Reuters US Domestic News Summary

At Wednesday's hearing, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo will consider whether to temporarily halt all sales of the drug, even in states where abortion remains legal, while their lawsuit proceeds. Top U.S. Republican McConnell to move to rehab after being released from hospital U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was released from a hospital and will continue receiving treatment at a rehabilitation facility, his office said on Monday after one of Washington's most powerful figures suffered a fall last week.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US VA to cover Eisai, Biogen Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi

Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc said on Monday that the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) will provide coverage of their Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi to veterans at an early stage of the memory-robbing disease. The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a document on its website shows that the agency added Leqembi to its list nonformulary drugs, making it available provided patients request it, receive prior approval, and meet strict inclusion criteria for the drug's use.

Soccer-Berhalter cleared by U.S. Soccer investigation, remains candidate for coaching job

An investigation into former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter's dispute with his wife outside a bar in 1992 concluded that U.S. Soccer was not in the wrong for hiring him as the national team coach, the federation said on Monday. The investigators' conclusions mean there is now no legal impediment to employing Berhalter, who remains a candidate for the coaching job which is now held by Anthony Hudson on an interim basis.

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen testifies before grand jury

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer, testified on Monday afternoon before a Manhattan grand jury investigating a hush money payment he has said he orchestrated to porn star Stormy Daniels on behalf of the former president. "This is all about accountability. He needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds," Cohen said of Trump outside a Manhattan courthouse on his way to the grand jury.

California court rules drivers can be contractors in win for Uber, Lyft- WSJ

A California court ruled on Monday that companies such as Uber and Lyft could keep their independent-contractor model for drivers in a boost for the ride-hailing services, the Wall Street Journal reported.

US bank collapse sparks fresh oversight fight in divided Congress

The weekend collapse of Silicon Valley Bank sparked a partisan battle in Washington on Monday, with Democrats arguing that a Trump-era change to bank oversight rules undermined the stability of regional banks, claims that Republicans rejected. Democratic President Joe Biden called on Congress and banking regulators to strengthen the rules for banks "to make it less likely this kind of bank failure will happen again," while officials said customers at SVB and New York-based Signature Bank, which also collapsed, would have access to all their deposits starting Monday, and announced a new facility to give banks access to emergency funds.

New York scraps planned $2 billion light-rail train to LaGuardia airport

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday the state will scrap a planned light-rail train to connect the city's LaGuardia Airport after a study found the costs of the proposed train had jumped and instead proposed upgrading bus service. Hochul put the AirTrain project on hold in late 2021 that her predecessor Andrew Cuomo had backed and estimated would cost $2.1 billion but is now forecast to cost at least $2.4 billion. She said she was grateful an expert panel provided "a clear, cost-effective path forward with an emissions-free transit solution."

Texas judge sets hearing in case seeking to ban abortion pill nationwide

A hearing in a lawsuit by anti-abortion groups seeking to ban the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide will take place on Wednesday, with media groups pressing the judge for greater transparency. At Wednesday's hearing, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo will consider whether to temporarily halt all sales of the drug, even in states where abortion remains legal, while their lawsuit proceeds.

Top U.S. Republican McConnell to move to rehab after being released from hospital

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was released from a hospital and will continue receiving treatment at a rehabilitation facility, his office said on Monday after one of Washington's most powerful figures suffered a fall last week. McConnell's recovery from a concussion is proceeding well, his office said in a statement, adding that he also suffered a minor rib fracture in the fall. His continued treatment means McConnell will not be present when the Senate returns to Washington on Tuesday.

Analysis-Legal challenges could delay Alaska's Willow oil project

The oil industry on Monday cheered the U.S. government's greenlighting of ConocoPhillips' multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska's Arctic, but court challenges could mire the plans in further delays. President Joe Biden's administration approved a trimmed-down version of the $7 billion Willow project on federal lands in a pristine area on Alaska's north coast. Biden has been trying to balance his goal of decarbonizing the U.S. economy by 2050 as Russia's war in Ukraine raises worries about global energy security.

New York bike path attacker spared death penalty after jury deadlocks

Sayfullo Saipov, the man convicted of killing eight people in an attack on a Manhattan bike path in 2017, was spared the death penalty on Monday after a federal jury deadlocked on whether he should be executed. As a result, Saipov will be sentenced to life in prison without parole. A unanimous decision had been required under federal law for a death sentence, which prosecutors had sought.