US News Roundup: Why Kamala Harris may prove an elusive target for Trump; Loss of college football a body blow to fans and more

Harris, a 55-year-old U.S. senator from California, was chosen by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as his running mate on Tuesday, making history as the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major presidential ticket.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Minneapolis police bodycam videos show struggle before Floyd death

Minneapolis police body-camera videos of George Floyd's fatal arrest showed him begging for an officer to remove a knee from his neck in the moments before his death. A Minnesota judge on Friday ordered the public release of the footage nearly three months after Floyd's death, which sparked nationwide protests against police violence and racism. Floyd was Black and the officer charged with murder is white.

U.S. inks $1.5 billion deal with Moderna for 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine

The United States has entered an agreement with drugmaker Moderna Inc to acquire 100 million doses of its potential COVID-19 vaccine for around $1.5 billion, the company and White House said on Tuesday. The United States in recent weeks has made deals to acquire hundreds of millions of doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines from several companies as part of its Operation Warp Speed program, which aims to deliver a vaccine in the country by the end of the year.

Democrat Biden and new running mate Harris to make first campaign appearance

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his new running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, will make their first appearance as a ticket on Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware, as the campaign for the White House enters a more frenetic phase. The two are scheduled to deliver remarks just days before Biden formally accepts the Democratic nomination during the party's national convention, which will take place largely as a virtual event next week due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hospitals, expats blast Trump plan to block U.S. citizens over coronavirus

A Southern California-area hospital system, immigrant advocacy groups and Americans living in Mexico criticized on Tuesday a U.S. government draft proposal that could block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from entering the country if they are suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus. The pushback comes a day after Reuters and other news outlets reported the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was considering a regulation that would give the government authorization to keep out Americans believed to have contracted COVID-19 or other diseases.

Coping with campus coronavirus: U.S. fraternities, sororities give it the old college try

Sixteen gallons of hand sanitizer sat in the foyer of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority house at the University of Wisconsin as house mother Karen Mullis reconfigured tables in the dining room to maintain social distancing. Upstairs, the sorority has moved beds 6 feet (2 metres) apart and rooms in the basement will be used to quarantine any house members who test positive for the novel coronavirus, which has killed over 163,000 people in the United States, the most in the world.

U.S. postal service reorganization sparks delays, election questions

A shakeup of the U.S. Postal Service is leading to mail delays, union officials said on Tuesday, heightening concerns that an ally of President Donald Trump is destabilizing the service as millions of Americans consider whether to cast their ballots by mail in the Nov. 3 presidential election. New Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who has donated $2.7 million to Trump and his fellow Republicans since 2017, has ordered operational changes and a clampdown on overtime in a bid to fix the financially troubled service, which reported a net loss of $2.2 billion in the last quarter.

Loss of college football a body blow to fans, businesses in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The loss of college football hurts fans, businesses in Ann Arbor, Michigan Football in the college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, isn't just a sport. It's a way of life and even a lifeline.

How Kamala Harris found the political identity that had eluded her

Months after her presidential campaign collapsed amid questions over her political identity, Kamala Harris suddenly and forcefully found her voice – and at a fortuitous time. Harris, a 55-year-old U.S. senator from California, was chosen by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as his running mate on Tuesday, making history as the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major presidential ticket.

Why Kamala Harris may prove an elusive target for Trump

Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate provides a brand-new target for President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign that has struggled to find an effective line of attack against his Democratic rival. But going after Harris comes with its own risks and challenges.

Democratic presidential candidate Biden taps Senator Kamala Harris as running mate

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday tapped Senator Kamala Harris of California as his choice for vice president, his campaign told supporters in a text message. Harris, 55, becomes the first Black woman on a major presidential ticket in U.S. history.

(With inputs from agencies.)