voted 40 to 20 to host the meeting that about 6,000 people are expected to attend in Houston's George R. Brown convention center in just over two weeks. Many Americans' July 4 celebrations go virtual as COVID-19 cases surge

On a holiday weekend that would typically draw crowds to watch fireworks, march in parades and wave the red, white and blue, many Americans kicked off Independence Day exactly where they have been for months: at home. The holiday marking the country's 244 years of independence comes four days into a month when at least eight states have seen record daily increases in coronavirus cases, leading several governors to toughen social distancing measures and urge people to celebrate from home. U.S. Supreme Court blocks Alabama order easing voting restrictions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a lower-court ruling that would have relaxed voting restrictions in Alabama state during the coronavirus pandemic. Alabama requires voters to submit a photo identification when they apply for an absentee ballot, and it requires that ballot to be returned along with the signature of two witnesses or a notary. Trump to criticize 'cancel culture' during Mount Rushmore trip

President Donald Trump will rail against a "left wing mob" for seeking to "tear down" U.S. history during a visit to Mount Rushmore on Friday amid concerns over holding a large gathering during a pandemic and criticism from Native Americans. Trump will view a fireworks display as part of July 4 celebrations with thousands of people at the South Dakota landmark, which depicts the images of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Trump again hails U.S. COVID-19 testing as cases rise by record levels

President Donald Trump, yet again, hailed the United States' coronavirus testing as COVID-19 cases in the country increased by more than 55,000 on Thursday, a new daily global record for the pandemic. A surge in coronavirus cases over the past week has put Trump's handling of the crisis under the microscope and led several governors to halt plans to reopen their states after strict lockdowns.

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