Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. California pulls most National Guard troops from U.S.-Mexico border

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed an order withdrawing more than two-thirds of the state's National Guard troops from the U.S.-Mexico border, calling claims of an illegal immigration crisis there nothing but "political theater." Newsom said most of the roughly 360 National Guard members deployed to the border would be reassigned to other duties in the state, with about 100 remaining behind as part of a task force targeting drug trafficking and cartels. Dachshund, schipperke among breeds to advance to final at Westminster Dog Show

A longhaired dachshund, a Havanese, a schipperke and a bouvier des Flandres triumphed at Monday's group competitions at the 143nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the lead-up to the big day - competition for Best in Show. Almost 3,000 high-pedigree dogs were groomed for victory this year in the most prestigious title in the rarefied world of dog breeding. 'El Chapo' jurors appear to focus on top U.S. charge; no verdict

The jury weighing the fate of accused Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on Monday appeared focused on the main charge against him, whether he engaged in a continuing crime spree that could land him in prison for life. Jurors left the federal courtroom in Brooklyn after failing to reach a verdict in their fifth day of deliberations, which began on Feb. 4. They are expected to resume deliberations on Tuesday morning. O'Rourke, Trump duel over wall, immigration in possible 2020 preview

Potential White House hopeful Beto O’Rourke accused Donald Trump of fear-mongering on Monday and the Republican president mocked the Democrat as a "young man who lost" in dueling rallies that could preview the tenor of the 2020 election campaign. O'Rourke, who narrowly lost his 2018 bid for a U.S. Senate seat, accused Trump of stoking "false fear" about immigrants and telling "lies" about his hometown El Paso, which Trump said was a dangerous place before it had a border fence. Illinois attorney general challenges Van Dyke murder sentence

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a prosecutor on Monday challenged the sentence of former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke for the murder of a black teenager, questioning whether the judge who imposed it followed the law due to his failure to account for other convictions. Van Dyke, 40, who is white, was sentenced last month to nearly seven years in prison for second-degree murder in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald in 2014 in a case that highlighted racial tensions in America's third-largest city. Florida's gun debate persists a year after Parkland mass shooting

A year after Florida lawmakers rushed through far-reaching legislation on school safety and gun control in response to the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history, the state is on the verge of reopening the heart-wrenching debate. Gun control advocates vow to block a recommendation to arm teachers, while conservatives aim to rescind the new gun restrictions. The opposing viewpoints are likely to create some tension when the Florida legislative session begins next month. Five killed in shooting in eastern Texas: police

Five people were found shot and killed in a home in an unincorporated town in eastern Texas on Monday, police said. Police and rescue workers responded to a call at 10:30 a.m. CST about multiple victims of an assault at a residence in Blanchard, Texas, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. First U.S. tax filings under Trump's overhaul off to slow start

The first U.S. tax filing season under the overhaul that President Donald Trump signed into law at the end of 2017 got off to a slow start in the first week, with data released on Friday showing a significant drop in returns and refunds. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the total number of returns received in the week ending Feb. 1, 16.04 million, was down 12.4 percent from the week that ended on Feb. 2, 2018. Only 13.31 million returns were processed, down 25.8 percent from the year before. The average refund of $1,865 was 8.4 percent smaller than the average refund in the period last year. Virginia Democrats hold fire on impeachment of lieutenant governor

Virginia Democrats pressured Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax to resign on Monday over accusations of sexual assault, which he denies, but held off on pursuing impeachment, with the Republican speaker of the state House urging restraint. Fairfax is one of three top state Democrats engulfed by scandal this month. Governor Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring have also faced criticism after admitting they wore blackface in the 1980s. Denver union, officials to reconvene as schools strike enters second day

Thousands of Denver public school teachers are expected to strike Tuesday, disrupting classes for more than 90,000 students for a second day as union and school district officials resume talks that broke down at the weekend. In the latest of several major strikes to hit the U.S. public school system, the teachers are seeking pay hikes and a new salary structure.