Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Federal judge orders Florida company to stop peddling bleach-based COVID-19 'cure'

A federal judge has ordered a Florida-based company to stop selling a product that it says cures COVID-19 but prosecutors allege contains a powerful bleach that could make people sick when it is ingested, the Justice Department said on Friday. The April 16 injunction unsealed on Friday against Genesis II Church of Health and Healing and its executives came after prosecutors filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Trump announces $19 billion for U.S. farmers hurt by coronavirus

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday announced a $19 billion relief program to help farmers cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic through a package that will include direct payment and mass purchases of produce, meat and other products. "These are great people, great Americans, never complain, never complain - they just do what they have to do," Trump said while announcing the farm aid program, which he said will have $16 billion in direct payments. U.S. coronavirus crisis takes a sharp political turn

The U.S. coronavirus crisis took a sharp political turn on Friday as President Donald Trump lashed out at four Democratic governors over their handling of the pandemic after having conceded that states bear ultimate control of restrictions to contain the outbreak. The Republican president targeted three swing states critical to his re-election bid - Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia - where his conservative loyalists have mounted pressure campaigns challenging those governors' stay-at-home orders. Voting by mail in the spotlight as U.S. Congress debates how to secure November elections

Congress is scrambling for ways to safeguard the Nov. 3 U.S. elections amid the coronavirus pandemic, with a partisan fight shaping up over a Democratic proposal to require states to offer the option of voting by mail. President Donald Trump, seeking re-election this year, and some of his fellow Republicans have voiced opposition to expanded voting by mail, citing concern over ballot fraud - a worry that Democrats dispute. New York governor attacks Trump for 'passing buck' on pandemic response

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus crisis, accusing him of "passing the buck" to the states and favoring big business over communities hardest hit. Cuomo, who had previously kept his criticism of Trump in check, unleashed a flurry of broadsides following a reporter's question about the president's comments suggesting New York had asked for too much aid that was never fully used. Michigan Governor Whitmer aims to begin reopening state economy on May 1

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday she is hopeful the state can begin to reengage parts of its economy beginning on May 1, days after facing a barrage of criticism for her strict measures to combat the new coronavirus. Later on Friday, President Donald Trump, who has traded jabs with Whitmer over the state's handling of the outbreak, tweeted: "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" along with similar tweets naming other states with other Democratic governors. 'No excuses': Moderate Democrats urge quick deal on small business coronavirus aid

Some moderate Democrats key to their party's control of the U.S. House of Representatives are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to move quickly to replenish a fund to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, saying other party priorities can wait. Both Democrats and Republicans appeared hard-pressed Friday to end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over President Donald Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small business loan program. Congress set up the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money. Trump: U.S. states, not federal government, must improve testing

U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration has faced criticism over a shortfall in coronavirus testing capacity, said on Friday that individual states were responsible for developing testing capabilities. "It's going to be up to the states to use that capability," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing. Trump's coronavirus reopening plan has big holes, health experts say

The U.S. economy has imploded in the past month amid aggressive measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, with 22 million people filing for unemployment benefits and most factories, stores and other businesses at a virtual standstill. The governors of Michigan, Florida and other states outlined tentative steps on Friday to reopen their economies, a day after the White House issued guidelines to help states decide when to lift lockdown orders and allow firms to restart and workers to return to their jobs. California forms task force to jump-start economy as coronavirus deaths surge

California Governor Gavin Newsom tapped business and political leaders including Arnold Schwarzenegger and billionaire Tom Steyer to help jump-start an economy ravaged by the new coronavirus as the state's daily death toll hit an all-time high on Friday. The governor's 80-person economics task force would work "in real time" to make recommendations on ways to pump up the economy in the most populous U.S. state once restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the outbreak start to lift.