US Domestic News Roundup: White House restores CNN's Acosta pass; Obamacare; California wildfire; Trump's asylum policy

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Fatal New York limo crash victim's family sues owner, operator

The parents of a woman killed in a fatal limousine crash in upstate New York in October filed a lawsuit against the owner and the operator of the chauffeur company on Monday, alleging wrongful death and negligence in allowing the vehicle on the road after failing inspections. Ten John Doe defendants representing additional parties whose acts contributed to the woman's injuries and death were also named in the lawsuit filed in New York state supreme court. The lawsuit seeks unspecified amounts of money exceeding the limits of lower courts, the complaint said.

Trial spotlights U.S. drug safety concerns at compounding pharmacies

A top U.S. Food and Drug Administration official testified on Monday that the agency has concerns about drugs made by compounding pharmacies and still sees problems with them six years after a fungal meningitis outbreak tied to a Massachusetts pharmacy killed 76 people. Janet Woodcock, who heads the FDA's pharmaceuticals division, testified in Boston federal court that she had never seen an outbreak like the one New England Compounding Center's mold-tainted steroids caused in 2012.

Rain may hamper search for California wildfire victims

Emergency services stepped up their efforts on Monday to find remains of victims of California's deadliest ever wildfire as nearly 1,000 people remained unaccounted for, but rain expected this week could make that search harder and raise the risk of dangerous mudslides. The remains of 77 people have been recovered, the Butte County Sheriff's Office said late on Sunday, as it cut the number of missing to 993 from 1,276.

U.S. judge questions Trump administration on asylum policy

A U.S. judge closely questioned the government on Monday as he weighed whether to temporarily halt an order from President Donald Trump that bars asylum for migrants who illegally cross the border with Mexico. Trump cited an overwhelmed immigration system for his recent proclamation that officials will only process asylum claims for migrants who present themselves at an official entry point. Civil rights groups argue that Trump's Nov. 9 order violated administrative and immigration law.

White House restores access for CNN's Acosta, ending legal fight

The White House on Monday restored press access for CNN reporter Jim Acosta, ending a legal fight that had so far gone against the Trump administration. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the press pass for Acosta, which was revoked after a contentious Nov. 7 news conference with President Donald Trump, was restored but that reporters who ignored new rules for news conferences could have their credentials taken away.

Colorado man gets life for murders of pregnant wife, children

A Colorado man was sentenced to life without parole on Monday for strangling his pregnant wife, smothering their two young daughters and dumping their bodies in an oil field so he could pursue a romantic affair. Christopher Watts, 33, was spared the death penalty at the urging of family members of his wife, Shanann, 34, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and their daughters Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4.

Survivors find reasons to be thankful after deadly California fire

Most years, Kelly Doty marked Thanksgiving by delivering scores of meals to low-income families with children in the tight-knit Northern California mountain community of Paradise. But after the Camp Fire all but incinerated the town of nearly 27,000 residents on Nov. 8, killing at least 77 people and leaving almost 1,000 missing, the family resources center where Doty worked as a director had to scrap the annual food drive.

Two killed in shooting at Chicago hospital, including gunman: local media

Two people were killed and two others critically wounded in a shooting at a Chicago hospital on Monday, and among the dead was the gunman who started shooting in the parking lot and then burst into the medical facility and opened fire, according to local media. A police officer was among those wounded in the shooting on Chicago's South Side at Mercy Hospital, officials said.

House Democrats target DOJ decision not to defend Obamacare

Democrats will scrutinize the Trump administration's decision not to defend Obamacare in federal court, when Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year, a leading Democrat said on Monday. In June, the Department of Justice declared the healthcare law's individual mandate unconstitutional in federal court, which threatened to undermine insurance protections for people with preexisting conditions, and helped make healthcare a winning issue for Democrats in House elections on Nov. 6.

U.S. briefly shutters border crossing to brace for migrants

U.S. officials briefly closed the busiest border crossing from Mexico early on Monday to add concrete barricades and razor wire amid concerns that some of the thousands of Central American migrants at the border could try to rush the crossing. Northbound lanes at the San Ysidro crossing from Tijuana to San Diego, California, were closed "to position additional port hardening materials," a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said.

(With inputs from Reuters)