US Domestic News Roundup: Defying Pope's calls for climate action, US Catholic bishops cling to fossil fuels; Jimmy Carter makes rare public appearance at his wife's memorial and more

The sentence handed down in a Charleston courtroom, part of the plea deal Murdaugh reached earlier this month, will be served concurrently with the two life terms imposed eight months ago following his murder trial, said a spokesman for the state attorney general's office.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Defying Pope's calls for climate action, US Catholic bishops cling to fossil fuels

Hundreds of Catholic institutions around the globe have announced plans to divest their finances of oil, gas and coal to help fight climate change since Pope Francis published his landmark encyclical on environmental stewardship in 2015 urging a break with fossil fuels. But in the United States, the world's top oil and gas producer and where about a quarter of the population is Catholic, not a single diocese has announced it has let go of its fossil fuel assets.

Jimmy Carter makes rare public appearance at his wife's memorial

Jimmy Carter, the 99-year-old former U.S. president who entered hospice care in February, made a rare public appearance on Tuesday, looking frail as he attended a memorial service in Atlanta for his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19. Using a wheelchair and dressed in a dark suit and tie, he entered the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church and was helped to the front row near his wife's flowered-covered casket, where he sat flanked by his children.

Colorado paramedics face trial for death of Elijah McClain

Two Colorado paramedics go on trial on Wednesday for their alleged role in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who died after police roughly detained him and medics injected him with a powerful sedative. The trial is the last of three in the death of McClain, 23. The first ended with one police officer found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and another acquitted. The second ended with a third officer acquitted.

Analysis-Nikki Haley's getting buzz, but faces tough math to beat Trump

Nikki Haley is having a moment: The 2024 Republican presidential candidate is seeing a swell in media coverage, new interest from big-dollar donors and increasing chatter that she is poised to make a real run at Donald Trump. But there is buzz, and there is reality. The reality is that Haley, 51, faces a massive uphill battle to take down the former president and gain the Republican presidential nomination - but the sooner the race can be whittled down to her and Trump, 77, the better her still-remote chances.

US life expectancy climbs in 2022 after COVID retreat

U.S. babies born in 2022 gained roughly a year in life expectancy compared with babies born a year earlier, federal data showed on Wednesday, marking progress after two consecutive years of declines largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Life expectancy at birth for 2022 newborns was 77.5 years, up from 76.4 in 2021 but still lower than the 78.8 years expected for those born in 2019, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests.

US Supreme Court weighs legality of SEC in-house enforcement

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised on Wednesday to consider the legality of the Securities and Exchange Commission's in-house proceedings to enforce investor-protection laws and impose penalties in a case that could broadly undercut the power of federal agencies. The nine justices are due to hear arguments in an appeal by President Joe Biden's administration of a lower court's decision restricting the SEC's in-house tribunal system. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2022 ruled that the SEC's in-house proceedings violate the U.S. Constitution's Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial and infringe on presidential and congressional powers.

US Vice President Harris to attend COP28 climate summit in Dubai -Bloomberg News

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The 28th meeting of the United Nations "Conference of the Parties" on climate, known as COP28, runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producer.

Indicted Republican lawmaker George Santos faces new US House move to oust him

Two U.S. House Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday moved to force a vote to expel Republican Representative George Santos, who has been engulfed in scandal since his 2022 election and charged with corruption. The move, what is known as a "privileged resolution", requires a vote on the matter within two legislative days. The motion requires a two-thirds majority in the House, which Republicans control by a narrow 221-213 majority.

Chemours, DuPont, Corteva reach $110 million 'forever chemicals' Ohio settlement

Chemours, Dupont De Nemours and Corteva have reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. state of Ohio for $110 million to resolve claims associated with toxic "forever chemicals", the companies said on Wednesday. Chemours said it would be responsible for half of the settlement costs, while DuPont would provide about $39 million.

South Carolina lawyer convicted of murder gets 27 years for financial crimes

Richard "Alex" Murdaugh, a disgraced former powerhouse lawyer in South Carolina already serving life in prison for the murder of his wife and son, received a 27-year sentence on Tuesday for his guilty plea to nearly two dozen financial crimes. The sentence handed down in a Charleston courtroom, part of the plea deal Murdaugh reached earlier this month, will be served concurrently with the two life terms imposed eight months ago following his murder trial, said a spokesman for the state attorney general's office.