US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. administers 374.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines -CDC; Hurricane Ida death toll in Louisiana rises to 12 and more

Those figures are up from the 373,516,809 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Friday, out of 447,619,715 doses delivered. Hurricane Ida death toll in Louisiana rises to 12 Hurricane Ida's toll rose to 12 storm deaths in Louisiana on Saturday, still far outpaced by the dozens killed in flooded Northeast U.S. states where President Biden is heading next week to assess damage.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. administers 374.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines -CDC

The United States had administered 374,488,924 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Saturday morning and distributed 450,175,825 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 373,516,809 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Friday, out of 447,619,715 doses delivered.

Hurricane Ida death toll in Louisiana rises to 12

Hurricane Ida's toll rose to 12 storm deaths in Louisiana on Saturday, still far outpaced by the dozens killed in flooded Northeast U.S. states where President Biden is heading next week to assess the damage. New York and New Jersey were among the four northern states that started the Labor Day holiday weekend digging through debris left by the deadly deluge that killed more than 44 people and caused public transportation in New York City to grind to a halt. Transportation operators promised to restore some lines before the start of the work week on Tuesday.

Back-to-school may lift U.S. retail shares after recent lull

Strong late-summer back-to-school sales could provide U.S. retailers some needed momentum after many sector shares lagged the broader market in recent months. The S&P 500 retailing index, which includes Amazon.com Inc, is up just about 2% for the quarter so far, compared with a 6% gain in the S&P 500.

Analysis: U.S. Supreme Court's rightward lurch put Roe v. Wade on the brink

During a 2016 presidential debate, then-candidate Donald Trump made a statement that seemed brash at the time: If he were elected and got the chance to nominate justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion would be overturned. By this time next year, with the court having tilted further to the right thanks to Trump's three appointments to the nation's highest court, his prediction could come true.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, husband post photo of children

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted a picture of himself with his husband, Chasten, and their two babies on Saturday, after saying last month that the couple had become parents. Buttigieg earlier this year became the first openly gay U.S. cabinet secretary, following a run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Biden to visit all three sites of Sept. 11 attacks -White House

U.S. President Joe Biden will visit all three sites of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacking attacks next week to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed and mark the 20th anniversary of the most lethal terrorist assault on U.S. soil, the White House said. On Saturday, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit New York City, where two airliners destroyed the World Trade Center and killed 2,753 people; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where a third airliner crashed; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers forced down a fourth aircraft believed to have been headed to the U.S. Capitol or White House.

Capitol rioter 'QAnon Shaman' pleads guilty, disappointed Trump didn't pardon

The U.S. Capitol rioter nicknamed the "QAnon Shaman" is disappointed former President Donald Trump did not pardon him, his defense lawyer said on Friday after the man pleaded guilty to taking part in the Jan. 6 unrest. Jacob Chansley, of Phoenix, Arizona, was photographed inside the Capitol shirtless, wearing a horned headdress and heavily tattooed. He has been held without bond since his arrest shortly after the riot, and on Friday entered a guilty plea to obstructing an official proceeding.

Drug companies say enough U.S. states join $26 billion opioid settlement to proceed

Three large U.S. drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson will proceed with a proposed $26 billion settlement resolving claims that they fueled the opioid epidemic after "enough" states joined in, the companies said on Saturday. The companies had until Saturday to decide whether enough states back the $21 billion proposed settlement with McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp, and Cardinal Health Inc and a $5 billion agreement with J&J.

Florida teachers on edge as mask war, COVID surge mark first weeks of school

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten crouched to sit at a first-graders table in a Florida school, chatting with masked 6-year-olds about books and their former kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Smith. Lillian Smith, a local union steward who taught at William A. Chapman Elementary in Miami-Dade County for more than 30 years, died last month of COVID-19. At least four Miami-Dade County teachers or staff have died from COVID so far this school year, as cases and hospitalizations in Florida have soared.

Why Hurricane Ida crippled the New Orleans power grid

Hurricane Ida's 150-mph winds crippled a Louisiana electric grid already vulnerable to aging transmission lines, electricity bottlenecks, and $2 billion worth of damage caused by three hurricanes that hit last year. Ida's landfall on Sunday left a wake of destruction and suffering. More than 1 million customers were without electricity immediately after the storm - a hardship that, for some, could last weeks.