Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. U.S. attorney general orders probe into mistreatment of gay employees

U.S. Attorney General William Barr said he was ordering certain Justice Department offices to investigate possible discrimination targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees after an internal gay affinity group complained of low morale. In an April 4 letter to DOJ Pride released on Friday, Barr said he was "troubled" by the group's concerns, and was directing the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to "investigate and address allegations of discrimination." Second wealthy parent to plead guilty in U.S. college admissions scandal

The former co-chairman of law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher on Friday became the second parent to say he would plead guilty to participating in what prosecutors call the largest college admissions scam uncovered in U.S. history. Gordon Caplan, who the New York-based firm said is no longer a partner, is among 50 people accused by federal prosecutors in Boston of engaging in schemes that involved cheating on college exams and paying $25 million in bribes to secure their children admission at well-known universities. Nebraska woman says carrying her gay son's baby was her gift

When Cecile Eledge offered to carry a baby for her adult son and his husband, they thought she was kidding - and that her doctors in the family's Nebraska hometown would balk at a 61-year-old woman serving as a surrogate for a gay couple. But two weeks ago the entire family - along with proud doctors - beamed as Uma Louise Dougherty came into the world at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Grandmother and baby are both healthy - and Uma was delivered the old-fashioned way. California sues U.S. agencies over data on vehicle emissions freeze

The state of California filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to force two federal agencies to provide data they used to justify rolling back landmark Obama-era vehicle emission standards, accusing the Trump administration of "willfully withholding" information. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request seeking data and analysis backing their proposal to freeze federal vehicle emission standards at 2020 levels through 2026. Rwandan convicted of lying while seeking U.S. asylum after genocide

A Rwandan man who U.S. prosecutors said participated in the African nation's 1994 genocide was convicted on Friday of lying about belonging to the political party that led the killings in hopes of gaining asylum in the United States. A federal jury in Boston following less three hours of deliberations found Jean Leonard Teganya, 48, guilty of five counts of immigration fraud and perjury in connection with his application for U.S. asylum. 19-year-old ex-convict charged in Los Angeles slashing attacks

A 19-year-old ex-convict who prosecutors say slashed the faces of nine people as he rode through the streets of Los Angeles and surrounding communities on a bicycle was charged on Friday with aggravated mayhem and attempted robbery, prosecutors said. Lenrey Briones, who was taken into custody earlier this week in the attacks, which disfigured seven of his victims and left parts of America's second-largest city on edge, faces a possible sentence of life in prison if found guilty. U.S. judge rules against Expedia in United Airlines fare listings lawsuit

A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday rejected Expedia Inc's request for an injunction that would have required United Airlines to continue providing fare data for flights after Sept. 30, when the companies' contract ends. U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel said Expedia had shown a "likelihood of success" on the merits of its breach of contract claim, but did not show a preliminary injunction was needed to avoid irreparable harm or serve the public interest. Bill Cosby settles defamation lawsuit brought by seven women

Convicted sex offender Bill Cosby on Friday settled a federal defamation lawsuit brought by seven women who said the former actor and comedian sexually assaulted them and wrongly called them liars when they went public with their charges years later. The settlement ends a court fight that predates the 81-year-old's conviction a year ago for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, in 2004. Cosby is currently serving a 3- to 10-year sentence for that crime, though his lawyers plan an appeal. Ohio ex-convict charged after claiming to be long-lost Illinois boy

Federal prosecutors on Friday charged a 23-year-old former convict with making false statements after he claimed to be Illinois teen Timmothy Pitzen, who went missing in 2011 after his mother killed herself. Brian Michael Rini of Medina, Ohio, was charged with lying to federal agents after he appeared looking confused in Newport, Kentucky, outside Cincinnati on Wednesday and claimed he was 14-year-old Pitzen, federal officials said. He told them he had escaped from an eight-year ordeal at the hands of sex traffickers. Pitzen was last seen when he was six years old. Courting black voters, Bernie Sanders draws personal contrast with Trump

Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, courting the black voters who did not support his 2016 White House run, drew a sharp personal contrast on Friday with what he called President Donald Trump's racist policies. Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, told a crowd of African-American activists that his push for economic equality, including universal healthcare, free public college and a higher minimum wage, would help ease the country's racial wealth gap.

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