US Domestic News Roundup: Mark Shields, longtime U.S. political commentator, dies at 85; Iowa top court rejects right to abortion, revives waiting period law and more

The hearings have detailed the ways in which Trump urged his supporters to turn on Pence for refusing his requests to reject the November 2020 election results, before they stormed the Capitol, fighting with police as some chanted "hang Mike Pence!" U.S. national security adviser Sullivan tests positive for COVID U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, a spokesperson said, a week before he is due to accompany President Joe Biden to a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced economies.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Mark Shields, longtime U.S. political commentator, dies at 85

Mark Shields, a longtime TV political pundit and syndicated columnist in Washington known for his expansive knowledge of U.S. politics, humor and staunch support of liberal Democrats, died on Saturday at age 85. Shields, who provided insights on six presidential administrations, died from complications of kidney disease, his daughter, Amy Doyle, told the Washington Post.

Iowa top court rejects right to abortion, revives waiting period law

Iowa's highest court on Friday ruled that the state's constitution does not include a "fundamental right" to abortion, reversing its own finding from four years ago and reviving a law requiring women to wait 24 hours after an initial appointment before getting an abortion. The 5-2 ruling by the Supreme Court of Iowa overturned a lower court one blocking the law, which had been challenged by a Planned Parenthood affiliate. It comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected in coming weeks to issue a major ruling that could dramatically curtail abortion rights at the national level.

Apple workers at Maryland store vote to unionize, a first for the U.S.

Apple Inc workers in Maryland voted on Saturday to join a union, becoming the first retail employees of the tech giant to unionize in the United States. More than 100 workers in Towson near Baltimore "have overwhelmingly voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers," the union said on its website.

Bayer wins fourth Roundup weedkiller case in U.S

A U.S. jury found Bayer's Roundup weedkiller did not cause an Oregon man's cancer, the German agriculture and pharmaceuticals company said on Saturday, handing the firm its fourth consecutive trial victory over such claims. The verdict, reached on Friday by the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Oregon, is "consistent with the assessments of expert regulators worldwide as well as the overwhelming evidence from four decades of scientific studies concluding that Roundup can be used safely and is not carcinogenic", Bayer said.

Trump criticizes Pence's actions on Jan. 6, 2021, says he lacked 'courage'

The day after the latest U.S. congressional hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters, the former president criticized Mike Pence's actions that day, saying that his vice president had lacked courage. The hearings have detailed the ways in which Trump urged his supporters to turn on Pence for refusing his requests to reject the November 2020 election results, before they stormed the Capitol, fighting with police as some chanted "hang Mike Pence!"

U.S. national security adviser Sullivan tests positive for COVID

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, a spokesperson said, a week before he is due to accompany President Joe Biden to a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced economies. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Sullivan had not been in close contact with Biden and was asymptomatic. It was his first COVID infection, she said.

Biden falls after flubbing bike dismount, but is uninjured

U.S. President Joe Biden took a spill from his bike on Saturday as he stopped to greet supporters during a weekend trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He appeared to be uninjured after standing up immediately. "I'm good," Biden, 79, said after the tumble, which occurred in front of reporters. "I got my foot caught up," he said.

Parades, street festivals and speeches mark Juneteenth across U.S

With street parties, the trumpets and drums of marching bands, speeches and a few political rallies, people across the United States marked Juneteenth this weekend, a jubilee commemorating the end of the legal enslavement of Black Americans. Events started on Friday and continued through Sunday featuring concerts at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, freedom walks in Galveston, Texas, and jazz music in New York City's Harlem neighborhood.

Some shoppers balk at retailers peddling new 'Juneteenth' merchandise

Clothing retailer Kohl's is offering gray, green and red "Juneteenth 1865" tank tops and t-shirts for juniors and boys for $23.99. JCPenney.com hopes to lure shoppers with dozens of wall hangings featuring abstract graphic designs and silhouettes of Black women, priced at $60 to $160 apiece. In the first big push to commercialize Juneteenth, commemorated by Black people for generations as the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of enslaved people in Texas that they were free, a handful of major retailers are rolling out merchandise.

U.S. rolls out COVID vaccine for tots

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months, allowing a nationwide rollout to start next week. The CDC's move came after a panel of advisers to the institution voted earlier on Saturday to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for those children.

(With inputs from agencies.)