Reuters US Domestic News Summary

It is high time to respond to a "cry for justice 400 years in the making," Biden said in videotaped remarks to civil rights organizers and activists, referring to the beginning of U.S. slavery on the continent in the 17th century. Defense expert testifies George Floyd died of heart disease, car exhaust fumes A medical expert who testified in defense of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin told jurors on Wednesday he believed George Floyd's death while under arrest was the result of heart disease which made his heart beat erratically.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Illinois House passes bill mandating Asian-American history in schools

The Illinois lower house passed a bill on Wednesday requiring public schools to teach Asian-American history, setting the stage for possible adoption of milestone legislation amid rising incidents of violence against people of Asian descent. The bill, which would mandate the teaching of a unit of Asian-American history in public elementary and high schools starting in the 2022-2023 school year, passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives by a vote of 98 to 13.

'How can a democracy function if we can't talk to one another?' U.S. justices ask

Two U.S. Supreme Court justices from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum are calling on Americans to learn to talk civilly to each other or risk lasting damage to the nation's democratic system. Speaking in a pre-recorded discussion released on Wednesday, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor and conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch both bemoaned the current state of public discourse, which they said was abetted by the spread of disinformation on social media.

New York's largest hospital system sets up mental health center for employees

New York's largest healthcare provider Northwell Health has opened a center to offer resilience and traumatic stress services to its 76,000 healthcare employees and their families impacted by COVID-19. Three Northwell Health frontline health professionals shared their experience of working at the height of the pandemic at a news conference on Wednesday.

U.S. Senate hate crimes bill sails past filibuster

Hate crime legislation intended to combat violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic advanced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, easily overcoming the Senate procedural tool known as the filibuster. Senators on Wednesday took a procedural vote on whether to limit debate on the overall bill. Under the chamber's filibuster rule, at least 60 senators must consent to take that step, requiring bipartisan support since the chamber is divided 50-50.

Minnesota cop who shot Black man after traffic stop charged with manslaughter

The white suburban police officer who fatally shot a young Black motorist during a traffic stop in a confrontation that ignited three nights of civil unrest was charged with manslaughter on Wednesday, a day after the officer turned in her badge. Daunte Wright, 20, was pulled over in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Sunday for what police said was an expired vehicle registration, then struggled with police and was shot dead by officer Kim Potter, 48, who drew her handgun instead of a Taser in what officials called an accident.

Prosecutors say Kristin Smart was killed during rape or attempted rape

Prosecutors on Wednesday charged a former classmate with the murder of Kristin Smart, a California college freshman who went missing nearly 25 years ago, alleging for the first time that the suspect killed her during a rape or attempted rape. Paul Flores, who attended California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo with Smart, 19, was charged with a single count of first-degree murder. He is now 44.

U.S. Capitol Police probe finds widespread shortcomings ahead of deadly Jan. 6 assault

A law enforcement internal probe of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol found significant shortcomings within the police department charged with securing the complex and made dozens of recommendations for avoiding a repeat of the violence.

The U.S. Capitol Police inspector general, in two reports submitted to Congress last month, focused on "deficiencies" within the police department's unit that handles civil disturbances, along with poor coordination and training within its intelligence operations.

Biden pledged police reform, but asking Congress to act first

Nearly a year after President Joe Biden called for "real action" on police brutality as part of a pledge to fix U.S. racial inequality, he is coming up against the limits of presidential power. The White House shelved a proposed police oversight commission this week to focus on a police reform bill that has narrow hopes in Congress. The move comes as anger grows over the killing of another Black man, Daunte Wright, who was stopped by police just miles from where George Floyd was killed last May.

Biden administration vows economic and justice reforms for Black Americans

President Joe Biden and two of his top cabinet members on Wednesday promised U.S. economic and criminal justice reforms that would benefit Black communities at a conference organized by longtime activist Al Sharpton. It is high time to respond to a "cry for justice 400 years in the making," Biden said in videotaped remarks to civil rights organizers and activists, referring to the beginning of U.S. slavery on the continent in the 17th century.

Defense expert testifies George Floyd died of heart disease, car exhaust fumes

A medical expert who testified in defense of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin told jurors on Wednesday he believed George Floyd's death while under arrest was the result of heart disease which made his heart beat erratically. Dr. David Fowler, a forensic pathologist who was Maryland's chief medical examiner until his retirement in 2019, also told the jury he believed exhaust fumes from the police car next to which Chauvin pinned Floyd to the road may also have contributed to Floyd's death in May 2020.