US Domestic News Roundup; U.S. court rules Florida cannot force felons to pay fees before voting;

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. court rules Florida cannot force felons to pay fees before voting

A U.S. judge ruled on Sunday that the state of Florida cannot force felons to pay legal fines and other fees before allowing them to register to vote. The ruling, for now, clears the way for potentially hundreds of thousands of citizens to register to vote in the swing state for the November presidential election.

Old-fashioned milkman makes the rounds as U.S. shoppers stay home

The milk truck can be heard more than a block away, chugging along the narrow tree-lined streets of Washington's historic Capitol Hill neighborhood. Milkman Seth Burmeister is making the first of the day's 150 home deliveries of milk, eggs and ice cream produced at South Mountain Creamery in Middletown, Maryland, some 60 miles (100 km) away.

Special Report: In Oklahoma pork-packing town, COVID stirs fear, faith and sorrow

Over 25 years, the massive pork plant that dominates this small city brought jobs, new residents and an economic lifeline to a slowly shrinking farming community. Attracted by relatively good wages at Seaboard Foods, immigrants like Felix and Pilar Jimenez arrived by the hundreds to slaughter hogs and process meat for shipment all over the world. The Mexican couple started work in Guymon, on the vast plains of Oklahoma’s panhandle, about a year after the plant opened, followed in time by their sons Michael, now 26, and Anthony, 22.

Most publicly listed companies keep U.S. small-business aid loans

More than four-fifths of publicly listed companies that received emergency small-business loans from the U.S. government have held onto them, sticking with a certification that they need the money, according to data from market research firm FactSquared. Companies that should not have applied for the loans because they had enough resources to get by on their own had until May 18 to return the money without facing any sanctions. Those that returned the money announced it through regulatory filings, which are required within four business days of a major corporate event.

Three Republican groups sue California governor over mail-in-vote order

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and two other Republican groups on Sunday filed a lawsuit against California Governor Gavin Newsom over his executive orders to use mail-in ballots for the November election. California was the first state in the country to commit to sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters for the November election, a move responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. CDC reports total of 1.6 million coronavirus cases and 97,049 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 1,622,114 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 26,229 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,047 to 97,049. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on May 23, compared with its count a day earlier.

Americans spend holiday at beaches and parks as virus death toll nears 100,000

Americans sunbathed on beaches, fished from boats, and strolled on boardwalks this holiday weekend, even as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 fast approaches 100,000. The Memorial Day weekend that signals the start of the U.S. summer is normally a time when cemeteries across the nation fill with American flags and ceremonies to remember those who died in U.S. wars.

New York's Cuomo says groups of up to 10 must aim to stay 'safe'

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo advised people to exercise good judgment and social distancing when gathering in groups of up to 10 people as allowed in an executive order loosening restrictions issued late on Friday. In his daily briefing on Saturday, he said New York recorded 84 coronavirus deaths on May 22 compared with 109 the day before, continuing a downward trend in the state's toll from the pandemic.

Months before election, liberal groups press Biden on picks for economic posts

Liberal groups are pushing Joe Biden to pick tough watchdogs for U.S. economic posts ahead of the Nov. 3 election to generate broader support for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Leaders of organizations including the Revolving Door Project and Demand Progress said they expect to advance names of people they find acceptable to oversee taxes, regulation, stimulus oversight and markets should Biden defeat Republican President Donald Trump.

Chicago artist fills pesky potholes with pandemic art

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a bumpy road for many Chicagoans, but they have mosaic artist Jim Bachor to thank for paving the way to some unexpected smiles with four additions to his "pothole art" series installed on the city's North Side. Along a side street near the iconic Green Mill jazz club in the Uptown neighborhood, Bachor has created four glass and marble mosaics inside small craters in the pavement.

(With inputs from agencies.)