US Domestic News Roundup: New York Marathon; Manhattan helicopter crash; Mueller probe and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Helicopter crash atop foggy Manhattan skyscraper kills pilot

A helicopter crashed onto the fog-shrouded roof of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper on Monday, killing the pilot and unnerving a city still scarred by memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, airplane attacks on the World Trade Center. The crash on a rainy, gray day atop the 54-storey AXA Equitable Center forced office workers to evacuate in one of the city's busiest areas a few blocks north of Times Square.

As Biden tours Iowa, farmers want to know where he stands on ethanol

Joe Biden may have an ethanol problem. The former U.S. vice president has pledged support for advanced biofuels as part of his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Trump administration moves to release migrant children faster from U.S. custody

The Trump administration is again changing the way it vets people who want to sponsor minors who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone in an effort to speed up the release of thousands of migrant children currently in U.S. custody. Under the change, announced to staff on Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which houses unaccompanied migrant children, will no longer require an immigration records check on potential sponsors already backgrounded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

House Democrats to get more Mueller evidence, Trump calls witness 'sleazebag'

Congressional Democrats on Monday struck a rare deal in their wide-ranging probes of President Donald Trump, with the U.S. Justice Department agreeing to hand over more evidence from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia inquiry. The compromise, an unusual retreat by Trump in his months-long stonewalling campaign against House Democrats, came just before a House panel heard testimony for more than four hours from John Dean, a historic figure from the Watergate era.

Veteran auto journalist missing since California test drive

A well-known U.S. automobile journalist has not been seen for almost a week since taking a motorcycle for a test-drive in mountainous northern California, police and industry media said. Davey Johnson, 44, from Sacramento, was testing a Honda CB1000R in the rugged and cold terrain for an article in Motorcyclist magazine.

New York Marathon expands 'virtual race'

Jogging solo in Florida in near 80 degree Fahrenheit heat, Theresa Winterhalter's New York City Marathon experience last November looked much different to what you would expect from the world's biggest marathon. The 54-year-old was one of 424 people to finish the iconic race's first "virtual marathon", an event that race organizers are now expanding. The New York City Marathon will welcome unlimited, free enrolment in its virtual marathon this year, aiming to attract thousands of runners from across the globe.

U.S. measles outbreak spreads to Idaho and Virginia, hits 1,022 cases

The United States' worst measles outbreak in a quarter-century spread to Idaho and Virginia last week as public health authorities on Monday reported 41 new cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease. The U.S. has recorded 1,022 cases of the diseases this year as of June 6, in an outbreak blamed on misinformation about vaccines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Americans' perception of LGBTQ rights under federal law largely incorrect: Reuters/Ipsos

Almost half of all Americans incorrectly believe that federal law protects lesbian, gay and bisexual people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released this week. A month ago, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, which would codify anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in areas such as healthcare and housing into federal law.

Missouri's only abortion clinic to stay open after injunction issued

The only abortion clinic in Missouri can stay open after a St. Louis judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday saying the state must make an "official" decision on the facility's license before it can be reviewed, a court document showed. Women's healthcare and abortion provider Planned Parenthood sued Missouri two weeks ago after state health officials refused to renew the license of the Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis.

Near-record 'dead zone' forecast off U.S. Gulf coast, threatening fish

A near record-sized "dead zone" of oxygen-starved water could form in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, threatening its huge stocks of marine life, researchers said. The area could spread over 8,700 square miles (22,500 square km), scientists at Louisiana State University said on Monday - about the size of the state of Massachusetts, and five times the average.