US News Roundup: Medicare to cover expensive cancer cell therapies; U.S. emergency alert test hits TVs and radios

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. immigration agents arrest 680 workers at Mississippi plants

U.S. immigration authorities arrested nearly 700 people at seven agricultural processing plants across Mississippi on Wednesday in what federal officials said could be the largest worksite enforcement operation in a single state. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement they detained about 680 people who were working illegally at the plants. They said they also seized business records as part of a federal criminal investigation.

Sex-trafficking victim, who killed a man as a teen, set free in case championed by Kardashian, Rihanna

A sex-trafficking victim, who was sentenced as a teenager to life in prison for murder, was released from a Tennessee prison on Wednesday after serving 15 years for killing a man who paid to have sex with her, according to prison officials. Cyntoia Brown, 31, whose murder conviction at 16 years of age galvanized A-list celebrities to campaign for criminal justice reform, was freed from prison after Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted her clemency https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trafficking-brown/tennessee-governor-grants-clemency-to-woman-championed-by-kim-kardashian-idUSKCN1P124S earlier this year.

Uncertain welcome awaits Trump in Ohio and Texas after deadly mass shootings

U.S. President Donald Trump, whose racially incendiary rhetoric critics blame for stoking violence, faced an uncertain welcome on Wednesday as he headed for the sites of the two latest deadly mass shootings, one of them being investigated as a hate crime. Trump was scheduled to visit Dayton, Ohio, scene of a rampage early on Sunday in which nine people and the suspect were killed, and then travel on to El Paso, Texas, where 22 people were killed at a Walmart store on Saturday before the gunman was taken alive.

U.S. agency says Trump, Bush can review Kavanaugh records request

The U.S. agency responsible for preserving government records said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump and former President George W. Bush can review a request by House Democrats for the records of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Two Democrats from the House Judiciary Committee, including Chairman Jerrold Nadler, asked the National Archives on Tuesday for records from Kavanaugh's time in the Bush White House, saying the panel needs the information as it considers a "code of conduct" for Supreme Court justices.

Puerto Rico gets another governor after supreme court clears the way

Puerto Rico got its third governor in less than a week on Wednesday just hours after the bankrupt U.S. territory's supreme court ruled that Pedro Pierluisi's assumption of the office was unconstitutional and ordered him to leave. The island's justice secretary, Wanda Vazquez, was sworn in as governor at the supreme court in San Juan.

Virginia police search for armed man at USA Today headquarters

The headquarters of USA Today in suburban Washington was evacuated on Wednesday following reports of a man with a weapon, the national newspaper said, but there were no indications of any violence or injuries. Police officers with rifles surrounded and entered the building in McLean, Virginia, according to images posted on social media.

Medicare to cover expensive cancer cell therapies

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday said it has finalized a decision to cover expensive cancer cell therapies sold by Gilead Sciences Inc and Novartis AG. CMS, which runs Medicare - the federal government's health plan for Americans 65 and older - said it will cover the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies when provided in healthcare facilities that have programs in place to track patient outcomes.

U.S. emergency alert test hits TVs and radios

A test of the U.S. Emergency Alert System interrupted radios and televisions across the United States on Wednesday, excluding cellphones that were sent a presidential alert last year. The test at 2:20 p.m. EDT was issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission.

Progressive candidate concedes in New York City Democratic primary

The Democratic primary race for Queens district attorney finally came to end an end on Tuesday with political newcomer Tiffany Cabán, a progressive backed by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, conceding victory to Melinda Katz, the establishment favorite candidate. Cabán, a queer Latino, declared victory on election night in June, but since then, the two candidates had been battling over absentee ballots in a weeks-long recount ending in Katz's favor. Last week, the New York City Board of Elections certified that Cabán lost by several dozen votes, but until now, the 31-year-old had yet to concede victory.

As U.S. college admission process opens, scandal weighs on low-income students

Christine Bascombe, a New York City high school student who dreams of attending Cornell University, says she was devastated last spring to hear that dozens of rich parents had committed fraud to get their children into elite colleges. The 16-year-old, who will enter her final year at Brooklyn's Williamsburg Charter High School in the fall, says nearly every waking hour is dedicated to earning a spot in the Ivy League school.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)