Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Factbox: Coronavirus in Congress - 14 members have tested or been presumed positive At least 14 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate - seven Republicans and seven Democrats - have tested positive or are presumed to have had COVID-19 since the novel coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year, with Representative Raul Grijalva becoming the latest on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. As Democrat Biden's running mate search nears end, contenders jockey for position

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is expected to interview the finalists to be his running mate in the coming days, according to a person familiar with the process, as allies of the top contenders redoubled their efforts to push Biden toward their favored choice. The announcement is not likely to come next week, according to two other people familiar with the matter. Biden and his vice presidential selection will formally accept the party's nomination at the Democrats' national convention, scheduled for Aug. 17-20, and he is expected to announce his pick before it begins. Congressional Democrats, White House still at impasse over coronavirus bill

The top Democrats in Congress are not close to a deal with the White House to pump more money into the U.S. economy to ease the coronavirus' heavy toll, both sides said on Saturday, after an essential lifeline for millions of unemployed Americans expired. "This was the longest meeting we had and it was more productive than the other meetings," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "There are many issues that are still very much outstanding." U.S. coronavirus deaths rise by 1,453, biggest increase since May 27: Reuters tally

U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus rose by at least 1,453 on Friday, the biggest one-day increase since May 27, to reach a total of 153,882, according to a Reuters tally. U.S. cases rose by at least 66,986 to a total of 4.58 million with some local governments yet to report. U.S. makes deal for 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, deaths expected to rise

Two major drug companies will supply the U.S. government with 100 million doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine, the Trump administration said on Friday, as the nation's top health agency predicted that fatalities would rise in the coming weeks. The agreement calls for the U.S. government to pay French drug maker Sanofi and British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline up to $2.1 billion to supply it with enough vaccines for 50 million people, with the option to buy another 500 million doses. U.S. CDC reports 4,542,579 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 4,542,579 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 68,605 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,371 to 152,870. The CDC reported its tally of cases of COVID-19, an illness caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on July 31, versus its previous report a day earlier. Hurricane Isaias strengthens slightly as it bears down on Florida

Hurricane Isaias strengthened slightly as it tore past the Bahamas on Saturday, bearing down on Florida and expected to approach the southeast of the state later in the day before traveling up the eastern U.S. seaboard. Isaias was carrying top sustained winds of 85 mph (135 kph) and was located about 115 (185 km) south-southeast of the Bahamas capital Nassau at 2 a.m. (0600 GMT), heading northwest, the National Hurricane Center said. NASA astronauts riding SpaceX capsule poised for weekend return, weather permitting

The two NASA astronauts who rode to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's new Crew Dragon are due to return on Sunday after a two-month voyage that marked NASA's first crewed mission from home soil in nine years. U.S. astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who launched to the space station in May, are expected to board Crew Dragon around 5:30 p.m. ET and splash down at one of seven landing sites in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean at about 2:48 p.m. ET on Sunday. Arizona congressman tests positive for coronavirus

Representative Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, has tested positive for coronavirus but feels fine and has gone into isolation, he said in a statement on Saturday. Grijalva, 72, was told of the positive test by the attending physician of the capitol, he said. "I currently have no symptoms, feel fine, and hope to make a quick and speedy recovery," he said. Fauci resists Republican effort to turn testimony against protesters

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday resisted efforts by a staunch ally of President Donald Trump to turn his testimony about controlling the coronavirus pandemic into criticism of protests against racial injustice. Fauci clashed with Representative Jim Jordan at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Coronavirus, after the Ohio Republican demanded Fauci's opinion about whether protests should be curbed or eliminated to control the pandemic. Factbox: Coronavirus in Congress - 14 members have tested or been presumed positive

At least 14 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate - seven Republicans and seven Democrats - have tested positive or are presumed to have had COVID-19 since the novel coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year, with Representative Raul Grijalva becoming the latest on Saturday. Here is a look at lawmakers affected by the virus: