Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. United 777 plane flew fewer than half the flights allowed between checks: sources

A United Airlines plane with a Pratt & Whitney engine that failed on Saturday had flown fewer than half the flights allowed by U.S. regulators between fan blade inspections, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. The Boeing Co 777 plane had flown nearly 3,000 cycles, equivalent to one take-off and landing, which compares to the checks every 6,500 cycles mandated after a separate United engine incident in 2018, said the sources. Vice President Harris urges Black Americans: 'Let's not let COVID get us'

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris urged Black Americans on Wednesday to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as data shows Blacks and Hispanics lagging behind in inoculations. "Let's not let COVID get us. Let's get the vaccine instead, right?" Harris said in excerpts from an MSNBC interview. Texas lawmakers kick off investigation into deadly power blackout

Texas state legislators on Thursday begin digging into the causes of deadly power blackouts that left millions shivering in the dark as frigid temperatures caught its grid operator and utilities ill-prepared for skyrocketing power demand. Hearings are expected to highlight that shortcomings by grid planners, electric utility and natural gas transmission operators led to billions of dollars in damages and dozens of deaths. Consumer advocates have called for more stringent regulation of utilities and a review of retail marketing plans. Biden revokes Trump ban on many green card applicants

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked a proclamation from his predecessor that blocked many green card applicants from entering the United States. Former President Donald Trump issued the ban last year, saying it was needed to protect U.S. workers amid high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. senators weigh paring back Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid plan

U.S. senators on Wednesday were eyeing potentially significant cuts to President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill as they awaited a ruling on whether the measure can include raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The Senate parliamentarian was expected to decide soon whether Senator Bernie Sanders' proposed minimum wage increase is allowable under a rule allowing a simple majority of the 100-member Senate to approve the sweeping relief measure, instead of the chamber's typical 60-vote majority. Republican leaders want a show of unity. Will Trump allow it?

The next few days will give Republicans opportunities to stand together or fight among themselves, first when the House of Representatives votes on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package on Friday and again when Donald Trump retakes the global spotlight in a speech to the party's most conservative members. The Republican leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives - Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy - have focused on rallying their caucuses against Democratic President Joe Biden's massive bill and away from internal hostilities over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and former President Trump's impeachment. Ad campaign to combat vaccine hesitancy in U.S. with celebrity help

The Ad Council launched a campaign on Thursday designed to combat hesitancy about the safety of the coronavirus vaccine, blanketing messages across U.S. TV, radio, websites and social media, with a particular focus on reaching Black and Hispanic Americans, who have been hard-hit by the pandemic. The campaign, titled "It's Up To You," will feature celebrities in upcoming public service announcements produced by media partners. U.S. Capitol Police quickly overwhelmed by 'insurrectionists' on Jan. 6, acting chief says

U.S. Capitol Police were aware of the possibility of violence from armed extremists when the Capitol was attacked by supporters of former President Donald Trump, but quickly became overwhelmed by "insurrectionists," the acting police chief said. Intelligence collected ahead of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol suggested that the gathering would have the participation of armed "militia members, white supremacists, and other extremist groups," Yogananda Pittman said in prepared testimony to be delivered Thursday before the House Appropriations Committee.

U.S. Supreme Court weighs scope of police power to enter homes without a warrant U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday appeared reluctant to give police unlimited power to enter a home without a warrant when pursuing a suspect for a minor crime in a case involving a California driver tailed by an officer after honking his horn while listening to music. The driver, Arthur Lange, was later convicted of driving under the influence after being confronted inside his garage by California highway patrol officer Aaron Weikert in 2016. Lange is seeking to overturn his conviction by arguing that sobriety test evidence in the case was obtained by Weikert in violation of the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

More than 1.3 million Texans still grappling with water supply disruptions More than 1.3 million people across over 200 counties in Texas still had issues with their water supply by Wednesday, but that was down sharply from recent days, a spokesman for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said. That figure compared with Tuesday's 3.4 million, Monday's 8 million and Sunday's 9 million, or about a third of the state's population.