US Domestic News Roundup: U.S Mega Millions jackpot, elections, climate change case

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday for a second time asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put the brakes on a lawsuit filed by young activists who have accused the U.S. government of ignoring the perils of climate change.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Justice Department probes Catholic Church sex abuse in Pennsylvania

The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into child sex abuse by priests in Pennsylvania, six Roman Catholic Church dioceses said on Thursday. The investigation is the first statewide probe by federal authorities of allegations of sex abuse and cover-up by the Catholic Church in the United States, according to groups representing abuse victims.

Judge orders the U.S. to review asylum for separated migrant families

A federal judge ordered the U.S. government on Thursday to begin processing asylum claims for dozens of migrant parents and children that had been separated at the southern border under the Trump Administration's zero-tolerance immigration policy. The order directs the government to begin the process of reviewing asylum claims for about 60 detained parents and children, even if their claims had previously been denied.

Florida's Republicans feel brunt of hurricane in upcoming election

Two days after Katherine Shimonis returned to her home in the Florida Panhandle to find it destroyed by Hurricane Michael, she went to her local post office, which was empty and without power, and shouldered her way through the front door. To her shock, the 69-year-old retired teacher found her mail-in absentee ballot sitting in her post office box in the town of Port St. Joe.

Utah man indicted over ricin mail threat to Trump, others

A grand jury returned a seven-count indictment on Thursday against a 39-year-old Navy veteran on charges of mailing letters to President Donald Trump and other officials that contained castor beans, from which the deadly poison ricin is derived. William Clyde Allen III, of Logan, Utah, was arrested earlier this month and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Thousands in U.S. South may not be able to cast ballots in early voting

Thousands of voters in Tennessee were at risk of being blocked from casting regular ballots when early voting opened this week, as officials struggled to process a surge of new registrations ahead of Nov. 6 elections to determine control of the U.S. Congress. The delay disproportionately affected the area around Memphis, a majority African-American city, leading activists to charge the Republican-controlled state government has not done enough to protect the rights of young and minority voters.

Trump administration asks high court to halt climate change case

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday for a second time asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put the brakes on a lawsuit filed by young activists who have accused the U.S. government of ignoring the perils of climate change. In the lawsuit, 21 activists, ages 11 to 22, said federal officials violated their rights to due process under the U.S. Constitution by failing to adequately address carbon pollution such as emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

Former USA Gymnastics boss arrested for Nassar evidence-tampering

Steve Penny, the former USA Gymnastics president, was arrested on Wednesday night in Tennessee on charges he tampered with evidence in the case of Larry Nassar, the disgraced team doctor convicted of sexually assaulting athletes, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Penny is due to be extradited to Walker County in Texas to face allegations he removed documents from the USA Gymnastics national team training centre there, the U.S. Marshals Service's statement said.

U.S. courts abruptly tossed 9,000 deportation cases. Here's why

Liliana Barrios was working in a California bakery in July and facing possible deportation when she got a call from her immigration attorney with some good news. The notice to appear in court that Barrios had received in her deportation case hadn't specified a time or date for her first hearing, noting that they would be determined later. Her lawyer was calling to say that the U.S. Supreme Court had just issued a ruling that might open the door for her case, along with thousands of others, to be dismissed.

U.S. Mega Millions jackpot nears $1 billion, second largest on record

The U.S. Mega Millions jackpot climbed to nearly $1 billion for Friday's drawing, the largest ever for the contest, and the second biggest U.S. lottery on record, trailing a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot paid out in 2016. The drawing, which rose from $667 million on Tuesday when no one had the lucky six numbers, will take place on Friday at 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT Saturday). Powerball will hold a separate drawing on Saturday for an estimated $430 million jackpot.

Ex-FBI agent charged with leaking sentenced to 48 months

A federal judge in Minnesota sentenced former FBI agent Terry Albury to 48 months in prison on Thursday for leaking classified information to a journalist, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Albury's sentence is much harsher than his defence lawyers had hoped but slightly less severe than the 52-month prison term that federal prosecutors were seeking.

(With inputs from Reuters)