US News Roundup: Portland police order protesters to disperse; California seeks help as wildfires threaten communities and more

Trump says without proof that FDA 'deep state' slowing COVID trials U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday accused members of the "deep state" at the Food and Drug Administration, without providing evidence, of working to slow testing of COVID-19 vaccines until after the November presidential election.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump says without proof that FDA 'deep state' slowing COVID trials

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday accused members of the "deep state" at the Food and Drug Administration, without providing evidence, of working to slow testing of COVID-19 vaccines until after the November presidential election. In a Twitter post, Trump said the deep state "or whoever" at the FDA was making it very difficult for drug companies to enroll people in clinical trials to test vaccines and therapies for the novel coronavirus.

U.S. NHC says tropical storm Laura producing heavy rains over Dominican Republic

Tropical storm Laura was producing heavy rains over the Dominican Republic late on Saturday, the United States National Hurricane Center said. Laura was located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Santo Domingo, with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, the NHC said in its advisory.

U.S. postmaster promises timely election mail, 'dramatic' changes after

U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy on Friday told lawmakers the Postal Service would deliver ballots "securely and on time" in the November presidential election, but indicated he would pursue dramatic operational changes after that date. DeJoy faced pointed questions at a Senate hearing from Democrats, who have accused the wealthy Republican donor of trying to tilt the election to President Donald Trump.

Portland police order protesters to disperse

Police officers were hit by rocks and bottles during a protest in the Oregon city of Portland late on Saturday, police said, and there were clashes between rival groups of demonstrators in the city's downtown area earlier in the day. In a Twitter post, police said early on Sunday they had declared a riot for the gathering around the Penumbra Kelly Building, a city building that houses offices including police.

U.S. House takes on Postal reforms seen as threat to mail-in ballots

The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Saturday on providing the cash-strapped Postal Service with $25 billion and block policies that have stirred concerns about mail-in balloting ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The Democratic-led chamber is widely expected to pass the bill, dubbed the "Delivering for America Act," at a rare Saturday session called by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the congressional August recess. But it is unlikely to be taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Marco forecast to become hurricane as governors urge residents to brace for storms

Marco, one of two tropical storms headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast, was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane later on Saturday as coastal governors urged residents to prepare for the unprecedented weather event amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tropical Storm Marco, located about 50 miles (80 km) west of Cuba with winds of 65 mph, was expected to intensify as it moved through the Yucatan Channel into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest bulletin.

Rescuers recover two bodies in Texas offshore explosion

The bodies of two of four workers missing after a dredging vessel caught fire and sank in Corpus Christi, Texas, harbor were recovered on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Four workers on the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd went missing on Friday after the vessel caught fire in the Corpus Christi ship channel. The search for the other two missing employees is continuing, Coast Guard officials said.

California seeks help as wildfires threaten communities

Nearly two dozen massive wildfires continued to ravage parts of California on Saturday, fueled by high temperatures and ongoing lightning strikes, including 100 that hit on Friday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) said. The fires have killed six people and incinerated nearly 700 buildings since beginning after an earlier lightning storm last week. Together, the blazes have burned nearly a million acres, the agency said Saturday.

'Pure joy': Giant panda at U.S. National Zoo gives birth to healthy cub

Giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a healthy cub on Friday at the National Zoo in Washington, and immediately began nursing and cuddling the tiny new arrival, animal care staff said. It was too early to tell whether the infant is male or female but the baby marks the fourth successful pregnancy for Mei Xiang, a 22-year-old panda who, because of her advanced age, had a slim chance of having a healthy cub, zoo officials said.

Lori Loughlin apologizes for college scam as actress, husband get prison sentences

"Full House" actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced on Friday to respective prison terms of two months and five months for participating in a vast U.S. college admissions fraud scheme. Loughlin, 56, choked up as she apologized to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston for the "awful decision" she made to help her daughters gain an "unfair advantage" in the college admissions process and get into their preferred school.