US News Roundup: Biden orders assessment of domestic extremism risk, White House says; U.S. Senate confirms Biden nominee Austin as defense secretary and more

Biden orders assessment of domestic extremism risk, White House says President Joe Biden has directed his administration to conduct a full assessment of the risk of domestic terrorism in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, the White House said on Friday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden orders assessment of domestic extremism risk, White House says

President Joe Biden has directed his administration to conduct a full assessment of the risk of domestic terrorism in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, the White House said on Friday. The assessment will be carried out by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in coordination with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

U.S. Senate confirms Biden nominee Austin as defense secretary

The U.S. Senate on Friday voted overwhelmingly to confirm retired Army General Lloyd Austin as President Joe Biden's defense secretary, making him the first Black American to serve in the role. The vote was 93-2 in the 100-member chamber, far more than the simple majority needed.

Biden, citing 'economic imperative,' orders faster relief checks, more food aid

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday ordered the faster issuance of pandemic stimulus checks to needy families and increased food aid for children who normally rely on school meals, an effort to ease Americans' burdens while Congress negotiates over his proposed $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package. In the opening days of his administration, Biden is emphasizing that the government must tackle the coronavirus crisis with urgency after his predecessor Donald Trump largely played it down.

More than 150 National Guard in Washington for inauguration test positive for coronavirus

Between 150 and 200 National Guard deployed to Washington, D.C., to provide security for President Joe Biden's inauguration have tested positive for the coronavirus, a U.S. official said on Friday. The U.S. government imposed unprecedented security measures in the city following the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, including fences topped with razor wire and checkpoints manned by National Guard.

'I want to feel safe again': Americans lament slow pace of U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Jerry Shapiro, a 78-year-old pharmacist from Los Angeles, is at the top of the list of Californians now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, but more than a month after the state began inoculations, he has yet to receive one. Shapiro said he has spent hours calling multiple health agencies and making fruitless computer searches, an experience familiar to many people across the United States, as the days-old administration of President Joe Biden races to bring the country's slow, chaotic vaccine rollout up to speed.

Texas attorney general files lawsuit to block Biden's deportation freeze

The Texas attorney general filed a lawsuit on Friday that seeks to block U.S. President Joe Biden's move to pause certain deportations for 100 days, a controversial opening-move by the Democratic president that has provoked blowback from some Republicans. In the filing, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state would face "irreparable harm" if the deportation moratorium was allowed to go into effect.

In Senate deal, Trump impeachment trial put off until early February

The leaders of the U.S. Senate agreed on Friday to push back former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial by two weeks, giving the chamber more time to focus on President Joe Biden's legislative agenda and Cabinet nominees before turning to the contentious showdown over Trump. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said the trial is set to begin during the week of Monday Feb. 8, an arrangement praised by the chamber's top Republican, Mitch McConnell.

California opens civil rights probe into Los Angeles Sheriff's Department

California's top prosecutor opened an investigation on Friday into the scandal-plagued Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, probing accusations the agency had engaged in a long pattern of excessive force, illegal shootings and abuse of jail inmates. The civil rights probe follows years of allegations that the nation's largest local law enforcement agency was rife with abuse throughout its ranks that top supervisors tolerated and in some cases covered up.

Iditarod sled-dog race losing Exxon support amid animal-rights pressure

The world’s most famous sled-dog race, celebrated by Alaskans for half a century but long condemned by animal-rights activists as inhumane, is losing one of its biggest corporate sponsors. Energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp said on Friday it plans to sever ties with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race after this year's 49th edition of the contest, citing economic concerns.

Slim majority of Americans want Senate to convict Trump: Reuters/Ipsos poll

A slim majority of Americans say former President Donald Trump should be convicted by the Senate of inciting an insurrection and barred from holding public office, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, which showed a sharp partisan divide over the issue. The national public opinion poll, conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, found that 51% of Americans think Trump should be found guilty for inciting the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. His trial in the Senate is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)