US News Roundup: Melania Trump praises Kavanaugh; pro-ethanol measures to be announced

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Marine colonel relieved of duties over drink driving in Australia

The head of a contingent of United States Marines based in Australia's northern city of Darwin was relieved of his command after police caught him drink driving on a night out, a corps spokesman said on Monday. About 1,587 U.S. Marines are stationed in the tropical city, strategically located on the coastal doorstep of Indonesia, as part of an annual rotation begun in 2011 in former President Barack Obama's military pivot to the Asia-Pacific region.

State Of Play: Republicans fear Democratic 'blue wave' spreading to once-safe districts

The last time U.S. congressional elections were held in this central Virginia district, Meg Sneed voted for the Republican incumbent, Representative Dave Brat. Her friend, Cheryll Lesser, did not vote at all. Last week, the two women sat in the second row at a campaign event in a martial arts' studio listening to the Democrat running against Brat, Abigail Spanberger. They nodded in agreement with much of what she had to say.

Local gun groups flex muscle in state politics, sidestepping the NRA

When Missouri Senate Bill 656 was introduced in 2016, it was relatively modest legislation that proposed capping the amount county sheriffs could charge for a concealed handgun permit. By the time it passed, with both houses of the state legislature overturning the governor's veto, it had become one of the most expansive gun-rights laws in the country.

Melania Trump praises Kavanaugh, laments attention on her clothes

Melania Trump concluded her trip to Africa on Saturday by voicing support for her husband's controversial Supreme Court pick and urging people to pay less attention to what she wears. The U.S. first lady said the message of her tour to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt was to show the world that "we care."

Trump to announce pro-ethanol measure on Tuesday ahead of Iowa trip: sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce the lifting of a federal ban on summer sales of higher-ethanol blends of gasoline on Tuesday in Washington DC ahead of a trip to Iowa the same day, according to two sources familiar with the planning of the event. The move, expected sometime around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, is aimed at helping Republicans in competitive elections in the nation's farm belt. Iowa is the largest U.S. producer of ethanol.

After a fight that split the U.S., Kavanaugh wins a place on Supreme Court

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate on Saturday confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, dismissing anger over accusations of sexual misconduct against him and delivering a major victory to President Donald Trump who has now locked in a conservative majority on the court. By a vote of 50-48, the deeply-divided Senate gave the lifetime job to Kavanaugh, 53, after weeks of fierce debate over sexual violence, alcohol abuse and his angry response to the allegations that convulsed the nation just weeks before congressional elections on Nov. 6.

New York crash that killed 20 a 'wake-up call' for limo safety: regulator

A crash that killed 20 people in upstate New York is a "wake-up call" for limousine safety, the chief of the federal agency investigating what happened to a stretch limo taking passengers to a surprise birthday party said on Monday. Saturday's accident, which killed two pairs of newlyweds, four sisters from one family and two brothers from another, was the deadliest U.S. transport crash in nearly a decade, according to federal authorities.

Sparks or harmony with Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court?

When Clarence Thomas took a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991, he had only barely survived a series of bitter Senate hearings on allegations of sexual harassment that divided the country. But he said he was quickly welcomed by his eight fellow justices.

Storm Michael expected to hit Florida as a hurricane midweek

Tropical Storm Michael is on track to hit the Florida Panhandle midweek as a Category 2 hurricane packing 100 miles per hour (160 km) or stronger winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said early Monday in an advisory. The tropical storm is expected to swell into a Category 1 hurricane as soon as Monday night or early Tuesday as it rolls into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, with winds of 70 mph, as of 5 a.m. eastern time, forecasters said, just shy of being named a hurricane.

(With inputs from agencies.)