US Domestic News Roundup: Obama warns against fear; Florida yoga studio shooting; U.S birthright citizenship


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 04-11-2018 05:52 IST | Created: 04-11-2018 05:21 IST
US Domestic News Roundup: Obama warns against fear; Florida yoga studio shooting; U.S birthright citizenship
The FBI on Friday said it had recovered a second suspicious package addressed to California billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democrat known for funding ads calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
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Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. campaigns in high gear three days before congressional elections

U.S. congressional candidates hammered into the homestretch of a bruising campaign season on Saturday, with Democrats focused on protecting a 2010 healthcare law while President Donald Trump touted economic growth and sounded dire warnings on immigration. Control of both houses of the U.S. Congress, currently dominated by Republicans, and 36 governors' offices will be at stake when Americans vote in Tuesday's elections. Interest has been unusually high for a non-presidential election year, with early voting running well ahead of past cycles.

FBI confirms suspicious package sent to Tom Steyer

The FBI on Friday said it had recovered a second suspicious package addressed to California billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democrat known for funding ads calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Twitter it recovered a package on Thursday night that was similar to other recently mailed parcel bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of Trump.

U.S. courts rule against Georgia on voter suppression cases

Two federal courts on Friday issued rulings that order Georgia to allow some 3,000 naturalized U.S. citizens to vote in elections next week and prevent the state from throwing out some absentee ballots. The rulings are a rebuke to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, whose office oversees the voter rolls and who is the Republican candidate in the state's hotly contested gubernatorial race.

Citizenship question could hamper U.S. Census response: official

The Trump administration's decision to ask about citizenship on the 2020 Census questionnaire could undermine the quality of the data by discouraging non-citizens from responding, the U.S. Census Bureau's chief scientist said. But, added John Abowd in written testimony seen by Reuters, the question will not necessarily lead to an undercount, because the government has strategies to "mitigate these effects."

Actor Alec Baldwin charged over New York parking spot fight

Actor Alec Baldwin, most recently famous for his impersonations of U.S. President Donald Trump, was charged on Friday after a fight over a New York parking spot, police said. The "30 Rock" sitcom actor, 60, "assaulted someone for a parking spot that they were both going for," New York Police Department detective Sophia Mason said.

Kentucky suspect pleads not guilty in supermarket murder

A white man from Kentucky pleaded not guilty to charges that he had killed a black man and woman in a shooting at a supermarket that is under investigation as a possible hate crime, prosecutors said on Friday. Gregory Bush, 51, is accused of fatally shooting Maurice Stallard, 69, in front of his grandson as they shopped in a Kroger Inc grocery store in Jeffersontown, some 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Louisville on Oct. 24.

Two dead in Amazon.com warehouse's partial collapse in Baltimore: governor

At least two people died in the partial collapse of an Amazon.com Inc distribution warehouse in Baltimore caused by severe weather, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and the company said on Saturday. "My condolences go out to the families and friends of the victims," Hogan said in a post on Twitter.

Gunman at Florida yoga studio had been accused of harassment

A gunman who killed two women at a Florida yoga studio and wounded five other people before taking his own life had previously been accused of harassing young women, police said on Saturday. Authorities said they do not know why Scott Beierle, 40, opened fire on Friday afternoon after posing as a customer to join the class at the Hot Yoga studio in Tallahassee. Detectives are searching for links between him and the victims.

Obama warns against fear, Trump touts economy on campaign trail

Former U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Friday against rhetoric he said was meant to sow fear as he campaigned in support of Democratic candidates while President Donald Trump hammered a hardline anti-immigration message to energize Republicans. In a packed day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday's congressional midterm elections, Trump continued a blitz of rallies urging voters to keep his Republican Party in control of Congress, while Democrats appeared to notch a win in their efforts to halt the spread of misinformation online.

Idaho teachers suspended for border wall, Mexican Halloween costumes

Fourteen staff at an Idaho primary school who dressed up as a border wall and as Mexicans for Halloween were put on administrative leave on Saturday for the "insensitive" and "inappropriate" costumes, a school superintendent said. Photos of the group wearing stereotypical U.S. and Mexican costumes appeared this week on the Idaho school district's Facebook page, drawing complaints from parents, civil rights groups and members of the state's large Hispanic population.

(With inputs from Reuters)

(With inputs from agencies.)

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