Reuters US Domestic News Summary

"I never urged adoption of a smaller American Rescue Plan package, and I believe that ARP played a central role in driving strong growth throughout 2021 and afterwards," Yellen said in a rare response to a media report. Six dead in Philadelphia and Tennessee in latest U.S. mass shootings Mass shootings in Pennsylvania and Tennessee killed at least six people and wounded more than 25, police said on Sunday in the latest cases of U.S. gun violence after recent massacres in Texas, New York and Oklahoma.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Yellen denies report that she pushed for a smaller COVID-19 relief package

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Saturday said she never pushed for cuts to President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, rebutting a media report in which a biographer was quoted as saying she favored scaling it back to avoid inflation. "I never urged adoption of a smaller American Rescue Plan package, and I believe that ARP played a central role in driving strong growth throughout 2021 and afterwards," Yellen said in a rare response to a media report.

Six dead in Philadelphia and Tennessee in latest U.S. mass shootings

Mass shootings in Pennsylvania and Tennessee killed at least six people and wounded more than 25, police said on Sunday in the latest cases of U.S. gun violence after recent massacres in Texas, New York and Oklahoma. Multiple shooters opened fire in Philadelphia's busy South Street, an area filled with bars and restaurants, shortly before midnight on Saturday. Two men and a woman were killed, officials said, with two of the dead and most if not all of the wounded being innocent bystanders.

Baby formula shortage could ease as Abbott reopens Michigan plant

Abbott Laboratories said on Saturday that it has reopened its baby formula production plant in Sturgis, Michigan, taking a step toward alleviating an acute nationwide shortage that has sent parents scrambling for supplies. The company said it will begin production of EleCare and other specialty and metabolic formulas, with initial EleCare product release to consumers beginning on or about June 20.

Box Office: 'Top Gun: Maverick' scores $86 million in massive second weekend

"Top Gun: Maverick" has the box office sizzling... again. In its second weekend of release, Tom Cruise's all-American action film collected a sensational $86 million from 4,751 North American theaters. Those returns rank among the top 10 highest-grossing second weekends in domestic box office history.

Soccer-U.S. men's soccer, NBA teams join calls for stronger gun laws

The U.S. men's soccer team on Sunday sent an open letter to members of Congress urging them to pass stricter gun laws following a surge in mass shootings while NBA players and coaches also raised the issue ahead of Game Two of the Finals. A shooting in Philadelphia left at least three people dead and 11 others wounded, police said on Sunday in the latest case of gun violence in the United States after recent massacres in Texas, New York and Oklahoma where dozens died.

Trump-backed Oz wins U.S. Senate Republican primary after rival concedes

Former hedge fund executive David McCormick conceded to wellness celebrity Mehmet Oz on Friday in the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, following a recount and securing another Donald Trump-endorsed candidate in a critical midterm election. Oz, who will square off against Democrat John Fetterman in the Nov. 8 midterm election to replace retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey, won by a margin of 916 votes, according to Edison Research.

Gun safety talks in U.S. Senate wrestle with 'red flag' laws, school safety

Bipartisan U.S. Senate negotiations on how or if to respond to the latest wave of mass shootings are focused on a range of options, including improving school safety and "red flag" laws to allow police to seize guns from people deemed dangerous. The talks will continue into early this week, when Congress returns from a Memorial Day break, and follow a prime-time speech last week in which Democratic President Joe Biden implored lawmakers to act.

Republican Cheney warns U.S. democracy remains under threat

Republican U.S. Representative Liz Cheney warned that the nation's democratic system is threatened by ongoing efforts to deny the legitimacy of Donald Trump's 2020 election loss. "People must pay attention. People must watch, and they must understand how easily our democratic system can unravel if we don't defend it," Cheney said during an interview broadcast on CBS Sunday Morning, days before Congress' official probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol begins public hearings.

Bidens safe after private plane enters airspace in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were briefly evacuated from their vacation home on Saturday after a small private plane mistakenly entered the restricted airspace over Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the White House said. The aircraft was immediately escorted out of the restricted airspace, U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said. The pilot, who was not identified, would be interviewed, he said.

McConnell, 2 governors said to be in Wisconsin gunman's hit list

The names of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers appeared on a hit list kept by a man accused of fatally shooting a retired Wisconsin judge, authorities and local media said on Saturday. "Yesterday our office was notified by law enforcement officials that Governor Whitmer's name appeared on the Wisconsin gunman's list," a spokesman for Whitmer told Reuters.

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