US Domestic News Roundup: Key U.S. lawmakers back unions call for new airline bailout; Oklahoma governor tests positive for coronavirus as U.S. cases surge and more

Oklahoma governor tests positive for coronavirus as U.S. cases surge Oklahoma's governor said he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, becoming one of the highest elected U.S. politicians to test positive for the disease, as new coronavirus infections in his state and neighboring Texas surged by record numbers for a second straight day.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Key U.S. lawmakers back unions call for new airline bailout

A group of key U.S. House Democrats is backing airline unions push for a new round of government bailouts to keep workers employed in the face of tens of thousands of possible layoffs this fall. Representative Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and other Democrats are circulating a letter to colleagues calling for the extension of payroll assistance.

Oklahoma governor tests positive for coronavirus as U.S. cases surge

Oklahoma's governor said he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, becoming one of the highest elected U.S. politicians to test positive for the disease, as new coronavirus infections in his state and neighboring Texas surged by record numbers for a second straight day. Texas, where the tally of known infections jumped by an all-time high of 10,791 cases statewide during the past 24 hours, also reported a record 110 additional COVID-19 deaths, its fourth such daily benchmark this month.

Fauci bullish on prospects for U.S. vaccine, not worried about China winning race

The leading U.S. expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicted on Wednesday the country will meet its goal of a coronavirus vaccine by year's end and was unmoved by the prospect that China would get there first. While there are no guarantees, "I feel good about the projected timetable," Fauci told Reuters in an interview.

Investigative report of Indiana lynching complaint delivered to prosecutors

The Indiana law enforcement investigation of a hate-crime report lodged by a Black civil rights activist who said several white men tried to lynch him at a lakeside park was turned over to prosecutors on Wednesday for review, officials said. The contents of the submission were not immediately made public. But the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is expected to evaluate evidence it received to decide whether to bring charges in the incident this month.

Americans on COVID-19 jobless benefits spent more than when working, study shows

Americans who received enhanced unemployment benefits due to the coronavirus pandemic spent more than when they were working, a study released on Thursday said, adding to concerns about a steep fall in spending when the emergency benefits expire. The $600 weekly supplement added to jobless benefits as part of the CARES Act helped unemployed households spend 10% more after receiving benefits than they did before the pandemic, according to research by the JPMorgan Chase Institute.

Federal judge blocks Trump administration's easing of rule on methane emissions

A federal judge in California late on Wednesday blocked a rollback by the Trump administration of a rule on slashing emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations on federal and tribal lands. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Rogers of the Northern District of California said in her ruling that the administration's easing of the Waste Prevention Rule was contrary to the Interior Department's mandate to ensure safe and responsible drilling on public lands, and failed to consider scientific findings relied upon by previous presidential administrations.

Rose Parade in California canceled for first time in 76 years due to coronavirus

The 2021 Tournament of Roses Parade, an annual spectacle held each New Year's Day since 1891 in Pasadena, California, has been called off due to the coronavirus pandemic, its first cancellation in 76 years, organizers said on Wednesday. The Rose Parade, an internationally televised procession of flower-bedecked floats, marching bands, and equestrian teams, has only been canceled three other times in its history - during the World War Two years of 1942, '43 and '45.

U.S. executes Wesley Purkey, second federal execution in 17 years, spokeswoman says

The U.S. Justice Department executed convicted murderer Wesley Purkey on Thursday, the second federal execution in a week after a 17-year pause, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman said. Purkey, whose lawyers had argued that he had dementia and no longer understood his punishment, was pronounced dead at 8:19 a.m. EDT (1219 GMT) at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, the spokeswoman, Kristie Breshears said by phone.

Trump wants schools open so voters will give him high marks, Biden says

President Donald Trump is insisting that schools reopen so he can save his re-election bid, his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, said on Wednesday. School districts across the country are taking a cautious approach to reopening after the summer break as U.S. COVID-19 cases near 3.5 million, unnerving parents struggling to balance their duties to employers and their families.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg discharged from hospital

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been released from a Baltimore hospital after being treated for a possible infection, a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday, in the latest health issue for the U.S. Supreme Court's oldest member. Ginsburg, 87, returned home and is "doing well," spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in a statement. Ginsburg underwent a procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Tuesday to clean a bile duct stent that was inserted last August, the court said.