US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. Capitol riot hearing shows Trump allies, daughter rejected fraud claims; U.S. banks finally see an upturn in credit-card borrowing and more

The not-guilty pleas by Tarrio and co-defendants Joseph Biggs and Dominic Pezzola came during a virtual court hearing in Washington, just hours before the Democratic-led U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot will hold its first in a series of planned public hearings to reveal its findings. U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether to hear Bayer's weedkiller case The U.S. Supreme Court could announce as soon as Monday whether it will hear Bayer's bid to dismiss claims its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer as the company seeks to avoid potentially billions of dollars more in damages and payouts.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Capitol riot hearing shows Trump allies, daughter rejected fraud claims

The congressional committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat presented testimony on Thursday showing that close allies - even his daughter - rejected his false claims of voting fraud. The U.S. House of Representatives select committee probing Jan. 6, 2021, assault also showed graphic footage of thousands of rioters attacking police and smashing their way into the Capitol. It was the first of six planned hearings intended to show that the Republican former president conspired to unlawfully hold onto power.

U.S. banks finally see an upturn in credit-card borrowing

Big U.S. banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup appear set for some earnings boost from a pick-up in the battered credit-card business, but a possible recession would pull consumers back and bring losses on outstanding loans.

Last week, JPMorgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon warned of growing recession risks and braced investors for a likely "hurricane."

Ex-Proud Boys head Tarrio, two others plead not guilty to seditious conspiracy

Former Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio and two other members of the far-right group on Thursday pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy charges that were filed against them earlier this week in connection with their alleged roles in storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The not-guilty pleas by Tarrio and co-defendants Joseph Biggs and Dominic Pezzola came during a virtual court hearing in Washington, just hours before the Democratic-led U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot will hold its first in a series of planned public hearings to reveal its findings.

U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether to hear Bayer's weedkiller case

The U.S. Supreme Court could announce as soon as Monday whether it will hear Bayer's bid to dismiss claims its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer as the company seeks to avoid potentially billions of dollars more in damages and payouts. Bayer is seeking review of an appeals court decision that upheld $25 million in damages awarded to California resident Edwin Hardeman, a user of glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup, who blamed his cancer on the product.

Texas power use to break records on Friday, and Monday as the heatwave lingers

Power demand in Texas will likely break records on Friday and Monday as economic growth boosts usage and homes and businesses keep air conditioners cranked up to escape a lingering heatwave, after failing to reach that record high earlier this week. Energy analysts at EBW Analytics said less hot weather from thunderstorms and the fire that shut the Freeport liquefied natural gas plant in Texas this week helped keep demand below forecast.

U.S. Capitol Police officer describes facing mob to Jan. 6 panel

A police officer who suffered a brain injury at the hands of rioters during last year's U.S. Capitol attack described the scenes of violence and chaos - including fellow officers bloodied and on the ground - in testimony on Thursday before the congressional panel investigating the assault. U.S. Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards was one of two witnesses appearing in person during the first hearing of the House of Representatives select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault. She described how she got hurt and what she found when she finally got to safety behind a Washington Metropolitan Police line.

'Mike Pence deserves it': Trump's ire at VP a focus of U.S. Capitol riot hearings

A congressional panel investigating last year's assault on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters presented evidence at its prime-time hearing that the former president posed a danger both to American democracy and his vice president, Mike Pence. Representative Liz Cheney, the Republican vice-chair of the House of Representatives select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, told the hearing on Thursday that Trump spoke approvingly of the mob's chants to "hang Mike Pence."

Migration pact to cap Americas summit buffeted by discord

U.S. President Joe Biden and fellow leaders of the Americas are set to pitch a plan designed to stem illegal migration and manage record migrant numbers as a regional summit roiled by diplomatic squabbling draws to a close on Friday. Dubbed the "Los Angeles Declaration" and described by Biden as "ground-breaking", the U.S.-led pact aims to create incentives for countries taking in large numbers of migrants and to spread responsibility for the challenge across the region.

U.S. Supreme Court allows counting of undated mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania

A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the counting of undated mail-in ballots in an undecided 2021 election for a Pennsylvania judgeship in a case that again revealed the tensions among the justices over voting rights. The decision by the justices against David Ritter, a Republican candidate for a judgeship on the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, means that Pennsylvania officials can count 250 mail-in ballots in that election that lacked a handwritten date. Ritter had sued the county board of elections over concerns he would lose the race if those votes were counted.

White Michigan policeman charged with murdering African immigrant after traffic stop

A white police officer was charged with second-degree murder on Thursday for the fatal shooting of a Black man during an altercation after a traffic stop two months ago in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a case that sparked racial justice protests in the city. The criminal case against officer Christopher Schurr in the April 4 killing of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, came just over seven weeks after an independent autopsy found Lyoya was shot in the back of the head at point-blank range.