US News Roundup: California wildfires prompt evacuations; As protests rock U.S. cities on holiday weekend and more

Top U.S. Senate Democrat seeks probe into postmaster general's campaign finance practices Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on Sunday for the North Carolina attorney general to probe allegations published in the Washington Post that U.S Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's former company reimbursed employees for political donations.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

'Fire on all sides': California wildfires prompt evacuations

More than 200 people were airlifted to safety overnight after a fast-moving wildfire cut off the only road out of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir, a popular recreational site in California's Sierra National Forest. Twenty evacuees were taken to hospitals, the Madera County Sheriff's Department said on Twitter on Sunday, as the Creek Fire that started on Friday night rapidly grew to burn some 45,000 acres (18,210 hectares), forcing evacuations and road closures in the Fresno area in central California.

As protests rock U.S. cities on holiday weekend, Jacob Blake speaks out

Jacob Blake, the Black man who was shot in the back by a white police officer in Wisconsin last month, spoke out for the first time from his hospital bed as dueling demonstrations over racial justice and policing continued to roil a handful of U.S. cities. In a video posted on Twitter, Blake, dressed in a green hospital gown, described being in constant pain after the shooting that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Top U.S. Senate Democrat seeks probe into postmaster general's campaign finance practices

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on Sunday for the North Carolina attorney general to probe allegations published in the Washington Post that U.S Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's former company reimbursed employees for political donations. "These are very serious allegations that must be investigated immediately," Schumer wrote in reference to the Post story on Sunday about New Breed Logistics, a North Carolina-based company that DeJoy led from 1983 to 2014 when it was acquired by XPO Logistics.

Portland protesters throw fire bombs at officers on 100th day of demonstrations

Protesters in Portland threw fire bombs at police on Saturday night and at least one person was injured, police said, on the 100th day of demonstrations in the Oregon city over racial injustice and police brutality. Police described what they called "tumultuous and violent conduct" by protesters on the city's Southeast Stark Street.

Police arrest 15 more after overnight protests in Portland

Police arrested another 15 people in Portland after protests were held overnight on Sunday near a police precinct as the Oregon city has crossed 100 days of demonstrations that have at times turned violent. Protesters set fire on some mattresses that were put out eventually by firefighters, Portland police said in a statement.

Top Democrat accuses U.S. attorney general of lying about China election threat

The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee on Sunday accused U.S. Attorney General William Barr of lying when he said China posed a bigger threat to November's U.S. election than Russia. "That's just a plain false statement by the attorney general," Adam Schiff told CNN. "What Bill Barr just did in that statement was just flat out mislead the American people."

California governor declares state of emergency in five counties due to fire

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in five counties on Sunday due to wildfires. The counties included Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Bernardino and San Diego, the governor's office said in a statement https://bit.ly/2DB1u1D late on Sunday.

Biden to mark Labor Day with union event as U.S. campaign enters homestretch

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is headed on Monday to the crucial electoral state of Pennsylvania, where he plans to mark the U.S. Labor Day holiday by speaking with union workers as the presidential campaign enters its homestretch. The trip kicks off another flurry of travel to battleground states this week by both Biden and President Donald Trump as some opinion polls show the race tightening with fewer than 60 days until the Nov. 3 election.

Trump on defensive as critics seize on reports he insulted U.S. veterans

President Donald Trump was on the defensive on Sunday over what critics said was a "pattern" of disrespect towards the U.S. military following media reports that he had disparaged fallen veterans, the fallout from which could harm his campaign for re-election on Nov. 3. Democratic and Republican opponents alike over the weekend seized on the reports - which said that Trump had called U.S. soldiers buried in Europe "losers" - to attack his record on the military on news shows and in political ads.

Coronavirus rising in 22 U.S. states

Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 of the 50 U.S. states, according to a Reuters analysis, a worrisome trend on a Labor Day holiday weekend traditionally filled with family gatherings and parties to mark the end of summer. As little as three weeks ago, cases were increasing in only three states, Hawaii, Illinois and South Dakota, according to an analysis comparing cases for the two-week period of Aug. 8-22 with the past two weeks.