Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Burst of success for progressive challengers in U.S. congressional races may fizzle in Massachusetts
A solid year for progressive Democrats who have defeated at least three incumbents in the U.S. Congress in primaries could fizzle out this week in Massachusetts where three party stalwarts were set to fend off challengers. The progressive model for success has seen an array of mostly young candidates, sometimes minorities, toppling older establishment incumbents. But the most prominent race on Tuesday turns things upside down with an older, veteran lawmaker claiming the progressive mantle from his younger challenger.
Democrats oppose Trump Wisconsin visit, president says 'strength' only answer
Democrats said Donald Trump should not visit the Wisconsin city where protests erupted last week after a Black man was shot in the back by a white police officer, while the Republican president said "strength" was the only way to deal with unrest. The Aug. 22 shooting of Jacob Blake in front of three of his children turned Kenosha, a mostly white city south of Milwaukee, into the latest flashpoint in a summer of U.S. demonstrations against police brutality and racism ahead of Trump's November reelection bid.
Kenoshians face 'wake-up call' after tumultuous, painful week of violence
Five decades after he came with his migrant-worker family from Texas to Kenosha, Wisconsin to pick cucumbers and potatoes in the fields outside of town, Tony Garcia is a prominent community member who has sat on the several local boards. So last week when people destroyed businesses during anti-racism protests in Kenosha's Uptown neighborhood where Garcia grew up and owns commercial property, the 63-year-old became especially infuriated as he watched the chaos.
Trump intel chief defends briefings ban, Democrats raise subpoena threat
U.S. President Donald Trump's intelligence chief on Sunday defended his decision to cease in-person Congressional briefings on election security, while Democrats said the move would suppress critical information about foreign election meddling and warned they may subpoena testimony. John Ratcliffe, the president's new director of national intelligence and a close Trump ally, accused U.S. lawmakers of leaking classified information from a July 31 briefing to promote what he called false narratives for political purposes.
NHC says 70% chance of cyclone near Wilmington, North Carolina
A low pressure system located near south-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina has a 70% chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday. "A tropical depression is likely to form within a day or so while the system moves northeastward, near but offshore of the southeastern coast of the United States, and then away from land, " the NHC said.
Biden condemns Portland violence, says Trump 'recklessly encouraging' it
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Sunday called violence at protests in Portland, Oregon, unacceptable and challenged President Donald Trump to stop "recklessly encouraging" it, after one person was killed during clashes between rival groups. Demonstrations against racism and police brutality have swept the United States since the death in May of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Portland mayor urges restraint, renunciation of violence after fatal shooting
Officials in Portland, Oregon, said on Sunday they were braced for an escalation of protest-related violence that has convulsed the city for three months, citing social media posts vowing revenge for a fatal shooting amid weekend street clashes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counterdemonstrators. "For those of you saying on Twitter this morning that you plan to come to Portland to seek retribution, I'm calling on you to stay away," Mayor Ted Wheeler told an afternoon news conference, urging individuals of all political persuasions to join in renouncing violence.
Firefighters make headway against lightning-sparked California wildfires
California fire officials on Sunday reported significant headway battling the two largest of dozens of lightning-sparked blazes raging in and around the greater San Francisco Bay area since mid-August, though 60,000 people remained under evacuation. As of Sunday firefighters had managed to carve containment lines around 56% of the perimeter of a colossal wildfire that has burned more than 375,000 acres across five counties north of the bay, including a swath of the Napa and Sonoma valley wine country region.
U.S. coronavirus cases top six million as Midwest, schools face outbreaks
U.S. cases of the novel coronavirus surpassed six million on Sunday as many states in the Midwest reported increasing infections, according to a Reuters tally. Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota have recently reported record one-day increases in new cases while Montana and Idaho are seeing record numbers of currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Portland Police declare gathering near city building as 'unlawful'
Portland Police late on Sunday declared a demonstration in the northeastern part of the city as an "unlawful gathering" and ordered crowds to disperse from an area near a building housing offices including the police, or risk facing arrest. "To those near the Kelly Building, this has been declared an unlawful assembly due to criminal activity," Portland police wrote on Twitter https://bit.ly/3gKwGsO.
