US News Roundup: Biden to assail Trump on U.S. economy as campaign enters more intense phase; U.S. Justice Department's Google lawsuit expected in weeks ahead and more

The university said on Twitter that positive tests for coronavirus were exceeding 50% in some Greek houses, higher than in dorms, and told fraternity and sorority members to "re-evaluate their current living situation." Suspect in fatal Portland shooting was killed by officers during arrest: NYT A suspect in the fatal shooting of a supporter of the Patriot Prayer group in Portland was killed on Thursday night when authorities moved to arrest him, the New York Times reported https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/michael-reinoehl-arrest-portland-shooting.html?referringSource=articleShare, citing officials familiar with the investigation.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump's threat to defund cities 'unconstitutional,' mayors say

Mayors of major U.S. cities on Thursday blasted President Donald Trump's threat to cut federal funding to cities facing ongoing protests as a violation of the U.S. Constitution, and New York state said it would challenge any move to defund the city in court. Trump on Wednesday instructed Attorney General William Barr to develop a list of "anarchist jurisdictions" that "permitted violence and the destruction of property ... and have refused to undertake reasonable measures" to restore order.

Trump denies report that he spoke disparagingly of U.S. war dead

President Donald Trump strongly denied on Thursday a magazine report saying he had spoken disparagingly about fallen U.S. military personnel buried in Europe and declined to visit an American cemetery during a trip to France because he thought it unimportant. "The Atlantic" reported that Trump, a Republican who is running for re-election and who has touted his record helping U.S. veterans, had referred to marines buried in an American cemetery near Paris as "losers" and declined to visit in 2018 because of concern that the rain that day would mess up his hair.

Seven police officers in Rochester, NY suspended over Black man's death

Seven Rochester, New York police officers were suspended on Thursday over the asphyxiation death of a Black man who they arrested in March in a brutal incident only revealed in videotape footage made public this week. The tape, which was recorded by an officer's body camera, shows a group of officers putting a mesh hood over Daniel Prude's head as he kneels naked and restrained on a Rochester street and snow falls around him.

Indiana University sees 'alarming' spike in COVID-19 at frat, sorority houses

Indiana University at Bloomington on Thursday urged students living in fraternity and sorority houses to move out, citing an "alarming" rate of positive COVID-19 tests that marked the latest outbreak in the U.S. Midwest and at a college campus. The university said on Twitter that positive tests for coronavirus were exceeding 50% in some Greek houses, higher than in dorms, and told fraternity and sorority members to "re-evaluate their current living situation."

Suspect in fatal Portland shooting was killed by officers during arrest: NYT

A suspect in the fatal shooting of a supporter of the Patriot Prayer group in Portland was killed on Thursday night when authorities moved to arrest him, the New York Times reported https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/michael-reinoehl-arrest-portland-shooting.html?referringSource=articleShare, citing officials familiar with the investigation. The suspect Michael Reinoehl was killed during an encounter in Lacey, southwest of Seattle, according to the report.

U.S. Justice Department's Google lawsuit expected in weeks ahead: sources

The Justice Department, which has been conducting an antitrust investigation of Alphabet Inc's Google, plans to bring a lawsuit against Google as soon as this month, according to two sources familiar with the probe, who said the focus remains on search and advertising. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen told Reuters last month that the Justice Department was moving "full tilt" on a probe of Google and other Big Tech platforms.

Biden to assail Trump on U.S. economy as campaign enters more intense phase

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is set to criticize President Donald Trump's stewardship of the coronavirus-ravaged economy on Friday as both campaigns kick into high gear with less than two months to go to the Nov. 3 U.S. election. Early in the day, the U.S. Labor Department is scheduled to release its monthly jobs report, a key indicator of economic health that will provide some insight into the state of the country's recovery from the downturn sparked by COVID-19.

How Disney should handle 'Black Panther 2' after Chadwick Boseman's death

Soon after learning that "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman had died at age 43, fans urged Marvel Studios not to recast the role, setting up a dilemma for the studio planning a sequel to Hollywood's first major superhero film with a predominantly Black cast. Writers, academics and activists - speaking to Reuters about the film's cultural impact and Boseman's performance - believe Marvel and its parent company, Walt Disney Co, should honor Boseman's legacy with a storyline that anoints a new Black Panther from the film's existing cast or elsewhere in the Marvel Universe.

California lets more businesses open, but for some it's too late

The day California finally allowed hair salons to reopen after months of pandemic restrictions should have been a happy one for the sisters who own Hourglass Salon + Boutique in Sacramento. Instead, they spent it hauling out boxes and figuring out how to tell customers they were closing. "Our hearts are shattered," Erin Banville and Melissa Burgoon wrote to clients.

Defying critics, U.S. security chief pushes Trump's law-and-order message

At the heart of President Donald Trump's law-and-order election campaign is Chad Wolf, who as acting secretary of homeland security has defied critics by championing Trump's message in stark terms, sending U.S. federal forces into some cities and expanding the boundaries of his Cabinet post. Little known outside Washington until now, Wolf has become one of Trump's most visible aides. Echoing the Republican president, he paints a dark picture of Portland, Oregon, a city controlled by rival Democrats, as overrun by looters during summer protests against racism and police brutality.