US Domestic News Roundup: White House guidelines for AI aim to mitigate harm; Hurricane Ian: Florida search operation redoubled as death toll tops 100 and more

Biden has been raising cash at a prodigious rate in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections as he tries to help Democrats turn back a strong challenge from Republicans for control of the U.S. Congress. 'It was chaotic' -FBI witness to testify for second day in Oath Keepers trial Prosecutors on Tuesday were set to continue questioning their first witness in the trial of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and his associates for their alleged role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol, following a first day of testimony about a "chaotic" scene with lawmakers in tears.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

White House guidelines for AI aim to mitigate harm

The White House on Tuesday proposed a non-binding Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bill of Rights that it said would help parents, patients and workers avert harm from the increasing use of automation in education, health care and employment. The Biden administration's proposal joins hundreds of other guidelines and policy frameworks released by tech companies, industry associations and other government agencies over the past few years.

Hurricane Ian: Florida search operation redoubled as death toll tops 100

Search-and-rescue teams in Florida doubled back to examine tens of thousands of Gulf Coast homes and businesses on Monday after an initial sweep through areas ravaged by Hurricane Ian, as the death toll from one of America's fiercest storms on record topped 100. Emergency crews have made cursory inspections of about 45,000 properties since Ian blasted ashore last Wednesday, flooding seaside communities with high surf that washed away numerous buildings, Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida's emergency management, said during a morning briefing.

U.S. keeps losing antitrust court battles but few expect pullback

The U.S. government has been hit with four painful losses at antitrust trials recently but legal experts do not expect the Biden administration's regulators to slow efforts to make American business more competitive. In fact, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have vowed to press on aggressively. The top competition lawyer at Justice, Jonathan Kanter, told lawmakers on Sept. 20 that "part of the job that we have before us is to litigate cases and to take risks when it's appropriate and necessary to defend the American public, particularly in areas such as healthcare."

Biden to set new U.S. guidelines on reproductive rights, 100 days after Roe v Wade

U.S. President Joe Biden will announce new guidelines and grants to protect reproductive rights on Tuesday, and describe how abortion rights have been curtailed since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to terminate pregnancies. He will be speaking at a meeting of the reproductive rights task force, also to be attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, that is being held 100 days after the landmark Roe v. Wade judgment.

Vir Biotech gets U.S. funding for flu-prevention antibody

Vir Biotechnology Inc said on Tuesday it had received $55 million in funding from the U.S. government to support its influenza-focused antibody drug that is expected to enter mid-stage trials this year. The multi-year contract with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) also allows for potential investment of up to $1 billion by the government for developing candidates against emerging infectious disease, including influenza.

Exclusive-Michigan police ask prosecutors to consider charging Republican clerk in voting-system breach

A Michigan township official who promotes false conspiracy theories of a rigged 2020 election could face criminal charges related to two voting-system security breaches, according to previously unreported records and legal experts. A state police detective recommended that the Michigan attorney general consider unspecified charges amid a months-long probe into one breach related to the Republican clerk’s handling of a vote tabulator, according to a June email from the detective to state and local officials. Reuters obtained the email through a public-records request.

U.S. Supreme Court poised to hear Alabama voting rights fight

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in a major legal battle that threatens to further undermine a landmark federal voting rights law as the state of Alabama defends a Republican-drawn electoral map faulted by judges for diluting the clout of Black voters. A three-judge federal court panel invalidated the map delineating the boundaries of Alabama's seven U.S. House of Representatives districts. But the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision in February, let Alabama use the map for the Nov. 8 U.S. congressional elections in which Republicans are trying to regain control of Congress.

Outside allies help Republican U.S. Senate candidates close gap with Democrats

Republicans in the tightest U.S. Senate races are getting help from deep-pocketed allies who are unleashing a late advertising blitz, potentially neutralizing their Democratic rivals' fundraising advantage heading into the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Led by a fundraising group tied to Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, dozens of conservative organizations reported spending more than $104 million in September to help Republican candidates in seven Senate races widely seen as competitive, a Reuters analysis of federal disclosures found.

Biden boosts Democrat fundraising with James Murdoch event

President Joe Biden hits the road this week to raise more money for Democrats ahead of the Nov. 8 congressional elections and is expected to appear at an event in New York City at the home of James Murdoch, son of publisher Rupert Murdoch. Biden has been raising cash at a prodigious rate in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections as he tries to help Democrats turn back a strong challenge from Republicans for control of the U.S. Congress.

'It was chaotic' -FBI witness to testify for second day in Oath Keepers trial

Prosecutors on Tuesday were set to continue questioning their first witness in the trial of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and his associates for their alleged role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol, following a first day of testimony about a "chaotic" scene with lawmakers in tears. Rhodes and his co-defendants Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson, Kelly Meggs and Jessica Watkins are accused of conspiring to prevent Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory in a failed bid to keep Donald Trump, a Republican, in power.

(With inputs from agencies.)