US News Roundup: Biden campaign tees up Trump tax issue on eve of first debate; California governor Newsom declares emergency in three counties due to fire and more

With the Republican-led Senate moving to confirm Barrett to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court within weeks, she could be on the court's bench for oral arguments on Nov. 10 in the case in which some Republican-dominated states led by Texas and backed by President Donald Trump's administration are seeking to invalidate the law.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Oregon inmates find redemption in fighting wildfires

In the flames, they are finding redemption. The 10 Oregon prisoners carry chainsaws, axes, shovels and hoes into the biggest wildfires the state has seen in a century.

Barrett high-court vote against Obamacare not as certain as Democrats claim

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s comments suggesting she backed challenges to the Obamacare healthcare law do not ensure she would vote to invalidate it in an upcoming case, despite Democrats' claims to the contrary. With the Republican-led Senate moving to confirm Barrett to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court within weeks, she could be on the court's bench for oral arguments on Nov. 10 in the case in which some Republican-dominated states led by Texas and backed by President Donald Trump's administration are seeking to invalidate the law.

Northern California wildfires kill three, force evacuation of thousands

A northern California wildfire raging in the foothills of the Cascade range has claimed three lives, officials said on Monday, as a separate blaze prompted mass evacuations and spread turmoil to the famed wine-producing regions of Napa and Sonoma counties. The three fatalities in the so-called Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which erupted on Sunday near Redding, about 200 miles north of San Francisco, were reported by the county sheriff and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). They were all civilians.

Lost year: New York parents wrestle with uncertainty as more schools open

Jodi Cook will drop off her son to his Brooklyn school on Tuesday for the first time in months, but even though her 6-year-old will get at least some time interacting face to face with teachers and staff, she fears it will not be enough. Going back to the classroom was the only viable option for Roberto, Cook said. He has some learning challenges and did not do well with remote learning when schools shut last spring. But even with a return to the classroom, Cook fears he might end up not getting access to all the services he needs.

Unraveling of Trump policies a distant hope for separated immigrant families

A Venezuelan father waiting in Mexico to plead his U.S. asylum case who has yet to meet his newborn daughter. An Iraqi refugee stuck in Jordan despite his past helping U.S. soldiers. A mother sent back to Honduras after being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border from her two young children. A Malian package courier deported after three decades in the United States. And an Iranian couple kept apart for years under a U.S. travel ban. They have all experienced first-hand the effects of Republican President Donald Trump's signature domestic policy goal in his nearly four years in office - the overhaul of the U.S. immigration system. A multitude of new bureaucratic hurdles to entering or staying in the United States have upended the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Supreme Court nominee Barrett meets senators in race to confirmation

The sprint to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to become President Donald Trump's third conservative appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court begins in earnest on Tuesday as the jurist meets with lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol, starting with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Barrett will meet McConnell in the morning in what will be a day packed with informal visits, part of a long-standing tradition leading into multi-day confirmation hearings set to begin on Oct. 12.

California governor Newsom declares emergency in three counties due to fire

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in three counties because of the Glass and Zogg fires that have claimed three lives and burned thousands of acres in the state since Sunday. The counties include Napa, Sonoma and Shasta, the governor's office said in a statement (https://bit.ly/3n299ba) late on Monday.

Biden campaign tees up Trump tax issue on eve of first debate

Joe Biden's campaign seized on a fresh line of attack on the eve of the Democratic presidential nominee's first debate with President Donald Trump, accusing the Republican incumbent of gaming the system to avoid paying his fair share of taxes. Trump, a self-proclaimed billionaire who is seeking reelection in the Nov. 3 vote, paid only $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, after years of reporting heavy losses from his businesses to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in income, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing tax-return data.

Kentucky AG to release Breonna Taylor grand jury recording: Washington Post

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron will release the recording from the grand jury proceedings connected to the Breonna Taylor investigation on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported. The development comes after an unidentified juror filed a court motion asking to make the details public, the report https://wapo.st/344XU96 added.

Unequal education: Pandemic widens race, class gaps in U.S. schools

Natalie Cruz, 12, missed math and language arts instruction one recent morning because the school's virtual interface would not load. Carlos, her 8-year-old brother, sat beside her at the kitchen table, studying with last year's workbooks because the district had yet to supply him with a PC, weeks after instruction started online. Across town, Zachary and Zeno Lentz, 5 and 9, were at their high-performing elementary schools, where they attend in-person on Tuesdays and Fridays. They learn remotely the other three days, assisted by their college-educated mother, a social worker who can do her job from home.

(With inputs from agencies.)