US Domestic News Roundup: ACLU sues to stop Texas from treating transgender care as child abuse; Trump aides' words to take center stage as U.S. Capitol riot hearings open and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

ACLU sues to stop Texas from treating transgender care as child abuse

A group representing 600 Texas families and backed by the American Civil Liberties Union sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday to stop state officials from treating transgender healthcare for minors as a form of child abuse. In February, the Texas governor ordered the Department of Family and Protective Services to open child abuse investigations of families that provide minors with transgender care such as estrogen or testosterone treatments or hormone blockers that delay the onset of puberty.

Trump aides' words to take center stage as U.S. Capitol riot hearings open

The congressional hearings on the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters will spotlight testimony by the former president's top aides and family members as a House committee seeks to persuade Americans that the riot was an orchestrated attack on democracy. After almost a year of investigation, the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack moves into a new phase on Thursday with a prime-time hearing that will include videotaped testimony from senior Trump White House officials and campaign officials, committee aides said.

How a battery shortage is hampering the U.S. switch to wind, solar power

U.S. renewable energy developers have delayed or scrapped several big battery projects meant to store electrical power on the grid in recent months, scuttling plans to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar energy. At least a dozen storage projects meant to support growing renewable energy supplies have been postponed, canceled or renegotiated as labor and transport bottlenecks, soaring minerals prices, and competition from the electric vehicle industry crimp supply.

Biden says Republicans bullied by gun lobby during late-night show visit

U.S President Joe Biden on Wednesday blamed the lack of any progress on gun safety on intimidation by the gun lobby, and he called on voters to make it a deciding issue come November during his first in-person appearance on a late-night talk show.

Biden told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that the National Rifle Association has bullied Republicans into thinking that “if they vote for rational gun policy, they’re going to be primaried.”

Factbox: U.S. House panel scrutinizes the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack

The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has been working for almost a year, interviewing witnesses and amassing documents ahead of public hearings set to start on Thursday. Here are some facts about the investigation.

Biden lines up clean energy growth plan at troubled Americas summit

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday will lay out a pitch to leaders from the Americas for an environmentally-friendly economic partnership as he gears up for a first formal encounter with his Brazilian counterpart, a noted climate change skeptic. Biden will meet Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, a gathering intended to underline renewed U.S. commitment to Latin America after years of comparative neglect under the former Trump administration.

U.S. says convicted R&B singer R. Kelly deserves more than 25 years in prison

U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday said the multiplatinum R&B singer R. Kelly deserves to spend more than 25 years in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking. In a filing in Brooklyn federal court, prosecutors said Kelly exploited his stardom and wealth over a quarter-century to lure women and underage girls for sex, demonstrating a "callous disregard" for his victims and showing no remorse.

Man charged with attempted murder of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh

A California man armed with a handgun who planned to kill Brett Kavanaugh was charged with attempted murder on Wednesday after being arrested near the U.S. Supreme Court justice's Maryland home, voicing dismay about expected rulings curtailing abortion access and expanding gun rights, authorities said. The man, identified as 26-year-old Nicholas Roske of the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley, was carrying a handgun he had purchased for the purpose of killing Kavanaugh as well as ammunition, a crowbar, and pepper spray and other items, according to an affidavit signed by an FBI agent.

Democratic, Republican lawmakers push to maintain momentum in U.S. Senate gun talks

A rare bipartisan effort in the U.S. Senate to agree on legislation to address a wave of mass shootings could reach a watershed moment on Thursday as lawmakers decide whether the drive has enough momentum to succeed. About a dozen lawmakers led by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Senator John Cornyn are trying to find common ground on a plan that would bolster school security, address gaps in the U.S. mental health system and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and individuals deemed to be a danger to the public and themselves.

Trump, adult children agree to testify in NY civil probe

Donald Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, have agreed to testify starting July 15 in a New York state civil investigation into the former U.S. president's business practices. The Trump's testimony could last through the following week, according to an agreement with state Attorney General Letitia James made public on Wednesday. James is investigating whether the Trump Organization misled lenders and tax authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)