US News Roundup: Biden hedges on support for 'court-packing' proposal; Biden and Trump return to campaign trail after dueling town halls and more

2020 U.S. ELECTION: What you need to know right now -President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden return to the campaign trail with visits to three battleground states after clashing from afar in dueling televised town halls.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden hedges on support for 'court-packing' proposal

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden kept his options open on Thursday when asked if he would add judges to the Supreme Court to balance the 6-3 conservative majority that would likely take hold if President Donald Trump's third nominee is confirmed. Biden said he would announce his position before the election, saying it depends on how Republicans, who control the Senate, handle the confirmation process for Trump's nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, who they plan to vote on before the end of the month.

Special Report: Why 4,998 died in U.S. jails without getting their day in court

Harvey Hill wouldn't leave John Finnegan's front yard. He stood in the pouring rain, laughing at the sky, alarming his former boss' wife. Finnegan dialed 911. "He needs a mental evaluation," the landscaper recalls telling the arriving officer. Instead, Hill was charged with trespassing and jailed on suspicion of a misdemeanor offense that could bring a $500 fine.

2020 U.S. ELECTION: What you need to know right now

-President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden return to the campaign trail with visits to three battleground states after clashing from afar in dueling televised town halls. -With less than three weeks until the election, vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris pauses in-person campaigning through Sunday after a member of her staff tests positive for COVID-19.

California court ordered to reconsider Scott Peterson murder conviction

Two months after winning a reversal of his death sentence, lawyers for Scott Peterson, the California man found guilty of murdering his wife and unborn child in a sensational 2004 trial, have persuaded the state's high court to order a review of his conviction. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday sent the case back to trial court in San Mateo County to consider Peterson's contention that his conviction on two counts of murder be set aside on grounds of prejudicial misconduct by a member of the jury.

Security guard who fatally shot Denver protester will be charged with murder

A security guard hired to protect a Denver television news crew covering dueling rallies by right-wing and left-wing groups will be charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a protester, the city's top prosecutor said on Thursday. Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in a written statement that she will file the murder charge against Matthew Dolloff, 30, in the shooting death of Lee Keltner on Saturday. Dolloff has been held without bond in the Denver County jail since his arrest, jail records show.

Biden and Trump return to campaign trail after dueling town halls

President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will return to the campaign trail on Friday with visits to three battleground states, a day after the two contenders clashed from afar during dueling televised town halls. The split-screen events, which replaced a presidential debate that was canceled in the wake of Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, also highlighted the sharp contrast between the two candidates' approach to the campaign less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

Shares of gun makers gain as Biden's lead grows

Shares of gun makers have been gaining ground as Democratic candidate Joe Biden leads polls, and if he wins the presidential election in November there are expectations of a renewed surge in gun sales that could drive shares even higher. Shares of Smith & Wesson Brands and Sturm Ruger have both rallied around 8% since late September, mirroring Biden's widening lead in the polls since his debate against President Donald Trump. The S&P 500 is up 4% in that period.

Wind-stoked wildfire in Colorado is largest in state history

Stoked by high winds, a wildfire burning for two months in northern Colorado exploded in size this week to surpass 167,000 acres, making it the largest blaze in state history, officials said on Thursday. The so-called Cameron Peak Fire in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests has forced the evacuations of several mountain communities and campgrounds and has destroyed an unknown number of homes and other buildings, according to an interagency fire-tracking website.

Democratic Senate campaigns pull in more than $240 million in third-quarter fundraising

Democratic candidates running for the U.S. Senate in nine hotly contested races amassed more than $240 million in contributions during the third quarter, leaving their Republican opponents far behind in fundraising as the campaign entered its final weeks. But as candidates approached a midnight filing deadline on Thursday, Federal Election Commission records and campaign announcements also showed some Republicans only marginally behind in cash at the end of the quarter, with a few ahead.

New coronavirus infections rise to record highs in U.S. Midwest and beyond

Wisconsin and other states in the U.S. Midwest and beyond are battling surges in COVID-19 cases, with new infections and hospitalizations rising to record levels in an ominous sign of a nationwide resurgence as temperatures get colder. Nine states, including Michigan and North Carolina, reported record one-day increases of new infections on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally. Michigan last set a record for new daily cases on April 3 in the early days of the pandemic in the United States.