US News Roundup: Californians ordered to stay home; Amazon raises overtime pay and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Bipartisan U.S. talks expected on rescue for coronavirus-hit economy

U.S. senators from both parties were expected to meet on Friday along with Trump administration officials to try to devise a rescue plan for an economy reeling from the coronavirus, after Republicans made a $1 trillion opening bid. The massive Republican package unveiled on Thursday includes checks of up to $1,200 for many Americans, and hundreds of billions of dollars in loans for small businesses and industries. It also would allow Americans a breather on filing their income taxes until July. They are normally due in April.

Californians ordered to stay home; New York pleas for urgent help to fight coronavirus

Nearly 40 million Californians have been ordered to stay at home as part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and New York's mayor on Friday renewed his pleas for U.S. President Donald Trump to mobilize the military for additional medical personnel and supplies. The pandemic has already upended life in much of the country, shuttering schools and businesses, prompting millions to work from home, forcing many out of jobs and sharply curtailing travel.

Amazon raises overtime pay for warehouse workers

Amazon.com Inc said on Saturday it is raising overtime pay for associates working in its U.S. warehouses as the world's largest online retailer tries to meet the rapidly growing demand for online shopping from consumers stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, the world's richest person, also said on Saturday, "My own time and thinking is now wholly focused on COVID-19 and on how Amazon can best play its role," according to a message posted on a company website.

VP Pence says will be tested for coronavirus after aide tested positive

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said he and his wife will be tested for coronavirus later on Saturday after a member of his staff tested positive. "The White House doctor has indicated he has no reason to believe that I was exposed and no need to be tested," Pence told the daily briefing at the White House.

Puerto Rico oversight board to ask for delay in debt restructuring due to coronavirus

Puerto Rico's federally created financial oversight board will ask a court to delay the U.S. commonwealth's debt restructuring hearing due to the coronavirus outbreak, it said on Saturday. "The Oversight Board will present a motion in court to adjourn consideration of the proposed Plan of Adjustment's disclosure hearing until further notice", the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico said https://bit.ly/2Ua0dUP. New Hampshire governor says plastic bag resurgence could help curb coronavirus

New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu on Saturday urged shoppers in the state to leave their reusable bags at home, saying he would soon order stores to use only new plastic and paper bags to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Concerns have grown for grocery store employees who face crowded shops and the risk of infection from a highly contagious virus that can linger on surfaces. FAA to briefly close New York traffic center, LaGuardia control tower

The Federal Aviation Administration said late on Saturday it will close the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and New York LaGuardia Control Tower overnight for cleaning after another person tested positive for COVID-19. The FAA said an individual at La Guardia tested positive, prompting the temporary shutdown of the tower that it said should have minimal impact on flights. Social work from a social distance: Coronavirus forces U.S. child advocates to adapt

Social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic has forced states to rethink their approach to social work, whether by finding safe strategies for staff to check on at-risk children in their homes or resorting to virtual visits. Social workers and union officials representing them in states including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois and Oregon said they are pushing their agencies to adapt at a time when entering a stranger's home could expose them to a serious and sometimes deadly illness. Coronavirus drives up demand - and pay - for temporary U.S. nurses

U.S. hospitals, bracing for a surge of coronavirus patients just as some staff are under quarantine after being exposed to the virus, are facing a shortage of temporary nurses who can fill in - and being asked to pay as much as double to make it worth it. So-called "travel nurses" total around 50,000 - or less than one percent of the nursing workforce - which represents an increase in recent years as the U.S. population ages, demand increases and workers seek more flexible employment options. With the coronavirus outbreak escalating every day, the need for temporary nurses is growing exponentially throughout the United States. U.S. may convert thousands of New York hotel, college rooms into care units

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking at converting more than 10,000 New York rooms, potentially in hotels and college dorms, into medical care units to help address the fast-spreading coronavirus, the commanding general of the Army Corps said on Friday. The pandemic has upended life in much of the United States, shuttering schools and businesses, prompting millions to work from home, forcing many out of jobs and sharply curtailing travel.

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