US News Roundup: U.S. public health officials report rise in respiratory illness; Hurricane Dorian gains strength as Florida braces for direct hit

U.S. public health officials report rise in respiratory illness

U.S. public health officials on Friday reported a rise in the number of cases of respiratory illness possibly related to the use of e-cigarettes from across 25 states. The number of cases rose to 215 as of Aug. 27, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) last update of 193 cases last week.

Hurricane Dorian gains strength as Florida braces for direct hit

Hurricane Dorian is expected to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm on Friday with winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h) as it heads towards Florida's Atlantic coast. Dorian is forecast to swell later into a powerful Category 4 storm with violent winds topping 130 mph (210 km/h) before it makes landfall on Labor Day.

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles' brother arrested as accused shooter in triple murder

The brother of U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles has been arrested and charged with murder, accused of shooting and killing three people at a New Year's Eve party in Cleveland, law enforcement agencies said on Friday. Tevin Biles-Thomas, 24, of Cleveland, was being held at the Liberty County Jail in Hinesville, Georgia on six counts of murder, three of voluntary manslaughter, five of felonious assault and a single count of perjury, according to a joint statement from the Cleveland Division of Police and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

As Dorian nears, Florida nursing homes face heat for lacking generators

One in five Florida nursing homes on Friday were counting on temporary generators to be delivered before Hurricane Dorian hits, according to the state agency charged with ensuring their residents will have air conditioning if power is knocked out. The state legislature passed the law requiring generators after a dozen people died in a sweltering nursing home after 2017's Hurricane Irma. State officials are also racing to check some 120 nursing homes and assisted living facilities where they are unsure if generators or contingency plans are in place, Governor Ron DeSantis told a news conference.

Fliers can sue over airport screener abuses: U.S. appeals court

A federal appeals court on Friday handed a victory to travelers who object to invasive screenings at U.S. airport security checkpoints, saying screeners are not absolutely immune from lawsuits accusing them of abusive conduct. In a 9-4 decision, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said Transportation Security Administration screeners were "investigative or law enforcement officers" for purposes of searching passengers, waiving the government's usual immunity from lawsuits.

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