US Domestic News Roundup: Prayers of gratitude for election; US reports 130,000 new coronavirus cases and more

Rallies by hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump, who insisted on Saturday "this election is far from over," were more muted in size and scope compared with the festive crowds that turned out by the thousands in some cities for Biden.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Prayers of gratitude for election of 'daughter of India' Harris as U.S. Vice President

Indians burst firecrackers on Sunday and offered prayers of gratitude over the election of Kamala Harris as the next U.S. vice president, declaring it a proud moment for Indian-Americans. Harris, born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, both of whom immigrated to the United States to study, made history by becoming the first woman to win the second-highest U.S. office in the election.

U.S. reports 130,000 new coronavirus cases, fourth straight daily record

The United States on Saturday reported a record increase in coronavirus cases for a fourth consecutive day with at least 131,420 new infections, bringing the country's total caseload to about 9.91 million, according to a Reuters tally. Seventeen states reported a record one-day increase on Saturday while 14 states reported record daily numbers of hospitalized patients.

Explainer: Can Trump pardon his associates — or himself?

U.S. President Donald Trump could issue a flurry of pardons during his final days in power. Trump has granted clemency to supporters before, most notably earlier this year when he commuted the criminal sentence of Roger Stone, who was sentenced to prison after being convicted of lying under oath to lawmakers.

Trump does not plan to concede any time soon, aides and allies indicate

After the declaration on Saturday that Democrat Joe Biden had won the race for the White House, Republican President Donald Trump and his allies made one thing clear: he does not plan to concede anytime soon. The president, who has spent months trying to undermine the election results with unproven allegations of fraud, pledged on Saturday to go forward with a legal strategy that he hopes will overturn state results that gave Biden the win in Tuesday's vote. Trump aides and Republican allies, while somewhat conflicted on how to proceed, largely supported his strategy or remained silent.

Texas becomes first U.S. state to exceed one million coronavirus cases

Texas became the first state to surpass a million coronavirus cases in the United States on Saturday, as the country battled a third wave of new infections and recorded over 100,000 infections three times in less than a week. In Texas, the surge in new cases in the past week came mainly from Harris, Dallas and El Paso counties, based on a Reuters tally. The surge is straining medical facilities, with the city of El Paso converting a convention center into a field hospital.

Analysis: At pivotal moments of 2020, Trump failed to win over doubters

Donald Trump had reason to count on the loyalty of the large chunk of Americans who drove his improbable election victory in 2016. But in 2020, he needed a wider swath of voters to believe in his promise to "Make America Great Again." Faced with three crises - mounting coronavirus infections and deaths, the ensuing economic collapse and protests against police killings of Black Americans - Trump as U.S. president had an opportunity to unite people across political persuasions in the final year of his tumultuous first term.

Thousands take to streets of U.S. in celebration of Biden victory

Days of pent-up post-election anxiety gave way to spontaneous street celebrations as Joe Biden supporters on Saturday cheered news of his presidential win with a cacophony of banging pots and pans, honking horns and dance music in cities across the United States. Rallies by hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump, who insisted on Saturday "this election is far from over," were more muted in size and scope compared with the festive crowds that turned out by the thousands in some cities for Biden.

Faced with defeat, armed protesters in Arizona insist election stolen

Hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump rallied in downtown Phoenix on Saturday to contest Joe Biden's election as U.S. president, charging the media with conspiring to steal the election and calling the results a "coup." The Trump campaign lent support to protests questioning the current vote tally, filing a lawsuit in Arizona Saturday over rejected ballots that Arizona's Secretary of State said was "grasping at straws."

Kamala Harris breaks barriers as America's next vice president

Kamala Harris made history on Saturday with her election as Joe Biden's vice president, becoming the first woman, first Black American and first Asian American to win the second highest U.S. office. Harris, 56, is widely seen as an obvious candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in 2024 should Biden, who will be 78 at their inauguration on Jan. 20, decide not to seek a second term. She hasn't weighed in publicly on such speculation.

Biden wins U.S. presidency, calls for healing in appeal to Trump voters

President-elect Joe Biden declared it was "time to heal" a deeply divided America in his first speech after winning in a bitter election, even as President Donald Trump refused to concede and pressed ahead with legal fights against the outcome. Biden's victory on Saturday in Pennsylvania put him over the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes he needed to clinch the presidency, ending four days of nail-biting suspense and sending his supporters into the streets of major cities in celebration.