Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Former Minnesota policeman convicted in fatal shooting of Australian woman

A former Minneapolis police officer on Tuesday was found guilty of murder for fatally shooting an Australian woman from his patrol car while responding to her 2017 report of a possible sex assault near her home. Mohamed Noor, 33, was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for killing 40-year-old Justine Ruszczyk Damond outside her home near Minneapolis. The incident drew international criticism, including from Australia's prime minister, who called the incident "shocking." Merck steps up U.S. measles vaccine production with increased demand

Merck & Co said on Wednesday it has increased production of the measles vaccine to meet an uptick in demand in the United States in the midst of the country's biggest outbreak in 25 years. Merck, the sole U.S. supplier of measles vaccines, said the increased demand was noticeable, but did not amount to a surge, and has not required a significant increase in distribution across the country. Wynn Resorts keeps Massachusetts gaming license with $35 million fine

Massachusetts gaming regulators on Tuesday fined Wynn Resorts Ltd $35 million for not disclosing sexual misconduct allegations against founder and former CEO Steve Wynn but allowed the casino operator to keep the license for its new $2.6 billion casino near Boston due to open in June. The commission said it was "profoundly disturbed" by "repeated systemic failures and pervasive culture of non-disclosure" at the company. U.S. religious centers buy more insurance after raft of shootings

U.S. religious centers are buying special insurance to protect them from the financial consequences of an armed intruder opening fire in their buildings. Many congregations have been reassessing coverage and buying separate "active assailant" policies as shootings at houses of worship, including churches, synagogues and mosques, become more common, religious leaders and insurance representatives said in interviews. Teenage Guatemalan migrant dies in Texas while in U.S. custody

A 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant died in a Texas hospital while in the custody of the U.S. government on Wednesday after his health steadily declined due to a severe brain infection, according to officials from both countries. The unaccompanied teen died on Tuesday after "several days of intensive care" at a children's hospital, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement. Florida teachers can arm themselves under new gun bill

Florida's legislature on Wednesday passed a bill allowing teachers to carry guns in the classroom, expanding a program launched after the deadly high school shooting in Parkland with the aim of preventing another such massacre. Florida's House of Representatives voted 65 to 47 to pass the bill after hours of debate over two days in which the Republican majority thwarted Democratic efforts to amend, stall or kill the measure. Florida's Senate approved it 22 to 17 last week. Trump seeks huge boost in emergency funds for migrant surge

The Trump administration on Wednesday asked Congress for $4.5 billion in immediate emergency funding, saying a surge in Central American children and families claiming asylum at the U.S. southern border had drained government resources. The money would come on top of the funding President Donald Trump has redirected to make good on a central pledge of his 2016 election campaign - to build a border wall to stop illegal immigrants - ahead of his looming 2020 presidential race. North Carolina police charge suspect with murder after college shooting

Police charged a man with murder early on Wednesday after a gunman opened fire in a University of North Carolina (UNC) building during final exams, killing two people and wounding four. Police in Charlotte said they had charged Trystan Andrew Terrell, who is in custody, with two counts of murder and four of attempted murder. Three of the four wounded were in a critical condition. PG&E seeks U.S. court approval for $105 million fund to help wildfire victims

PG&E Corp on Wednesday sought court approval for a $105 million fund to help house victims of the wildfires blamed on the bankrupt California power provider. PG&E in a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Francisco said the fund would cover housing and other urgent needs for many who lost homes in the wildfires in 2017 and 2018. Federal judge throws out ex-Penn State president’s conviction

A federal judge on Tuesday threw out the child endangerment conviction of former Penn State University president Graham Spanier, one day before he was to enter a county jail to begin serving his sentence. United States Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick in Scranton, Pennsylvania said Spanier’s state conviction, which grew out of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal in Penn State's storied football program, was unconstitutional.