US Domestic News Roundup: First online U.S. census kicks off amid coronavirus fears; U.S. House leaders unveil coronavirus bill and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Sit, stay forever:

Americans willing to pay top dollar to keep old dogs alive

On a follow-up visit after Sophie Cortellino's life-saving cardiac procedure, Dr. Anna Gelzer was delighted and family members were relieved to see her responding so well. Sophie agreed, her tail wagging excitedly. As the 9-year-old boxer lay on a metal table, Gelzer tried to push up her heart rate as part of a stress test following the procedure in August - a ventricular ablation for arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, the first performed on a dog in the United States.

Democrats swap virtual campaign events for rallies in coronavirus crisis

Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden on Wednesday canceled political rallies in Florida and Illinois due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and replaced them with what his campaign called "virtual events" in the two states. Biden and his rival U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont are re-thinking their approach to campaigns amid widespread warnings from public health officials about packed crowds and handshaking involved in politicking. Both called off primary election-night rallies in Ohio on Tuesday.

U.S. senators seek to ban federal employees from using TikTok on their phones

Two Republican senators on Thursday introduced a bill aimed at banning federal employees from using Chinese social media app TikTok on their government-issued phones, amid growing national security concerns around the collection and sharing of data on U.S. users with China's government. The bill by Senators Josh Hawley and Rick Scott comes as several U.S. agencies that deal with national security and intelligence issues including the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have banned employees from using the app.

House Republicans call for delay on U.S. coronavirus bill, warn about future in Senate

Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Rules Committee on Thursday called for delaying consideration of Democrats' sweeping bill to address the coronavirus outbreak, describing the legislation as written in a rush and lacking Republican ideas. "I think I can say with some confidence, whatever the House does, it's not going anywhere in the Senate," said Representative Tom Cole, the top Republican on the committee, which must clear the bill for the entire chamber to vote on it.

NBA suspends season after Jazz player tests positive for coronavirus

The National Basketball Association (NBA) said on Wednesday it was suspending the season until further notice after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus. The test result was reported shortly before the Jazz were due to play the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game was then scrapped.

Pence defends Europe travel curbs as more U.S. coronavirus cases expected

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday defended the Trump administration's new restrictions on travel from European nations, saying the epicenter of the coronavirus has shifted from Asia to Europe. In a round of television interviews, the Republican vice president said thousands of more COVID-19 cases were expected in the United States, and that clamping down on European travelers was just part of the administration's strategy as U.S. cases swell.

U.S. House leaders unveil coronavirus bill; Capitol tours suspended

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled a broad package of proposals to help Americans affected by the coronavirus outbreak, while officials suspended public tours through the Capitol building. The legislation, which Democratic leaders aimed to rush to the House floor for debate and passage on Thursday, would grant workers 14 days of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, a summary of the bill shows.

Coronavirus weighs on strained American system to care for homeless

Dexter Johnson often comes to the Bowery Mission to get a free meal, have struggled off and on with homelessness, but the 33-year-old New Yorker is thinking twice about sitting down in the crowded cafeteria and risking exposure to novel coronavirus. Johnson, one of an estimated 550,000 people to go homeless on any given night in the United States, is worried crowds at the lunch service could expose him to a virus that has no vaccine.

Democratic front-runner Biden to give speech on U.S. response to coronavirus outbreak

Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden will deliver a speech on the country's response to the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, one day after he canceled upcoming public rallies amid widening public health concerns. Biden and White House rival Bernie Sanders have been forced to re-evaluate their approach to campaigning in the face of warnings about the health dangers inherent in big crowds and handshakes, two staples of traditional political races.

First online U.S. census kicks off amid coronavirus fears

U.S. residents will begin receiving census forms in the mail as early as Thursday as the federal government kicks off its once-a-decade count of the population, a gargantuan effort crucial to guiding the U.S. political and economic policy but which experts fear will be complicated by the spread of coronavirus. The 2020 survey is expected to cost taxpayers some $15 billion and is meant to be the first taken largely online. Most residents receiving forms will be asked to submit responses at my2020census.gov, instead of by mail. But as in the past, census door-knockers will be dispatched to households that do not answer the letters.