Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Biden attacks Trump in North Carolina over COVID-19; president to campaign in Nevada

President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden were courting early voters on Sunday in the competitive states of Nevada and North Carolina, as the final presidential debate looms later this week. Some 27.7 million Americans have already cast ballots either by mail or in person ahead of the Nov. 3 election, according to the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida. The record-shattering figure is being driven in part by concerns about crowds at polling sites on Election Day amid the coronavirus pandemic. House Speaker Pelosi 'optimistic' on coronavirus relief deal before U.S. election

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday that differences remained with President Donald Trump's administration on a wide-ranging coronavirus relief package but that she was optimistic legislation could be pushed through before Election Day. Pelosi, the top elected U.S. Democrat, said she wanted a bill passed before the Nov. 3 presidential election between Republican Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, but acknowledged an agreement would have to come within 48 hours for that to happen. Healthcare workers, high-risk people will get priority for COVID-19 vaccine in New York: governor

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that healthcare workers and high-risk populations, including some long-term care residents, would get priority in his state to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when one is approved and available. According to the five-phase preliminary plan for New York's vaccine administration program, some details of which Cuomo announced at a news briefing, healthcare workers in patient-care settings, long-term care facility workers and some long-term care residents would be among the first to receive a vaccine. Thousands protest Trump's Supreme Court pick at Washington Women's March

Thousands marched to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Saturday to commemorate the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and protest President Donald Trump's rush to push through Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled an Oct. 22 vote on the nomination of Barrett, a conservative appellate judge, over objections from Democrats that the confirmation process comes too close to the Nov. 3 presidential election. Young U.S. poll workers brace for Election Day as virus fears keep elders home

After scrambling to replace an aging force of poll workers most at risk from the coronavirus, U.S. election officials face the challenge of running the Nov. 3 voting with untested volunteers tasked with following strict health protocols in an intensely partisan environment. A nationwide drive that recruited hundreds of thousands of younger poll workers - the people who set up equipment, check in voters and process ballots - means most battleground states will not be understaffed, a Reuters review of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin found. Michigan governor disturbed by Trump criticism and 'lock her up' chants

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday said U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of her at a rally was "incredibly disturbing" after he called her "dishonest" and drew shouts of "lock her up" from the crowd. Whitmer, the target an alleged kidnapping plot that was uncovered by the FBI earlier this month, accused Trump of inciting domestic terrorism with his rhetoric. The Democratic governor was speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Trump heads to Michigan, Wisconsin in re-election campaign push

President Donald Trump will take his re-election push to Michigan and Wisconsin on Saturday before launching a tour of western states to shore up political support as he trails Democratic rival Joe Biden in national polls. Days after recovering from the coronavirus and just two and a half weeks before the election on Nov. 3, Trump is holding rallies around the country to try to secure the states he won four years ago. Economy, pandemic overshadow climate for young U.S. voters

The two dozen students who signed up for air pollution expert James Goldstene's advanced environmental studies class all say they are deeply passionate about fighting climate change. But when it comes to voting in the U.S. presidential election, many said climate change was not their top issue. Trump slams Republican critic who warned of November 'bloodbath'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday attacked a longtime congressional critic who warned this week that his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and authoritarian leaders could cause a "Republican bloodbath in the Senate" in the Nov. 3 elections. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse is the least effective of the 53 Republican senators, Trump wrote on Twitter, calling him "a liability to the Republican Party, and an embarrassment to the Great State of Nebraska. Other than that, he’s just a wonderful guy." Twitter raps Trump COVID-19 adviser as U.S. cases rise

Twitter on Sunday removed a "misleading" tweet downplaying the efficacy of masks posted by a top coronavirus adviser to President Donald Trump, while U.S. cases surged before the Nov. 3 election. As the Trump administration fends off accusations that its mixed messaging on wearing masks hampered the fight against the coronavirus, Dr. Scott Atlas continued to minimize the importance of masks with a Twitter post on Saturday, saying, "Masks work? NO."