Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Trump defends U.S. Postal Service changes, supports more in-person voting: Fox News interview U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday defended his administration's efforts to implement changes at the U.S. Postal Service ahead of November's election, despite an outcry from Democrats and other critics, and said he would support efforts to expand in-person voting.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Trump defends U.S. Postal Service changes, supports more in-person voting: Fox News interview

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday defended his administration's efforts to implement changes at the U.S. Postal Service ahead of November's election, despite an outcry from Democrats and other critics, and said he would support efforts to expand in-person voting. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he would support more voting booths, early voting and other efforts but reiterated his attacks against mail-in voting. Defying Trump, California locks in vehicle emission deals with major automakers

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and major automakers on Monday confirmed they had finalized binding agreements to cut vehicle emissions in the state, defying the Trump administration's push for weaker curbs on tailpipe pollution. The agreements with carmakers, including Ford Motor Co, Volkswagen AG, Honda Motor Co and BMW AG, were first announced in July 2019 as voluntary measures, prompting anger from U.S. President Donald Trump. COVID-19 forces some U.S. schools to close, as new cases remain high in most states

Almost as quickly as they welcomed students back, some U.S. schools are closing again due to outbreaks of COVID-19, the latest challenge as the nation tries to reopen while the level of new cases per day remains high in most states. Schools in the United States are set to reopen for the start of the academic year either this month or early September. Some - particularly in urban centers - have opted for online-only learning, while others have chosen in-person learning, or a hybrid of the two. California rolling blackouts to hit more than 3 million

A California heat wave will cause rolling blackouts on Monday as state power companies manage overwhelming demand by cutting off more than 3 million homes for about an hour at a time each, the state's system operator said. The Independent System Operator (ISO) said it is expecting a statewide electrical supply shortage of 4,400 megawatts. 'Definitely awkward': University freshmen get online welcome

Sarah Showich, an 18-year-old theater major, was looking forward to joining tens of thousands of other students on Monday for a first day of classes on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Instead, she is starting classes online from her home in Beverly Hills, Michigan, on the outskirts of Detroit. Instead of getting to know a roommate, she is sharing space with her younger brother and her parents, who are also studying or working from home. Instead of making friends with classmates in person, she is meeting them via Zoom. Trump administration finalizes oil drilling plan in Alaska wildlife refuge

The Trump administration on Monday finalized a plan to allow oil and gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, putting it on track to issue decades-long leases in the pristine wilderness area before a potential change in U.S. leadership. The energy industry and Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy said opening ANWR to drilling would create jobs and boost the state's economy, which is reliant on oil production. Democrats including presidential hopeful Joe Biden and green groups criticized the move as a giveaway to Big Oil that would harm the Arctic's unique ecosystem and native people. More than dozen U.S. states expected to sue Trump administration over postal cuts

More than a dozen states as early as this week are expected to sue the Trump administration over cuts at the United States Postal Service they say could delay mail-in ballots in the November elections, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said on Monday. Frosh said anywhere between 15 to 20 Democratic attorneys general are reviewing legal arguments, and he expects that the states involved will join in one, or possibly several, lawsuits. U.S. judge blocks Trump rule on LGBT health discrimination

A U.S. judge on Monday blocked a Trump administration rule that would strip protections for transgender people facing healthcare discrimination. New York-based U.S. District Court Judge Frederick Block ruled that the proposed regulation issued by the Department of Health and Human Services could not go into effect on Tuesday as proposed. World temperature record set in California's Death Valley

One of the hottest air temperatures recorded anywhere on the planet in at least a century, and possibly ever, was reached on Sunday afternoon at Death Valley in California's Mojave Desert where it soared to 130 Fahrenheit (54.4 Celsius). An automated observation system run by the U.S. National Weather Service in the valley's sparsely populated Furnace Creek reported the record at 3:41 p.m. at the crest of an extreme heat wave, a more frequent occurrence due to climate change. Former rival Sanders, Republican Kasich to back Biden at Democratic convention debut

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's former top rival and a Republican critic of President Donald Trump will share a virtual stage in a show of unity on Monday, the first night of a four-day Democratic National Convention. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, former first lady Michelle Obama and Republican John Kasich, a former Ohio governor who ran against Trump in 2016, will speak, but tensions emerged with some Democrats complaining Kasich's inclusion takes up time that could have showcased more diverse and more progressive voices.