US Domestic News Roundup: Jeffrey Epstein accuser expands lawsuit against estate, alleged enablers

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump and U.S. Democrats jockey for position in deepening impeachment battle

The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives was set on Wednesday to step up its impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump over his dealings with Ukraine, as the White House declared it would not cooperate with the probe. The three congressional committees leading the inquiry were working on final arrangements to interview a U.S. intelligence officer who filed the whistleblower complaint that triggered the probe, a day after the State Department abruptly blocked the U.S. ambassador to the European Union from speaking to them.

UK foreign minister to meet parents after fatal crash involving U.S. diplomat's wife: Sky

British foreign minister Dominic Raab will meet the parents of a teenager who was killed in a road crash involving a U.S. diplomat's wife, Sky News reported on Wednesday. Harry Dunn, 19, died in August after a collision near RAF Croughton, an air force base in Northamptonshire, central England, that is used by the United States.

Jeffrey Epstein accuser expands lawsuit against estate, alleged enablers

A New York woman who said Jeffrey Epstein began grooming her for sex when she was 14 and later raped her expanded her lawsuit against his estate, naming several women who allegedly enabled the financier's abuses and seeking to block the estate from shielding his assets from victims. In her amended complaint filed on Tuesday, Jennifer Araoz accused four women by name who once worked with Epstein of misconduct, and added more than 20 corporate defendants associated with the late financier.

U.S. Supreme Court divided on LGBT employment protection; Gorsuch could be key

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared closely divided over whether a landmark federal law forbidding sex discrimination in the workplace protects gay and transgender employees, with conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch emerging as a potential decisive vote. The nine justices heard two hours of high-profile arguments in three cases that could broaden LGBT rights involving three workers - two gay and one transgender - who sued after being fired by their employers, claiming unlawful discrimination. The Supreme Court has never ruled on transgender rights.

U.S. Democratic presidential contender Warren vows to pursue 'environmental justice'

Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren vowed on Wednesday to protect minority- and low-income communities from the effects of pollution and climate change, arguing that vulnerable populations had suffered for decades because of federal inaction. Warren is the latest Democratic candidate to emphasize environmental justice as part of an overall approach to climate change, calling for policies that take into account racial and economic inequalities.

Wealthy couple gets prison terms for U.S. college admissions scam

The founder of a food and beverage packaging company and his wife were each sentenced to one month in prison on Tuesday for their roles in what prosecutors say is the largest college admissions scam uncovered in the United States. Gregory and Marcia Abbott received lighter sentences than the eight-month terms sought by federal prosecutors in Boston after they admitted to paying $125,000 to have a corrupt test proctor secretly correct their daughter's answers on college entrance exams.

Trump to announce changes to anti-kickback rules for healthcare providers

U.S. President Donald Trump will announce plans to change healthcare regulations on Wednesday to loosen anti-kickback provisions that restrict the kinds of outside services providers can refer patients to, administration officials said. Trump will explain how the new rules advance his broader healthcare agenda, which includes reducing regulatory burdens and promoting innovative ways to reimburse healthcare providers, in a speech in Minnesota, the officials said.

California power cutoff begin as wildfire risks rise

Hundreds of thousands of California homes and businesses started to lose electric power early Wednesday as part of an unprecedented effort by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to prevent wildfires, the utility said. Nearly 800,000 northern and central California homes and businesses can expect to lose electricity for up to several days, starting on Wednesday, PG&E said.

Trump's fast-tracking of oil pipelines hits legal roadblocks

The Trump administration's effort to cut red tape and speed up major energy projects has backfired in the case of the three biggest U.S. pipelines now planned or under construction. All three have been stalled by successful legal challenges by environmental groups alleging the administration failed to apply the regulatory scrutiny required under the law.

Louisiana's Democratic governor fights for re-election in Republican-leaning state

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a conservative Democrat who supports gun rights and opposes abortion, is fighting for a second term in a conservative-leaning state, with President Donald Trump set to rally with the leading Republican contenders ahead of Saturday's vote. Edwards is the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state. Trump, seeking to end that anomaly, is asking voters to choose either Eddie Rispone, a businessman or U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham. On Friday, Trump will appear with both men for a rally in Lake Charles.

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