Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The possible cash transfer program would be targeted at people in the Northern Triangle region of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Roberta Jacobson, the White House's southern border coordinator, told Reuters in an interview, without saying who exactly would receive the cash. U.S. House ethics panel opens investigation of Republican Matt Gaetz The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives' Ethics Committee on Friday said it had opened an investigation into allegations that Republican congressman Matt Gaetz "may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use" among other things.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Exclusive-U.S. considering cash payments to Central America to stem migration

The United States is considering a conditional cash transfer program to help address economic woes that lead migrants from certain Central American countries to trek north, as well as sending COVID-19 vaccines to those countries, a senior White House official told Reuters on Friday. The possible cash transfer program would be targeted at people in the Northern Triangle region of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Roberta Jacobson, the White House's southern border coordinator, told Reuters in an interview, without saying who exactly would receive the cash.

U.S. House ethics panel opens investigation of Republican Matt Gaetz

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives' Ethics Committee on Friday said it had opened an investigation into allegations that Republican congressman Matt Gaetz "may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use" among other things. The panel's Democratic chairman and top Republican in a statement said they had become "aware of public allegations" that Gaetz, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, may have violated "House rules, laws, or other standards of conduct."

Doctor who performed George Floyd autopsy stands by homicide conclusion

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on George Floyd after last May's deadly arrest explained how he concluded the death was a homicide at the hands of police in testimony on Friday at former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin's murder trial. As jurors studied graphic autopsy photographs, Dr. Andrew Baker, Hennepin County's chief medical examiner, said he stood by the cause of death he determined last year as protests in Floyd's name against police brutality spread around the world.

Pfizer, BioNTech seek U.S. emergency nod for COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents

Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE on Friday asked U.S. regulators to allow the emergency use of their vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 15. The vaccine is currently authorized for emergency use in the United States for people aged 16 and up. The companies said on Friday that they requested an expansion of the authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include the younger age group.

Beehive deliveries keep New Yorkers buzzing on rooftops, backyards

Bustling New York City may not seem a bee-friendly place, but its high-rise rooftops and tiny gardens are buzzing with honeymakers threatened by pesticides in rural areas. About 2.4 million Italian honeybees waited in a white van to be taken to their new homes early Friday. It was parked near the Dakota Apartments by Central Park, where John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has lived since 1973.

Biden forms panel to study possible U.S. Supreme Court expansion

President Joe Biden on Friday formed a bipartisan commission to study potential U.S. Supreme Court changes including expanding the number of justices beyond the current nine, a goal of some liberal Democrats hoping to end its conservative majority. Under an executive order signed by the Democratic president, the 36-member commission will consider the "merits and legality" of potential reforms to the nation's top judicial body including adding justices or imposing term limits on their service instead of the current lifetime appointments.

Four California militia members indicted in alleged plot to thwart murder probe

Four members of a militia group associated with the right-wing boogaloo movement were indicted on Friday in an alleged plot to obstruct an investigation into the shooting of two federal agents in California last May, the U.S. Justice Department said. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in San Francisco, alleged that the four conspired to destroy communications and other records related to the murder and attempted murder of two federal security officers in Oakland, the department said in a statement.

Seven takeaways from Biden's budget proposal: defense, immigration, climate

Here are seven takeaways from U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed federal budget, released on Friday: HEADLINE NUMBERS. Federal discretionary spending is up by 8.4% compared to 2021 levels, excluding emergency funding, to $1.52 trillion, with a focus on health, education and climate. About two-thirds of the massive budget is "mandatory" spending for benefits like Social Security and Medicare.

Rapper, actor DMX, five-time Billboard chart topper, dead at 50

American rapper and actor Earl Simmons, known by the stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on Friday, his record label said, after he suffered a heart attack during what media reports said was a drug overdose. He was 50 years old. The chart-topping artist's songs included "Party Up (Up in Here)" and "X Gon' Give It To Ya." His career had been marked by legal troubles and prison time.

Biden's budget meets criticism from right and left on Pentagon spending

U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to sharply hike spending on climate change, cancer and underperforming schools, but his first budget wishlist on Friday drew howls of bipartisan concern over military spending. The $1.5 trillion budget, reflecting an 8% increase in base funding from this year, marks a sharp contrast with the goals of Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.