US Domestic News Roundup: Biden might join Las Vegas hotel workers on picket line, union chief says; Atmospheric river pounds California but worst yet to come and more

"I urge Congress to come together and swiftly pass this bipartisan agreement," President Joe Biden said, also praising the migration measures in the bill, which took months to negotiate. Atmospheric river pounds California but worst yet to come Heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds pounded much of California on Sunday, knocking out power for 900,000 customers and threatening serious floods as forecasters expect the storm to stall over major cities for the next day or two.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Atmospheric river storm leaves over 600,000 still without power in California

More than 600,000 homes and businesses were still without power in California early on Monday, according to data from PowerOutage.us, after an atmospheric river storm pounded the state with heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds. The storm is the second Pineapple Express weather system, or atmospheric river storm, to hit the state in the past week and arrived just as Los Angeles welcomed celebrities for the music industry's Grammy awards.

Rapper Killer Mike taken away from Grammy Awards in handcuffs

Rapper Killer Mike was taken away from Sunday night's Grammy Awards in handcuffs by police after sweeping up three of the music industry's biggest prizes for rap music, witnesses said. Los Angeles police offered no statement on the matter and two separate press officers on duty said they had no information.

US Senate unveils $118 billion bill on border security, aid for Ukraine, Israel

The U.S. Senate on Sunday unveiled a $118 billion bipartisan border security bill that would also provide aid to Ukraine and Israel, but it promptly slammed into opposition from the House of Representatives. "I urge Congress to come together and swiftly pass this bipartisan agreement," President Joe Biden said, also praising the migration measures in the bill, which took months to negotiate.

Atmospheric river pounds California but worst yet to come

Heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds pounded much of California on Sunday, knocking out power for 900,000 customers and threatening serious floods as forecasters expect the storm to stall over major cities for the next day or two. The storm is the second Pineapple Express weather system, or atmospheric river storm, to hit the state in the past week and arrived just as Los Angeles welcomed celebrities for the music industry's Grammy awards, where the red carpet was tented but other attendees were forced to slog through heavy rain in glitzy cocktail attire, some with only a handbag for an umbrella.

Explainer-What California's atmospheric rivers means for water, snowpack levels

A second atmospheric river storm, or Pineapple Express weather system, has hit California and is expected to continue through Tuesday, bringing heavy rain that could cause flash floods and mudslides. WHAT IS AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER?

Interview with Putin? Tucker Carlson says with a smile: 'We'll see'

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, whose arrival in Moscow has fuelled speculation he may become the first Western journalist to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin during the war in Ukraine, kept his cards close to his chest on Monday.

Russian media showed pictures of Carlson at several spots around Moscow, including at a box at the Bolshoi Theatre and eating at a hotel.

Trump heads to US Supreme Court with a familiar claim: he is untouchable

Donald Trump will try to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court this week to reverse a judicial decision to kick him off the ballot in Colorado over his actions concerning the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, arguing that the constitutional provision his opponents cite does not apply to him as a former president. It may not be the only time Trump makes this type of assertion to the justices. As he fights four criminal cases and civil litigation in lower courts, Trump has repeatedly advanced a bold argument: that he is formally immune or otherwise not subject to these legal challenges.

Meta oversight board calls company's deepfake rule 'incoherent'

Meta's Oversight Board has determined Facebook video wrongfully suggesting that U.S. President Joe Biden is a pedophile does not violate the company's current rules while deeming those rules "incoherent" and too narrowly focused on AI-generated content. The board, which is funded by Meta but run independently, took on the Biden video case in October in response to a user complaint about an altered seven-second video of the president posted on Meta's flagship social network.

Texas' Abbott, backed by fellow US Republican governors, remains defiant on border

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, joined by fellow Republican governors on Sunday, vowed to defy the Biden administration and maintain state control of a U.S. border hotspot "as long as it takes." Abbott has clashed with Democratic President Joe Biden over the state's aggressive tactics to deter those crossing, including troops, concertina wire and a floating buoy barrier in the Rio Grande.

Biden might join Las Vegas hotel workers on picket line, union chief says

President Joe Biden might join Las Vegas hotel employees on a picket line if they go on strike Monday, a move that would bind him closely with another group of workers in a 2024 election battleground state, the union's chief told Reuters. Workers with the politically influential Nevada Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino have until early Monday to reach an agreement.