Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Walgreens announced on Thursday it would not dispense abortion pills in the 20 states where attorneys general have told the pharmacy chain it risked breaking the law should it provide them through the mail. American Airlines, flight attendants union seek mediation in contract negotiations American Airlines and its flight attendants union on Friday jointly applied for federal mediation in contract negotiations.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Storms bolster California snowpack, ease drought

Record rain and snowfall in recent weeks has eased half of California out of a persistent drought and bolstered the store of mountain snow that the state relies on to provide water during the warm, dry spring and summer. Statewide on Friday there was nearly twice as much snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as is typical for March 3, the California Department of Water Resources said. The snow also was dense and wet, meaning that it held nearly 170% of the typical amount of water for this time of year, the agency said.

South Carolina attorney Murdaugh sentenced to life for murdering wife and son

Richard "Alex" Murdaugh, the disgraced lawyer and member of a powerful South Carolina family, was sentenced to life on Friday for killing his wife and son in what prosecutors said was an attempt to hide his drug addiction and theft of millions of dollars. Murdaugh, 54, was found guilty on Thursday on two counts of gunning down his wife Maggie, 52, and youngest son, Paul, 22, on their family estate on June 7, 2021. The jury took only three hours to reach their decision after a five-week trial.

US Republicans aim to stymie gun sale codes at state level

Legislation being pursued by Republicans in several U.S. states aims to limit use of a planned merchant code for credit card transactions at gun retailers meant to detect suspicious firearms and ammunition sales, undermining a tool welcomed by gun control advocates. The bills were introduced in states including Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wyoming.

U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules

Airline passengers who have long felt squished in cramped seats suffered a setback on Friday as a U.S. appeals court refused to order the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adopt minimum requirements for seat size and spacing. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said an advocacy group, FlyersRights.org, had no right to force the FAA to adopt seating rules because it was not "clear and indisputable" that tight seating, while uncomfortable, was also dangerous.

Trump’s legacy: Republicans torn by infighting, revolts as 2024 looms

In Las Vegas, Nevada, Republican activists want to recapture the party from a local leader who backs former President Donald Trump’s false election fraud claims. In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a battle for control of the local Republican party’s assets has wound up in court. In North Carolina, party activists are seeking to punish Republican Senator Thom Tillis for his support for same-sex marriage rights. As the 2024 presidential race kicks into gear, local Republican party organizations in many parts of the United States are consumed by rebellions, infighting and court battles that some officials and strategists said could damage the party’s chances of winning back the White House.

White House: Unacceptable for states to target access to federally approved abortion pills

The White House said on Friday that it was "dangerous and unacceptable" for elected officials to target women's access to federally approved medication abortion pills. Walgreens announced on Thursday it would not dispense abortion pills in the 20 states where attorneys general have told the pharmacy chain it risked breaking the law should it provide them through the mail.

American Airlines, flight attendants union seek mediation in contract negotiations

American Airlines and its flight attendants union on Friday jointly applied for federal mediation in contract negotiations. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents over 23,000 American flight attendants, said the decision to seek mediation is intended to move contract negotiations forward.

Biden administration announces plan to stop water plant hacks

The Biden administration announced on Friday a new plan to improve the digital defenses of public water systems. The move comes one day after the announcement of a national cybersecurity strategy by the White House, which seeks to broadly improve industry accountability over the cybersecurity of American critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and dams.

Amazon delays construction of second phase of Virginia headquarters

Amazon.com Inc said on Friday it would push back the start of construction for the next phase of its Virginia headquarters, months after the e-commerce giant announced job cuts spanning more than 18,000 roles amid a sobering economic outlook. A spokesperson for the company, responding to media reports on the construction delay, did not give details on when it would resume but added the first phase - Metropolitan Park or Met Park - is due to be completed in June and will have a capacity of 14,000 employees.

FDA says no indication contaminated cough syrups have entered U.S. supply chain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday there was no indication that contaminated cough and paracetamol syrups that caused deaths of children in Gambia last year have entered the U.S. drug supply chain. This comes after an investigation led by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Gambian scientists reported on Thursday that these medicines contaminated with toxic levels of diethylene and ethylene glycol led to acute kidney injury among 78 children in Gambia.