US Domestic News Roundup: Biden's Treasury hobbled by Cruz's nomination blocks over Nord Stream 2 -officials; Merck seeks first U.S. authorization for COVID-19 tablet and more

Yet they and others affected by the attack that killed three people and wounded 264 more disagree about whether convicted bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be executed - a question the U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Wednesday when the justices hear the U.S. government's bid to reinstate his death sentence. In hospital with COVID, conservative Texan running for governor condemns vaccine mandates Conservative firebrand and Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West was receiving care for COVID-19 in a hospital on Sunday, he said on Twitter, noting that his experience with the illness had strengthened his opposition to vaccine mandates.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden's Treasury hobbled by Cruz's nomination blocks over Nord Stream 2 -officials

The U.S. Treasury is being held hostage by Republican Senator Ted Cruz's efforts to halt a Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline, blocking critical appointments when the federal debt limit remains a pressing issue, White House officials and Democrats in Congress say. Only four confirmed nominees are in place in the top ranks of the Treasury, of about 20 slots for presidential picks, officials say. More than eight months after President Joe Biden took office, his nominees across the government are being approved at a slower rate than the past three presidents, federal data shows.

Merck seeks first U.S. authorization for COVID-19 tablet

Merck & Co Inc said on Monday it has applied for U.S. emergency use authorization for its tablet to treat mild-to-moderate patients of COVID-19, putting it on course to become the first oral antiviral medication for the disease. An authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could help change clinical management of COVID-19 as the pill can be taken at home.

Austin cheers Tesla's headquarters move, but local home buyers left on edge

Austin prides itself on "keeping it weird," but the city's success at luring more big companies such as Tesla Inc has some residents wary of getting priced out of their unique culture. Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, said on Thursday the electric car maker will move its headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas.

Analysis-'It's a madhouse': Organic U.S. soy prices hit record, fuel food inflation

U.S. prices for organic soybeans used to feed livestock and manufacture soy milk have surged to record highs as imports that make up most of the country's supply have declined, triggering price increases for food including organically raised chicken. The costly soybeans and higher-priced organic products are fueling food inflation at a time consumers are eager to eat better and focus on health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $56 billion U.S. organic food sector is also grappling with a shortage of shipping containers and a tight labor market as global food prices hit a 10-year high.

Beaches in southern California city to reopen after oil spill

Beaches in a southern California city that were shut because of an oil spill last week are set to reopen on Monday morning, authorities said in a statement. City and state beaches of Huntington Beach city will reopen as water quality testing showed no detectable amounts of oil-associated toxins in ocean water, officials from the city and California State Parks said.

Boston Marathon bombing victims split on death penalty in U.S. Supreme Court case

Liz Norden and Mikey Borgard both suffered when two bombs exploded at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, sending shrapnel through a crowd of hundreds of people. Norden's two adult sons lost their right legs. Borgard sustained hearing loss and a brain injury. Yet they and others affected by the attack that killed three people and wounded 264 more disagree about whether convicted bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be executed - a question the U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Wednesday when the justices hear the U.S. government's bid to reinstate his death sentence.

In hospital with COVID, conservative Texan running for governor condemns vaccine mandates

Conservative firebrand and Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West was receiving care for COVID-19 in a hospital on Sunday, he said on Twitter, noting that his experience with the illness had strengthened his opposition to vaccine mandates. West, 60, served as chairman of the Republican Party of Texas for less than a year before stepping down in June . He has opposed vaccine mandates and is not vaccinated against COVID-19, according to his Twitter page.

Winds delay Blue Origin's space launch with Shatner

Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin said on Sunday it had pushed this week's launch target of its New Shepard vehicle to Wednesday, delaying "Star Trek" actor William Shatner's sojourn to the edge of space by a day. "Due to forecasted winds on Tuesday, October 12, Blue Origin's mission operations team has made the decision to delay the launch of NS-18 and is now targeting Wednesday, October 13," the company said in a statement.

China has won AI battle with U.S., Pentagon's ex-software chief says

China has won the artificial intelligence battle with the United States and is heading towards global dominance because of its technological advances, the Pentagon's former software chief told the Financial Times. China, the world’s second-largest economy, is likely to dominate many of the key emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics within a decade or so, according to Western intelligence assessments.

U.S. Navy engineer, wife charged with selling submarine secrets

A U.S. Navy nuclear engineer and his wife have been charged with selling secret information about nuclear submarines to an undercover FBI agent who posed as an operative for a foreign country, the Justice Department said on Sunday. Jonathan Toebbe and his wife, Diana, were arrested on Saturday in West Virginia and charged with violating the Atomic Energy Act, the Justice Department said in a statement. They are scheduled to appear in a West Virginia federal court on Tuesday.

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