US Domestic News Roundup: Alaska ferry workers strike for 6th day; Trump administration enacts another obstacle

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Alaska ferry workers strike for 6th day contract talks break off

A federal mediator on Monday suspended contract talks aimed at settling a strike that has shut down Alaska's state ferry system at the peak of the tourist season, with services to more than 30 coastal communities halted for a sixth straight day. The strike comes amid deep budget cuts for the state-owned ferry network, known as the Alaska Marine Highway System, with services to several communities scheduled to cease entirely at the end of the summer and not resume until the summer of 2020.

U.S. judge blocks Medicaid work requirements in New Hampshire

A federal judge on Monday overturned the Trump administration's approval of a plan by the state of New Hampshire to impose work requirements on people seeking to obtain benefits from the Medicaid health insurance program. The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., came after the judge earlier this year blocked the Republican-led states of Arkansas and Kentucky from moving forward with similar plans.

Harris, Ocasio-Cortez float plan to lift low-income communities in climate plans

U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday introduced a bill that would ensure any climate change legislation considered by Congress prioritizes low-income and vulnerable communities. The Climate Equity Act would ensure that Congress and the White House are held accountable for putting low-income and indigenous communities and minority groups that are on the "front lines" of climate change at the core of climate proposals, such as the Green New Deal.

'Without fear': U.S. bill aims to protect athletes after Nassar sex-abuse scandal

Two U.S. senators introduced legislation on Tuesday to prevent sexual assaults against athletes by increasing oversight and legal liability for U.S. Olympic and sports officials following the Larry Nassar scandal. The legislation was welcomed by former gymnasts and abuse survivors such as Jordyn Wieber but drew a mixed response from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which said it could cause operational "disruption" for athletes.

Trump administration enacts another obstacle to asylum cases

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration imposed another obstacle for asylum-seekers on Monday, finding that being persecuted on the basis of threats against a family member is usually not enough to be granted asylum in the United States. Attorney General William Barr issued a ruling that will set the standard for all immigration judges, using the same power his predecessors Jeff Sessions and Matthew Whitaker used to try to narrow the field of people potentially eligible for asylum.

U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky pleads not guilty in Stockholm assault case

U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a charge of assault on the first day of a trial in Sweden that has drawn international attention and prompted President Donald Trump to intervene on the artist's behalf. The 30-year-old performer, producer, and model, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was detained on July 3 in connection with a street brawl in Stockholm on June 30, and later charged with assault causing actual bodily harm.

Sanders, Warren take center stage as 2020 Democratic debates enter second round

Progressive allies Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren headline the first night of the second Democratic presidential debates on Tuesday, with eight other contenders aiming for a breakout performance that could propel them into the top tier of the White House race. The first of two debates on back-to-back nights will give Warren and Sanders, old friends who have been battling for second place in opinion polls behind front-runner Joe Biden, a chance to draw some contrasts between their progressive policies even though they have promised not to attack each other.

Police seek motive for shooting at California garlic festival

Police continued on Tuesday to look into what motivated a teenager to shoot visitors attending a popular California food festival over the weekend, killing three people, including a 6-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl. Santino William Legan, 19, cut through a fence at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday and shot people, seemingly at random, with an assault-style rifle, according to the Gilroy police department. Police officers on the scene fatally shot the gunman within about a minute of him opening fire.

Gilead, Novartis cancer therapies losing patients to experimental treatments

Unusually high numbers of U.S. lymphoma patients are choosing experimental treatments over expensive cell therapies sold by Gilead Sciences Inc and Novartis AG, new data shows, helping explain why sales of the two products have not met rosy expectations. Both Gilead's Yescarta and Novartis's Kymriah - which are part of a class of therapies known in the medical field as "CAR-T" - were approved in 2017. But government and private health plans have balked at their high price of at least $373,000 for a one-time treatment before hospital costs, which can bring the bill for a single patient to over a million dollars.

As Hurricane Erick heads toward Hawaii, another Pacific hurricane expected to form

As Hurricane Erick gained strength in the eastern Pacific as it churned toward Hawaii, another weather system, tropical storm Flossie brewing farther east is likely to become a hurricane later on Tuesday, forecasters said. Tropical Storm Erick grew into a hurricane late on Monday in the eastern Pacific, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) as it churned more than 1,000 miles (1,610 km) from Hawaii's Big Island.