Reuters US Domestic News Summary

At a shopping mall in Durham, North Carolina, a late-afternoon shootout between "two groups who knew each other" left three people struck by ricocheting gunfire and three others injured in the ensuing chaos, city Police Chief Patrice Andrews said. Fashion world grieves after death of Louis Vuitton's Virgil Abloh Virgil Abloh, fashion's highest profile Black designer and the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton's menswear collections, died on Sunday of cancer, Vuitton's owner LVMH said.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden told it will take two weeks to have definitive data on Omicron variant

The top U.S. infectious disease official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told President Joe Biden on Sunday it will take about two weeks to have definitive information on the new coronavirus variant Omicron that has sparked new travel restrictions and shaken financial markets. Biden, returning to Washington following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, was briefed in person by his coronavirus response team on Sunday afternoon as officials expect the new variant to reach the United States despite an impending ban on travelers from Southern Africa, where it was first detected.

Biden to meet with COVID-19 team over omicron -White House

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday will meet with members of his COVID-19 response team, including chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, regarding the omicron variant, a White House official said.

U.S. readies fight against Omicron but too soon for lockdowns -Fauci

Americans should be prepared to fight the spread of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, but it is too soon to say what actions are needed, including possible mandates or lockdowns, top U.S. infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday. The United States must do "anything and everything" amid likely cases of the variant, but it is "too early to say" whether we need new lockdowns or mandates, Fauci told ABC News.

CDC says no cases of Omicron identified in U.S. so far

No cases of new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa have been identified in the United States to date, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529 variant, dubbed Omicron, as being "of concern," the fifth variant to be classified as such.

Louis Vuitton star designer Virgil Abloh dies after private battle with cancer

Virgil Abloh, the American-born son of Ghanaian immigrants who became fashion's highest profile Black designer and the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton's menswear collections, died on Sunday in Chicago at age 41, following a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer. Abloh, who also worked as a DJ and visual artist, had been men's artistic director for Vuitton, the world's biggest luxury brand, since March 2018. Abloh founded the Italian luxury streetwear label Off-White, in which LVMH took a 60% stake earlier this year, and was a former collaborator with rapper and fashion designer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

U.S. Black Friday shoppers tapered online splurge, as some returned to stores

U.S. shoppers spent slightly less online during Black Friday this year, with many venturing back to physical stores despite coronavirus fears, tight supplies, and retailers' efforts to encourage earlier holiday purchases. For the first time ever, spending online during Black Friday - traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year - fell, reversing the growth of recent years, according to data from Adobe Analytics, a wing of Adobe's business that specializes in data insights and tracks transactions at 80 of the top 100 U.S. retailers.

Delta flight from South Africa to Atlanta diverted to Boston for "technical specifications"

Delta Air Lines said a flight from South Africa to the United States was temporarily diverted from Atlanta to Boston on Sunday for technical reasons. Flight 201, an Airbus A350, from Johannesburg was initially set to arrive at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday but was instead routed to Boston's Logan International Airport, Delta said.

Gun violence sends Black Friday shoppers scurrying in North Carolina, Washington state

Gun violence erupted at retail outlets crowded with post-Thanksgiving holiday shoppers in North Carolina and Washington state on Friday, sending bystanders at both locations scurrying for cover and injuring a total of seven people, police said. At a shopping mall in Durham, North Carolina, a late-afternoon shootout between "two groups who knew each other" left three people struck by ricocheting gunfire and three others injured in the ensuing chaos, city Police Chief Patrice Andrews said.

Fashion world grieves after death of Louis Vuitton's Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh, fashion's highest profile Black designer and the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton's menswear collections, died on Sunday of cancer, Vuitton's owner LVMH said. Following are reactions to his death.

Schiff says decision likely this week on whether to refer criminal contempt charges against Meadows

U.S. House Representative Adam Schiff said on Sunday that the committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot would likely decide this week whether to refer former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for criminal contempt charges for refusing to testify. "I think we will probably make a decision this week on our course of conduct with that particular witness and maybe others," Schiff said on CNN, referring to Meadows.

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