US Domestic News Roundup: Busiest U.S. seaport in California starts giving COVID-19 vaccinations; Biden launches review of Guantanamo prison, aims to close it before leaving office and more

Trump impeachment trial could wrap up on Saturday, conviction seen unlikely Donald Trump's second impeachment trial could conclude on Saturday, leaving a divided U.S. Senate to decide whether the former president incited his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in a last-ditch effort to stay in power after his November election defeat.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Busiest U.S. seaport in California starts giving COVID-19 vaccinations

About 800 longshoremen from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Friday got the first COVID-19 vaccinations for dockworkers at the United States' busiest seaport complex, which has been hard hit by pandemic-related workforce disruptions and surging imports. The shots were a welcome relief for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) members who snapped up the appointments in about 20 minutes.

Biden launches review of Guantanamo prison, aims to close it before leaving office

President Joe Biden's aides have launched a formal review of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, reviving the Obama-era goal of closing the controversial facility with the aim of doing so before he leaves office, the White House said on Friday. Aides involved in internal discussions are considering an executive action to be signed by Biden in coming weeks or months, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, signaling a new effort to remove what human rights advocates have called a stain on America’s global image.

Pilloried in Washington, Marjorie Taylor Greene is loved back home

From the pulpit this past Sunday, Pastor Brian Crisp prayed for President Joe Biden and delivered a passionate sermon on loving one’s neighbor. But away from church, the Baptist preacher was steeling for battle. This rural stretch of northwest Georgia is Marjorie Taylor Greene country. The freshman congresswoman won this district in a landslide in November. Voters here aren’t happy that the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on Feb. 4 stripped Greene of her committee assignments - diluting her influence - for, among other things, advocating violence against Democratic lawmakers on social media before she was elected.

U.S. CDC recommends schools reopen with masks and rigid health protocols

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued new guidance for U.S. schools to reopen, recommending universal mask-wearing and physical distancing as key COVID-19 mitigation strategies to get children back in the classroom quickly. The guidelines https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html, which also emphasize the need for facility-cleaning, personal hygiene and contact tracing, are intended to give school districts a road map to bring the nation's 55 million public school students back to classrooms without sparking COVID-19 outbreaks.

Virginia man with ties to anti-government 'Oath Keepers' pleads not guilty in Capitol riots case

A Virginia man whom prosecutors accuse of plotting for months in advance with fellow associates of the anti-government "Oath Keepers" militia to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday. Thomas Caldwell, a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander who has held a security clearance and once worked for the FBI, was indicted last month along with Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, destroying government property and entering a restricted building.

Trump impeachment trial could wrap up on Saturday, conviction seen unlikely

Donald Trump's second impeachment trial could conclude on Saturday, leaving a divided U.S. Senate to decide whether the former president incited his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in a last-ditch effort to stay in power after his November election defeat. Trump is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. If convicted, the Senate could then vote to bar him from running for office again.

U.S. Senate honors police officer who protected lawmakers in riot

After hours of heated arguments in former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, lawmakers found a rare moment of consensus when the U.S. Senate voted on Friday to award the highest honor Congress can bestow to one of the police officers who responded to the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. By unanimous consent, the Senate passed a measure to give the Congressional Gold Medal to officer Eugene Goodman of the U.S. Capitol Police force.

Republican enthusiasm for second Trump term lags as impeachment trial nears end

Senate Republicans, while likely to acquit former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial, showed little enthusiasm this week for a possible second White House bid in 2024 after reliving his supporters' deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol. Following days of graphic videos of the melee presented by House managers, Republicans expressed concern about his post-election behavior, including his repeated false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him - even as they insisted that his trial on a charge of inciting insurrection is unconstitutional.

Biden makes first trip as U.S. president to rustic Camp David retreat

Joe Biden arrived on Friday for his first weekend as U.S. president at Camp David, the storied retreat in the mountains of western Maryland that many predecessors found to be a rustic getaway from the political battles of Washington. Nestled in the Catoctin Mountains, the heavily guarded compound operated by the U.S. Navy provided a refuge for Jimmy Carter to fish and George W. Bush to ride his mountain bike.

Senator Graham's call with Georgia official part of election probe: Washington Post

A Georgia prosecutor plans to examine a phone call between U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and Georgia's secretary of state as part of a criminal investigation into whether former President Donald Trump or his allies broke state law in trying to influence the results of the election, the Washington Post reported on Friday. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will look into the call Graham made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger 10 days after the Nov. 3 election, the Post reported, citing an unnamed person familiar with the probe.

(With inputs from agencies.)