US Domestic News Roundup: Facebook’s struggle with Gateway Pundit highlights challenge of containing disinformation; New U.S. COVID-19 international travel testing rules take effect Monday and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Facebook’s struggle with Gateway Pundit highlights challenge of containing disinformation

The Gateway Pundit, a far-right news site, has used its Facebook page - with more than 630,000 followers - to post bogus stories alleging the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Some commenters responded with threats of violence. After Gateway Pundit posted a June story on Facebook that included debunked claims of voter fraud in Arizona, a commenter said the governor and secretary of state should be “fed feet first through a woodchipper.” A story featuring false claims of vote-rigging in Fulton County, Georgia, drew comments on Facebook calling for an election worker to be hanged or “shot for treason.”

New U.S. COVID-19 international travel testing rules take effect Monday

New rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET (0501 GMT), according to an order issued late Thursday. Under current rules, vaccinated international air travelers can present a negative test result obtained within three days of their day of departure. Unvaccinated travelers currently must get a negative COVID-19 test within one day of departure.

Ohio sheriff's deputy charged with murder for shooting Black man in the back

A former sheriff's deputy in Columbus, Ohio, was charged with murder on Thursday in the December 2020 shooting death of a 23-year-old Black man, who was shot in his back five times as he entered his home. Former Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Meade, 44, who is white and retired following the shooting, faces two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide for killing Casey Goodson, according to the grand jury indictment filed in Franklin County court.

Biden presides over National Christmas Tree Lighting at start of holiday season

U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill participated in the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony outside the White House on Thursday, helping to usher in the holiday season.

In a program that featured performances by singers Patti LaBelle, Billy Porter, and Kristin Chenoweth, the president presided over a countdown that ended with a brightly lit tree with a shining star on top.

Alec Baldwin denies responsibility for fatal shooting on movie set

Alec Baldwin on Thursday denied responsibility for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of his Western movie "Rust," saying he would have killed himself if he believed it was his fault. In an emotional television interview, the actor said he did not pull the trigger on the gun he was holding during a rehearsal, and that he did not think he would be criminally charged in the case.

U.S. Justice Department probes sexual harassment claims against Andrew Cuomo

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating sexual harassment claims made against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, according to a document made available by the state of New York on Thursday. The document in question provides details of a contract approved by New York officials earlier in the week for legal services to assist the current governor's office in responding to multiple state and federal investigations into the Cuomo administration's affairs.

Bill to fund U.S. government, avert shutdown, heads to final passage in Congress

A bill to fund the U.S. government through mid-February won the support of enough members of the Senate to win passage and prevent a partial shutdown of federal agencies at the end of this week. Voting continued on the bill that would next go to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law.

Two Georgia election workers sue far-right website over false fraud allegations

Two Georgia election workers targeted by former U.S. President Donald Trump in a vote-rigging conspiracy theory have sued a far-right website that trumpeted the false story, alleging it incited months of death threats and harassment against them. The defamation suit against The Gateway Pundit was filed Thursday by Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a voter registration officer in the Fulton County elections office, and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who was a temp worker for the 2020 election. The women were featured in a Reuters report published Wednesday on their ordeal.

Pro-Trump lawyers ordered to pay $175,000 for 'frivolous' election lawsuit

A U.S. judge on Thursday ordered Sidney Powell and other lawyers who sued in Michigan to overturn Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory to pay a $175,000 penalty, reiterating an earlier finding that the lawsuit was frivolous. U.S. District Judge Linda Parker in Detroit ruled in August that Powell, Lin Wood, and other lawyers aligned with former President Donald Trump were to be sanctioned, but had not determined the dollar amount.

Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers to grill ex-Epstein employee who testified about underage girls

Ghislaine Maxwell's defense attorneys on Friday were expected to challenge the account of a former Jeffrey Epstein employee who testified that he drove two girls who he believed appeared underage to the late financier's Palm Beach estate. Juan Alessi, who worked full-time for Epstein from 1991 to 2002, said at Maxwell's sex abuse trial on Thursday that he saw the two girls spend time with Epstein and Maxwell at the property, where he recalled cleaning sex toys from Epstein's massage room and storing them in Maxwell's bathroom.

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