US News Roundup: Republicans fear Democratic 'blue wave'; Limo in deadly crash failed inspection

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

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.

Bill Cosby seeks new sexual assault trial, reduced prison sentence

Citing new evidence, Bill Cosby has asked the Pennsylvania judge who sent him to prison for up to 10 years for sexual assault to grant him a new trial, or to reduce his sentence because of alleged procedural errors. In court papers filed late on Friday, Cosby's lawyers said the judge abused his discretion by failing to adequately consider the 81-year-old entertainer's age and failing eyesight, and should have recused himself from sentencing. Cosby's attorneys have previously taken issue with the judge's wife being a psychiatrist who works with sexual assault victims.

Hurricane Michael strengthens to Category 2 storm on way to Florida

Hurricane Michael strengthened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday as it moved toward the Florida Panhandle, where residents were ordered to get out of harm's way ahead of life-threatening waves, winds and rains. Tens of thousands of people were told to evacuate the coastal areas in nine counties as the storm approached with winds of 100 miles per hour (155 km per hour). Michael could grow to a Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale before it makes landfall on Wednesday, potentially the most powerful storm to strike the Panhandle in at least a decade.

Limo in deadly New York crash failed inspection: Governor

The limousine involved in an upstate New York crash that killed 20 people over the weekend failed inspection last month, and its driver did not have the proper license to operate the vehicle, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo 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.

Trump seeks dismissal of Stormy Daniels hush money lawsuit

U.S. President Donald Trump asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss adult film actress Stormy Daniels' lawsuit challenging the validity of a $130,000 hush money agreement over a tryst she claimed they had more than a decade ago. In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Trump's lawyer said the lawsuit by Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is moot because Trump never signed the agreement and has said he will not try to enforce it.

In Los Angeles, Columbus Day is out; Indigenous Peoples Day is in

The city of Los Angeles celebrated its first Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, joining the growing ranks of local governments across the country replacing the traditional Columbus Day holiday with observances of Native American history and culture. The daylong commemoration began with a sunrise ceremony by native American residents, some in traditional dress, followed by a 5-kilometer run through downtown led by City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, himself a member of the Wyandotte Nation who grew up in Oklahoma.

Freshly minted Justice Kavanaugh gets to work at Supreme Court

Just three days after he was narrowly confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court despite facing allegations of sexual assault, Brett Kavanaugh is set to take his seat on the bench on Tuesday morning, solidifying a conservative majority for years to come. Kavanaugh, 53, will join the eight other justices to hear arguments in cases involving a federal criminal sentencing law, bringing the nine-member court back up to full strength after the retirement of Anthony Kennedy in July.

Harrison: A transgender man's journey

For Harrison Massie, transitioning from female to male was never about trading one gender for another. Seven years ago, Harrison, now 29, started his journey "to feel more like myself."

Trump advocates 'stop-and-frisk' to curtail Chicago crime

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged on Monday to end a "crime spree" in Chicago and called for loosening restrictions on police in the third-largest U.S. city to allow stopping and frisking suspects for weapons and other contraband. Chicago police agreed in August 2015 to outside monitoring of stop-and-frisk searches after an American Civil Liberties Union report that found officers stopped a disproportionate number of black people and relied on the practice more heavily than departments in other cities.