US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. may need to extend social distancing for virus until 2022, study says; As coronavirus empties streets, speeders hit the gas and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump administration halts wildfire prevention tool in California over coronavirus

The U.S. Forest Service has suspended controlled burns on public lands in wildfire-prone California because of the coronavirus pandemic, upsetting officials who see the program as key to preventing seasonal infernos like those that devastated parts of the state in 2018. The decision comes as forecasters predict yet another above-average year for wildfires in parts of the state because of dry conditions, and follows President Donald Trump's repeated criticism of California's own forest management work following the 2018 fires.

Exclusive: Democrats, furious with Trump, much keener to vote now than four years ago - Reuters/Ipsos

When Republicans in Wisconsin pushed through state elections last week in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, Jessica Jaglowski donned a protective mask and headed for the ballot box, determining her best shot at self-preservation was not to stay home but to vote Republicans out of office. Come November, when Republican President Donald Trump is up for re-election, Jaglowski, a 47-year-old Democrat in Milwaukee, says she will be even more determined to vote, even if the deadly virus continues to ravage her community.

As coronavirus empties streets, speeders hit the gas

Empty roads in the United States and Europe are tempting drivers to go out and shift into high gear. From Los Angeles to New York, London and Berlin, coronavirus lockdowns have drained traffic from normally crowded roads. That has opened space for drivers who want to defy police warnings and automated traffic enforcement systems to go racing in the streets. In London and Los Angeles, police said they have clocked drivers zooming down streets at over 100 miles an hour(160 km/h).

Trump says close to plan to reopen economy possibly, in part, before May 1

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is close to completing a plan to end the coronavirus shutdown and reopen the battered U.S. economy with some parts of the country likely to be ready to go before May 1. Standing in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said he would "authorize" governors - despite doubts from some experts that the presidency has such powers - to implement plans in their states at the appropriate time. He said he would speak to all 50 governors about the plan, probably on Thursday by video conference.

Trump's move to cut WHO funding prompts world condemnation

U.S. President Donald Trump's move to halt funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic prompted condemnation on Wednesday from world leaders who appealed for cooperation and unity. Trump, who has reacted angrily to accusations his administration's response to the worst epidemic in a century was haphazard and too slow, had become increasingly hostile towards the U.N. agency before announcing the halt on Tuesday.

A day fighting COVID-19: U.S. hospital staff share hardest moments on shift

The shifts are long and the scenes are heartbreaking inside a Maryland hospital where nurses and doctors have been treating coronavirus patients for weeks, unable to let family inside to visit loved ones on their death beds. One of the hardest moments of a recent workday for registered nurse Julia Trainor was intubating a patient and then calling the patient's husband so he could talk to his wife. He was not allowed in the hospital.

CDC director says 19-20 U.S. states may be ready to reopen May 1

The director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday he believes 19 or 20 U.S. states have had limited impact from the new coronavirus and their governors believe they may be ready to reopen by President Donald Trump's May 1 target date. "There are a number of counties within this country that have not experienced really any coronavirus despite testing," Robert Redfield said in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America."

Factbox: Biden wants a woman to be his running mate. Here are some names under consideration

Presumptive Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden, who has vowed to pick a woman to join his ticket, said he would appoint a committee this month to help him vet possible running mates. The former vice president to Barack Obama has said he would consider six to around a dozen candidates, including several of his former rivals for the party's nomination to face Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election. His plan is to select one well before the Democratic convention in August.

Despite coronavirus, Americans fight for their right to a birthday party

Reuben Goodman's parents had to think fast and get creative when the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered their plans to throw a New Jersey bowling party to celebrate their son's fifth birthday. Emily and Dan Goodman instead decided to combine a variety of coronavirus-safe activities for their son, an avid Star Wars fan. The day includes a social-distancing treasure hunt of sorts; dancing in the streets in his Storm Trooper costume, with friends kept at a contagion-proof distance; and a virtual Zoom party featuring treats delivered to the homes of Reuben's playmates and left outside their front doors.

U.S. may need to extend social distancing for virus until 2022, study says

The United States may need to endure social distancing measures adopted during the coronavirus outbreak until 2022, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. The study comes as more than 2,200 people died in the United States from the outbreak on Tuesday, a record, according to a Reuters tally, even as the country debated how to reopen its economy. The overall death toll in the U.S. from the virus stands at more than 28,300 as of Tuesday.