Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The culture of unwanted groping, kissing, hugging, sexual advances and explicit comments at Babbo, Lupa and Del Posto broke New York human rights laws, Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. Austin, Texas, police vow timely release of sensitive body-cam videos Police in Austin, Texas, on Friday said they would release video from officers' body cameras within 10 business days of incidents that led to serious injuries or deaths, down from 60 days under a policy in which delays were frequent.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Florida firefighters end their search for remains from Miami-area condo collapse

The Miami-Dade County fire and rescue department on Friday declared an end to its search for more human remains in the rubble of a Florida condominium complex that collapsed on June 24, killing at least 97 people. Authorities said one victim was still believed to be unaccounted for. The Miami-Dade Police Department will continue to sift through what is left of the debris pile for additional remains and personal effects, officials said in a statement.

Oregon firefighters face return of hazardous conditions, COVID-19 outbreak

Strike teams making headway against a mammoth wildfire in southern Oregon faced a resurgence of combustibly dry, windy weather on Friday, even as an outbreak of COVID-19 among the firefighters posed a new complication in battling the 3-week-old blaze. Hundreds of miles to the northeast, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reported that five firefighters in Montana were injured on Thursday when a sudden shift in the wind blew flames over their position on the edge of a much smaller wildfire there.

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.

Pentagon says report that U.S. approved Chinese drone for purchase 'inaccurate'

The Pentagon said on Friday that drones produced by Chinese manufacturer Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) pose a potential threat to national security and that a media report that they were approved for purchase by the U.S. government was inaccurate. The Hill newspaper last month reported that a Pentagon audit had found two drones built by DJI for U.S. government use had "no malicious code or intent" and are "recommended for use by government entities and forces working with U.S. services."

'Worth the wait': New York marriage bureau reopens for in-person weddings

Sae Feurtado and Richard Kissi's long wait to say "I do" finally ended on Friday, when in-person weddings resumed at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau after a 16-month shutdown. Before COVID-19, thousands of people from all over the world every year exchanged marriage vows in the two chapels housed inside the late 1920s Art Deco building in lower Manhattan.

United States buys 200 million more doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech said on Friday the U.S. government has purchased 200 million additional doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to help with pediatric vaccination as well as possible booster shots - if they are needed. A Biden administration official with knowledge of the contract said that as part of the agreement, Pfizer will provide the United States with 65 million doses intended for children under 12, including doses available immediately after the vaccine is authorized for that age group.

Trump ally Barrack allowed to remain free ahead of lobbying trial

A judge in Los Angeles on Friday signed off on a deal that allows former U.S. President Donald Trump's billionaire ally Thomas Barrack to be released from custody while he awaits trial on charges of illegal lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Under the agreement approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue, Barrack will wear an ankle bracelet that tracks his location, surrender his passport and submit to a curfew. The agreement, reached with prosecutors, also calls for Barrack to put up a $250 million bond, secured by $5 million in cash.

Guilty pleas for men who took photos at Pelosi's office on Jan. 6

Two Ohio men face up to six months in prison after pleading guilty on Friday to disorderly conduct during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, where one photographed the other in the offices of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Derek Jancart, 39, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, and fellow Ohioan Erik Rau, 28, are at least the 20th and 21st persons to plead guilty to criminal charges stemming from the Jan. 6 attack, when thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Celebrity chef Mario Batali agrees to $600,000 settlement over sexual harassment

Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his business partner have agreed to pay $600,000 to at least 20 former employees after an investigation found their Manhattan restaurants were rife with sexual harassment, the New York attorney general announced on Friday. The culture of unwanted groping, kissing, hugging, sexual advances and explicit comments at Babbo, Lupa and Del Posto broke New York human rights laws, Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

Austin, Texas, police vow timely release of sensitive body-cam videos

Police in Austin, Texas, on Friday said they would release video from officers' body cameras within 10 business days of incidents that led to serious injuries or deaths, down from 60 days under a policy in which delays were frequent. A Reuters article earlier this month detailed how, since Austin enacted a 60-day release policy last year, only a single body camera video has been released on time - in a non-fatal police shooting. Footage from three fatal police shootings was made public past the deadline. In at least 10 use-of-force incidents during Black Lives Matter protests last year, the department did not release any video.