US Domestic News Roundup: The American pandemic day: More kids. More TV. More Z's. More time alone; As Americans navigate conflicting COVID-19 mask advice, 'everyone is confused' and more

The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. White House sees YouTube, Facebook as 'Judge, Jury & Executioner' on vaccine misinformation The White House has YouTube, not just Facebook, on its list of social media platforms officials say are responsible for an alarming spread of misinformation about COVID vaccines and are not doing enough to stop it, sources familiar with the administration's thinking said.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

The American pandemic day: More kids. More TV. More Z's. More time alone

Americans watched more TV last year, played more computer games, thought and read a bit more, caught up on a little sleep and on average spent an extra hour each day alone and two additional hours wrangling or educating their kids. Exercise? Meh.

As Americans navigate conflicting COVID-19 mask advice, 'everyone is confused'

A COVID-19 surge ignited in parts of the United States by the highly contagious Delta variant and vaccine hesitancy has led to new mask mandates and deep confusion among some people about which guidance to follow. In Los Angeles County, leaders have reinstated an indoor mask mandate, even for the fully vaccinated. Officials in Houston and New Orleans also raised coronavirus alert levels this week and told people to mask up.

Want a bigger raise? How about $50? U.S. companies push COVID shots for staff

Kevin Kelly is hitting his anti-vax workers where it may hurt them most: their paychecks. On Sept. 1, when regular raises go through for the 250 workers at Emerald Packaging Inc.'s plastic bag factory outside San Francisco, those fully vaccinated will get a 3% bump, while those who resisted vaccination will get only half, 1.5%.

Exclusive-'QAnon Shaman' in plea negotiations after mental health diagnosis -lawyer

The participant in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots nicknamed the "QAnon Shaman" is negotiating a possible plea deal with prosecutors, after prison psychologists found he suffers from a variety of mental illnesses, his attorney said. In an interview, defense lawyer Albert Watkins said that officials at the federal Bureau of Prisons, or BOP, have diagnosed his client Jacob Chansley with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety.

New U.S. Capitol Police chief named after Jan. 6 riot

A retired Maryland county law enforcement official has been named chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, filling a vacancy created when his predecessor resigned over the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. The Capitol Police Board said on Thursday it appointed J. Thomas Manger, who spent 15 years until 2019 as police chief of Montgomery County, Maryland, to head the Capitol police after a national search.

Iraq war Marine walks U.S.-Mexico border to protest deportation of veterans

When U.S. military veteran Ramon Castro began meeting deported veterans living along the U.S.-Mexican border not far from his home in Southern California, he knew that, but for a piece of paper proving his citizenship, he could have been one of them. He's now in the middle of a 2,000-mile (3,219 km) trek across the length of the frontier to draw attention to the plight of U.S. veterans sent back to their countries of birth, some as a result of infractions like drug use that Castro said are associated with mental health struggles.

More struggling U.S. homeowners eligible for reduced payments - White House

Homeowners with certain government-backed mortgages could get their monthly payments reduced by 25% if they are still struggling to make payments, the White House said on Friday as part of efforts to help keep people housed amid the pandemic. The move targets those with loans backed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture or Department of Veterans Affairs. They will be brought closer in line to those backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the White House said.

Mississippi asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn abortion rights landmark

The state of Mississippi on Thursday urged the U.S. Supreme Court in a major case set to be argued in its next term to overturn the landmark 1973 ruling that recognized that women have a constitutional right to obtain an abortion. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, said in papers filed with the court that the Roe v. Wade ruling and a subsequent 1992 decision that affirmed it were both "egregiously wrong" and that state legislatures should have more leeway to restrict abortion. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

White House sees YouTube, Facebook as 'Judge, Jury & Executioner' on vaccine misinformation

The White House has YouTube, not just Facebook, on its list of social media platforms officials say are responsible for an alarming spread of misinformation about COVID vaccines and are not doing enough to stop it, sources familiar with the administration's thinking said. The criticism comes just a week after President Joe Biden called Facebook and other social media companies "killers" for failing to slow the spread of misinformation about vaccines. He has since softened his tone. https://reut.rs/3kP3lD4

FBI ignored tips on Brett Kavanaugh, Senate Democrats charge

Seven Democratic senators on Thursday said that newly released materials show the FBI failed to fully investigate sexual misconduct allegations against U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was nominated to the court in 2018. The senators, including Sheldon Whitehouse and Chris Coons, said a letter they received from the FBI last month shows the agency gathered over 4,500 tips relating to Kavanaugh without any apparent further action by investigators.