Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

White House says U.S. will set 'a large cap soon' for refugees

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday the Biden administration expects to set "a large cap soon" for how many refugees it will accept in the remaining months of this fiscal year. President Joe Biden last Friday drew criticism by sticking to a refugee cap of 15,000 set by his predecessor, Donald Trump. The White House backtracked in response to the criticism and said it would set a higher cap by mid-May.

Nervous anticipation turns to joy as former police officer Chauvin found guilty

Nervous crowds awaiting a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin erupted in jubilation on Tuesday after the jury found the former Minneapolis police officer guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd during an arrest last May. Throngs gathered in George Floyd square, around the intersection where Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died with his neck pinned to the street under Chauvin's knee, screamed, cheered and applauded at the news of the guilty verdict.

Factbox: After Chauvin, Minnesota set to prosecute three other officers in Floyd death

With the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd on Tuesday, prosecutors will begin turning their attention to making their case against three others who took part in the fatal arrest. Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, all of whom were fired and arrested days after Floyd died last May, face charges at a trial on Aug. 23 that they aided and abetted second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd.

U.S. judge rejects ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's bid to end sentence early

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a petition by Michael Cohen, the onetime personal lawyer and fixer for former President Donald Trump, to release him from home confinement in May, six months ahead of schedule. U.S. District Judge John Koeltl said the petition was premature because prosecutors were not yet required, under a 2018 law allowing early release for some prisoners, to credit Cohen for hundreds of hours of work and courses he completed while imprisoned at a federal facility in New York state.

Chauvin likely to appeal, claiming trial tainted by civil settlement, media coverage

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin will likely seek to overturn his murder and manslaughter convictions by arguing that the jury was prejudiced by media coverage and a settlement in the civil case brought by George Floyd's family, though his odds of success are slim, legal experts said. A jury on Tuesday found that Chauvin was guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree "depraved mind" murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd, a Black man.. Video of the incident touched off global protests over race and police brutality.

Suspect arrested after fatal shooting at suburban New York supermarket

Police arrested a suspected gunman on Tuesday about four hours after a shooting that left one man dead and two other people wounded at a crowded supermarket in a New York City suburb. Police cordoned off streets around a Long Island apartment complex before arresting Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, 31.

Doctor named as one of victims in fatal Tesla crash in Texas

One of the two victims killed in Texas at the weekend in the crash of a Tesla car believed to operate without a driver was William Varner, a doctor, his employer said on Tuesday. The Tesla Model S smashed into a tree near Houston on Saturday night and burst into flames, killing one occupant found in the front passenger seat and the owner in the back seat, the police has said.

Minneapolis jury convicts ex-policeman Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States and a rebuke of law enforcement's treatment of Black Americans. The 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. Deliberations began on Monday and lasted just over 10 hours.

Neo-Nazi leader arrested in Arizona for aggravated assault

Burt Colucci, commander of one of the United States' oldest white supremacist groups, was arrested on Monday in a Phoenix suburb for pointing a loaded handgun at a Black man and threatening to kill him and his friends, according to police records. The altercation began outside a hotel in Chandler, Arizona, after Colucci placed trash on the car of the African Americans and used racial slurs against them, according to statements police collected from Colucci, the Black people and an independent witness. Only Colucci was identified in the police report that was made public.

U.S. Senate confirms Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly confirmed President Joe Biden's nominee, Lisa Monaco, as deputy attorney general, the No. 2 position at the Justice Department. Monaco, approved by a vote of 98-2, will oversee a vast portfolio encompassing criminal and national security investigations, as well as all U.S. Attorney's Offices across 94 districts.