Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Biden's latest slate of nine new judicial nominees included Julie Rikelman, an abortion rights lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights whom the president picked to serve on the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. U.S. watchdog finds 'weaknesses' in FAA oversight of Boeing airplane flight manuals A government watchdog said Friday it found "weaknesses" in the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing airplane flight manuals.


Reuters | Updated: 30-07-2022 05:25 IST | Created: 30-07-2022 05:25 IST
Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Senate bill could be death blow for Biden anti-drilling pledge

U.S. President Joe Biden vowed during his 2020 election campaign to end federal oil and gas drilling as a major step in his strategy to fight climate change. The U.S. Senate Democrats' $430 billion spending bill agreed this week could kill that pledge. If it passes, it would effectively guarantee continued drilling rights auctions on federal lands and waters for at least another decade.

Biden nominates abortion rights lawyer in U.S. Supreme Court case to federal judgeship

President Joe Biden on Friday nominated a lawyer who represented the Mississippi clinic at the heart of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision to become a federal appeals court judge. Biden's latest slate of nine new judicial nominees included Julie Rikelman, an abortion rights lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights whom the president picked to serve on the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

U.S. watchdog finds 'weaknesses' in FAA oversight of Boeing airplane flight manuals

A government watchdog said Friday it found "weaknesses" in the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing airplane flight manuals. In a report, the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General report said the FAA agreed with the report's recommendations and will begin assessing existing Boeing airplane flight manuals this year.

White House communications director Bedingfield will stay in post

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, who was slated to leave her position, has decided to stay on. The long time aide to President Joe Biden will take some time off in August and return in September, a White House official said.

California can't impose 'sprawling' enviro regulations on Tribes' casino plans

California cannot seek environmental concessions from five Native American Tribes during negotiations to renew their contracts to operate "Las Vegas style" casinos, a federal appeals court held. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday the state violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) by demanding nearly 30 pages' worth of "sprawling" environmental regulations, as well as tort and family-law changes with no direct relation to gaming activities.

U.S. judge in Russian arms dealer case backs Griner swap; ex-agent balks

The U.S. judge who in 2012 sentenced Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison has voiced support for a deal proposed by the United States to Russia to swap him for basketball star Brittney Griner, though a federal agent involved in the case said such a trade would "belittle the rule of law." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday he spoke by telephone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and pressed the Kremlin to accept Washington's proposal to secure the release of Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.

Nikola seeks to quash subpoena from founder Milton for his criminal case

Nikola Corp, the electric- and hydrogen-powered truck maker, on Friday asked a U.S. judge to quash a subpoena from founder and former Chief Executive Trevor Milton as he defends against criminal fraud charges, calling it an overbroad "fishing expedition." In a filing in Manhattan federal court, Nikola said it has already produced millions of pages to Milton, including materials collected in related probe by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Top House Republican McCarthy doesn't recall Jan. 6 talk with Hutchinson

U.S. House of Representatives Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said on Friday he does not remember urging then-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson to prevent Donald Trump from coming to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, despite her sworn testimony to the contrary. Hutchinson - the star witness in a televised hearing before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on Congress by Trump supporters - testified under oath that a "frustrated and angry" McCarthy called her that day after President Trump announced at a nearby rally that he would join in a march to the Capitol.

Death toll climbs to 16 in Kentucky floods, triggered by epic rainfall

The death toll in eastern Kentucky rose to 16 on Friday as flooding unleashed by "epic" torrential rainfall swept through homes, washed out roads and pushed rivers and streams over their banks, state authorities said, warning that more fatalities were expected. The National Guard and the State Police used helicopters and boats to rescue dozens of people from homes and vehicles in Kentucky's Appalachian coal-mining region. Video footage from local media showed floodwaters reaching the roofs of houses and turning roads into rivers.

U.S. Air Force pauses some operations over pilot ejection seat concerns

Concerns over defects in the explosive cartridges in pilot ejection systems aboard three U.S. military aircraft, including the F-35, forced a temporary halt to some U.S. operations in order to perform checks, the Air Force said on Friday. "Our primary concern is the safety of our Airmen and it is imperative that they have confidence in our equipment," Major General Craig Wills, 19th Air Force Commander, said in a statement.

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

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