US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. senators unveil bill to curb foreign espionage, influence on campuses; China says it has no intention of interfering in U.S. elections and more

COVID-19 cases surge in Oklahoma, other states ahead of Trump's Tulsa rally Several U.S. states including Oklahoma reported a surge in new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, days before a planned campaign rally for President Donald Trump in Tulsa that would be the nation's largest indoor social gathering in three months.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Decision pending on charges in Atlanta police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks

A Georgia prosecutor is expected to announce as early as Wednesday whether a former Atlanta police officer will face any charges in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy's parking lot last week. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard has said that if he charges former officer Garrett Rolfe it would likely be for murder or felony murder, as he believed Brooks posed no threat and gunning him down was an unreasonable use of force.

COVID-19 cases surge in Oklahoma, other states ahead of Trump's Tulsa rally

Several U.S. states including Oklahoma reported a surge in new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, days before a planned campaign rally for President Donald Trump in Tulsa that would be the nation's largest indoor social gathering in three months. An uptick in coronavirus cases in many states over the past two weeks, along with rising COVID-19 hospitalizations, reflected a troubling national trend that has seen daily U.S. infection numbers climbing after more than a month of declines.

U.S. senators unveil bill to curb foreign espionage, influence on campuses

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators unveiled legislation on Thursday aimed at protecting research and innovation on U.S. campuses and prevent suspected theft of intellectual property by China and other countries. The bill comes amid a growing push in Washington to clamp down on spying and intellectual property theft that some Chinese nationals are suspected of engaging in on U.S. university and college campuses.

Atlanta prosecutors hope to persuade jury to second-guess officer who shot Brooks

Prosecutors seeking to convict Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe for murder in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks must try to persuade jurors to do something they rarely do - second guess split-second police decisions. On Wednesday, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard brought 11 charges against Rolfe, with the most serious being felony murder which carries the death penalty.

China says it has no intention of interfering in U.S. elections

China said on Thursday it has no intention of interfering in the U.S. elections, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, who has said that Trump had sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked about Bolton's accusation, made in an excerpt from his book published by the New York Times.

Jean Kennedy Smith, former U.S. ambassador to Ireland and last surviving sibling of JFK, is dead at 92: NYT

Jean Kennedy Smith, a former U.S. ambassador to Ireland and the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy, died on Wednesday at age 92, the New York Times reported. Smith, the eighth of Joseph and Rose Kennedy's nine children who served as the ambassador to Ireland in the 1990s, died at her home in Manhattan, Smith's daughter Kym told the Times.

Months before election, Trump finds himself at odds with most Americans' views

The temporary fences that separated protesters from the White House have come down. But its occupant, President Donald Trump, appears to be more isolated than ever. Recent opinion surveys, including a poll from Reuters/Ipsos this week, continue to show Trump trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden significantly with just over four months until the Nov. 3 election.

Bolton says Trump unfit for office as book alleges sweeping misdeeds

Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said the U.S. president is unfit for office, according to interview excerpts released on Thursday after portions of the top aide's upcoming book revealed a withering portrayal of his ex-boss. "I don't think he's fit for office," Bolton told ABC News in an interview. "I don't think he has the competence to carry out the job."

Brussels adds George Floyd memorial to large mural collection

Brussels added to its large collection of murals on Thursday with a newly commissioned work in memory of African-American George Floyd, whose killing by police has sparked global protests against racism and police violence. Belgian-Congolese street artist NovaDead, whose real name is Julien Crevaels, completed the work in just over a week in a suburb near the canal that crosses the Belgian capital.

Trump says U.S. will not lock down again amid rising coronavirus cases

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States would not close businesses again as several states reported rising numbers of new coronavirus infections. "We won't be closing the country again. We won't have to do that," Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel.

(With inputs from agencies.)