Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Judy Huth, who filed her lawsuit in 2014, testified that the comedian forced her to perform a sex act at the famous residence in Los Angeles when she was 16 years old and Cosby was 37. U.S. Senate gun bill talks hit snag over mental illness, abuse provisions U.S. Senate negotiators, racing to settle details of bipartisan gun legislation, on Wednesday struggled to resolve serious disagreements over federal funding of state "red flag" programs and the breadth of a plan for keeping guns out of the hands of those prone to domestic violence.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Stifling heatwave grips central United States

Another sweltering hot day loomed on Wednesday for the middle third of the United States, where dangerously high temperatures were stuck well above normal while officials warned people to stay indoors and hydrated. Millions of Americans who live in major cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta were under heat advisories as the heat index, a measure of what the temperature feels like to the human body, was to climb past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C), the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

U.S. Senate votes to advance burn pits victims' bill in move toward final vote

Legislation to improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic military burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan advanced with bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, clearing the way for a final vote. The legislation, which would cost $180 billion over four years, would cover injuries suffered by service members exposed to toxic smoke from the burn pits, which has been linked to respiratory illnesses and rare cancers.

New York subway shooting suspect pleads not guilty to murder, weapon charges

The man suspected in the fatal shooting of a subway rider in New York City last month has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to a court clerk. Andrew Abdullah, 25, accused in the May 22 slaying of Brooklyn resident Daniel Enriquez, is scheduled to make his next appearance before New York State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro in Manhattan on July 13, the court said.

Two U.S. citizens missing, feared captured, in eastern Ukraine -families

Two U.S. citizens who traveled to Ukraine as volunteer fighters against Russian forces have been missing for a week and are feared captured, family members said on Wednesday. Alexander Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Huynh, 27, of Hartselle, Alabama, were last in contact with their families on June 8 and did not return from a mission around the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine.

Confederate flag-waving man found guilty in Capitol riot case

A Delaware man who flew the Confederate flag inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was found guilty along with his son of the felony charge of obstruction during the storming of the building, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden also found the father, Kevin Seefried, and son Hunter Seefried guilty of four misdemeanor offenses including entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.

Fauci, face of U.S. battle against COVID-19, tests positive

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a public health official who became the face of U.S. government efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in a statement. Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, was experiencing mild symptoms, the NIH said in a statement. He has not recently been in close contact with Biden, it said.

California district curbs water supply to over-users in drought

As a historic drought grips southern California, one district is getting tough on water usage violators by reducing their supply directly from the source so that sprinklers and outdoor hoses no longer work. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District in Calabasas, north of Los Angeles, places metal disks with a small hole into the main water supply lines to offending homes. Flow per minute drops from around 30 gallons to just one gallon - enough for cooking, washing dishes and showers, but not gardening.

Bill Cosby accuser's lawyer asks jury to 'hold him accountable'

Closing arguments began on Wednesday in a civil trial against Bill Cosby, with his accuser's attorney arguing she had provided sufficient evidence of a sexual assault at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 and should receive damages for emotional distress. Judy Huth, who filed her lawsuit in 2014, testified that the comedian forced her to perform a sex act at the famous residence in Los Angeles when she was 16 years old and Cosby was 37.

U.S. Senate gun bill talks hit snag over mental illness, abuse provisions

U.S. Senate negotiators, racing to settle details of bipartisan gun legislation, on Wednesday struggled to resolve serious disagreements over federal funding of state "red flag" programs and the breadth of a plan for keeping guns out of the hands of those prone to domestic violence. A string of mass shootings has prompted Democratic and Republican lawmakers to line up behind gun-violence legislation that would overcome decades of inaction.

Tanker owner owes $44.6 million over 2017 fatal crash with U.S. Navy destroyer--judge

A U.S. judge on Wednesday said the owner of an oil tanker must pay the United States $44.6 million over its role in a 2017 collision between the tanker with a U.S. Navy destroyer in southeast Asia that killed 10 sailors and injured dozens more. U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty in Manhattan found Energetic Tank Inc 20% responsible and the United States 80% responsible for the Aug. 21, 2017, collision between the 39,000 metric ton Alnic tanker and the U.S.S. John S. McCain.