US Domestic News Roundup: Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic; Sunny days draw crowds to beaches, parks as U.S. reopens from lockdown and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. arms makers and medical device firms team up to make ventilators

U.S. weapons makers have teamed up with medical device companies to increase the supply of ventilators that can be used to combat the coronavirus pandemic, people working on the project said. The two groups do not regularly partner on projects, but when a defense industry consultant with an engineering background realized weapons makers could help solve supply-chain problems within the U.S. ventilator industry, the creation of Vent Connect was set in motion and is set to be announced on Monday, the people said.

U.S. court dismisses New York nurses case against Montefiore for COVID-19 protection

A Manhattan federal judge on Friday dismissed a nurse association's lawsuit against a New York City hospital for allegedly failing to provide safety equipment and adopt measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) sued Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, saying among other things that the hospital was ignoring requirements that healthcare workers receive an N95 respirator mask daily.

Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

David Elliot first thought of shooting an elk to help feed family and friends back in January when the United States reported its first novel coronavirus case. Elliot, emergency manager at Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, had always wanted to go big-game hunting and, with the pandemic spreading, there seemed no better time to try to fill his freezer with free-range, super-lean meat.

Sunny days draw crowds to beaches, parks as U.S. reopens from lockdowns

Sunny days and warm weather are proving to be as challenging to manage as restaurants, hair salons and other businesses as about half of U.S. states partially reopen their economies after the coronavirus lockdown. On Saturday, thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington to view a U.S. Navy flyover to honor healthcare workers and others battling the pandemic.

Trump says up to 100,000 Americans may die from coronavirus

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he now believes as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic, after the death toll passed his earlier estimates, but said he was confident a vaccine would be developed by the year's end. Trump alternated during a two-hour virtual town hall broadcast by FOX News between forecasting a rapid recovery for the U.S. economy and casting blame for the pandemic's spread on China, where the disease is believed to have originated.

U.S. processes over $500 billion in small business loans to stem coronavirus fallout

The United States has made over $500 billion in loans to small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and about $145 billion remains in the congressionally approved fund, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Treasury Department said Sunday. The SBA has processed about 2.2 million loans worth more than $175 billion since Congress last month authorized more funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, part of almost $3 trillion in spending to fight the heavy economic toll of the pandemic, which has thrown about 30 million Americans out of work.

White House adviser will not rule out more money for states, small businesses

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday he would not rule out anything in a new relief bill to ease the "tremendous hardships" of the coronavirus outbreak, including more money for state and local governments and small businesses. More than 30 million Americans have joined the unemployment benefit rolls over the past six weeks and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are discussing a fourth coronavirus relief bill.

U.S. CDC reports 1,122,486 coronavirus cases, 65,735 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 1,122,486 U.S. cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 29,671 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,452 to 65,735. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) on Saturday, compared with its count a day earlier.

Phoning it in: Pandemic forces Supreme Court to hear cases in a new way

Oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court are typically a formal affair, dictated by adherence to tradition by an institution historically resistant to altering its ways. Come Monday, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, all that changes. In a first, the nine justices are set to participate in arguments in 10 cases - each scheduled for an hour - this week and next week conducted remotely by teleconference rather than in-person to combat the spread of the pathogen. In another break with tradition, the court will provide a live audio feed of the arguments to the news media.

Pence says he should have worn face mask at Mayo Clinic

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that he erred in not wearing a face mask during a visit with patients at the Mayo Clinic last month. The decision by Pence not to wear a mask was slammed by critics, who said it undermined efforts to slow the spread of the respiratory virus that has caused more than 67,000 deaths in the United States. Pence heads the Trump administration's anti-coronavirus effort.