US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. weekly COVID-19 vaccinations hit highest in nearly six months; Trump Organization does not have to pay Michael Cohen's legal bills -judge and more

A committee drafted the document after the bishops' June conference, where they debated whether to take a position on the eligibility of prominent Catholics such as Biden - whose political actions they say contradict church teaching - to receive communion. Police showed defendants video of Ahmaud Arbery before shooting, Georgia jury hears Two white men on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery were shown surveillance video of the Black man walking around a half-built house in their southern Georgia neighborhood 12 days before they chased and shot him, a jury heard on Friday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. weekly COVID-19 vaccinations hit highest in nearly six months

The United States administered over 9.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the past seven days, the highest weekly total since late May, a White House official said on Saturday. Cyrus Shahpar, the White House’s COVID-19 data director reported the information https://twitter.com/cyrusshahpar46/status/1459605466468610054 in a tweet. Vaccinations of children ages 5 to 11, which became widely available this week, likely contributed to the total.

Trump Organization does not have to pay Michael Cohen's legal bills -judge

The Trump Organization does not need to pay millions of dollars in legal bills for Trump's former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen, a New York judge decided on Friday. Michael Cohen had sued the Trump Organization for failing to make good on a promise to pay legal costs resulting from his work. But the judge said Cohen failed to prove the bills he incurred amid a criminal investigation and other lawsuits related to conduct done in his capacity as an employee of the Trump Organization.

Kaiser Permanente averts strike, reaches deal with U.S. healthcare workers

Union leaders representing 50,000 nurses and other U.S. medical staff reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente on Saturday, averting a strike that could have disrupted patient care at hospitals. Thousands of employees at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, California, Colorado and other states had threatened to walkout on Monday over the medical network's plan to create a two-tiered wage system with lower pay for new hires.

Biden and China's Xi will hold virtual meeting on Monday

U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday, the White House said, talks Washington hopes will create some stability amid increased tensions between the world's two largest economies. It is expected to be the leaders' most extensive meeting under the Biden administration and will follow on from a telephone call between the two on Sept. 9.

U.S. bishops set to debate Biden's eligibility for communion

U.S. Roman Catholic Bishops this week are expected to revisit whether President Joe Biden's support for abortion rights should disqualify him from receiving communion, an issue that has deepened rifts in the church since the Democrat took office. At a Nov. 15-18 conference in Baltimore, the bishops are scheduled to vote on a document clarifying the meaning of Holy Communion, a sacrament central to the faith. A committee drafted the document after the bishops' June conference, where they debated whether to take a position on the eligibility of prominent Catholics such as Biden - whose political actions they say contradict church teaching - to receive communion.

Police showed defendants video of Ahmaud Arbery before shooting, Georgia jury hears

Two white men on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery were shown surveillance video of the Black man walking around a half-built house in their southern Georgia neighborhood 12 days before they chased and shot him, a jury heard on Friday. "Nobody seems to know who this kid is or where he's coming from," Robert Rash, a Glynn County police officer, told the two men, Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael, on the night of Feb. 11, 2020, after showing them the clips, according to body-worn camera video played in court.

Hackers compromise FBI email system, send thousands of messages

Hackers compromised a Federal Bureau of Investigation email system on Saturday and sent tens of thousands of messages warning of a possible cyberattack, according to the agency and security specialists. Fake emails appeared to come from a legitimate FBI email address ending in @ic.fbi.gov, the FBI said in a statement.

U.S. appeals court affirms hold on Biden COVID-19 vaccine mandate

A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld its decision to put on hold an order by President Joe Biden for companies with 100 workers or more to require COVID-19 vaccines, rejecting a challenge by his administration. A three-member panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans affirmed its ruling despite the Biden administration's position that halting implementation of the vaccine mandate could lead to dozens or even hundreds of deaths.

Free at last, Britney Spears calls end of conservatorship 'best day ever'

Pop star Britney Spears on Friday regained control of her personal life and her money when a judge ended a 13-year conservatorship that became a cause celebre for fans and critics of an arrangement typically meant to protect the elderly. "Effective today, the conservatorship of the person and the estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated," Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny said after a 30-minute hearing in which no one opposed ending the court-sanctioned arrangement.

U.S. entrepreneur who flew to space with actor William Shatner dies in plane crash

Medical research software mogul Glen de Vries, who flew to space last month with actor William Shatner aboard a rocketship operated by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, died in a small plane crash in New Jersey, state police said on Friday. The plane crashed on Thursday in Sussex County, New Jersey, just northwest of New York City, police said, adding that De Vries, 49, and another man aboard the aircraft, Thomas Fischer, 54, were killed.

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