US Domestic News Roundup: Stacey Abrams announces second bid for governor of Georgia state; After delay, NASA astronauts set for spacewalk to replace faulty space station antenna and more

Ethan Crumbley, a 15-year-old sophomore at a high school in Oxford, Michigan, about 40 miles (65 km) north of Detroit, was charged with a slew of criminal counts in Tuesday's shooting spree, Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said. U.S. to require private health insurance companies cover at-home COVID-19 tests The U.S. government will require private health insurance companies to reimburse customers for the cost of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests under new measures to combat the pandemic that President Joe Biden will unveil on Thursday, administration officials said.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Stacey Abrams announces second bid for governor of Georgia state

Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams said on Wednesday that she is running again for governor of Georgia, setting up a potential rematch against Republican Governor Brian Kemp in a state that has become a key battleground in U.S. elections. "Opportunity and success in Georgia shouldn't be determined by your ZIP code, background or access to power," Abrams, a Democrat, said in a video https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1466140248887418885?s=20 launching her campaign. "If our Georgia is going to move to its next and greatest chapter, we're going to need leadership."

After delay, NASA astronauts set for spacewalk to replace faulty space station antenna

Two NASA astronauts ventured out on a spacewalk on Thursday to replace a faulty antenna on the International Space Station, facing what NASA called a minimally heightened risk posed by orbital debris left from a Russian missile test weeks ago. The planned 6-and-1/2-hour spacewalk began at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time (1210 GMT) as astronauts Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron exited an airlock of the orbiting research lab some 250 miles (400 km) above Earth to begin their work.

Alec Baldwin to give his account of fatal 'Rust' shooting

Alec Baldwin's first public account of the fatal shooting on the set of his movie "Rust" will be broadcast on Thursday, about six weeks after a gun he was using during a rehearsal fired off a live bullet, killing a cinematographer. Baldwin has given an interview that ABC television's George Stephanopoulos described as raw and detailed. ABC will broadcast the interview on Thursday evening about the tragedy, which is still being investigated by authorities in New Mexico.

Factbox-COVID-19 and the U.S. courts: challenges to Biden vaccine rules

Courts have recently blocked some of the Biden administration's rules and regulations aimed at increasing U.S. vaccination against COVID-19, which has killed more than 750,000 Americans and weighs on economic growth. The vaccine requirements have been challenged by Republican state attorneys general, businesses and religious groups that alleged the administration exceeded its authority.

Michigan teen charged with 1st-degree murder, held without bond in shooting spree

A Michigan teenager was ordered held without bond on Wednesday after being charged with first-degree murder in the deadliest U.S. school shooting of the year, which killed four students and wounded seven other people. Ethan Crumbley, a 15-year-old sophomore at a high school in Oxford, Michigan, about 40 miles (65 km) north of Detroit, was charged with a slew of criminal counts in Tuesday's shooting spree, Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said.

U.S. to require private health insurance companies cover at-home COVID-19 tests

The U.S. government will require private health insurance companies to reimburse customers for the cost of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests under new measures to combat the pandemic that President Joe Biden will unveil on Thursday, administration officials said. The rule on reimbursement will benefit some 150 million Americans who have private health insurance, a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Biden's announcement.

U.S. VP Harris' top aide Sanders to leave office in latest departure

Vice President Kamala Harris's senior adviser and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders is leaving by the end of the year, the latest high-profile departure from her office amid growing concerns over Harris's communication strategy and how well she is being positioned for future roles. Sanders worked for President Joe Biden for nearly three years, and often traveled with Harris on domestic and foreign trips.

Ghislaine Maxwell sex abuse trial enters fourth day after first accuser testifies

Ghislaine Maxwell's sex abuse trial was set to enter its fourth day on Thursday, following emotional testimony from a woman who accused the British socialite of setting her up for abuse by now-deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was 14.

The woman, known by the pseudonym Jane, was the first of four accusers expected to testify against Maxwell in federal court in Manhattan during the six-week trial. In nearly eight hours on the stand over two days, Jane described how Maxwell sometimes participated in sexual encounters with her and Epstein.

U.S. Congress scrambles to avert government shutdown, as some Republicans balk

Leading Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate scrambled on Wednesday to head off the threat of a partial federal government shutdown posed by Republicans opposed to President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Congress has until midnight on Friday to pass a measure that would continue funding federal government operations during the pandemic, amid concerns about a new rise in COVID-19 cases and the arrival of the Omicron variant in the United States.

Georgia man pleads guilty to attacking police during U.S. Capitol riot

A Georgia man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to attacking a police officer during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot by supporters of then President Donald Trump trying to overturn his election defeat. Kevin Creek, 46, of Alpharetta, pleaded guilty to a felony charge that he engaged in physical contact with a police officer during the riot.

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