US News Roundup: Trump ordered Pentagon to let convicted Navy SEAL keep elite status; McDonald's to pay $26 million to settle California wage lawsuit

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. House intelligence chairman says Trump impeachment report early next month

The inquiry into President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine will enter a new phase shortly after Congress returns to Washington next week when lawmakers issue a report that could lead to impeachment charges against the president, the head of the committee leading the probe said on Monday. U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said the panels involved in the impeachment probe would send a report to the House Judiciary Committee after lawmakers come back on Dec. 3 from the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

Trump ordered Pentagon to let convicted Navy SEAL keep elite status

President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to let a Navy SEAL convicted of battlefield misconduct keep his Trident pin designating him as a member of the elite force, instead of holding a review board, his defense secretary said on Monday. The disclosure by Mark Esper illustrates how Trump intervened repeatedly in the case of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted by a military jury of murdering a captured Islamic State fighter in Iraq, but convicted of posing with the detainee's corpse.

Wicked weather threatens Thanksgiving travel for millions of Americans

Two powerful storms packing heavy snows and strong winds are expected to sweep across the western half of the United States this week just in time to wreak havoc on the plans of millions of Americans traveling for Thursday's Thanksgiving Day holiday. Starting on Monday evening, a storm will begin dumping more than a foot (30 cm) of snow as wind gusts reach 45 mph (72 kph)in an area from southern Wyoming to central Colorado.

U.S. judge backs House subpoena for ex-White House counsel's testimony

Former White House counsel Don McGahn must comply with a congressional subpoena seeking his testimony about President Donald Trump's efforts to impede the now-completed federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, a judge ruled on Monday. In an important case about presidential powers, U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in Washington rejected the Trump administration's legal claim that current and former senior White House officials cannot be compelled to testify before Congress.

U.S. Supreme court extends block on Trump financial records dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave President Donald Trump a boost by extending its hold on a lower court ruling that required his longtime accounting firm to hand over his financial records to a Democratic-led House of Representatives committee. The unsigned order will remain in effect until after the Supreme Court decides whether to hear Trump's appeal of the lower court ruling that directed Mazars LLP, Trump's longtime accounting firm, to comply with the subpoena for the records.

U.S. prosecutors seek information on payments to Trump lawyer Giuliani: subpoena

Federal prosecutors in New York are seeking records of payments to Rudy Giuliani, U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyer, as part of an active criminal investigation, according to a grand jury subpoena seen by Reuters. The subpoena does not indicate that Giuliani is suspected of wrongdoing. But the crimes being investigated, it says, include money laundering, wire fraud, campaign finance violations, making false statements, obstruction of justice, and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). It requires disclosure of lobbying on behalf of foreign interests.

McDonald's to pay $26 million to settle California wage lawsuit

McDonald's Corp agreed to pay $26 million to settle a nearly seven-year-old lawsuit accusing the fast food chain of underpaying U.S. staff at its corporate-owned restaurants in California. The preliminary settlement resolves claims that the company used a timekeeping system that cheated workers out of overtime, barred workers from taking rest breaks during their shifts, and forced workers to clean and iron their uniforms out of pocket.

Trump welcomes dog who helped catch Islamic State leader to White House

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed an unusual guest to the White House on Monday - Conan, the military service dog who helped hunt down Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "This is Conan, right now probably the world's most famous dog," said Trump, flanked by his wife Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, Conan and a handler.

'No quid pro quo': Trump's defenses in the impeachment investigation

President Donald Trump has maintained throughout the impeachment inquiry that he did nothing improper in his dealings with Ukraine, even as witnesses have detailed efforts by his White House to get Ukraine to take actions that could help him politically. Here are Trump's positions on the main aspects of the investigation.

Democrat Warren accuses rival Bloomberg of trying to buy U.S. presidential election

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren blasted billionaire Michael Bloomberg on Monday for launching his nascent White House bid with a $37 million TV advertising blitz, accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to buy American democracy. Bloomberg, 77, a media mogul who will use his personal fortune to spend freely on his campaign and has said he will not take donations, officially jumped into the White House race as a moderate Democrat on Sunday.

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