US Domestic News Roundup: Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid to lie in state in Capitol; U.S. govt to increase COVID-19 tests for schools by 10 million per month and more

The Dec. 21 ruling allowed a wrongful death lawsuit to proceed against See's Candies Inc, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, by the family of Arturo Ek of Los Angeles who died in April 2020 at 72 from COVID-19. Fundraising surges in races for U.S. election oversight roles, report says Campaign donations are surging to candidates for U.S. election oversight roles, a report released on Wednesday found, in a sign of how former President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud are raising the stakes in this year's November elections.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid to lie in state in Capitol

The body of former U.S. Senator Harry Reid will lie in state in the rotunda of the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, as lawmakers pay tribute to the Democratic majority leader who died on Dec. 28. The Nevada statesman, who was 82 when he died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, was known as an influential and pugnacious fighter during an era of deepening partisanship in Washington.

U.S. govt to increase COVID-19 tests for schools by 10 million per month

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday a new set of measures to keep schools open, including increasing access to COVID-19 tests, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly through the United States.

The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world. Omicron was estimated to account for 98.3% of total new coronavirus cases circulating in the country as of Jan. 8, the CDC said Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul driving violent threats against me, Fauci says

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, on Tuesday, accused Republican Senator Rand Paul of spreading misinformation that has sparked threats of violence against him and his family while distracting the public from the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. At a Senate health committee hearing, Fauci had his latest heated back-and-forth with Paul, a lawmaker from Kentucky and supporter of former President Donald Trump. Fauci said Paul was focused on misinformed attacks rather than oversight aimed at addressing the health care crisis that has so far killed more than 800,000 people in the United States.

Analysis-Crypto companies bet new mayor will make New York digital asset hub

With U.S. cities such as Miami and Austin trying to court digital asset companies, John Wu was unsure whether to make New York City the permanent home of his cryptocurrency and blockchain start-up Ava Labs - until Eric Adams was elected mayor in November. Wu said the election of Adams, a bitcoin-enthusiast who has pledged to turn the Big Apple into a crypto hub, played "a big part" in his decision to set-up a permanent office in New York City in November.

Judges uphold N. Carolina's new congressional map in win for Republicans

A panel of North Carolina judges upheld the state's new congressional map on Tuesday, rejecting claims from Democratic voters and advocacy groups that the redrawn district lines illegally favor Republicans. The decision, which will be appealed, could have an outsized impact on the 2022 midterm elections in November, when control of the closely divided U.S. Congress will be at stake.

It's time to choose, Biden tells Republicans in fiery voting rights speech

President Joe Biden on Tuesday made a full-throated appeal for U.S. voting rights legislation stalled in Congress, saying Democratic lawmakers should rewrite Senate rules to overcome Republican opposition. In a speech designed to breathe life into the fight to pass federal voting laws and convince skeptical Democrats of his commitment, Biden called many Republicans cowardly and committed to changing the U.S. Senate "filibuster" to pass legislation.

U.S. business fears never ending liability from 'take-home' COVID-19 lawsuits

As COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, businesses say they fear a California court ruling has increased the likelihood that companies will be sued for infections, even by people who are not employees or customers. The Dec. 21 ruling allowed a wrongful death lawsuit to proceed against See's Candies Inc, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, by the family of Arturo Ek of Los Angeles who died in April 2020 at 72 from COVID-19.

Fundraising surges in races for U.S. election oversight roles, report says

Campaign donations are surging to candidates for U.S. election oversight roles, a report released on Wednesday found, in a sign of how former President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud are raising the stakes in this year's November elections. Candidates for the previously low-profile secretary of state positions in swing states -- a role that holds substantial power in determining how votes are certified -- are smashing fundraising totals from previous recent election cycles, according to the report https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/financing-races-offices-oversee-elections-january-2022 by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.

U.S. FTC delays vote on Lockheed purchase of Aerojet for two weeks -sources

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which assesses mergers to ensure they comply with antitrust law, has put off a vote on Lockheed Martin's purchase of Aerojet Rocketdyne for as much as two weeks, two people briefed on the matter said. The vote had initially been scheduled for midweek, one of the people said, adding that the extension would allow the FTC more time to evaluate terms for the merger. Aerojet shares were up more than 3% in after-market trading on Tuesday as investors viewed the delay as a positive sign that the deal would go through.

Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather sued over promotion of crypto token

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. are facing a lawsuit alleging the celebrities misled investors in their promotion of a cryptocurrency token. The lawsuit, filed Jan. 7 in Los Angeles federal court, claims the celebrities touted tokens sold by EthereumMax, or EMAX, in order to boost its price and make themselves a profit "at the expense of their followers and investors."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)