Reuters US Domestic News Summary

About 1.5 million barrels per day of oil production, or 84%, remains shut, while another 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas output, or 81%, was offline, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said. Filibuster imperils Pelosi's abortion bill in U.S. Senate - Klobuchar The U.S. Senate's filibuster rule likely imperils a bill intended to protect abortion rights that Democrats are readying following the Supreme Court's decision not to block a strict new Texas ban, a leading Democratic senator said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Flash floods threaten U.S. Southern states deluged by Hurricane Ida

U.S. Southern states still grappling with widespread power outages and water-logged homes after deadly Hurricane Ida faced new flash flood threats on Monday from slow-moving rain and drenching thunderstorms. Storms capable of producing two to three inches (5-8 cm) of rain "in a pretty short period of time" were saturating New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, and were expected to continue into the evening, said National Weather Service meteorologist Lara Pagano.

Pfizer on track for U.S. vaccine boosters, Moderna lagging, Fauci says

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that officials were likely to soon get the regulatory go-ahead to administer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots made by Pfizer, although Moderna booster could take a little longer. Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation," about President Joe Biden's goal to give booster shots starting Sept. 20, Fauci said that "in some respects" that remained the plan.

U.S. probing nearly 350 reports of oil spills in wake of Hurricane Ida

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday it was investigating nearly 350 reports of oil spills in and along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Ida's 150 mile-per-hour (240 kph) winds wreaked havoc on offshore oil production platforms and onshore oil and gas processing plants. About 88% of the region's offshore oil production remains shut and more than 100 platforms unoccupied after the storm made landfall on Aug. 29.

Over 80% of oil output in Gulf of Mexico still offline a week after Ida

More than 80% of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico remains shut in after Hurricane Ida, a U.S. regulator said on Monday, more than a week after the storm made landfall and hit critical infrastructure in the region. Energy companies have been struggling to resume production after Ida damaged platforms and caused onshore power outages. About 1.5 million barrels per day of oil production, or 84%, remains shut, while another 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas output, or 81%, was offline, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said.

Filibuster imperils Pelosi's abortion bill in U.S. Senate - Klobuchar

The U.S. Senate's filibuster rule likely imperils a bill intended to protect abortion rights that Democrats are readying following the Supreme Court's decision not to block a strict new Texas ban, a leading Democratic senator said on Sunday. Senator Amy Klobuchar told CNN's "State of the Union" that some Senate Republicans support abortion rights but not enough to overcome the chamber's rule requiring 60 of its 100 members to agree on most legislation.

Virginia to take down Robert E. Lee statue on Wednesday

A statue of Confederate Civil War General Robert E. Lee that towers six stories over Richmond, Virginia, and was a centerpiece of protests over racial injustice, is coming down this week. The Commonwealth of Virginia announced on Sunday it would remove the 12-ton bronze statue on Monument Avenue on Wednesday, stashing it in a secure state-owned storage site until a decision on its future is finalized.

'The Wire' actor Michael K. Williams found dead in apartment - NYPD

Michael K. Williams, who played the character Omar Little in the TV series "The Wire," was found dead in his New York apartment on Monday, the New York Police Department said. He was 54. Lieutenant John Grimpel, a NYPD spokesman, said Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment after a 2 p.m. (1800 GMT)emergency phone call to emergency operators.

Four hurt during shooting at Missouri festival - local media

Four chidren were wounded in a shooting at a festival in Independence, Missouri, on Sunday night, U.S. media reported. The four victims had been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, NBC-affiliated local broadcaster KSHB said. The suspect had fled the scene, it said.

Republicans don't deserve House majority if they push lies -Kinzinger

A U.S. House of Representatives Republican said his party does not deserve to win majorities in congressional elections next year if it pushes lies and conspiracy theories, saying that it "desperately needs to tell the truth." "If we're going to be in charge and pushing conspiracy, pushing division, and pushing lies, then the Republican Party should not have the majority," Representative Adam Kinzinger told CNN's "State of the Union".

U.S. Justice Dept. says will protect Texas abortion clinics that come under attack

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it would not tolerate attacks against people seeking or providing abortions in Texas, as the agency explores ways of challenging the state's recently enacted law (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-declines-block-texas-abortion-ban-2021-09-02) that imposed a near-total ban on abortion. The law, known as SB8, leaves enforcement up to individual citizens, enabling them to sue anyone who provides or "aids or abets" an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.