US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. forest firefighting icon Smokey Bear turns 75; Jeffrey Epstein accuser links powerful men to financier

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Accused neo-Nazi charged in Las Vegas with possessing bomb-making material

An accused neo-Nazi sympathizer employed as a Las Vegas security guard was charged on Friday with possession of unregistered bomb-making materials that he clandestinely discussed using to attack a synagogue, federal prosecutors said. The suspect, Conor Climo, 23, was arrested on Thursday after FBI agents searching his Las Vegas home seized fireworks, fuses, wiring and other components for constructing timed explosive devices, according to court documents filed in the case.

Trump thumbs-up photo with orphaned baby in El Paso sparks controversy

A photo of U.S. President Donald Trump smiling broadly and giving a thumbs-up as his wife, Melania, cradles a baby orphaned in the El Paso, Texas mass shooting has become a social media talking point days after the first lady posted it on Twitter. The image was taken on Wednesday at the University Medical Center of El Paso during Trump's visit to the West Texas border city to meet with first responders, medical personnel and surviving victims from Saturday's gun violence at a Walmart store.

U.S. forest firefighting icon Smokey Bear turns 75

Smokey Bear, the cartoon mascot for one of the longest-running public service advertising campaigns in America, warning of wildfire dangers, turned 75 on Friday. Smokey, known for the motto "Only you can prevent forest fires," was launched as the official fire-prevention poster creature for the U.S. Forest Service on Aug. 9, 1944, replacing the cartoon deer Bambi, from Walt Disney's animated film of the same name.

Parade of Democratic 2020 hopefuls push for momentum in Iowa

A cavalcade of Democratic presidential hopefuls on Friday tried to turn a few precious minutes before Iowa voters into the momentum needed to catapult their campaigns in the pivotal state. A rite of passage for Democratic presidential candidates, the annual "Wing Ding Dinner" featured five-minute speeches from almost two dozen contenders seeking the party's nomination to take on Republican President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.

Exclusive: Robert Durst's attorneys take aim at filmmakers behind 'The Jinx' in murder case

Attorneys for real estate scion Robert Durst, charged in Los Angeles with murdering his confidante Susan Berman in 2000, have asked a judge to declare that prosecutors had a very close working relationship with filmmakers behind an HBO documentary series who uncovered key evidence in the case. Durst's attorneys on July 31 filed legal papers, which have not been publicly disclosed but were seen by Reuters, asking a judge to rule that the filmmakers are not entitled to legal rights that shield journalists from having to reveal their sources and information.

White House summons tech, social media firms after shootings

White House officials and big social media companies met on Friday to talk about how to curb extremism online after two mass shootings last weekend that killed 31 people in Texas and Ohio. After the shootings, U.S. President Donald Trump laid blame on the internet and social media for providing places "to radicalize disturbed minds" and called on the Justice Department to work with companies "to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike."

Jeffrey Epstein accuser links powerful men to financier: civil court filing

A woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein of keeping her as a sex slave said one of the financier's associates had instructed her to have sex with at least a half-dozen prominent men, according to a court filing unsealed on Friday in a civil lawsuit. The claim by Virginia Giuffre came in a deposition that was included among roughly 2,000 pages of documents related to her defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, the associate whom Giuffre has said helped Epstein procure girls for sex.

Allegations of labor abuses dogged Mississippi plant years before immigration raids

Long before U.S. immigration authorities arrested 680 people at agricultural processing facilities in Mississippi this week, one of the five targeted companies faced allegations of serious labor violations including intimidation, harassment, and exploitation of its largely immigrant workforce, according to a federal lawsuit. Last August, Illinois-based poultry supplier Koch Foods settled a multi-year lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of more than 100 workers at the Morton, Mississippi, plant over claims the company knew - or should have known - of sexual and physical assaults against its Hispanic workers.

Trump says speaking to NRA over background checks on gun sales

President Donald Trump on Friday said he has been speaking with the National Rifle Association to ensure that the gun lobby's "very strong views" are considered as congressional leaders weigh possible gun legislation after two-weekend mass shootings. Trump also said serious discussions between the leadership of the House of Representatives and Senate were taking place over expanding background checks for guns sales after the shootings left 31 people dead.

Texas shooting suspect told police he targeted 'Mexicans'

The suspected gunman accused of killing 22 people in a shooting rampage at Walmart in El Paso, Texas last weekend confessed while surrendering and told police he was targeting "Mexicans," according to an El Paso police affidavit released on Friday. The suspect, Patrick Crusius, 21, came out of his vehicle, stopped at an intersection, "and stated out loud 'I'm the shooter'", Detective Adrian Garcia said in the affidavit on Sunday, a day after the shooting.

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