Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Democratic President Joe Biden attempted to scrap his Republican predecessor's policy - often referred to as 'Remain in Mexico' - soon after taking office last January. U.S. FDA authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 booster for 12- to 15-year-olds The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday authorized the use of a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15, and narrowed the interval for booster shot eligibility to five months from six.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Settlement agreement between Epstein and accuser made public in Prince Andrew case

A 2009 settlement agreement between financier Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse, was made public on Monday as part of Giuffre's civil lawsuit against Britain's Prince Andrew. The agreement said Giuffre would be paid $500,000 as part of the deal.

Biden unveils plan to boost competition in U.S. meat industry

The United States will issue new rules and $1 billion in funding this year to support independent meat processors and ranchers as part of a plan to address a lack of “meaningful competition” in the meat sector, President Joe Biden said on Monday. The initiative comes amid rising concerns that a handful of big beef, pork and poultry companies have too much control over the American meat market, allowing them to dictate wholesale and retail pricing to profit at the expense of their suppliers and customers.

Judge orders mediation for Purdue, Sacklers over opioid settlement

A U.S. judge on Monday ordered mediation in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy, calling for the company, the Sackler family members that own it and nine states to determine whether they can reach a new opioid litigation settlement by Jan. 14. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York, issued an order directing the parties to negotiate changes to a previous deal rejected by another judge in December that provided the Sacklers protection against future opioid litigation. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman is serving as the mediator.

Winter storm pounds Washington as it moves across U.S. East Coast

A winter storm unleashed heavy snow and strong winds throughout much of the U.S. Southeast and mid-Atlantic on Monday, forcing federal offices and schools to close, grounding airplanes and knocking out power for thousands of people. Forecasts called for 4-8 inches (12-25 cm) of snow and winds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km per hour) in the region's first blizzard of the season, according to the National Weather Service. Severe weather warnings were issued from the Carolinas to New Jersey.

COVID-19 infections soar in U.S. Congress amid Omicron surge

The U.S. Congress is experiencing an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases, with the seven-day positivity rate at a congressional test site surging to 13% from just 1% in late November, the Capitol's attending physician said on Monday. Most coronavirus infections on Capitol Hill have been occurring among the vaccinated, with the Omicron variant representing about 61% and the Delta variant 38%, based on a limited sample as of Dec. 15, Dr. Brian Monahan told lawmakers and staff in a Jan. 3 letter.

U.S. judge says jury can issue verdict in Holmes case

A U.S. judge said on Monday that a jury could issue a verdict on eight of 11 counts against Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who is accused of fraud connected with the blood testing startup. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila made the remarks after jurors said they were unable to reach unanimity on three of the 11 counts faced by Holmes.

White House expected to make fresh push to confirm Biden nominees for FTC, FCC

The White House was expected to make a fresh push as early as Monday to persuade the U.S. Senate to confirm President Joe Biden's nominees for top posts at agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission, an administration official said. The attempt will involve renewing the nominations for Gigi Sohn at the FCC, Alvaro Bedoya at the FTC and Alan Davidson to head the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said the official, who did not wish to be named. The nominations, which expired when the December session of Congress ended, will help Senate Democrats move forward with the confirmations.

Manhattan DA's office will not charge Cuomo with COVID nursing home deaths -lawyer

The Manhattan District Attorney's office will not file criminal charges in connection with the handling of coronavirus deaths in New York nursing homes during the tenure of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, his representative said on Monday. "I was contacted today by the head of the Elder Care Unit from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office who informed me they have closed its investigation involving the Executive Chamber and nursing homes," attorney Elkan Abramowitz said in a statement.

U.S. expands Trump-era border program to San Diego

The United States on Monday expanded to San Diego, California, the Trump-era border program that forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. immigration hearings, in keeping with a federal court order, Biden administration officials told reporters. Democratic President Joe Biden attempted to scrap his Republican predecessor's policy - often referred to as 'Remain in Mexico' - soon after taking office last January.

U.S. FDA authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 booster for 12- to 15-year-olds

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday authorized the use of a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15, and narrowed the interval for booster shot eligibility to five months from six. The agency also authorized a third shot for children aged 5 through 11 years who are immunocompromised.