US Domestic News Roundup: Judge dismisses Khashoggi lawsuit against Saudi prince; Biden granted him immunity; Minnesota nurses reach tentative deal with hospitals to avoid strike and more

The NYTimes NewsGuild last week had pledged to walk out on Dec. 8 if a contract was not reached by then. Factbox-What legal problems does U.S. presidential candidate Trump face? Donald Trump's legal woes deepened on Tuesday when his real estate company was found guilty of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, further coloring the former U.S. president's 2024 re-election campaign.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Judge dismisses Khashoggi lawsuit against Saudi prince; Biden granted him immunity

A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the fiance of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi against Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, citing President Biden's grant of immunity. U.S. District Judge John Bates suggested he was reluctant to throw out the lawsuit but had no choice given the Biden administration's decision.

Minnesota nurses reach tentative deal with hospitals to avoid strike

The union representing thousands of Minnesota nurses said on Tuesday it had reached a tentative agreement with hospitals on a new contract that, if approved by members, would resolve a labor dispute without a threatened strike. Some 15,000 nurses in the Twin Cities and Duluth areas who staged a three-day walkout in September had vowed to strike at least through the end of the year if a deal was not reached over pay hikes and working conditions.

Pandemic lockdowns linked to decline in U.S. twin births, study suggests

Reduced access to infertility treatments early in the pandemic may have contributed to a drop in twin births, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest. The number of twin births fell 7% between 2019 and 2020 - from 120,291 to 112,437 - compared to an average 2%-per-year decline from 2014 to 2019, researchers reported on Wednesday in the CDC's National Vital Statistics Reports, based on data from 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Trump Organization found guilty of tax fraud scheme

Donald Trump's real estate company was convicted on Tuesday of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, adding to the legal woes facing the former U.S. president as he campaigns for the office again in 2024. The Trump Organization - which operates hotels, golf courses, and another real estate around the world - was found guilty of paying personal expenses for top executives including former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, and issuing bonus checks to them as if they were independent contractors.

Trump legal team search for classified material at properties, Washington Post says

Lawyers for former U.S. President Donald Trump searched Trump Tower and one of his golf courses after a judge instructed them to attest to complying with a subpoena to turn over all classified materials, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Trump's legal team hired an outside firm to carry out the search of his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey in recent weeks, and, more recently Trump Tower in New York, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Trump-backed Walker loses: Three takeaways from Georgia U.S. Senate runoff

U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock beat Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Georgia runoff election that fortified Democrats' Senate majority and handed the Republican Party another bitter loss to cap a disappointing midterm election season. Here are some takeaways from Warnock's victory:

U.S. House poised to pass same-sex marriage bill, showing shift in attitudes

A bill protecting federal recognition of same-sex marriages that has the support of both LGBT advocates and religious groups is expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives this week with bipartisan support, a sign of a significant cultural shift in a divided nation. Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on Tuesday that the long-awaited legislation ought to clear the House in coming days.

New York Times union members set to walk out on Thursday after talks fail

More than 1,100 union employees at the New York Times Co are set to walk out on Thursday for 24 hours as negotiations with the news publisher for a "complete and equitable contract" failed on Tuesday, the union said in a tweet. The NYTimes NewsGuild last week had pledged to walk out on Dec. 8 if a contract was not reached by then.

Factbox-What legal problems does U.S. presidential candidate Trump face?

Donald Trump's legal woes deepened on Tuesday when his real estate company was found guilty of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, further coloring the former U.S. president's 2024 re-election campaign. NEW YORK CRIMINAL PROBE

Republicans target judicial scrutiny of elections at U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court is set on Wednesday to hear a Republican appeal that could transform U.S. elections by giving politicians more power over voting rules and curbing the ability of state courts to scrutinize their actions in a major case involving the composition of North Carolina's congressional districts. Republican state lawmakers are appealing a decision by North Carolina's top court to throw out a map delineating the state's 14 U.S. House of Representatives districts - approved last year by the Republican-controlled state legislature - as unlawfully biased against Democratic voters.