Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, heard tense arguments lasting nearly five hours in appeals by a group founded by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum of lower court rulings upholding policies used by the two prestigious schools to foster student diversity. Paul Pelosi attack suspect sought to take speaker hostage, prosecutors say The man accused of bludgeoning U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer after forcing his way into the couple's home threatened to take her hostage and break her kneecaps if she lied under his questioning, according to a federal criminal complaint filed on Monday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Oath Keeper saw Jan. 6 storming of U.S. Capitol as 'Bastille' moment

A member of the far-right Oath Keepers group who took part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 compared it to the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison in the French Revolution on Monday, and said he hoped to "disrupt Congress" from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. In at times emotional testimony, Graydon Young of Englewood, Florida, told a jury that he joined the Oath Keepers in late 2020, driven by fears that Congress would certify the election that President Donald Trump's allies falsely claimed was stolen through widespread voter fraud.

Senate Republicans want the SEC to explain why staff are quitting

Senate Republicans want the SEC to explain why staff are leaving the nation's corporate watchdog at the highest rate in 10 years amid a flurry of proposed rules, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Sunday. The private letter dated Oct. 27 from Senate Republicans to the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, adds to mounting criticism that the U.S. regulator lacks the internal firepower it needs to accomplish its ambitious rulemaking plans.

Trump's company 'cheated' tax authorities, prosecutor says at trial

Former President Donald Trump's real estate company cheated tax authorities for 15 years, a prosecutor said on Monday in her opening statement in the Trump Organization's criminal tax fraud trial, while defense lawyers countered that the company's longtime chief financial officer had acted for his own benefit. The company paid certain executives - including former CFO Allen Weisselberg - in perks such as rent and cars without reporting those benefits to tax authorities, and falsely reported bonuses as non-employee compensation, said prosecutor Susan Hoffinger of the Manhattan district attorney's office.

Factbox-What is in the criminal complaint against Pelosi attack suspect?

Federal law-enforcement officials have filed a criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco against David DePape, the 42-year-old man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Here are the main elements of the complaint, which is based on accounts by police officers and interviews with Paul Pelosi and DePape:

U.S. Justice Dept backs voter intimidation lawsuit in Arizona

The U.S. Department of Justice expressed support on Monday for a lawsuit filed by voting rights organizations in Arizona, which alleges that groups monitoring ballot drop boxes in the state are engaging in illegal voter intimidation. The Justice Department said that, while poll watching has a legitimate role in the voting process, private so-called "ballot security forces" pose a significant risk of violating federal law. Among the activities that can be considered voter intimidation, it said, are photographing and video-recording voters, an activity that multiple conservative groups in Arizona have engaged in.

Biden calls on oil, gas companies to stop 'war profiteering,' threatens windfall tax

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday called on oil and gas companies to use their record profits to lower costs for Americans and increase production, or pay a higher tax rate, as he battles high pump prices with elections coming in a week. In remarks at the White House, Biden criticized major oil companies who are bringing in big profits while Americans, weary of inflation, pay a tidy sum to fill up their cars.

Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to block lawmakers from obtaining tax returns

Former President Donald Trump on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in his fight to prevent a U.S. House of Representatives committee from gaining access to his tax returns for reasons he claims are politically motivated. Trump filed an emergency request to put on hold a lower court ruling against the Republican former president that upheld the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee's request for the tax materials as a justified part of its legislative work while his attorneys prepare an appeal.

Ex-Idaho gubernatorial candidate found guilty in 1984 murder of Colorado girl

A former two-time candidate for governor of Idaho was convicted on Monday of the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old Colorado girl who vanished from her home in 1984 after singing at a Christmas recital. Steven Pankey, 71, was found guilty in Weld County District Court for the first-degree murder and kidnapping of Jonelle Matthews, who disappeared from her home in Greeley, Colorado, about 50 miles (80.47 km) north of Denver.

U.S. Supreme Court conservatives lean against race-conscious student admissions

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled skepticism on Monday toward the legality of race-conscious admissions policies in cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina that could imperil affirmative action programs often used to boost enrollment of Black and Hispanic students. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, heard tense arguments lasting nearly five hours in appeals by a group founded by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum of lower court rulings upholding policies used by the two prestigious schools to foster student diversity.

Paul Pelosi attack suspect sought to take speaker hostage, prosecutors say

The man accused of bludgeoning U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer after forcing his way into the couple's home threatened to take her hostage and break her kneecaps if she lied under his questioning, according to a federal criminal complaint filed on Monday. David Wayne DePape's alleged intentions emerged as federal prosecutors charged the 42-year-old suspect with assault and attempted kidnapping in Friday's predawn break-in at the Pelosis' San Francisco home.