Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Both were confirmed by voice vote, as was Cindy Hensley McCain, an Arizona businesswoman and widow of the late Republican Senator John McCain, who will have the rank of ambassador as U.S. Representative to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture. Influential U.S. comedian Mort Sahl dies at age 94 Mort Sahl, who strolled onstage with a newspaper and shook up the comedy world in the 1950s and '60s with a groundbreaking critical look at American life and politics, died on Tuesday at the age of 94, the New York Times and Washington Post reported.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden picks broadband-for-all advocate Rosenworcel to lead FCC

Jessica Rosenworcel, a champion of broadband access for low-income American households, is President Joe Biden's choice for permanent chair of the Federal Communications Commission, the White House confirmed on Tuesday. A Democrat who already serves as acting FCC chairwoman under Biden, she is expected to win U.S. Senate approval for a new term on the five-member telecoms regulator. Biden announced he intends to nominate her for a new term and a White House official said Biden will tap her to become the first woman to serve as permanent FCC chief.

Criminal charges not ruled out in shooting on Alec Baldwin film - report

Criminal charges have not been ruled out in a fatal accidental shooting by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of a western film, the local district attorney said on Tuesday. Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, in an interview with the New York Times also said it was incorrect to refer to the firearm used in the incident as a "prop gun," as has been done in media reports.

U.S. FDA advisers back Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children

An expert panel on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, saying the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks. An authorization for that age group would be would be an important regulatory step toward reaching about 28 million children for inoculation, most of them back in school for in-person learning.

Iraq war veteran pleads guilty to attacking U.S. Capitol policeman on Jan. 6

A former National Guard member who served in Iraq pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a felony charge of assaulting a U.S. Capitol police officer during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Mark Leffingwell, 52, of Seattle, was arrested on federal riot-related charges shortly after Jan. 6, but was released on bail after a brief period in detention.

Major issues unresolved as Democrats in U.S. Congress seek deal on spending bill

U.S. congressional Democrats struggled on Tuesday to reach agreement on a massive bill to expand social programs and tackle climate change, with disagreement on multiple major issues reducing the odds of a quick vote. President Joe Biden's party has spent months fighting over what to include in legislation https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-democrats-2-trillion-spending-plan-what-is-what-is-cut-2021-10-20 forecast to spend at least $1.5 trillion over 10 years - less than half the initial $3.5 trillion target - with moderates and progressives divided over issues including taxes, prescription drug pricing, family leave, climate change and immigration.

Airlines brace for early 'long lines' when U.S. lifts travel restrictions

Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian said on Tuesday that travelers should be prepared for initial long lines when the United States lifts international travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers on Nov. 8. "It's going to be a bit sloppy at first. I can assure you, there will be lines unfortunately ... but we'll get it sorted out," Bastian said at a U.S. travel event.

U.S. considering adding Israel, Romania, Bulgaria to visa waiver program

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the United States is considering adding four countries to its visa waiver program that allows citizens to come to America without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. "We have four candidates in the pipeline: Israel, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania," Mayorkas said on Tuesday at a travel industry event. "We're very very focused on the program," he added saying the program provides significant economic and security benefits.

U.S. Senate confirms Flake, McCain, Kennedy, Udall as ambassadors

The U.S. Senate confirmed two former senators and the widows of two senators to high-level diplomatic posts on Tuesday, including former Republican Senator Jeff Flake as ambassador to Turkey and former Democratic Senator Tom Udall as ambassador to New Zealand. Both were confirmed by voice vote, as was Cindy Hensley McCain, an Arizona businesswoman and widow of the late Republican Senator John McCain, who will have the rank of ambassador as U.S. Representative to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture.

Influential U.S. comedian Mort Sahl dies at age 94

Mort Sahl, who strolled onstage with a newspaper and shook up the comedy world in the 1950s and '60s with a groundbreaking critical look at American life and politics, died on Tuesday at the age of 94, the New York Times and Washington Post reported. Sahl, who was widely considered the father of modern political satire, died at his home near San Francisco, the newspapers cited a friend as saying. She did not give a cause of death. Reuters could not immediately independently confirm the death.

TikTok tells U.S. lawmakers it does not give information to China's government

An executive at TikTok faced tough questions on Tuesday during the video-sharing app's first appearance at a U.S. congressional hearing, saying it does not give information to the Chinese government and has sought to safeguard U.S. data. Senators at the hearing also voiced concerns that TikTok, owned by Beijing-based internet technology company ByteDance, and rivals YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc , and Snapchat have algorithms that can be harmful to young people.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)