US News Roundup: Police declare riot as Portland protesters set fires; Democrats nominate Joe Biden for president and more

Trump campaign sues New Jersey after its decision to mail ballots in November election The re-election campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump has sued New Jersey, following a decision on Friday by its Democratic governor to mail a ballot to every voter in the state for November's elections, as well as hold in-person voting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Police declare riot as Portland protesters set fires, attack government building

Protesters lit fires, threw rocks and smashed windows at county government offices in the U.S. city of Portland on Tuesday, prompting police to declare a riot, after weeks of mostly peaceful anti-racism demonstrations. The protesters, some wearing gas masks and carrying shields, lit fires in dumpsters and used lighter fuel to start a fire inside the Multnomah Building big enough to set off the sprinkler system, police said.

U.S. postal chaos prompts Democrats to reassess mail-ballot plan

Turmoil at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is causing some Democrats and local election officials to rethink their vote-by-mail strategies for November's presidential election, shifting emphasis to drop boxes and early voting that bypass the post office. The 2020 contest promises to be the nation's largest test of voting by mail. But U.S. President Donald Trump's relentless, unsubstantiated attacks on mail balloting, along with cost-cutting that has delayed mail service nationwide, have sown worry and confusion among many voters.

In historic speech, Kamala Harris expected to train fire on Trump

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris gives the most important speech of her political career on Wednesday when she addresses the Democratic National Convention as presidential nominee Joe Biden's running mate. The former prosecutor from California, who made history as the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major presidential ticket, is expected to aggressively press the case against Republican President Donald Trump's reelection on Nov. 3.

Florida Republicans boot out congressman facing campaign finance probe

Freshman U.S. Representative Ross Spano was ousted by a challenger in the Florida Republican primary Tuesday amid a federal investigation into campaign finance violations from two years ago. Spano conceded defeat to Scott Franklin, a businessman and commissioner from the city of Lakeland. Spano has acknowledged mistakes with respect to campaign loans in 2018 but says they were unintentional.

Democrats nominate Joe Biden for president, vowing to end Trump 'chaos'

Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president on Tuesday, vowing his election would repair a pandemic-battered America and put an end to the chaos that has defined Republican President Donald Trump's administration. The second night of the party's four-night national convention, under the theme "Leadership Matters," featured elder statesmen like former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, rising stars of the Democratic Party as well as prominent Republicans, who made the case that Biden would return integrity to the White House and normalcy to American lives.

California urges more conservation to avoid power outages during heat wave

California power companies urged customers to conserve energy through Thursday to avoid more rotating outages as the brutal heat wave blanketing the state pushes the demand forecast for Wednesday over the prior day's three-year high. The California ISO, which operates the grid for most of the state, told utilities to prepare for possible rotating outages this week but never issued the order on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday because the weather moderated and consumers did their part to reduce the strain on the grid by using less power.

Drug costs for COVID-19 patients plunge at U.S. hospitals, but may rise

Medication costs for COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the United States have dropped sharply since May, reflecting advances in treatment, shorter stays and use of cheaper generic drugs. But costs may rise again as hospitals start to pay for Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir.

Bipartisan majority of Americans want more money for Postal Service: Reuters/Ipsos Poll

A bipartisan majority of Americans want the government to spend more money on the U.S. Postal Service, and most agree that mail delivery will be a vital part of the November election, a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll released on Wednesday found. The Aug. 14-18 poll took place in the middle of an uproar over changes to mail service ordered by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a large donor to President Donald Trump.

Ex-FBI lawyer to plead guilty to doctoring email in Russia probe of Trump campaign

Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday in federal court to falsifying a document as part of the bureau's early-stage probe into whether President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with the Russian government. Clinesmith is the first person criminally charged in an investigation by John Durham, a federal prosecutor tapped to probe mistakes the FBI made when it sought a warrant to conduct surveillance on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Trump campaign sues New Jersey after its decision to mail ballots in November election

The re-election campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump has sued New Jersey, following a decision on Friday by its Democratic governor to mail a ballot to every voter in the state for November's elections, as well as hold in-person voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Phil Murphy's announcement came as Trump, a Republican, stepped up his attacks on voting by mail, which is expected to increase dramatically this fall because of the novel coronavirus.