US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. Senate Democrats aim to advance contentious federal voting rights bill; Republican Party outspends Democrats in May in bid to retake U.S. Congress and more

A nine-month-old girl and her 29-year-old father died in the Saturday afternoon pileup of about 18 vehicles, including an Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches vehicle carrying eight other children aged 4 to 17, who were killed, Butler County Sheriff Danny Bond said. Claudette to strengthen again into a tropical storm by early Monday - NHC Tropical depression Claudette has strengthened a little and is expected to become a tropical storm again by early Monday over eastern North Carolina, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Senate Democrats aim to advance contentious federal voting rights bill

Democrats in the U.S. Senate this week will try to advance legislation setting new national election standards, seeking to counter voting-rights rollbacks that Republican legislatures are pursuing across the country. Senate Democrats spent the weekend trying to finalize a bill that could win the support of all 50 Democrats and independents in the 100-member chamber, even as Republicans showed no signs of joining an effort that would expand voting by mail and change the way congressional districts are drawn in an effort to prevent them from being designed along partisan lines.

Republican Party outspends Democrats in May in bid to retake U.S. Congress

The fundraising arm of the Republican Party raised less money in May than its Democratic counterpart but spent more, shelling out millions on efforts to win back Congress, as well as $175,900 at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Disclosures filed on Sunday with the Federal Election Commission showed the Republican National Committee raised $11.1 million last month, just below the $12.1 million raised by the Democratic National Committee.

Thunderstorms batter Chicago area, leave thousands in the dark

Severe thunderstorms tore through the Chicago area on Sunday night after the National Weather Service said a "confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado" had touched down in a western suburb of the city, causing damage. Chicago-area utility Commonwealth Edison's (ComEd) website showed that more than 22,000 customers were without power as the thunderstorms swept through the region, near Lake Michigan in the north of the U.S. state of Illinois.

Nine children, one adult killed in Alabama highway crash

Nine children and a young father were killed when a van and other vehicles slammed together on a rain-drenched Alabama highway during Tropical Storm Claudette, authorities said on Sunday. A nine-month-old girl and her 29-year-old father died in the Saturday afternoon pileup of about 18 vehicles, including an Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches vehicle carrying eight other children aged 4 to 17, who were killed, Butler County Sheriff Danny Bond said.

Claudette to strengthen again into a tropical storm by early Monday - NHC

Tropical depression Claudette has strengthened a little and is expected to become a tropical storm again by early Monday over eastern North Carolina, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday. The system is located 150 miles (240 km) west-northwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina, packing maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (55 km/h) the NHC added.

Biden eager to continue infrastructure talks with lawmakers - Psaki

U.S. President Joe Biden is eager to continue discussions on major infrastructure legislation this week and wants to get more details on the latest bipartisan proposal, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday. A bipartisan infrastructure plan costing a little over $1 trillion, only about a fourth of what Biden initially proposed, has been gaining support in the U.S. Senate, but disputes continued on Sunday over how it should be funded.

American Airlines to cut 1% of July flights as travel rebound strains operations

American Airlines on Sunday said it would cancel around 1% of its flights in July to serve a surprise uptick in travel demand at a time when the airline struggles with unprecedented weather and a labor shortage at some of its hubs. American Airlines said the move would bring additional resilience and certainty to its summer operations.

U.S extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders through July 21

U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said on Sunday. The 30-day extension came after Canada announced its own extension on Friday of the requirements that were set to expire on Monday and have been in place since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. employers wrestle with COVID vaccine requirements in regulatory "hairball"

America's largest garlic farm needs 1,000 workers to harvest its annual crop, but faces an unexpected hurdle in this year's recruitment drive: it now must document and track the COVID-19 vaccine status of these seasonal laborers. Employers in California's Santa Clara County, including Christopher Ranch, are required as of June 1 to ascertain if their workers have been vaccinated and check in every 14 days on those who say they have not or who decline to answer.

Driver in Florida pride parade crash was 77-year-old participant

The driver of a pickup truck that hit two pedestrians at the start of a gay pride parade in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was a 77-year-old participant in the event, police said on Sunday. The driver, who has not been identified by local authorities, is cooperating fully with investigators, showed no signs of impairment, and has not been charged, Fort Lauderdale police said in a written statement.

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