US Domestic News Roundup: Chaos at Atlanta airport as convicted felon's gun goes off, 3 hurt - police; Georgia judge denies defense motion for mistrial in Ahmaud Arbery case and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Chaos at Atlanta airport as convicted felon's gun goes off, 3 hurt - police

Authorities searched for a gun owner who fled after his weapon fired by accident at Atlanta's airport, sending terrified travelers bolting onto the tarmac on Saturday, halting flights during the busy Thanksgiving holiday period. Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries after the 1:30 p.m. shot in the security screening area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a statement.

Georgia judge denies defense motion for mistrial in Ahmaud Arbery case

A Georgia judge denied a motion for a mistrial on Friday in the Ahmaud Arbery murder case from a defense lawyer who claimed that Black pastors outside the courthouse were a "woke left mob" that influenced the jury in the trial of three white men. More than 200 pastors gathered on Thursday outside the Glynn County courthouse in coastal Brunswick, Georgia. Organizers said it was a response to defense attorney Kevin Gough's previous comments that he "didn't want any more Black pastors" in the courtroom.

Key Democrat unlikely to budge on filibuster reform - Washington Post

Democratic U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a key centrist who is often a holdout on major elements of President Joe Biden's agenda, reiterated she does not support modifying or eliminating the filibuster to ease the passage of voting rights legislation, she said in an interview with the Washington Post. Sinema, who is a co-sponsor of Democratic voting rights bills aimed at prohibiting racial discrimination and ensuring ballot access, told the newspaper that she continues to oppose efforts by fellow Democrats to eliminate the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass most legislation.

Disney World puts COVID-19 vaccination mandate policy on hold

Disney World near Orlando, Florida, operated by Walt Disney Co, has put its COVID-19 vaccination mandate on hold, a spokesperson said on Saturday. The move comes amid the Biden administration's workplace COVID-19 vaccine rule, which requires businesses with at least 100 employees to require staff get vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly and wear a face covering at work.

U.S. administers 449.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States had administered 449,955,588 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Saturday morning and distributed 567,081,775 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 448,155,906 vaccine doses the CDC said had been administered as of Nov. 19 out of 562,868,095 doses delivered.

U.S. teen Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges after divisive murder trial

A jury acquitted teenager Kyle Rittenhouse on Friday of murder in the fatal shooting of two men during racial justice protests in a decision that re-ignited fierce debate about gun rights and the boundaries of self defense in the United States. Jurors found Rittenhouse, 18, not guilty on all charges: two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide for wounding a third man, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety in protests marred by arson, rioting and looting on Aug. 25, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Explainer-All U.S. adults qualify for COVID-19 boosters; which is best?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday expanded availability of COVID-19 booster shots to all American adults, hoping to preserve vaccine protection against the fast-spreading Delta variant. Previously, the agency had recommended booster shots only for people age 65 and older, or at high-risk from COVID, and said they could choose a different vaccine from the one they received for their initial inoculation.

U.S.-bound passengers stranded after emergency landing

Dozens of people were stranded in Europe for a second night on Saturday after their U.S.-bound flight made an emergency landing in Dublin following an engine failure, passengers said. Brussels Airlines flight 101 was en route from Brussels to New York on Friday when pilots issued a "pan-pan" message, which indicates a problem less serious than a "mayday," when flying at 37,000 feet, aviation media and tracking websites said.

Hero or vigilante? Rittenhouse verdict reignites polarized U.S. gun debate

Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal on murder charges on Friday opened yet another front in America's longstanding fight over gun rights: Is it acceptable for a teenager to bring an assault-style rifle to a protest? Conservatives hailed Rittenhouse as a hero for exercising his right to self-defense when he fatally shot two demonstrators and wounded a third who he said attacked him last year at a racial justice protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes takes stand to defend herself in fraud case

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes took the stand on Friday to defend herself against charges of defrauding investors and patients about the now-defunct blood-testing startup once valued at $9 billion. Holmes, 37, is accused of making false claims about Theranos, including that its technology could run a range of diagnostic tests more quickly and accurately than conventional laboratory testing with a drop of blood from a finger prick.

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