Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Top Democrats in Congress called on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and another top postal official to testify this month at a hearing on a wave of cuts that has slowed mail delivery around the country, alarming lawmakers ahead of the Nov. 3 election when up to half of U.S. voters could cast ballots by mail.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Democrats to highlight 17 'rising stars' in convention keynote

Democrats will highlight 17 young politicians they consider "rising stars," including one-time vice presidential hopeful Stacey Abrams, on Tuesday, the second night of the party's nominating convention. The coronavirus pandemic forced the party to reinvent the convention, scrapping crowds and balloons in Milwaukee in favor of virtual events televised from around the country. Democrats step up pressure on postal service cuts ahead of election

U.S. Democrats on Sunday stepped up their efforts to rein in a cost-cutting campaign by President Donald Trump's appointed postmaster general that has stoked fears about holding up mail-in ballots ahead of the November election. Top Democrats in Congress called on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and another top postal official to testify this month at a hearing on a wave of cuts that has slowed mail delivery around the country, alarming lawmakers ahead of the Nov. 3 election when up to half of U.S. voters could cast ballots by mail. Nebraska school district cancels classes as staff catch coronavirus

A Nebraska school district said on Saturday it had canceled classes after staff members tested positive for the new coronavirus, the latest state to see instruction disrupted after resuming in-person learning. Three staff members have the virus that causes COVID-19 and 24 more are in quarantine for exposure in the Broken Bow School District about 190 miles (300 km) west of Omaha, superintendent Darren Tobey said in a statement. Preschool and grade 6 to 12 classes are canceled until Aug. 24. Protesters slam U.S. postmaster outside his home amid mail-in worries

A small group of demonstrators held a noisy protest outside the Washington condo of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy amid growing concerns that he is gutting the U.S. Postal Service to help President Donald Trump win reelection in November. An unprecedented number of mail-in ballots are expected as many states have made it easier to vote by mail to address concerns about public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. Explainer: The purpose of U.S. presidential nominating conventions

The United States has held presidential nominating conventions for almost 200 years, and they have served in recent decades as an important televised introduction to each party's candidate in the final months before the election. Here is a look at the upcoming Democratic and Republican national conventions, which kick off on Monday and run back-to-back weeks. The presidential election is Nov. 3. Right-wing groups clash with counter protesters in several U.S. states

Right wing demonstrators fought with leftist counter protestors in Georgia, Michigan and Oregon on Saturday drawing in riot police and SWAT teams. Groups ranging from an anti-government patriot group in Portland, Oregon to alt-right Proud Boys in Kalamazoo, Michigan battled anti-fascists and Black Lives Matter activists as months of anti-racism protests increasingly pitted Americans against one another. Robert Trump, president's brother who shunned the spotlight, dies

Robert Trump, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump and a business executive who avoided the spotlight, died on Saturday night, a day after the president visited him in a New York hospital. President Trump announced the death in a statement. Exclusive: UPS, FedEx warn they cannot carry ballots like U.S. Postal Service

United Parcel Service and FedEx on Friday shot down social media calls that they step in to deliver mail-in ballots from the U.S. Postal Service, which is warning states of potentially "significant" delays. "State ballots must be postmarked to be considered valid and only the USPS has lawful postmarking status. Therefore UPS, FedEx and other private parties cannot technically be involved in shipping ballots," UPS told Reuters in a statement. U.S. coronavirus death toll hits 170,000 ahead of fall flu season

The United States surpassed 170,000 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, as health officials express concerns over COVID-19 complicating the fall flu season. Deaths rose by 483 on Sunday, with Florida, Texas and Louisiana, leading the rise in fatalities. U.S. CDC reports 5,340,232 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 5,340,232 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 54,686 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,150 to 168,696. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 15 versus its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/2UkMHx9)