US News Roundup: Biden to spotlight economy as Trump vows more court challenges to election; U.S. COVID-19 cases cross 11 million as pandemic intensifies and more

Michigan, Washington state impose severe COVID-19 restrictions as U.S. infections soar Michigan and Washington state on Sunday imposed sweeping new restrictions on gatherings, including halting indoor restaurant service, to slow the spread of the coronavirus as total U.S. infections crossed the 11 million mark, just over a week after hitting 10 million.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden to spotlight economy as Trump vows more court challenges to election

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday will focus on reviving a pandemic-battered U.S. economy as he prepares to take office, while outgoing President Donald Trump has promised more lawsuits of the type that so far have failed to alter his election defeat. With coronavirus cases surging, Biden will receive a briefing and give a speech in his home state of Delaware on rebuilding an economy that has suffered millions of job losses as the pandemic has killed more than 245,000 Americans.

Christmas tree arrives at NYC's Rockefeller Center, bringing holiday cheer

New York City received a much-need boost on Saturday with the arrival of a giant Christmas tree that marks the unofficial start of the 2020 holiday season. The 75-foot (23-meter) tall Norway spruce arrived at Rockefeller Center in the early morning hours accompanied by a police escort along the 185-mile (298-km) route from Oneonta, New York.

U.S. COVID-19 cases cross 11 million as pandemic intensifies

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States crossed the 11-million mark on Sunday reaching yet another grim milestone, according to a Reuters tally, as the third wave of COVID-19 infections surged across the country. Reuters data shows the pace of the pandemic in the United States has quickened, with one million more new cases from just 8 days ago when it hit 10 million, making it the fastest since the pandemic began. This compares with 10 days it took to get from 9 to 10 million and 16 days it took to reach 9 million from 8 million cases.

Top Biden aide says U.S. government must approve transition this week

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's incoming chief of staff on Sunday said the federal government needs to sign off on transition team efforts this week so that Biden's team can receive national security briefings and address COVID-19. "What we really want to see this week ... is the General Services Administration issue that ascertainment," Ron Klain said on NBC News' "Meet the Press."

Trump campaign abandons parts of Pennsylvania election lawsuit

U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign on Sunday dropped a major part of a lawsuit it brought seeking to halt Pennsylvania from certifying its results in the presidential election, narrowing the case to a small number of ballots. In an amended complaint filed in federal court, the Trump campaign dropped a claim that election officials unlawfully blocked observers from watching the counting of mail-in ballots in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

U.S. CDC reports 244,810 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 10,846,373 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 155,708 from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,252 to 244,810. The CDC reported its tally of COVID-19 cases as of 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 14, compared with its previous report released a day earlier. https://bit.ly/3f2c7IQ

Trump cites Biden victory on Twitter, still presses false rigging claims

President Donald Trump appeared on Sunday to publicly acknowledge for the first time that his Democratic rival Joe Biden won the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election, but reiterated his false claims that the vote was rigged. "He won because the Election was Rigged," Trump tweeted.

Michigan, Washington state impose severe COVID-19 restrictions as U.S. infections soar

Michigan and Washington state on Sunday imposed sweeping new restrictions on gatherings, including halting indoor restaurant service, to slow the spread of the coronavirus as total U.S. infections crossed the 11 million mark, just over a week after hitting 10 million. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered a ban on in-person high school and college classes as well as indoor dining service for three weeks starting on Wednesday as increasingly cold weather drives people indoors where the virus can spread more easily.

Michigan to halt indoor dining, in-person high school, college for three weeks

The U.S. state of Michigan will ban indoor dining and in-person high school and college for three weeks starting on Wednesday as coronavirus cases rise sharply, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Sunday. "We are in the worst moment of this pandemic to date," Whitmer told a televised news conference. "The situation has never been more dire. We are at the precipice and we need to take some action."

Washington state governor imposes sweeping restrictions amid COVID-19 surge

Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced sweeping new restrictions on gatherings and businesses on Sunday, including a ban on indoor service at restaurants and bars, to combat a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. The restrictions, most of which will take effect Monday at 11:59 p.m. and last for one month, come as the average daily tally for cases has doubled in the past two weeks, Inslee told a news conference.