Obama, California wildfire, Passengers,Twitter: Current US news round-up

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Obama speech to urge big Democratic turnout in November elections

Former U.S. President Barack Obama will warn Democratic voters in a speech on Friday that the stakes are too high to sit out November's elections when the party is seeking to wrest control of Congress from President Donald Trump's Republicans. Obama has largely avoided the spotlight since Trump succeeded him last year. But Friday's speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will mark the start of a flurry of activity as he hits the campaign trail in coming weeks on behalf of Democratic candidates.

California wildfire rages unchecked, threatens homes, shuts interstate

A wildfire burned unchecked early on Friday in northern California, threatening homes and shutting down an interstate highway where motorists had to race from their vehicles. The Delta Fire has already scorched 22,000 acres (8,903 hectares) since it began on Wednesday in a Shasta-Trinity National Forest canyon along the Sacramento River, about 250 miles (402 km) north of San Francisco, the California Interagency Incident Management Team said in an advisory.

Passengers fall ill on two flights from Europe to Philadelphia

Passengers and crew on two flights arriving in Philadelphia from Europe on Thursday were screened by medical teams after 12 people aboard became ill with flu-like symptoms, a day after a similar outbreak on a flight from Dubai to New York. All 250 people on separate American Airlines flights from Munich and Paris were "held for a medical review" as a precaution, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was notified, Philadelphia International Airport spokeswoman Diane Gerace said.

Twitter permanently bans Alex Jones, website Infowars

Twitter Inc on Thursday permanently banned U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his website Infowars from its platform and Periscope, saying in a tweet that the accounts had violated its behavior policies. "As we continue to increase transparency around our rules and enforcement actions, we wanted to be open about this action, given the broad interest in this case," the company tweeted. "We do not typically comment on enforcement actions we take against individual accounts for their privacy."

Gunman slays three at Cincinnati bank before police kill him

A gunman dressed in a business suit opened fire inside a bank in downtown Cincinnati early on Thursday, killing three people and wounding others before being shot and killed by police, authorities said. The shooter began firing inside a loading dock at the Fifth Third Bank headquarters near Fountain Square, police said. He then entered the lobby where he exchanged fire with law enforcement.

Former USA Gymnastics trainer in Texas jail on sex abuse charge

A former USA Gymnastics trainer was arrested and jailed in Texas after being accused of sexually abusing a child at a team training facility in Huntsville, jail officials said on Thursday. Debbie Van Horn, 64, was being held in the Walker County Jail on a single abuse count. There was no lawyer listed for her in jail records. She is due to be arraigned on Friday, according to a media report.

Ducking queries on Trump, Supreme Court nominee resumes U.S. Senate test

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will face a final barrage of questions on Thursday in a multi-day U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, as Democrats press him on his independence from the man who nominated him, President Donald Trump. A conservative appeals court judge and former Republican White House aide, Kavanaugh has stressed his independence. But in a more than 12-hour session on Wednesday, he sidestepped questions about the scope of presidential power.

U.S. hotels arm staff with panic buttons, after years of resistance

Major hotel chains including Marriott International Inc and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc said on Thursday they are arming U.S. employees with panic buttons to fight sexual harassment and crime, an about-face for an industry that has opposed the idea for years. Workers in the hotel industry are frequent targets of sexual harassment as they are often alone with guests in their rooms. Unions and other advocates have increased pressure on hotels to provide the devices over the last year in the wake of the #MeToo social media movement and the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting, where the gunman opened fire from his hotel window.

Indiana bishop under investigation in Harrisburg: DA

A Roman Catholic Bishop who serves a diocese in Indiana that includes Notre Dame University is under investigation in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he formerly worked, a district attorney said on Thursday. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said the investigation involves Bishop Kevin Rhoades, 60, who is now the head of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Dauphin County includes the state capital of Harrisburg.

New York scientists use new DNA tools to identify 9/11 victims

New DNA analysis techniques are helping identify more victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, scientists in the office of New York City's chief medical examiner said on Thursday. Although the death toll after two hijacked airliners crashed into the Twin Towers was 2,753, the remains of more than 1,000 people remain unidentified, to the dismay of their grieving families.