US Domestic News Roundup: Search called off for survivors of Florida condo tower collapse; Spurning liberals, Adams wins NYC's Democratic mayoral race with 'blue-collar' appeal and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Search called off for survivors of Florida condo tower collapse

South Florida officials on Wednesday called off the search for survivors of a June condominium tower collapse, saying there was no longer any hope of pulling someone alive from the ruins of the flattened building. Crews who have extracted the remains of 54 people from the mostly concrete and steel rubble of the Champlain Towers South during round-the-clock searches will transition to a recovery operation as of midnight eastern daylight time.

Spurning liberals, Adams wins NYC's Democratic mayoral race with 'blue-collar' appeal

Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president and a former police captain, won the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor as a moderate who vowed to improve public safety and give voice to working-class residents. The message resonated in the pandemic-weary city, where media reports of a spike in shootings drove crime to the top of voters' concerns even as New York confronts deep-seated issues including wealth inequality, a lack of affordable housing and struggling public schools.

Trump sues Facebook, Twitter and Google, claiming censorship

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday filed lawsuits against Twitter Inc, Facebook Inc, and Alphabet Inc's Google, as well as their chief executives, alleging they unlawfully silence conservative viewpoints. The lawsuits, filed in U.S. District Court in Miami, allege the California-based social media platforms violated the right to freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Giuliani's law license in Washington suspended -court document

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday suspended Rudy Giuliani, a former attorney for ex-President Donald Trump, from practicing law in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued the order citing the suspension of Giuliani's New York law license two weeks ago after a court found he had lied in arguing that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.

U.S. considers visas for vulnerable Afghan women after military exit

The Biden administration is considering offering an expedited visa path for vulnerable Afghans including women politicians, journalists, and activists who may become targets of the Taliban, U.S. officials say. Rights groups have been asking the State Department and White House to add up to 2,000 visas specifically for vulnerable women and women's advocates to a developing policy plan to evacuate thousands Afghans after the U.S. military pullout this month. The current plan https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-visas-idAFKCN2DR2KG includes translators who worked with foreign forces.

U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly rise

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly last week, an indication that the labor market recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be choppy. Businesses have reopened at a rapid clip, boosted by a rollback in restrictions now that more than 155 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Still, the job market rebound has been anything but steady despite recent employment gains.

Texas legislature to take up voting limits, other measures in special session

Texas lawmakers will kick off a special session on Thursday to consider a range of Republican-backed measures, including voting restrictions that Democratic lawmakers previously blocked. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has also instructed state lawmakers to consider bills that would block transgender students from competing in athletics that correspond with their gender identity, fund arrests of immigrants living in the country illegally, restrict abortion access and limit teaching about the role of racism in the United States.

No hope: Families confront fate of Florida collapse victims

It was the dreaded end that all had feared. Fourteen days after a seaside condominium tower collapsed just north of Miami, rescuers said their mission was no longer one of rescue, but had shifted to recovery. There were no survivors.

U.S. will not immediately lift travel restrictions - White House official

The Biden administration will not immediately lift any international travel restrictions, even as it faces growing pressure from U.S. business groups and lawmakers, a White House official told Reuters on Wednesday. In June, the administration launched interagency working groups with the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico to look at how to lift restrictions and eventually resume travel.

Tropical Storm Elsa weakens as it passes over northern Florida

Tropical Storm Elsa was weakening as it passed over northern Florida on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, apparently sparing the state from some of the serious harm authorities had braced for. It had strengthened to a hurricane, the first of the season, on Tuesday night before weakening again as it moved north parallel to Florida's west coast.