Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

New Trump rule targets poor and could cut legal immigration in half, advocates say

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration unveiled a sweeping rule on Monday that some experts say could cut legal immigration in half by denying visas and permanent residency to hundreds of thousands of people for being too poor. The long-anticipated rule, pushed by Trump's leading aide on immigration, Stephen Miller, takes effect Oct. 15. It would reject applicants for temporary or permanent visas if they fail to meet high enough income standards or if they receive public assistance such as welfare, food stamps, public housing or Medicaid.

American Airlines wins permanent court block against alleged disruption by mechanics

A U.S. federal court on Monday issued a permanent injunction against American Airlines Group Inc's mechanics union, which the airline had accused of illegal slowdowns it said had devastated its operations during the peak summer travel season. The judgment, issued in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, made permanent an earlier order against the TWU-IAM Association demanding the workers stop interfering in American's operations.

U.S. records 10 new cases of measles last week

The United States recorded 10 new measles cases last week, taking the total cases for the year to 1,182, in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had recorded cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease in 30 states as of August 8.

Trump Administration weakens U.S. wildlife protections, states and conservationists to sue

The Trump Administration took steps on Monday to significantly weaken the U.S. Endangered Species Act, prompting state attorneys general and conservation groups to threaten legal action to protect at-risk species. The 1970s-era Act is credited with bringing back from the brink of extinction species such as bald eagles, gray whales and grizzly bears, but the law has long been a source of frustration for drilling and mining companies, and other industries because new listings can put vast areas of land off-limits to development.

Friend of Ohio mass shooter faces federal charges for allegedly lying on gun form

A friend of the Ohio man who killed nine people in Dayton was charged on Monday with lying about his drug use on a form when he bought a gun and told authorities that he bought body armor and firearm accessories for the shooter, a federal prosecutor said. The Aug. 4 attack, which ended when police shot and killed the gunman, 24-year-old Connor Betts, was one of three-high profile mass shootings over three weeks that stunned the United States and stoked its long-running debate on gun rights.

Top U.S. auto safety official to depart

The top U.S. auto safety official, a key player in efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to rollback the nation's vehicle fuel efficiency requirements, will step down at the end of the month, the Transportation Department announced on Monday. Heidi King, the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), was nominated by Trump to head the agency on a permanent basis but was never confirmed by the Senate, which is controlled by the president's fellow Republicans. King was appointed as deputy NHTSA administrator in 2017.

Still feelin' groovy: Woodstock photo couple together after all these years

Fifty years ago, Nick and Bobbi Ercoline were just another young couple camped out at the Woodstock festival. But when a photographer snapped their picture early on that Sunday morning as they stood hugging each other while wrapped in a blanket, they unwittingly became part of pop culture history, ending up on the Woodstock festival album cover.

Pennsylvania judges skeptical of Cosby effort to reverse sex assault conviction

A trio of Pennsylvania judges on Monday appeared deeply skeptical of Bill Cosby's effort to have his sexual assault conviction overturned, as the comedian's lawyers argued in court that the trial judge had deprived him of a fair trial. The judicial panel in Superior Court in Harrisburg, the state capital, posed their toughest questions to Cosby's lawyers during a hearing that lasted less than an hour while state prosecutors seemed to receive a much warmer reception.

U.S. attorney general cites 'irregularities' at jail where Epstein died

U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday criticized "serious irregularities" at the federal prison where Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent suicide, adding that the sex-trafficking investigation involving the disgraced financier would continue. Epstein was found dead on Saturday, having apparently hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in lower Manhattan. The 66-year-old was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14.

Tyson to rebuild plant after fire, assures weekly pay for full-time workers

U.S. meat processor Tyson Foods Inc said on Monday it will rebuild a Kansas beef plant after a fire heavily damaged the facility last week and that full-time, active employees would be paid weekly until production resumes. The company said the plant would be down "indefinitely" after the Friday night fire, which idled some 3,800 workers.