US Domestic News Roundup: Under pressure, Alex Murdaugh testifies to own theory in South Carolina murder trial; Yellen says will talk deficit-reduction with Republicans, not debt limit and more

Currently, doctors who prescribe mifepristone, and pharmacies that dispense it, must obtain a special certification. Texas prosecutors can't target groups that fund out-of-state abortions -judge Local prosecutors in Texas cannot use state laws that are more than 60 years old to prosecute organizations that help fund and arrange travel for Texans to obtain abortions in other states where it is legal, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Under pressure, Alex Murdaugh testifies to own theory in South Carolina murder trial

Richard "Alex" Murdaugh, the disbarred South Carolina lawyer on trial for the murder of his wife and son, said on Friday that he believed someone angry about a deadly boating accident had committed the crimes, floating an alternative theory for the jury as two days of dramatic testimony came to a close. Murdaugh offered the theory, for which he acknowledged he had no evidence, after hours of cross examination during which a prosecutor laid out a string of lies told by the defendant, including about his alibi on the night of the killings.

Yellen says will talk deficit-reduction with Republicans, not debt limit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Saturday she was willing to negotiate with Republicans in Congress over the Biden administration's budget proposal to be unveiled next month - but not as a condition of raising the debt ceiling. Yellen told Reuters in an interview that the Biden budget for fiscal 2024 would contain "substantial deficit reduction over the next decade.

Florida bill would ban gender studies majors, diversity programs at universities

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would gain more influence in the state's public university system, and majors involving gender studies or critical race theory would be eliminated if a bill filed this week wins support from the Republican-controlled legislature. The new measure, which largely reflects a legislative agenda announced by DeSantis in January, also would ban consideration of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in hiring of faculty. It would require each institution's board of trustees to approve hires, giving DeSantis greater influence over those decisions because the governor appoints a significant number of board members.

Southern California delights in rare snowfall as winter storm intensifies

A slow-moving winter storm intensified over California on Friday, triggering the first blizzard warning in parts of the Los Angeles area in 30 years and creating the extraordinary sight of snowflakes swirling around the iconic Hollywood sign. Snow and freezing rain pushed into the Golden State from the north, where it dumped about 10 inches (25 cm) of powder on Portland, Oregon, earlier in the week. California's snow was heaviest in the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and coastal mountains.

US VP Harris defends abortion pill facing legal attack

Vice President Kamala Harris defended the abortion drug mifepristone on Friday, calling attacks against it another attempt to attack fundamental rights in the United States, as some activist groups work to end American sales of the pill. Anti-abortion groups have brought cases against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claiming the agency used an improper process to approve mifepristone in 2000 and did not adequately consider its safety for minors.

'Rust' producers to pay $100,000 safety fine after shooting

Producers of the Western movie "Rust" on Friday said they had agreed to pay a $100,000 civil fine for "serious" workplace safety breaches prior to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico film set in 2021. New Mexico's worker safety bureau last year levied its maximum possible fine against Rust Movie Productions (RMP) for what it called the firm's "plain indifference" to hazards from weapons mishandling and accidental firearms discharges on set.

Democratic-led U.S. states challenge restrictions on abortion pill

Twelve Democratic-led states have sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to challenge certain federal restrictions imposed on the distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone, saying those limits are not supported by evidence. The lawsuit, led by Washington state and Oregon, was filed on Thursday in federal court in Yakima, Washington and aims to expand access to mifepristone by allowing it to be prescribed and dispensed by any doctor or pharmacy, like most drugs. Currently, doctors who prescribe mifepristone, and pharmacies that dispense it, must obtain a special certification.

Texas prosecutors can't target groups that fund out-of-state abortions -judge

Local prosecutors in Texas cannot use state laws that are more than 60 years old to prosecute organizations that help fund and arrange travel for Texans to obtain abortions in other states where it is legal, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin said that 1961 state abortion laws, which were rendered unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade establishing a nationwide right to abortion, were not revived when the Supreme Court overturned Roe last June.

U.S. prosecutors seize properties, charge Russian on Ukraine invasion anniversary

U.S. prosecutors on Friday said they were seeking to forfeit six properties in New York and Florida allegedly belonging to a sanctioned Russian oligarch, and separately charged a Russian national with illegally exporting counterintelligence equipment. The announcements came on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation." The Department of Justice has sought to use asset seizures and criminal charges to squeeze business executives aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin to press him to stop the war.

Biden does not plan to visit site of Ohio train derailment

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday he has no plans to visit the site of the train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals in an Ohio town earlier in February. The trail derailment in East Palestine prompted the evacuation of thousands of people and ignited health concerns.