Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The appeal came after U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York, extended temporary protections until Feb. 1 against opioid-related litigation for the Sackler family members who own Purdue Pharma, giving Purdue and the Sacklers time to pursue the appeal. U.S. airlines grapple with Omicron-related disruptions on last day of the year Thousands of flights within the United States and internationally were delayed or canceled on Friday, adding to the travel disruptions during the holiday week due to adverse weather and rising cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Snow and ash: 'Miracle' no one killed in rare winter wildfire in Colorado

Colorado officials said on Friday that it was a "miracle" that no deaths were reported in a rare urban wildfire that moved at breakneck speeds across towns north of Denver, destroying upward of 1,000 homes. The fire was driven by wind gusts of 105 miles per hour (169 km per hour), which caused flames to leapfrog over highways and entire neighborhoods on Thursday, authorities said. The winds created a mosaic burn pattern that saw untouched homes standing next to those left in ashes.

Sport-Surge in COVID-19 cases hammer North American sport

The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League were both forced to postpone games on Thursday, as the COVID-19 surge continued to wreak havoc on sport schedules. The Golden State Warriors' contest at Denver on Thursday was postponed after the Nuggets, who have been hit by a COVID-19 outbreak in the locker room, could not field the required minimum eight players, said the NBA.

Purdue Pharma seeks to appeal U.S. ruling that overturned its opioid settlement

Purdue Pharma is seeking to appeal to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals a judge's decision to unravel its restructuring plan that would have insulated its owners from liability in civil opioid-related cases, according to a court filing late on Thursday. The appeal came after U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York, extended temporary protections until Feb. 1 against opioid-related litigation for the Sackler family members who own Purdue Pharma, giving Purdue and the Sacklers time to pursue the appeal.

U.S. airlines grapple with Omicron-related disruptions on last day of the year

Thousands of flights within the United States and internationally were delayed or canceled on Friday, adding to the travel disruptions during the holiday week due to adverse weather and rising cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Over 3,090 flights were canceled globally as of early Friday evening, including nearly 1,550 flights within the United States or entering or departing it, according to a running tally on flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. There were over 8,650 global flight delays in total.

Biden, Manchin discussed social spending bill after U.S. senator's rejection -adviser

U.S. President Joe Biden and Senator Joe Manchin spoke about the "Build Back Better" bill a day after the conservative Democratic senator publicly rejected the president's social spending plans, a White House adviser said on Friday. "He (Biden) has some confidence about that (bill), including discussions he has had with Senator Manchin," Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House council of economic advisers, said in an interview with CNN on Friday.

Trump-appointed McWilliams resigns as U.S. FDIC chair after power struggle

The Republican chair of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Friday she will step down from her role effective Feb. 4, 2022, removing a key remaining obstacle to President Joe Biden's ambitious banking reform agenda. Jelena McWilliams, a holdover from the Trump administration who was appointed to the role in June 2018, had previously said she intended to serve out her full term, which was set to expire in mid-2023.

Some cautious, many fed up, Americans prepare to ring in the New Year

Dana Fenner's hands were full of New Year's Eve hats and horns as she perused an aisle at a Party City store in Texas, not hesitating for a second when asked about her hopes for 2022.

"Normalcy. I want everything to get back to normal," Fenner said, as she shopped for the low-key, homespun festivities that she, her husband and three children planned on Friday.

Massive sewage spill closes California beaches

A massive spill of raw sewage in California on Friday forced the city of Long Beach to close all swimming areas at nearby beaches, officials said. Between 2 million and 4 million gallons (7.6 million to 15 million liters) of raw sewage leaked into the Dominguez Channel, which empties into the Los Angeles harbor, it was discovered on Thursday, according to a press release from the City of Long Beach.

U.S. Chief Justice says judges need 'rigorous' training on stock-trading rules

U.S. federal judges need "more rigorous" ethics training to ensure they are not hearing disputes in which they have a financial interest, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said in a year-end report published on Friday, citing a recent Wall Street Journal investigation. The newspaper reported in September that 131 federal judges broke disqualification rules and the judicial ethics code by presiding over cases involving companies in which they or family members owned stock.

Betty White, working actress into her 90s, dies just shy of her 100th birthday

Comedic actress Betty White, who capped a career of more than 80 years by becoming America's geriatric sweetheart after Emmy-winning roles on television sitcoms "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," died on Friday, less than three weeks shy of her 100th birthday. The agent, Jeff Witjas, told People magazine: "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever." No cause was cited.