US News Roundup: Black 'lynching' ad illustrates race overtones; USC settles California gynaecologist case

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Russian charged with conspiring to interfere in U.S. congressional elections

The U.S. government on Friday charged a Russian national with playing a key financial role in a Kremlin-backed plan to conduct "information warfare" against the United States, including ongoing attempts to influence next month's congressional elections. Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, became the first person charged with a crime for attempting to interfere in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, according to a government official with knowledge of the investigation.

Black 'lynching' ad illustrates race overtones, anger in U.S. campaign ads

Many political ads in this year's U.S. elections pack an unusually harsh and personal punch - some with racial overtones. In Arkansas, a radio ad this week suggests white Democrats might start lynching black men. In New York, a congressman's supporters drew attention to his black rival's history as a rapper. In California, Ohio and Virginia, candidates and their supporters cast their opponents as terrorists. In Pennsylvania, a Republican state senator threatened to "stomp all over" his Democratic rival's face with golf spikes.

Trump says team working on a tax cut for middle-income earners

U.S. President Donald Trump said the administration was studying a tax cut for middle-income earners that could be rolled out sometime around the beginning of November, just before pivotal congressional elections. Trump mentioned the proposed tax cut in the same week the U.S. government ended the 2018 fiscal year with a $779 billion deficit, the Treasury Department said on Monday, as previous Republican-led tax cuts squeezed revenues. The deficit figure was the highest in six years.

Remains of more than 60 babies, fetuses found stashed in Detroit funeral home

The remains of more than 60 infants and fetuses were found stashed in a Detroit funeral home, police said on Friday, calling the discovery "deeply disturbing." The incident comes about a week after the badly decomposed bodies of 11 babies were found hidden in a false ceiling at a different funeral home in the Michigan city.

Montenegrins protest against Albanian dam on the shared river

Dozens of environmental activists cycled from Montenegro's capital to the Albanian border on Saturday to protest over the neighbouring nation's construction of a dam on the Cijevna river that flows through both countries. As governments hurry to meet renewable energy goals set by the Paris climate change agreement, plans to build almost 3,000 small hydro-power plants have sparked protests across the Balkans this year.

U.S. Mega Millions lottery hits a record $1.6 billion after no winners on Friday

The U.S. Mega Millions jackpot grew to $1.6 billion, a world record for a lottery after Friday's drawing produced no winner of the grand prize, officials said. The next Mega Millions draw will be on Tuesday, after no one hit all of the numbers of 15, 23, 53, 65, 70 and the Mega Ball 7 during Friday night's draw.

Florida city official charged in store shooting caught on video

A Florida city commissioner has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder for shooting a man he suspected of trying to shoplift a hatchet from his military surplus store, officials said on Saturday. Michael Dunn, a commissioner in the city of Lakeland between Tampa and Orlando, was acting in self-defence, his attorney told local media. Florida's "stand your ground" law removes the legal responsibility to retreat from a dangerous situation and allows the use of deadly force when a person feels greatly threatened.

Trump criticized for praising congressman who body-slammed reporter

President Donald Trump reiterated his support for a Montana congressman who body-slammed a reporter last year, even as he came under criticism on Friday from U.S. lawmakers and press organizations. Trump's praise for Greg Gianforte, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives who pleaded guilty to an assault charge for the incident involving the reporter, coincides with an international outcry over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

USC agrees to $215 million settlement in California gynaecologist case

The University of Southern California has reached a $215 million proposed settlement with former patients of a gynaecologist at the school who was accused of sexual abuse, the president of the university said in a letter on Friday seen by Reuters. The settlement centres on the conduct of George Tyndall, who practised at USC until he was suspended in 2016 after a complaint from a health worker accusing him of making sexually inappropriate comments to patients. More than 400 women have since accused Tyndall of sexual abuse, some in a federal lawsuit covered by the settlement and others in state lawsuits that are still pending.

(With inputs from agencies.)