Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Yang raises $16.5 million in fourth quarter for bid

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang raised $16.5 million in the fourth quarter, his campaign said on Thursday, well ahead of the nearly $10 million he collected in the third. The total is expected to land him among the top fundraisers in the Democratic field, which has 15 contenders seeking to take on U.S. President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. Trump administration restricts some e-cigarette flavors

The Trump administration on Thursday announced a ban on some popular e-cigarette flavors, including fruit and mint, to curb rising teenage use of vaping products, allowing only menthol and tobacco flavors to remain on the market. The ban came under immediate criticism from public health advocates who said it does not go far enough. Appeals court weighs Trump bid to block testimony sought by House

A U.S. appeals court on Friday is set to hear arguments in a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to block former White House Counsel Don McGahn from testifying to a congressional committee as part of the impeachment effort against Trump. The case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit arises from the Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's lawsuit aiming to enforce an April subpoena seeking testimony from McGahn about Trump's efforts to impede former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe that documented Russian interference in the 2016 election. These Houston residents dream of moving to where the air is clear

On the east side of Houston, the white plumes of the Texas oil and chemical refineries are a constant backdrop for residents of the Manchester neighborhood. Late at night or early in the morning when plants burn off excess gases, the flames light up the whole sky in the neighborhood. Older of two Colorado teens charged in deadly shooting rampage pleads not guilty

The older of two Colorado teens accused of a cocaine-fueled shooting spree that killed one classmate and wounded eight others at a Denver-area charter school, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to murder and attempted murder charges, prosecutors said. Devon Erickson, 19, jailed without bond since the May 7 rampage, entered his plea in Douglas County District Court to all 44 felony counts against him, including conspiracy, weapons offenses and theft, a spokeswoman for District Attorney George Brauchler said in a statement. Trump seeks to shore up evangelical support at 'prosperity gospel' church

U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a campaign event in a Miami megachurch on Friday to shore up support from Christian conservatives, after a prominent evangelical publication questioned whether the faithful should support the Republican. The event by Trump at the 7,000-capacity King Jesus International Ministry church has drawn fresh attention to his administration's ties to "prosperity gospel" preachers who tell followers that generous donations to their churches will be rewarded on Earth with wealth, health and power. U.S. presidential hopeful Joe Biden has best fundraising quarter of his campaign

U.S. Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden took in $22.7 million in the last three months of 2019, his campaign said in a statement on Thursday, a pickup in fundraising just weeks before voters kick off the party's nominating process. The figure marks the best fundraising quarter for the former vice president since his campaign launched in April, and represents a rebound from the July-to-September quarter, when Biden netted $15.2 million. That figure had worried some supporters who thought his campaign may not have enough cash to take on both President Donald Trump and Democrats rivals. Five fishermen presumed dead in sinking of Alaska crabbing vessel

Five commercial fishermen lost at sea when their crabbing vessel capsized and sank on New Year's Eve in the Gulf of Alaska were presumed dead on Thursday after search-and-rescue operations were called off amid rough weather, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The crew of 130-foot (40-meter) Scandies Rose, owned by a Seattle-based fishing company and home-ported in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, issued a distress call late Tuesday night. Its last known location was about 170 miles (270 km) southwest of Kodiak, the Coast Guard said. Popular Iowa congresswoman endorses Joe Biden for president

A popular Democratic congresswoman from Iowa endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential bid on Thursday, a move that could help him gain backing in the state weeks before voters there hold the first nominating contest. U.S. Representative Abby Finkenauer became the first Democrat among the state's House delegation to endorse a candidate. She was one of the first women elected to Congress from Iowa when she won a seat in the state during the 2018 midterm elections. Nike seeks to keep marketing executives out of Michael Avenatti trial

Nike Inc asked a judge to block Michael Avenatti from having five of its sports marketing officials testify at his upcoming criminal trial, calling their testimony irrelevant to whether the California lawyer tried to extort the company. In a Thursday filing in Manhattan federal court, Nike called Avenatti's subpoenas for testimony from sports marketing chief John Slusher and others part of an effort to "put the government's and Nike's conduct on trial," and distract jurors from his own conduct.