US Domestic News Roundup: VP Harris to launch task force on online harassment after shootings; Two U.S. citizens missing, feared captured, in eastern Ukraine -families and more

A string of mass shootings has prompted Democratic and Republican lawmakers to line up behind gun-violence legislation that would overcome decades of inaction. U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 panel turns attention to Pence at Thursday's hearing The congressional committee investigating last year's deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol turns its attention on Thursday to then-President Donald Trump's multiple attempts to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

VP Harris to launch task force on online harassment after shootings

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will inaugurate a task force on Thursday to curb online harassment, fulfilling one of the Biden campaign's promises in the wake of a mass shooting that highlights a link between online abuse and violence. The group will be tasked with producing within six months a blueprint detailing actions to address the problem, including more support for victims, prevention, and greater accountability for aggressors and platforms hosting them.

Two U.S. citizens missing, feared captured, in eastern Ukraine -families

Two U.S. citizens who traveled to Ukraine as volunteer fighters against Russian forces have been missing for a week and are feared captured, family members said on Wednesday. Alexander Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Huynh, 27, of Hartselle, Alabama, were last in contact with their families on June 8 and did not return from a mission around the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine.

U.S. President Reagan's shooter John Hinckley fully released after 41 years

John Hinckley, who wounded then U.S. President Ronald Reagan and three others in a 1981 assassination attempt, was released without conditions on Wednesday in compliance with a federal judge's order. He had received a full-time conditional release in 2016 after 30 years in a psychiatric hospital in Washington and had lived with his mother in Virginia until her death last year.

Buffalo shooting suspect to appear in federal court

An avowed white supremacist accused of killing 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, last month was scheduled on Thursday to appear in federal court where he faces 26 counts of hate crimes and firearms offenses. U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. will hold an initial appearance hearing for accused shooter Payton Gendron, 18, in a federal courtroom in Buffalo at 10:30 a.m. EST time, online court records showed.

Confederate flag-waving man found guilty in Capitol riot case

A Delaware man who flew the Confederate flag inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was found guilty along with his son of the felony charge of obstruction during the storming of the building, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden also found the father, Kevin Seefried, and son Hunter Seefried guilty of four misdemeanor offenses including entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.

U.S. issues new warnings on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday released new warnings for synthetic pollutants in drinking water known as "forever chemicals" saying the toxins can still be harmful even at levels so low they are not detectable. The family of toxic chemicals known as per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been used for decades in household products such as non-stick cookware, stain- and water-resistant textiles, and in firefighting foam and industrial products.

Jan. 6 panel pressures Republican lawmaker with the release of tour video

The congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol took aim at a fellow lawmaker on Wednesday as it released video footage showing him giving a tour of the building the previous day to a man who participated in the riot. The video shows the man in question, who was not named, taking pictures of tunnels and security checkpoints the day before the attack while participating in a guided tour by Republican Representative Barry Loudermilk.

Cosby's accuser seek damages, his side says 'game over' in final arguments

Legal arguments in a civil case against Bill Cosby came to a close on Wednesday with his attorney telling jurors they should not believe his accuser's claim that the comedian sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. Cosby's lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said plaintiff Judy Huth "did not tell the truth about a number of important things" in her testimony that Cosby forced her to perform a sex act when she was 16 and he was 37. The actor and comedian deny the allegation.

U.S. Senate gun bill talks hit snag over mental illness, abuse provisions

U.S. Senate negotiators, racing to settle details of bipartisan gun legislation, on Wednesday struggled to resolve serious disagreements over federal funding of state "red flag" programs and the breadth of a plan for keeping guns out of the hands of those prone to domestic violence. A string of mass shootings has prompted Democratic and Republican lawmakers to line up behind gun-violence legislation that would overcome decades of inaction.

U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 panel turns attention to Pence at Thursday's hearing

The congressional committee investigating last year's deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol turns its attention on Thursday to then-President Donald Trump's multiple attempts to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The House of Representatives Select Committee has scheduled a hearing for 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), looking at efforts by Trump and some of his associates to convince Pence not to formally certify Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential election.

(With inputs from agencies.)