US Domestic News Roundup: Fire department ends search of collapsed Florida condo for remains; U.S. appeals court lifts CDC cruise ship restrictions in win for Florida and more

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.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Fire department ends search of collapsed Florida condo for remains

The Miami-Dade County fire and rescue department on Friday declared an end to its search for human remains in the rubble of a Florida condominium tower 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.

U.S. appeals court lifts CDC cruise ship restrictions in win for Florida

A federal appeals court late on Friday reversed course and let stand a lower court order prohibiting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from enforcing coronavirus-related cruise ship rules in Florida. The decision is a win for Florida that had filed a lawsuit arguing the CDC curbs made it tough for the cruise industry to recover from the pandemic.

Biden tests political muscle with campaign stop for Virginia governor candidate

President Joe Biden tested his political muscle in the state of Virginia on Friday in a campaign stop for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, who Biden said was running against an "acolyte" of former President Donald Trump. The off-year state race could be a sign of Democrats' strength or weakness ahead of the 2022 midterm congressional elections, as well as a test of the political strength of the president and his Republican predecessor.

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

Strike teams making headway against a huge wildfire in Oregon faced a resurgence of dry, windy weather on Friday while an outbreak of COVID-19 among firefighters posed a new complication in battling the three-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.

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.