US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. man convicted of sex trafficking for extorting New York college students; Washington's unwelcome party guest: COVID crashes capital's reopening and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. man convicted of sex trafficking for extorting New York college students

A U.S. man was convicted of sex trafficking and other crimes on Wednesday for coercing a group of students at Sarah Lawrence College in New York state to perform unpaid work for him including engaging in prostitution. Prosecutors accused Lawrence Ray, 62, of using physical violence and threats of criminal legal action to extort payments from students between 2010 and 2020 at Sarah Lawrence, a private college located north of New York City. Ray moved into his daughter's dormitory room at the college in 2010, prosecutors said.

Washington's unwelcome party guest: COVID crashes capital's reopening

As Washington emerges from its COVID cocoon, with tourists returning to the U.S. Capitol and officials attending a white-tie party that had been scorched for the past two years, the coronavirus is again stalking the halls of power. At least a half-dozen senior officials, including members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet and lawmakers, have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, even as caseloads drop across the country.

Republican registrations surge in Pennsylvania in warning sign for Democrats

Republicans are registering formerly Democratic voters at four times the rate that Democrats are making the reverse conversion in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, a warning sign for Democrats as they try to keep control of the U.S. Congress. The Republican gains in Pennsylvania, home to a critical U.S. Senate race, follow a pattern seen in other states that could have competitive contests in November's elections, as high levels of disapproval with President Joe Biden's handling of his job are helping narrow the long-held advantage held by Democrats in numbers of registered voters.

U.S. House holds former Trump aides in contempt over Capitol attack probe

The U.S. House of Representatives recommended contempt of Congress charges on Wednesday for Peter Navarro and Daniel Scavino, former aides to Donald Trump, for failing to cooperate with a House probe into the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro, who was a top trade adviser to the Republican former president, and Scavino, who was deputy chief of staff, did not comply with subpoenas to appear before the House Select Committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

Congressional Democrats propose new rules on recusal, secrecy for U.S. judges

Democrats in the U.S. Congress proposed a raft of new rules for the federal judiciary on Wednesday including a formal mechanism to remove judges from hearing cases in the event of a conflict of interest and another intended to reduce secret court filings. The legislation was being introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Among its sponsors are House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Senate Judiciary Committee members Sheldon Whitehouse and Richard Blumenthal.

U.S. road rage shootings soared during pandemic, gun control group says

One person was shot on the road in the United States every 17 hours in 2021, according to a new tally of road rage violence. In all, 131 people were killed and 391 wounded by gunfire for a total of 522 road rage casualties in 2021, the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety said in a report released this week.

Trump adviser Bannon blocked from using key defense in July U.S. trial

A U.S. judge on Wednesday dealt a setback to Steve Bannon ahead of his upcoming criminal trial, blocking former President Donald Trump's adviser from telling jurors that he relied on advice from lawyers when he defied a congressional subpoena. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols blocked Bannon's attorneys from making an argument known as the "advice of counsel" defense during the trial, which is scheduled to begin on July 18.

Biden administration holds EV industry meeting with Musk, Barra

The Biden administration said senior officials held a meeting Wednesday with major automotive leaders including Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and General Motors Chief Executive Mary Barra to discuss electric vehicles and charging. The administration said in a statement "there was broad consensus that charging stations and vehicles need to be interoperable and provide a seamless user experience, no matter what car you drive or where you charge your EV."

For first time, a U.S. Capitol riot defendant is acquitted

A federal judge on Wednesday issued the first acquittal in a criminal trial stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying prosecutors failed to prove their case against a New Mexico man facing misdemeanor charges. In a case that could embolden some of the hundreds of other defendants facing minor misdemeanor charges to go to trial rather than seeking plea deals, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden accepted Matthew Martin's argument that he did not know he was breaking the law when he entered the Capitol complex.

Kentucky Governor Beshear vetoes transgender sports ban

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Wednesday vetoed a bill passed by the state's Republican-dominated legislature that would have banned transgender girls from participating in girls' sports from sixth grade through college. The bill is one of several passed in conservative states in recent weeks by lawmakers who say that those born males would have an unfair advantage on the playing field against those born female.