Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to halt Biden vaccine mandates
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday is set to consider requests by Republican state officials and business groups to block President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for employers with more than 100 workers and a similar requirement for healthcare facilities at a time of surging COVID-19 cases nationwide. The nine justices are scheduled to hear at least two hours of arguments beginning at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) in two cases that present a test of presidential powers to combat a public health crisis that has left more than 830,000 Americans dead.
Overwhelmed by Omicron surge, U.S. hospitals delay surgeries
Hospitals across the United States are postponing elective surgeries to free up staff and beds due to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Administrators say hospital staff shortages have been compounded in the last month by medical practitioners isolating or quarantining as they themselves are infected or exposed to the virus.
Three men to be sentenced to life in prison for Ahmaud Arbery murder
The three white men who were convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man running through their coastal Georgia neighborhood in 2020, are due to be sentenced to life in prison on Friday. Under Georgia law, the only question before Judge Timothy Walmsley in the 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) sentencing hearing at Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick is whether to allow any of the three men to seek parole after 30 years.
Biden, Harris urge Americans to protect democracy on Capitol attack anniversary
President Joe Biden used the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to urge Americans to protect the country's fragile democracy by standing up for the right to vote. Biden, in remarks from the Capitol's National Statuary Hall, lambasted former President Donald Trump for spreading mistruths that fueled the deadly attack by the Republican's supporters two weeks before Biden's inauguration in 2021.
U.S. job growth seen accelerating in December; record job creation anticipated for 2021
U.S. employment growth likely picked up in December, culminating in record job creation in 2021, but the labor market could temporarily lose its luster as raging COVID-19 infections cause disruptions at businesses and schools. The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday is also expected to show the jobs market rapidly tightening, with the unemployment rate seen falling to a 22-month low of 4.1% from 4.2% in November. It will sketch a picture of an economy that closed 2021 on a high note, even if the public health picture is not as improved as officials had hoped.
Analysis-No guarantee of new Maxwell trial after juror's revelations, experts say
The possible failure of a juror in Ghislaine Maxwell's trial to disclose that he was a victim of sexual abuse may not be enough to overturn the British socialite's sex trafficking conviction and warrant a new trial, legal experts said on Thursday. Maxwell, 60, was convicted last week on sex trafficking and other charges for recruiting teenage girls to have sexual encounters with Jeffrey Epstein. Her lawyers asked for a new trial after the juror told Reuters and other news outlets that he shared his experience of sexual abuse during deliberations.
Exclusive-Congressional watchdog warns U.S. health agency unprepared to take over COVID vaccine program
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appears unprepared to assume full responsibility for the nation's COVID-19 vaccine program, including activities currently managed by the Pentagon, according to a draft government watchdog report reviewed by Reuters. The report cites a failure to ensure HHS has enough staff or a clear timeline for taking over those additional responsibilities. The COVID-19 vaccine program, dubbed "Operation Warp Speed," by the Trump administration in May 2020, involved hundreds of officials from multiple agencies.
Ex-Trump staff discussing ways to stop him, former spokeswoman Grisham says
Former White House aide Stephanie Grisham, a one-time loyalist but now sharp critic of former President Donald Trump, said on Thursday she is planning talks next week with ex-Trump staffers to discuss working against him in the next round of elections. In interviews with CNN and Reuters, Grisham said she was compiling a group that so far includes about 15 former Trump White House staff. They include Olivia Troye, a former national security aide to former Vice President Mike Pence, and Anthony Scaramucci, a New York businessman who had a brief stint as Trump's communications director, she told Reuters.
Biden to tour damage from Colorado's most destructive wildfire
U.S. President Joe Biden was due to visit Colorado on Friday to view the devastation left by a rare, winter wildfire that ravaged two Denver-area towns last week, displacing thousands of residents. Two people were missing and feared dead after the wind-driven Marshall Fire, the most destructive in the state's history, incinerated more than 1,000 homes on Dec. 30-31. Human remains believed to belong to one of the missing were recovered on Wednesday.
Chicago public schools cancel classes again in COVID-19 teacher walkout
Chicago Public Schools, the third-largest U.S. education district, canceled classes for a second day on Thursday amid a walkout by teachers demanding tougher COVID-19 protection measures, although city officials insisted schools are safe. The stalemate, idling some 340,000 students, came after the teachers' union voted to reinstate virtual instruction and pushed for more rigorous safety protocols, including wider testing, citing the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant in recent weeks.
