Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Coronavirus spreads easily in U.S. homeless shelters, CDC says

At homeless shelters across the United States where only a few cases of COVID-19 had been identified, testing found much more widespread infection among residents and staff with the novel coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Based on the findings, researchers from the CDC and elsewhere advise testing all residents and staff at homeless shelters with COVID-19 clusters, and when possible, universal testing at shelters with even a single case. Top U.S. Senate Republican says aid for states needs to focus on coronavirus

The Republican leader of the U.S. Senate said on Wednesday that Congress may decide to provide additional assistance to state and local government as part of another coronavirus relief bill, but that any aid needs to focus on the pandemic. "We may well provide additional assistance, but my view is it ought to be clearly related to the coronavirus and that we ought to take a little time here to assess what we've already done," Senator Mitch McConnell said in an interview with Louisville, Kentucky-based radio state WHAS. Trump to sign executive order on immigration on Wednesday

U.S. President Donald Trump, said in a tweet he would sign an executive order later on Wednesday "prohibiting immigration" that he has said would protect U.S. workers amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. As of late Tuesday, some questions remained unanswered as the Trump administration continued to work on the order, which the Republican president has said would temporarily suspend immigration to the United States. U.S. House poised to pass more coronavirus aid, avoids remote voting wrangle

The U.S. House of Representatives expects to pass a nearly $500 billion coronavirus relief bill on Thursday but will put off any decision on changing its voting rules during the pandemic, avoiding a potential partisan fight. The bill, which will provide funds to small businesses and hospitals struggling with the economic toll of a pandemic that has killed more than 45,000 Americans, is expected to be the fourth coronavirus measure passed by Congress, boosting the overall federal financial response to almost $3 trillion. Coronavirus to accelerate Social Security, Medicare depletion dates, U.S. officials say

Job and revenue losses prompted by the coronavirus will likely accelerate the depletion of Social Security and Medicare reserves, U.S. officials said on Wednesday as they released reports showing little change in the federal benefit programs' pre-pandemic finances. The 2020 Social Security and Medicare trustees reports released on Wednesday did not reflect projections from the coronavirus pandemic but showed continued long-term funding shortfalls for retirement, disability and seniors' healthcare benefits. Trump says he told Georgia governor he disagrees with reopening decision

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he told Georgia Governor Brian Kemp he disagreed with his plan to reopen certain businesses this month, saying it was too soon for businesses like spas, beauty salons and tattoo parlors to reopen. "It's just too soon. I think it's too soon," Trump said at the White House coronavirus news briefing. "They can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit - not much. Because safety has to predominate. We have to have that. 'No time to act stupidly,' New York's Cuomo warns as Trump lauds state plans to reopen

President Donald Trump on Wednesday applauded steps by a handful of Republican-led U.S. states to reopen their economies, but New York's governor, wary of a potential second wave of coronavirus infections, cautioned that it was "no time to act stupidly." About a half dozen U.S. states, mostly in the South, are loosening stay-at-home guidelines, allowing an array of non-essential businesses to reopen in the hope of reviving their devastated economies. Trump, a Republican seeking re-election on Nov. 3, gave these states a show of support on Twitter. Special Report: Former Labradoodle breeder tapped to lead U.S. pandemic task force

On January 21, the day the first U.S. case of coronavirus was reported, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services appeared on Fox News to report the latest on the disease as it ravaged China. Alex Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive, assured Americans the U.S. government was prepared. “We developed a diagnostic test at the CDC, so we can confirm if somebody has this,” Azar said. “We will be spreading that diagnostic around the country so that we are able to do rapid testing on site.” U.S. coronavirus deaths top 47,000 after near-record increase on previous day: Reuters tally

U.S. coronavirus deaths topped 47,000 on Wednesday after rising by a near-record single-day number the previous day, according to a Reuters tally. A University of Washington model https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america, often cited by the White House, projected a total of nearly 66,000 U.S. coronavirus deaths by Aug. 4, an upward revision from its most recent previous estimate of 60,000 deaths. At current rates, U.S. deaths could reach 50,000 later this week. U.S. official says he was ousted for urging caution on Trump-touted coronavirus drug

The ousted director of a key U.S. agency charged with developing drugs to fight the coronavirus pandemic said on Wednesday he was dismissed because he called for careful vetting of a treatment frequently touted by President Donald Trump. Rick Bright said in a statement that he was replaced as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, and reassigned to a new role because he resisted efforts to push hydroxychloroquine and the related chloroquine as cures for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.