US News Roundup: Third suspect arrested in rapper Mac Miller's drug death probe; U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 12, illnesses climb to 805

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Third suspect arrested in rapper Mac Miller's drug death probe

A Los Angeles man who prosecutors say supplied the counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl blamed in Mac Miller's fatal 2018 overdose has been taken into custody on federal drug charges, the third arrest stemming from the rapper's death. Stephen Andrew "Stevie" Walter was apprehended at his Los Angeles home on Monday and charged with distributing and possessing a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

Regulator approves NYC area airport tax, favoring taxis over ride-hails

Passengers commuting to or from Newark Liberty, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports by taxi or ride-hail service will have to pay additional fees beginning in October 2020, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said on Thursday. The fees will hit ride-hail companies such as Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc harder than the city's traditional taxi industry, which for years has called on regulators to rein in the app-based competitors.

FAA to test if U.S. airplane seats too tight to quickly evacuate passengers

Amid complaints that airline seats have become too small to accommodate the average American, the U.S. government will test how fast passengers can evacuate a plane in setting minimum seat sizes for the first time. The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct evacuation tests with 720 people over 12 days in November, Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell said at a U.S. House hearing on Thursday.

Trump administration proposes slashing number of refugees for U.S. resettlement

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed allowing only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program. At the same time, President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying his administration would seek the approval of state and local governments to resettle refugees in their communities, in a shift for a federally directed program.

Third parent sentenced to prison in U.S. college admissions scandal

The father of a former Georgetown University student was sentenced on Thursday to four months in prison, the third parent in the sweeping U.S. college admissions bribery scandal to draw jail time, federal prosecutors said. Stephen Semprevivo, 53, a Los Angeles executive, was also ordered by Boston U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to pay a $100,000 fine, remain on supervised release for two years and provide 500 hours of community service, prosecutors said.

U.S. lawmakers to grill Trump intel chief about whistleblower report

President Donald Trump's top intelligence official will be grilled by U.S. lawmakers on Thursday over the administration's handling of a whistleblower report central to an impeachment inquiry into the president. The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, will testify to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee after refusing to share the complaint with Congress, despite a law requiring that it be sent to lawmakers after an inspector general's determination that it was urgent and credible.

Senate passes, sends Trump stopgap federal funding to November 21

The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would extend federal funding through Nov. 21 and avert partial agency shutdowns when existing authorization expires on Oct. 1. The Senate signed off by a vote of 82 to 15 on legislation that was approved by the House of Representatives on Sept. 19, sending it to President Donald Trump for signing into law.

'Straight-up panic': U.S. vaping crackdown sends some scrambling for their fix

When Massachusetts announced a four-month ban on vaping products this week, Chris Soares was ready, having amassed more than 20 bottles of flavored, nicotine-laced vape fluid, enough to supply his daily habit well into next year. "I was doing a doomsday prepping kind of thing," said Soares.

U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 12, illnesses climb to 805

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 805 confirmed and probable cases and 12 deaths so far from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, with the outbreak showing no signs of losing steam. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 530 cases and seven deaths due to severe lung illnesses.

New York prosecutors agree to put request for Trump tax returns on hold

New York prosecutors have agreed to put on hold their bid to enforce their subpoena seeking U.S. President Donald Trump's tax returns, according to a court filing on Thursday. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said it would not seek to enforce the subpoena until Oct. 7, or two business days after a judge rules on Trump's challenge to the subpoena, whichever comes first.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)