US Domestic News Roundup: Amazon workers in New York begin voting in union election; California diesel, jet prices rise on Chevron hydrotreater outage -trade and more

Jet prices in the San Francisco and Los Angeles wholesale markets have climbed 45 cents since Wednesday because of the jet fuel hydrotreater shutdown at the 245,271 barrel-per-day (bpd) Richmond refinery, the traders said. Key Democratic senator Manchin to vote for Supreme Court nominee Jackson Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on Friday said he would vote to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, with the support from the influential moderate signaling that she will have the votes to overcome widespread Republican opposition.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Amazon workers in New York begin voting in union election

Amazon.com Inc workers at the company's JFK8 Staten Island warehouse started casting ballots on Friday on whether to form a union as labor organizers look to New York for the first-ever union victory in the retail giant's 28-year history.

As the second-largest U.S. private employer, Amazon has long been a focus for labor advocates who hope that a single union victory will spark organizing efforts across the country.

Supreme Court justice Thomas's wife urged Trump White House to overturn 2020 election -report

Virginia Thomas, the wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, urged former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to work to overturn the results of the 2020 election in a series of text messages, the Washington Post and CBS News reported on Thursday. The messages, sent in the weeks following the Nov. 3 presidential election, show that Thomas advised Meadows to "make a plan" and "release the Kraken" in a bid to preserve Donald Trump's presidency, the Post and CBS News reported.

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dies, aged 50

Taylor Hawkins, the drummer of American rock band Foo Fighters, has died aged 50, the band announced late on Friday. The band did not give a cause of death.

California diesel, jet prices rise on Chevron hydrotreater outage -trade

California diesel prices climbed 52.5 cents a gallon this week in the San Francisco Bay market because of a hydrotreater outage at Chevron Corp’s Richmond, California, refinery, said West Coast market traders. Jet prices in the San Francisco and Los Angeles wholesale markets have climbed 45 cents since Wednesday because of the jet fuel hydrotreater shutdown at the 245,271 barrel-per-day (bpd) Richmond refinery, the traders said.

Key Democratic senator Manchin to vote for Supreme Court nominee Jackson

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on Friday said he would vote to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, with the support from the influential moderate signaling that she will have the votes to overcome widespread Republican opposition. Manchin's announcement is further evidence that Democrats are united on supporting President Joe Biden's nominee to be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. With a simple majority needed for confirmation and the Senate divided 50-50 between the parties, Jackson would get the job even if no Republicans vote for her.

U.S. to close, scale back four immigrant detention centers

The United States will close a troubled detention center in Alabama and significantly scale back the number of beds contracted at three other facilities, citing concerns about conditions. According to an internal document seen by Reuters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will discontinue use of the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Alabama, as it had "long been a facility of serious concern, due to the quantity, severity, diversity and persistence of deficiencies." ICE confirmed the planned closure, which was first reported by Reuters, in a statement on Friday.

With U.S. approval, Trump name to come down from landmark Washington hotel

The U.S. government on Friday said it would allow former President Donald Trump's company to sell the rights to a luxury hotel in Washington to a Hilton affiliate, clearing the way for Trump's name to come down off a building that served as a flashpoint during his presidency. The U.S. General Services Administration, which acts as the federal government's landlord, said it approved the deal between the Trump Organization and CGI Merchant Group, a Miami investment firm that plans to operate the building as a Waldorf Astoria hotel.

Minneapolis teachers reach tentative deal to end weeks-long strike

Minneapolis teachers reached a tentative deal on Friday to end a strike over pay, class sizes and other issues that has kept some 30,000 students out of classes for more than two weeks. School officials said the agreement, which must still be ratified by the teachers union's full membership, paves the way for students to return to school on Monday.

Maryland judge throws out Democratic-backed congressional map

A Maryland judge on Friday threw out the state's new Democratic-backed congressional map, ruling the district lines overwhelmingly favored the party in violation of the state constitution, and ordered lawmakers to draw a new plan. The decision was a blow to Democrats, who are already facing an uphill battle to hold their razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

Racial justice activists awarded $14 million in landmark case against Denver police

A federal court jury on Friday awarded $14 million to a dozen activists who sued Denver police, claiming excessive force was used against peaceful protesters during racial injustice demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The city of Denver has previously settled several civil complaints stemming from the police response to the Floyd protests, but the lawsuit decided Friday was the first such case in the nation to go to trial, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents several of the plaintiffs.

(With inputs from agencies.)