US Domestic News Roundup: Baltimore can use grant to boost cargo shipments, US transport department says; Baltimore can use grant to boost cargo shipments, US transport department says and more

Separately, one of the Republican presidential candidate's allies, former Justice Department official attorney Jeffrey Clark, faced the risk of disbarment after a Washington panel found he violated some attorney ethics rules in his attempts to enlist the agency to help overturn Trump's loss. US FDA issues warning letters to retailers against underage sale of ZYN nicotine pouches The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it had issued warning letters and filed civil money penalty complaints against retailers engaged in underage sale of various flavors of ZYN nicotine pouches.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Baltimore can use grant to boost cargo shipments, US transport department says

The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday said it reached an agreement with Baltimore County to revise an $8.26 million grant agreement to enable Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA) to accommodate more cargo. Repurposing the funds will allow a boost in cargo to Sparrows Point at the Port of Baltimore, which is outside the area affected by last week’s collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and continues to move cargo.

Trump suffers twin setbacks as judges reject calls to dismiss charges

Donald Trump suffered a pair of legal setbacks on Thursday as judges spurned his calls to dismiss criminal charges over the former U.S. president's efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia and his keeping classified records after leaving office. Separately, one of the Republican presidential candidate's allies, former Justice Department official attorney Jeffrey Clark, faced the risk of disbarment after a Washington panel found he violated some attorney ethics rules in his attempts to enlist the agency to help overturn Trump's loss.

US FDA issues warning letters to retailers against underage sale of ZYN nicotine pouches

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it had issued warning letters and filed civil money penalty complaints against retailers engaged in underage sale of various flavors of ZYN nicotine pouches. The FDA said it had issued 119 warning letters to brick-and-mortar retailers and had filed 41 civil money penalty complaints seeking more than $55,000 in total for underage sales of flavored ZYN nicotine pouches, including espressino, black cherry, lemon spritz, and cucumber lime.

New York City defends AI chatbot that advised entrepreneurs to break laws

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is defending the city's new artificial intelligence chatbot that has been caught in recent days giving business owners wrong answers or advice that, if followed, would entail breaking the law. When launched as a pilot in October, the MyCity chatbot was touted as the first city-wide use of such AI technology, something that would give business owners "actionable and trusted information" in response to queries typed into an online portal.

US job growth beats expectations in March; wages increase steadily

U.S. employers hired far more workers than expected March while raising wages, suggesting the economy ended the first quarter on solid ground and potentially delaying anticipated interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 303,000 jobs last month, the

Section of crane falls on to bridge in Florida, killing one worker

Part of a steel crane plunged from a high-rise building under construction on to a road bridge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday, killing one worker who fell with the equipment and injuring three people on the ground, authorities said. A construction crew was in the process of "stepping" the crane, or adding a section to raise its height, when an elevated equipment platform gave way, sending its load onto bridge traffic below, the city's Fire and Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan said.

US House Republican infighting threatens to further delay Ukraine aid package

Infighting among Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives, and a threat to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership role, have put him under pressure to further delay action on a long-sought aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and other key allies. With Kyiv running short of munitions as it fights off a Russian invasion, its Republican allies in Washington hope to see Johnson unveil an aid package that can move swiftly through the House and the Democratic-led Senate, and onto Democratic President Joe Biden's desk soon after lawmakers reconvene on Tuesday following a two-week break.

US wants airlines to boost travel benefits for military personnel

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday urged the nation's largest passenger airlines to improve travel benefits for active-duty military personnel and their families. The department in May plans to begin posting comparative information on travel benefits that airlines guarantee for service members and their families on a customer service dashboard.

Biden to survey collapsed Baltimore bridge, meet families of workers who died

President Joe Biden will visit Baltimore on Friday to survey the site of a collapsed bridge and meet families of the six construction workers who died, amid growing tensions in the U.S. Congress over using federal dollars to rebuild the bridge. A cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it collapsing into the harbor. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the shipping channel is ongoing.

Biden moves to protect civil service as Trump plans to install loyalists

The Biden administration on Thursday issued final rules meant to protect the jobs of the government's 2.2 million civil servants, as Republican challenger Donald Trump plans to replace thousands with hardline loyalists if he returns to the White House. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said the rule is meant to clarify longstanding protections for career civil service employees, after former President Trump in his final months in office sought to impose rule changes that would have made it easier for him to fire them.

(With inputs from agencies.)