Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. U.S. Senate sees possible Tuesday coronavirus vote, Pelosi said optimistic

The U.S. Congress inched toward a $450 billion deal to help small businesses and hospitals hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she expected an agreement on Monday as the Senate set a Tuesday session for a potential vote on it. Republicans and Democrats have been battling for more than a week over what to include in the fourth round of financial stimulus intended to ease the heavy economic toll of a pandemic that has killed more than 40,000 Americans. U.S. revs up ventilator production for coronavirus patients as need wanes

The Trump administration, under pressure to do more to ramp up coronavirus testing in order to safely reopen the battered U.S. economy, is highlighting this week a $2.9 billion program to build 187,000 ventilators this year. The administration's ventilator surge is accelerating as medical experts are forecasting the need for the devices - used to help severely ill COVID-19 patients breathe - will fall. Many of the ventilators will now be sent to other countries in need, the administration says. U.S. Supreme Court requires unanimous jury verdicts for serious crimes

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the constitutional guarantee of trial by jury requires a unanimous verdict for serious crimes, siding with a Louisiana man convicted of murder and paving the way for potentially hundreds of defendants found guilty by divided juries to receive new trials. Only two of the 50 states, Louisiana and Oregon, have permitted non-unanimous verdicts. Writing for the court in the 6-3 ruling, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that the non-unanimous verdict requirement in both states traced back to past racist policies intended to reduce the power of non-white jurors to influence the outcome of trials. As protesters decry U.S. coronavirus lockdown, officials urge caution

The U.S. debate over restrictions for fighting the coronavirus intensified on Monday, as protesters labeled mandatory lockdowns as "tyranny," while medical workers and health experts warned that lifting them too soon risked unleashing a greater disaster. Stay-at-home orders and widespread business closures, while cited by public health authorities as vital to slowing the spread of the virus, have stifled the U.S. economy and thrown at least 22 million people out of work, a level of unemployment not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. New York governor says 'don't need protests to convince anyone' of anxiety over lockdowns

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday he understood why some people were protesting against the lockdowns imposed to stem the coronavirus outbreak, but said restrictions must be lifted in a way that prevented further outbreaks. He spoke after protesters gathered in several state capitals across the United States to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that experts say are key to slowing the virus' spread but which have ground the economy to a halt. Suburban NYC county residents sue WHO over coronavirus pandemic response

Residents of a suburban New York City county that was one of the earliest U.S. hot spots for the coronavirus sued the World Health Organization on Monday, accusing it of gross negligence in covering up and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a proposed class action, three residents of Westchester County accused the WHO of failing to quickly declare a pandemic, monitor China's response to the original outbreak, provide treatment guidelines, advise members on how to respond including through travel restrictions, and coordinate a global response. Mortgage payments paused or reduced for 3 million U.S. households, survey suggests

Some 3 million U.S. households have won at least a measure of relief on mortgage payments as efforts to squelch the coronavirus pandemic throw millions out of work and stretch household balance sheets, a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed on Monday. About 5.95% of mortgage loans were in forbearance during the survey week of April 6-12, up from 3.74% a week earlier and from just 0.25% the week of March 2, the industry lobbying group said on Monday. Michigan governor calls on protesters to avoid unsafe demonstrations

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Monday pleaded for residents of her state to refrain from holding more demonstrations protesting the coronavirus-related shutdown because of the need to follow guidelines designed to contain the spread of the virus. "I really hope that people don't continue to have those types of demonstrations," she said at a news conference. "The worst thing we could do is gather without observing all of the CDC recommendations about wearing a face mask and staying six feet apart." Connecticut reports spike in coronavirus cases, cites CDC classification changes

Connecticut on Monday reported the state's highest one-day totals for novel coronavirus cases and related deaths, attributing the jump to a revised total count due to new classifications from federal regulators. Connecticut recorded 1,853 new cases for a total of 19,815, and 204 additional deaths, bringing total fatalities to 1,331, according to a daily disclosure by the state's health department, which it said incorporated a "catch up of cases and deaths reported" since April 16. U.S. appeals court lets Texas curb medication abortions during pandemic

A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed Texas to enforce curbs on medication-induced abortions as part of the Republican-governed state's restrictions aimed at postponing medical procedures not deemed urgent during the coronavirus pandemic. A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a federal judge's order blocking the state from applying restrictions to abortions induced through medication, in the early stages of a pregnancy. About half of all abortions in Texas are performed through medication, which involves taking two pills by mouth.