US Domestic News Roundup: Biden highlights climate change as he tours California areas lashed by storms; Trump, lawyers sanctioned nearly $1 million for 'political' lawsuit vs Clinton and more

"If anybody doubts that the climate is changing, then they must have been asleep during the last couple of years," Biden said at Seacliff State Beach along the Santa Cruz coastline, where a crumpled pier stood as testament to the destructive force of the recent storms. Trump, lawyers sanctioned nearly $1 million for 'political' lawsuit vs Clinton A federal judge on Thursday ordered former U.S. President Donald Trump and his attorneys to pay more than $937,000 in sanctions for suing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over claims the 2016 presidential election was rigged.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 20-01-2023 18:38 IST | Created: 20-01-2023 18:27 IST
US Domestic News Roundup: Biden highlights climate change as he tours California areas lashed by storms; Trump, lawyers sanctioned nearly $1 million for 'political' lawsuit vs Clinton and more
US President Joe Biden. (Photo Credit - Reuters) Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden highlights climate change as he tours California areas lashed by storms

U.S. President Joe Biden stressed global warming's role in natural disasters on Thursday as he toured parts of California after three weeks of deadly "atmospheric river" storms inflicted floods and mudslides on a state long plagued by drought and wildfires. "If anybody doubts that the climate is changing, then they must have been asleep during the last couple of years," Biden said at Seacliff State Beach along the Santa Cruz coastline, where a crumpled pier stood as testament to the destructive force of the recent storms.

Trump, lawyers sanctioned nearly $1 million for 'political' lawsuit vs Clinton

A federal judge on Thursday ordered former U.S. President Donald Trump and his attorneys to pay more than $937,000 in sanctions for suing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over claims the 2016 presidential election was rigged. U.S. District Judge John Middlebrooks, who threw out Trump's lawsuit in September, said the sanctions were warranted because the former president had exhibited a pattern of misusing the courts to further his political agenda.

U.S. Supreme Court report fails to identify abortion ruling leak culprit

The U.S. Supreme Court after an eight-month investigation failed on Thursday to identify who leaked a draft of its blockbuster ruling overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide though the probe revealed multiple holes in security measures at America's top judicial body. The leak - with the news outlet Politico publishing the draft ruling on May 2 - prompted an internal crisis at the court, ignited a political firestorm and prompted rallies by abortion rights supporters at the courthouse, outside the homes of some of the nine justices and around the country.

Car drove into barricade outside Bankman-Fried's home, lawyers say

A car drove into a metal barricade outside Sam Bankman-Fried's home in California, his lawyers said on Thursday, in a recent incident they said underscores the security risks faced by the FTX founder and those ensuring his return to court. In a filing in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for the 30-year-old onetime billionaire said three men got out of the car and told a security officer guarding the Palo Alto home, "You won't be able to keep us out." The men, who have not been identified, then got back in the car and drove away.

Analysis-Debt ceiling: White House bets Republicans will blink under pressure

The White House is refusing to negotiate with hardline Republicans on raising the debt ceiling because it believes enough of them will eventually back off their demands, as a growing chorus of investors, business groups and moderate conservatives warn of the dangers of edging towards a default. The high-stakes deadlock is widely expected to last for months, and could come down to the last minute as each side tests the other ahead of June when the U.S. government might be forced to default on paying its debt.

Biden has 'no regrets' about handling of classified documents

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday he has "no regrets" about his handling of classified documents found at his home and former office and that he believes the matter will be resolved. "I think you're gonna find there's nothing there," Biden told reporters as he toured storm damage in California. "I have no regrets. I'm following what the lawyers have told me they want me to do. It's exactly what we're doing. There's no there there."

Abortion opponents push post-Roe agenda at annual Washington march

Thousands of abortion opponents plan to rally in Washington on Friday for the 50th annual "March for Life," marking a new chapter for a movement that has organized for decades around a overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that recognized a women's right to an abortion. With that goal now accomplished after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Roe's precedent and gutted federal abortion rights last June, the leaders of March For Life hope to galvanize support for state and federal legislation placing further limits on abortion.

U.S. FAA says 'unintentionally deleted files' prompted computer outage

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday a preliminary review found that contract personnel "unintentionally deleted files" disrupting a key computer system and prompting a nationwide groundstop on Jan. 11 that disrupted more than 11,000 flights. The FAA said the issue occurred while personnel were working "to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database." The FAA said it "has so far found no evidence of a cyber-attack or malicious intent."

Alec Baldwin to be charged with involuntary manslaughter over 'Rust' shooting

Actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony punishable by prison time, in the fatal 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the movie "Rust" in New Mexico, a state prosecutor said on Thursday. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, the top prosecutor for Santa Fe, said Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the western, would also be charged with involuntary manslaughter. All charges would be filed by the end of this month, he added.

U.S. hits debt ceiling as partisan standoff sparks economic worries

The U.S. government hit its $31.4 trillion borrowing limit on Thursday, amid a standoff between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and President Joe Biden's Democrats on lifting the ceiling, which could lead to a fiscal crisis in a few months. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen informed congressional leaders including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that her department had begun using extraordinary cash management measures that could stave off default until June 5.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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