Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The department said on July 18 that Ross, 82, was being treated in a hospital for "minor, non-coronavirus related issues." Trump wears mask, voices hope on coronavirus vaccine in North Carolina President Donald Trump wore a mask and talked up the possibility of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year on Monday as he looked to show voters in the battleground state of North Carolina that he is responding to the pandemic.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Six U.S. mayors urge Congress to block Trump federal deployment

Six U.S. mayors on Monday called on Congress to halt President Donald Trump's deployment of federal forces to their cities, saying their presence has escalated tensions at anti-racism protests spreading across the country. Federal agents dispatched to Portland, Oregon, have drawn national attention for whisking away demonstrators in unnmarked cars, beating a U.S. Navy veteran and tear-gassing activist mothers and the city's Democratic mayor. Commerce Department says Ross released from hospital after non-coronavirus treatment

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has been released from a hospital after being treated for health reasons unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic, the Commerce Department said on Monday. The department said on July 18 that Ross, 82, was being treated in a hospital for "minor, non-coronavirus related issues." Trump wears mask, voices hope on coronavirus vaccine in North Carolina

President Donald Trump wore a mask and talked up the possibility of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year on Monday as he looked to show voters in the battleground state of North Carolina that he is responding to the pandemic. Trump, whose job approval ratings have dropped as many Americans believe he has handled the virus badly, sought for the second week to look in command after setting aside his hands-off approach. U.S. Republicans to unveil coronavirus aid proposal as time runs out on jobless benefits

U.S. Senate Republicans on Monday are expected to unveil a $1 trillion coronavirus aid package hammered out with the White House, a starting point for negotiations with Democrats as unemployment benefits that have kept millions Americans afloat are set to expire. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters on Sunday that the plan just needed a few clarifications before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could unveil it on Monday afternoon. In California breadbasket, hospitals overwhelmed as COVID-19 infections soar

Nearly 200 federal healthcare workers have been deployed to California's Central Valley agricultural breadbasket, where hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases as new infection rates soar, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday. The arrival over the past several days of Department of Defense personnel will help hospitals in the stricken region, where some hospitals and intensive care units are two-thirds full of COVID-19 patients. That has left little room for people who are ill from other conditions and is putting immense pressure on doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers trained in providing care to the sickest patients. McConnell: Republican coronavirus package to address health, economic aid, schools

U.s. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday Senate Republicans will shortly introduce a new coronavirus relief program to address health, economic assistance and schools. Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell said the package would include direct payments to Americans of $1200 each, and help for the unemployed. Trump files new challenge to NY subpoena for his tax returns

President Donald Trump on Monday filed a new challenge to the Manhattan district attorney's subpoena for his tax returns, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court said the president was not immune from state criminal probes. In a second amended complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, Trump's lawyers argued that the subpoena was "wildly overbroad," and was issued in "bad faith" and amounts to "harassment." Miami medical teams feel helpless as COVID-19 devastates South Florida

As the coronavirus ravages Florida, healthcare workers in Miami hospitals are struggling to cope with the emotional and physical impact of treating a crushing wave of COVID-19 patients. After seeing 10,000 new cases a day become the norm across the state in July, many of those on the frontlines are frustrated with the apparent inability of local, state, and federal governments to coordinate an adequate response. They are equally aghast with what appears to be the reluctance or refusal of many Floridians to honor safety precautions to stop the spread of coronavirus. Trump administration petitions FCC on social media content rules

The Trump administration petitioned the Federal Communications Commision on Monday to clarify regulations on the extent to which federal law provides protection for social media's content moderation decisions. In late May, U.S. President Donald Trump directed a Commerce Department agency to file the petition within 60 days. U.S. COVID-19 deaths rise for third week, new cases drop 2%

U.S. deaths from COVID-19 rose for a third week in a row to more than 6,300 people in the seven days ended July 26, though the number of new cases fell 2%, dropping for the first time after rising for five weeks, a Reuters analysis found. Fifteen states have reported weekly increases in deaths for at least two consecutive weeks, according to the Reuters tally of state and county reports. In Texas, more than 1,000 people died in the last seven days, or 20% of the state's more than 5,000 total deaths.