Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The network ended January with a 19-year streak as the top U.S. cable news network. New York, drug distributors reach $1.18 billion opioid settlement as national deal looms The three largest U.S. drug distributors agreed mid-trial to pay up to $1.18 billion to settle claims by New York state and two of its biggest counties over their role in the nationwide opioid epidemic, the state's attorney general said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Harvey Weinstein extradited to Los Angeles to face second rape trial

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was extradited from New York to Los Angeles on Tuesday to face trial on rape and sexual assault charges. Weinstein was convicted in New York in February 2020 for sexual assault and rape and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

New York artists turn plywood from Black Lives Matter protests into sculptures

For New York artist Tanda Francis, the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 were an historic event. To honor those who participated and create a permanent tribute to the racial justice movement, Francis took plywood used to board up storefronts across the city last year and turned it into a sculpture called "RockIt Black."

'We lost': Some U.S. veterans say blood spilled in Afghanistan was wasted

Jason Lilley was a special operations forces Marine Raider who fought in multiple battles in Iraq and Afghanistan during America's longest war. As Lilley, 41, reflects on President Joe Biden's decision to end America's military mission in Afghanistan on Aug. 31, he expresses love for his country, but disgust at its politicians and dismay at the blood and money squandered. Comrades were killed and maimed in wars he says were unwinnable, making him rethink his country and his life.

Man linked to Oath Keepers admits joining U.S. Capitol attack

A fourth person linked to the Oath Keepers militia group pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two criminal charges related to his participation in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters. Caleb Berry, 20, who prosecutors said was in communication with a Florida-based Oath Keepers group, is the fourth person affiliated with the militia to plead guilty to riot charges and the 19th to plead guilty to federal riot-related charges.

How safe is the U.S. president's 'nuclear football'? Pentagon watchdog to find out

The Pentagon's watchdog said on Tuesday it would evaluate the safety protocols surrounding the president's "nuclear football" - containing codes needed for a strike - after one such briefcase nearly came within range of rioters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6. In a brief notice, the Inspector General's office said it would evaluate the extent to which Pentagon officials could detect and respond if the Presidential Emergency Satchel were "lost, stolen or compromised."

Trump ally Barrack arrested on foreign lobbying charges -U.S. Justice Department

Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. A seven-count indictment filed by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, alleged that Barrack, a former employee and an Emirati businessman failed to register as lobbyists and used their influence to advance the UAE's foreign policy goals in the United States.

Smoke from U.S. West wildfires leaves Easterners gasping

Dozens of wildfires in the western United States and Canada, led by a massive blaze in Oregon, are sending smoke eastward, worsening air quality and causing colorful sunsets in some places. More than 80 large wildfires in 13 western states charred nearly 1.3 million acres (526,090 hectares), an area larger than the state of Delaware, by Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho.

White House says in regular contact with Fox News over vaccine messaging

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she is in regular contact with the conservative news network Fox News about its coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fox News commentators Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, as well as other news program hosts, have often cast doubt on the vaccines' safety and efficacy to the network's millions of viewers. The network ended January with a 19-year streak as the top U.S. cable news network.

New York, drug distributors reach $1.18 billion opioid settlement as national deal looms

The three largest U.S. drug distributors agreed mid-trial to pay up to $1.18 billion to settle claims by New York state and two of its biggest counties over their role in the nationwide opioid epidemic, the state's attorney general said on Tuesday. McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and AmerisourceBergen Corp settled as state attorneys general prepare to announce as soon as this week a landmark $26 billion deal with the distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson resolving cases nationwide.

U.S. infrastructure deal teeters after Republicans reject IRS funding

The White House and U.S. congressional negotiators are scrambling to salvage a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal after Republicans balked at funding to enforce existing tax laws - a key way to pay for the plan - leaving both sides searching for a way forward. Senators and Biden administration officials still hope to hammer out the deal, including a plan to finance it, for a Senate vote on Wednesday, but both parties were growing increasingly skeptical Tuesday.