Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Tuesday's nominating contests in New York, Kentucky and several other states pitted establishment Democrats against challengers pushing for sweeping change after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in Minneapolis police custody.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Minnesota sues Exxon, Koch and API for being 'deceptive' on climate change

The state of Minnesota on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil Corp and Koch Industries for what it called a decades-long campaign to deceive the public about climate change. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges by states, cities, and citizen groups targeting fossil fuel companies over their role in global warming. U.S. Senate heads for showdown over Republican police reform bill

The U.S. Senate headed for a showdown on Wednesday over a Republican police reform bill that Democrats have rejected as too limited to rein in police misconduct as public protests continue over George Floyd's death. The bill, crafted by the Senate's only Black Republican, Senator Tim Scott, must garner 60 votes to move forward in the 100-seat chamber. But Republicans control only 53 votes, and Democrats have vowed to oppose the measure while urging talks on a new bipartisan measure. U.S. sees second-largest rise in new coronavirus cases since crisis began

The United States has recorded the second-largest increase in coronavirus cases since the health crisis began, with a rise of 35,588 new infections on Tuesday as a dozen states see infections surge, according to a Reuters tally. Florida saw a record increase on Wednesday of over 5,500 new cases. On Tuesday, Arizona, California, Mississippi and Nevada had record rises. Texas set a record on Monday. AOC and other liberals, minorities gain in U.S. congressional primary races

A resounding primary win by Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a fellow liberal's lead over a longtime New York congressman signaled fresh momentum for progressive politics amid growing calls for economic and racial justice in the United States. Tuesday's nominating contests in New York, Kentucky and several other states pitted establishment Democrats against challengers pushing for sweeping change after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in Minneapolis police custody. Three men indicted with murder of Black jogger in Georgia

Three white men arrested last month in the slaying of a Black man who was gunned down as he jogged through a suburban neighborhood in Georgia four months ago were indicted on Wednesday on murder and other charges. Video footage showing the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, in the coastal Georgia town of Brunswick emerged on social media and went viral in May, some 10 weeks after his death, stoking public outrage at the lack of arrests at that time. No mask, no gambling at Caesars casinos

Caesars Entertainment Corp said on Wednesday it would require all guests at its casinos and other properties across the United States to wear face masks to help counter the spread of the new coronavirus. Caesar's said (https://www.caesars.com/content/cet-global/caesars-com/corporate/newsroom/press-releases/caesarsannouncesuniversalmaskpolicyinallproperties.html) anyone who refuses to wear a mask will be asked to leave the property. Unarmed National Guard activated and on standby to help protect D.C. monuments

Hundreds of unarmed Washington D.C. National Guard troops were activated and on standby to assist law enforcement personnel with protecting some historical monuments, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, after protesters tried to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson in a park near the White House. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pledged to take a hard line on anyone destroying or vandalizing U.S. historical monuments and threatened to use force on some protesters, as political activism against racial injustice continued to sweep the country and threaten his re-election chances. California hospitalizations surge with new COVID-19 cases

The number of people hospitalized in California with COVID-19 has increased by nearly a third over the past two weeks, with about 1,500 suspected or confirmed patients requiring intensive care, officials said on Wednesday. The state also reported its largest ever spike in confirmed new cases on Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom told a news briefing. Further increases are expected when test results from people who participated in massive anti-racism protests start coming in, he said. Trump administration defends defunding COVID testing in Texas, four other states

The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it would no longer directly fund 13 of its original coronavirus testing sites in five states, saying states were allocated money for testing by the federal government last month. U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir said in a call with reporters that the 13 sites were those left among 41 sites the agency set up when the new coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year, before moving on from the "antiquated" program to newer testing programs. Exclusive: Vaccine alliance finds manufacturing capacity for 4 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines

An influential foundation focused on preparation and response to epidemics that is backing nine potential coronavirus vaccines has identified manufacturers with capacity to produce four billion doses a year, the group's top manufacturing expert told Reuters. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) plans to have two or three manufacturing plants for each vaccine, James Robinson, a longtime biopharma executive leading CEPI'S vast manufacturing push, said in an interview.