US Domestic News Roundup: Federal jury convicts man in hammer attack on Pelosi's husband; Republican senators raise 'significant concerns' on US firearms export pause and more

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings declared the mistrial in the trial of Brett Hankison - charged with civil rights violations for allegedly using excessive force - after the jury told her they could not reach an unanimous verdict. Prosecutors to charge California man in death of Jewish protester A California man was arrested on Thursday and set to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a Jewish man who fell to the ground during an altercation at pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian street demonstrations earlier this month.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Federal jury convicts man in hammer attack on Pelosi's husband

A federal jury on Thursday convicted a right-wing conspiracy theorist of a hammer attack on the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, prosecutors said. David Wayne DePape, 43, broke into the Pelosis' San Francisco home and struck Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2022, while Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was still speaker and away in Washington.

Republican senators raise 'significant concerns' on US firearms export pause

A group of 46 Republican U.S. senators asked the Commerce Department on Thursday to answer questions about its Oct. 27 decision to temporarily stop issuing export licenses for most civilian firearms and ammunition for non-governmental users. The letter signed by Senators Ted Budd, Mitch McConnell, John Thune and others said they had "significant concerns about the justifications for and ramifications of this pause" and said it "puts at stake U.S. commercial and economic interests" as well as U.S. national security and foreign policy.

US opens investigation into antisemitic, anti-Muslim discrimination at schools

The U.S. Department of Education said on Thursday it has begun investigations of six colleges and one school district over accusations of antisemitic or anti-Muslim discrimination during an ongoing war between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. In one such instance federal prosecutors last month charged a Cornell University student with allegedly making online threats against Jewish students at the Ivy League school.

Biden signs stopgap spending bill to avert govt shutdown- White House

U.S. President Joe Biden signed on Thursday a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown, a day after the Senate passed it, the White House said. Biden signed the document on the sidelines of a dinner at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, where leaders are attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

South Florida storm dumps more than a foot of rain

A fierce storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts dumped more than a foot (30.5 cm) of rain on parts of South Florida on Thursday, flooding homes and streets, downing power lines and trees and leaving tens of thousands of homes and business without power. The storm, which started on Wednesday, dropped almost 14 inches of rain from Key Largo to Fort Lauderdale while wind gusts topped out at 86 mph (136 kph), the U.S. National Service said on Thursday.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of sex trafficking, rape of ex-girlfriend

R&B vocalist Cassandra Ventura sued Sean "Diddy" Combs in federal court on Thursday, accusing the rapper and hip-hop mogul she once dated and whose music label she signed with of subjecting her to serial physical abuse, sexual slavery and rape. One of the central allegations against Combs by Ventura, who performs under the stage name Cassie, was that he forced her to engage in sex acts with a succession of male prostitutes he hired while he watched and filmed the encounters for his own pleasure.

Pressure mounts on FDIC chief to resign after sexual misconduct report

A top U.S. banking regulator faced mounting pressure on Thursday over his handling of allegations of sexual misconduct among agency staff and accounts of his own past conduct, with Republican lawmakers calling for his resignation and vowing to conduct a thorough probe. The calls followed a Wall Street Journal report earlier this week that said the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had failed to eradicate widespread harassment in its workforce.

Mistrial declared for Kentucky officer charged in Breonna Taylor killing

The federal civil rights trial of a former Louisville, Kentucky, police officer charged in the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman whose killing fueled a wave of racial justice protests, was declared a mistrial on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings declared the mistrial in the trial of Brett Hankison - charged with civil rights violations for allegedly using excessive force - after the jury told her they could not reach an unanimous verdict.

Prosecutors to charge California man in death of Jewish protester

A California man was arrested on Thursday and set to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a Jewish man who fell to the ground during an altercation at pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian street demonstrations earlier this month. Paul Kessler, 69, died of blunt force head trauma a day after he fell and hit his head on the ground at the Nov. 5 protests in Thousand Oaks, about 35 miles (55 km) west of Los Angeles. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Biden, Trump unpopularity buoys third party hopes for 2024 US election

Facing a likely choice between Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race, many Americans are desperate for younger, less divisive options. A large and potentially consequential market for third-party candidates - one not seen since the 1990s - is a stark reminder that in Trump and Biden, the two major parties are likely to nominate unusually unpopular candidates.