Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Ousted U.S. vaccine official to testify before House panel: spokeswoman

Rick Bright, the ousted director of a U.S. agency responsible for developing a coronavirus vaccine, will testify before a U.S. House of Representatives panel on May 14, a representative said on Twitter on Tuesday. Texas Governor announces nail and hair salons, barber shops can open Friday

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that nail and hair salons, and barbershops can open on Friday, while gyms and office buildings can open on May 18 with restrictions, in a partial easing of restrictions prompted by the coronavirus outbreak. Abbott told a news conference on Tuesday that businesses will have to follow specific rules on workforce and building occupancy for the foreseeable future to prevent the virus from spreading. These include reducing seating capacity to 25 percent and requiring people to practice social distancing where possible, such as staying 6 feet (2 meters) apart. Audit finds Mississippi misspent millions in federal anti-poverty funds

Nearly $100 million in federal anti-poverty funds for Mississippi were misspent to enrich local officials, along with a family of professional wrestlers and a firm owned by Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, the state auditor has alleged. A review of how the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) spent the money showed stunning levels of corruption that could endanger future federal funding for anti-poverty programs in one of the poorest states in the United States, state auditor Shad White said. Citing no evidence, Trump accuses Democrats of wishing him failure in coronavirus response

President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Democrats of wanting his administration to fail in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, fanning U.S. partisanship over the public health crisis without providing evidence to support his assertion. Before departing the White House on a trip to visit a mask-making factory in Arizona, Trump was asked by a reporter why he would allow a top U.S. health official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to testify before a committee of the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate but not the Democratic-majority House of Representatives. Trump tours new face mask factory in Arizona but doesn't wear one

Without wearing a face covering himself, President Donald Trump toured a new medical mask factory in Arizona on Tuesday, taking a rare trip out of Washington to visit a state he hopes to win in the November election even as Americans avoid travel to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Touching down in Phoenix in midafternoon, Trump visited a Honeywell International Inc factory making N95 face masks for healthcare workers. The facility was rushed into service in less than five weeks because of a shortage of the protective equipment. Exclusive: Trump administration drafting 'Artemis Accords' pact for moon mining - sources

The Trump administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining on the moon under a new U.S.-sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords, people familiar with the proposed pact told Reuters. The agreement would be the latest effort to cultivate allies around NASA’s plan to put humans and space stations on the moon within the next decade, and comes as the civilian space agency plays a growing role in implementing American foreign policy. The draft pact has not been formally shared with U.S. allies yet. White House to wind down coronavirus task force as focus shifts to aftermath: Trump

The White House coronavirus task force will wind down as the country moves into a second phase that focuses on the aftermath of the outbreak, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. Trump confirmed the plans after Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the group, told reporters the White House may start moving coordination of the U.S. response on to federal agencies in late May. Exclusive: U.S. airlines burn $10 billion a month as traffic plummets

U.S. airlines are collectively burning more than $10 billion in cash per month and averaging fewer than two dozen passengers per domestic flight in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, industry trade group Airlines for America said in prepared testimony seen by Reuters ahead of a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday. Even after grounding more than 3,000 aircraft, or nearly 50% of the active U.S. fleet, the group said its member carriers, which include the four largest U.S. airlines, are averaging just 17 passengers per domestic flight and 29 passengers per international flight. Trump outlines wish list as Congress mulls more coronavirus relief

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday outlined a wish list of policies he suggested Congress should consider as it weighs a possible fourth round of coronavirus relief legislation, including payroll tax cuts and a business expense deduction. "The elimination of Sanctuary Cities, Payroll Taxes, and perhaps Capital Gains Taxes, must be put on the table," Trump said in a tweet. Ousted U.S. whistleblower says Trump health official played down coronavirus threat

The ousted director of a U.S. agency responsible for developing drugs to fight the coronavirus pandemic filed a whistleblower's complaint on Tuesday accusing President Donald Trump's administration of retaliating when he raised concerns. Rick Bright says in the complaint filed with a government watchdog that he warned about the virus in January and was met with hostility from Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and other high-ranking officials in the agency.