US News Roundup: Wealthy hospitals rake in U.S. disaster aid for COVID-19 costs; 'He was not on our radar': authorities search for motive in Nashville blast and more
In a 3-0 decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the Orthodox Jewish group Agudath Israel of America and two synagogues in enjoining New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Oct. 6 attendance caps at "houses of worship." Ohio police officer fired for fatally shooting unarmed Black man A white police officer in Columbus, Ohio, was fired on Monday for fatally shooting an unarmed Black man last week in what the city's police chief deemed an "unreasonable use of deadly force," the city's public safety director said.
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Wealthy hospitals rake in U.S. disaster aid for COVID-19 costs
After collecting billions of dollars in U.S. coronavirus aid, many of the nation’s wealthiest nonprofit hospitals are now tapping into disaster relief funds that critics say they don’t need. The money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is going to some large health systems that have billions of dollars in cash reserves and investments, according to government records reviewed by Reuters.
'He was not on our radar': authorities search for motive in Nashville blast
Federal, state and local law enforcement officers on Monday were searching for the motive behind a bombing that rocked Nashville on Christmas morning, with no concrete clues yet emerging as to why the 63-year-old suspect carried out his suicide mission. The FBI on Sunday identified the suspect as Anthony Q. Warner and said he died in the blast, which damaged more than 40 businesses in downtown Nashville, Tennessee's largest city and the United States' country music capital.
Renewed COVID lockdowns likely in Southern California as ICUs stay filled
The United States topped 19 million COVID cases on Monday as hospital intensive care units were full to overflowing across much of California, a major U.S. virus hot spot, portending an extension of strict stay-at-home orders imposed this month. California Governor Gavin Newsom said mandatory constraints on social gatherings and business activities would almost certainly be renewed for at least three more weeks in Southern California - encompassing the state's biggest metropolitan areas - and its agricultural heartland, the San Joaquin Valley.
U.S. appeals court blocks NY governor's limits on religious gatherings
The federal appeals court in Manhattan on Monday blocked New York state restrictions on the size of religious gatherings put in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In a 3-0 decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the Orthodox Jewish group Agudath Israel of America and two synagogues in enjoining New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Oct. 6 attendance caps at "houses of worship."
Ohio police officer fired for fatally shooting unarmed Black man
A white police officer in Columbus, Ohio, was fired on Monday for fatally shooting an unarmed Black man last week in what the city's police chief deemed an "unreasonable use of deadly force," the city's public safety director said. The dismissal of Adam Coy, a 19-year veteran of the Columbus police force, followed the recommendation of Chief Thomas Quinlan, who concluded that Andre Maurice Hill, 47, was the victim of an act of "senseless violence" when he was gunned down last Tuesday.
Police launch probe after Breonna Taylor statue smashed in Oakland, California
Police said they were investigating what appeared to be an act of vandalism after a statue of Breonna Taylor erected to honour her memory was smashed in Oakland, California. The Oakland Police Department said late Monday it was looking into the incident, although it had not identified any suspects or motives. The statue was found smashed on Saturday, about two weeks after it was installed.
Battle over $2,000 COVID-19 aid checks shifts to U.S. Senate
An unusual battle in Congress over President Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus aid checks for Americans shifts on Tuesday to the Senate, where Republicans opposed to higher spending are under pressure to approve the additional relief. The Democratic-led House of Representatives on Monday approved the direct payments in a 275-134 vote, and Senate Democrats plan to push Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the chamber, to allow a floor vote on the legislation. They have threatened to tie up Senate floor procedures until he does.
Indiana mattress maker loses sleep over new COVID-related supply chain delays
Lauren Taylor's small mattress factory in northern Indiana has managed to survive during the coronavirus pandemic, with the help of a federal emergency loan and a surge of purchases by cocooning customers after early shopping restrictions lifted. But as COVID-19 infections worsen again in the United States, the American-made parts her company, Holder Mattress Co., relies on are taking months to arrive, forcing customers to wait for their new beds.
U.S. judge orders two Georgia counties to halt voter purge ahead of Senate runoff
A federal judge on Monday ordered two Georgia counties to reverse a decision removing thousands of voters from the rolls ahead of Jan. 5 runoff elections that will determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate. The counties seemed to have improperly relied on unverified change-of-address data to invalidate registrations, the judge, Leslie Abrams Gardner, said in her order filed late on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
U.S. House overrides Trump's veto of key defense bill
The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump's veto of a $740 billion defense policy bill, a rebuke that underscored divisions in the Republican Party during Trump's final weeks in office. The 322-87 House vote, in which 109 Republicans joined Democrats to override Trump's veto, leaves the bill's fate to the Republican-led Senate, where a final vote is expected this week. If the Senate seconds the House action, the bill becomes law. It would be the first veto override of Trump's presidency.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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