US Domestic News Roundup: Brokering exit from Afghanistan, U.S. envoy Khalilzad became face of diplomatic debacle; Shooting leaves multiple people wounded in East St. Louis, Illinois and more

The companies are seeking an injunction that would prevent New York from enforcing the fee-cap ordinance adopted last month, as well as unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial. U.S. lawmakers seek $1 billion to fund FTC privacy probes U.S. House Democratic lawmakers on Thursday proposed awarding the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) $1 billion to set up a bureau dedicated to improving data security and privacy and fighting identity theft.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Brokering exit from Afghanistan, U.S. envoy Khalilzad became face of diplomatic debacle

In a luxury hotel along Doha's coastline last year, Zalmay Khalilzad smiled as he shook hands with the Taliban's co-founder Mullah Baradar in front of journalists and diplomats from around the world. "We have signed an agreement with the Taliban that achieves U.S. objectives," Khalilzad, the United States' special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, wrote on Twitter later that night.

Shooting leaves multiple people wounded in East St. Louis, Illinois

A shooting on Thursday in East St. Louis, Illinois, has left multiple people wounded, and authorities have mounted a manhunt for suspects who crashed a getaway car into a commuter train, according to the mayor and law enforcement cited by local media. No fatalities were reported, and few official details were immediately available to Reuters about the violence, which unfolded at about 4 p.m. local time.

Durst's lawyer portrays him as sick old man in his L.A. murder trial

Robert Durst's defense lawyers on Thursday portrayed the multimillionaire real estate heir as a sick old man who was badgered by prosecutors during his California murder trial, and referenced Durst's claim he is on the autism spectrum. The defense appealed directly to the jury in closing arguments at Los Angeles County Superior Court, aiming to reinforce the image of a frail, 78-year-old cancer survivor testifying from a wheelchair, not the more robust man he was in 2000 when his best friend Susan Berman was murdered.

U.S. congressional committee receives thousands of documents in Jan 6 probe

A congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol received thousands of documents before Thursday's deadline for U.S. companies and government agencies to submit them, a committee spokesperson said. The National Archives, which handles presidential records, has also begun a pre-release review of documents tied to former Republican President Donald Trump's White House that were part of the committee's document request.

Fox News, former anchor Henry must face ex-producer's sexual misconduct lawsuit

Fox News and former anchor Ed Henry must face a lawsuit accusing Henry of promising career advancement to coerce an employee into a sometimes violent sexual relationship including rape, and accusing the network of allowing a hostile work environment, a U.S. judge ruled on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams in Manhattan said that former associate producer Jennifer Eckhart could try to show Henry engaged in sex trafficking, and "victim shamed" her by posting what he claimed were nude photos of Eckhart in the court docket.

Exclusive: Wide-ranging SolarWinds probe sparks fear in Corporate America

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the SolarWinds Russian hacking operation has dozens of corporate executives fearful information unearthed in the expanding probe will expose them to liability, according to six people familiar with the inquiry. The SEC is asking companies to turn over records into "any other" data breach or ransomware attack dating back to October 2019 if they downloaded a bugged network-management software update from SolarWinds Corp, which delivers products used across corporate America, according to details of the letters shared with Reuters.

Pennsylvania Republicans start election review, Democrats call it a 'sham'

Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania kicked off an "election integrity" review with a public hearing on Thursday, joining partisan efforts in other battleground states to cast doubts on former President Donald Trump's November election loss. The hearing at the State Capitol in Harrisburg was the first step in what is expected to be an expansive review of the 2020 election, though the lawmaker leading it stressed the goal was to restore trust in voting and not to overturn past results.

Kobe Bryant designed and signed Hublot watch hits the auction block

A Hublot watch designed and signed by basketball great Kobe Bryant is hitting the auction block, along with a sneaker and digital art, a package the seller values at $10 million. The timepiece is a limited edition 18K rose gold King Power 'Black Mamba' Tourbillon that Bryant designed as the brand's ambassador in 2013, according to luxury asset advisory firm GDGC Enterprises LLC, which is hosting the sale.

Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub sue New York City over legislation on commission caps

Food-delivery companies DoorDash Inc, Grubhub Inc and Uber Eats have sued New York City over a legislation to license food-delivery apps and to permanently cap commissions they can charge restaurants. The three food-delivery companies filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York late on Thursday. The companies are seeking an injunction that would prevent New York from enforcing the fee-cap ordinance adopted last month, as well as unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

U.S. lawmakers seek $1 billion to fund FTC privacy probes

U.S. House Democratic lawmakers on Thursday proposed awarding the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) $1 billion to set up a bureau dedicated to improving data security and privacy and fighting identity theft. The proposal, which Democrats plan to include in a $3.5 trillion spending measure, would fund a new bureau over 10 years to address "unfair or deceptive acts or practices relating to privacy, data security, identity theft, data abuses, and related matters," according to a summary released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.