US Domestic News Roundup: Agency identified 700-plus pages of classified records at Trump's home; Dry pastures force Texas ranchers to slaughter ever more cows and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Agency identified 700-plus pages of classified records at Trump's home

The U.S. National Archives discovered more than 700 pages of classified documents at Donald Trump's Florida home in addition to material seized this month by FBI agents, according to a newly disclosed May letter the records agency sent to the Republican former president's attorney. The large quantity of classified material in 15 boxes recovered in January by the National Archives and Records Administration, some marked as "top secret," provides more insight into what led to the FBI's court-authorized Aug. 8 search of Trump's residence at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

Dry pastures force Texas ranchers to slaughter ever more cows

With almost all of Texas in drought, ranchers are sending ever more cattle off to slaughter, a trend likely to increase beef prices over the long term due to dwindling supply from the largest cattle region in the United States. Since mid-July, more than 93% of Texas has been in drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. As of mid-August, more than 26% of Texas was at the highest level, characterized by widespread loss of pastures and crops as well as water shortages.

Justice Department opens investigation into violent arrest in Arkansas

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the conduct of three Arkansas law enforcement officers caught in an online video over the weekend punching and kicking a suspect while he was on the ground outside a convenience store. The department's field office in Western Arkansas said in a statement on Monday it will work with the civil rights division and the FBI to investigate the incident on Sunday in Mulberry, a community of about 1,500 people about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Little Rock, the state capital.

Just over half of Americans say U.S. should back Ukraine until Russia withdraws - Reuters/Ipsos poll

After half a year of war in Ukraine, a slim majority of Americans agree that the United States should continue to support Kyiv until Russia withdraws all its forces, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday. The polling suggests continued support for President Joe Biden's policy of backing Ukraine, despite economic worries and domestic political developments grabbing Americans' attention in recent months.

Democratic win in New York signals power of abortion issue in midterm vote

A New York Democrat who campaigned on abortion rights and the future of U.S. democracy won a special congressional election in a swing district on Tuesday, a victory that Democrats hope could signal a fundamental shift in national voter sentiment ahead of the November midterm elections. Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican Marc Molinaro 51.3% to 48.7%, with 99% of the vote counted, Edison Research said, after a hard-fought contest for an open seat in New York's 19th Congressional District, which spans part of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains region and is known as a bellwether.

Ex-Louisville police officer pleads guilty to Breonna Taylor cover-up

A former Louisville detective pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to helping falsify a search warrant that led to the killing of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman whose death fueled a wave of protests over police violence against people of color.

The former officer, Kelly Goodlett, entered her plea before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings in a federal court in Louisville, Kentucky, court records showed.

Two alleged militia members found guilty of plot to abduct Michigan governor

A jury on Tuesday convicted two men accused of conspiring to trigger "a second American revolution" by kidnapping Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, handing the U.S. government a victory in its second attempt to prosecute the case. The verdict against Adam Fox, 39, and Barry Croft Jr., 46, comes about four months after a federal judge in Grand Rapids, Michigan, declared a mistrial in the same case. Two other defendants were found not guilty in the first trial.

Judge in Texas blocks Biden administration emergency abortion guidance

A federal judge in Texas blocked the Biden administration late on Tuesday from enforcing new guidance in the Republican-led state requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions to women regardless of state bans on the procedure. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix in Lubbock agreed with Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidance was unauthorized and went beyond the text of a related federal law.

Atlanta police officer will not face charges in Rashard Brooks shooting death

A special prosecutor will not pursue criminal charges against a white Atlanta police officer who fatally shot a Black man outside a fast-food restaurant in 2020, saying on Tuesday that the use of deadly force was justified. Officer Garrett Rolfe shot Rayshard Brooks after the 27-year-old suspect resisted an attempt by police to arrest him and started to run away. He had taken a Taser from a second officer, Devin Brosnan, and fired the device at both.

Biden marks Ukraine Independence Day with $3 billion package

U.S. President Joe Biden marked Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday with $3 billion in security assistance, Washington's largest aid package since Russia's invasion six months ago. The aid, announced on Kyiv's Independence Day, comes as U.S. officials warn that Russia appears to be planning to launch fresh attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and government facilities in coming days.