US Domestic News Roundup: Biden orders assessment of domestic extremism risk; Trump asked Justice Department to go to Supreme Court and more

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.

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.

Trump asked Justice Department to go to Supreme Court to overturn election: Journal

Former President Donald Trump considered replacing the acting attorney general with an official willing to pursue unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, and he pushed the Justice Department to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate President Joe Biden’s victory, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said the efforts in the last weeks of Trump's presidency failed because of resistance from his Justice appointees who refused to file what they viewed as a legally baseless lawsuit in the Supreme Court.

Biden administration to unveil more climate policies, urges China to toughen emissions target

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration next week will release more policies it believes are needed to tackle climate change and is urging China to toughen one of its targets on greenhouse gas emissions, his top climate advisers said on Saturday. Gina McCarthy, the White House's national climate adviser, did not say what policies would be released. A memo seen by Reuters on Thursday showed Biden will unveil a second round of executive orders as soon as Jan. 27 that include an omnibus order to combat climate change domestically and elevate the issue as a national security priority.

U.S. charges Texas man with threatening to 'assassinate' Rep. Ocasio-Cortez

The Justice Department revealed charges this week against a Texas man who allegedly stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and threatened on social media to kill U.S. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Prosecutors asked a judge on Friday to keep the man, Garret Miller, in jail ahead of a court appearance, according to court records. They revealed five criminal charges in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia against Miller on Wednesday, including for making death threats and trespassing offenses.

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.

Winning lottery ticket for $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot was sold in Michigan

A single winning ticket for a Mega Millions lottery jackpot of $1.05 billion, the third-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, was sold at a supermarket in a suburb of Detroit, lottery organizers said on Saturday. The holder of the winning ticket, which would have cost $2 to buy, had yet to contact the lottery as of Saturday morning following Friday night's draw, Mega Millions said in its statement. The ticket was bought at a Kroger supermarket in Novi, Michigan, the statement said.

U.S. health officials: More data needed on UK COVID-19 variant warning

The United States is closely watching the more infectious variant of COVID-19 after British officials warned that it may also be more deadly, two top U.S. health officials said on Saturday, cautioning more data is needed. Officials are somewhat more worried about a separate variant from South Africa, although it has not yet been identified among U.S. cases of the novel coronavirus, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's top COVID-19 medical adviser, also said.

Prominent Senate Republican warns Trump trial could spark more impeachments

A prominent U.S. Senate Republican warned on Saturday that former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial could lead to the prosecution of former Democratic presidents if Republicans retake the chamber in two years. "If it is a good idea to impeach and try former Presidents, what about former Democratic Presidents when Republicans get the majority in 2022? Think about it and let's do what is best for the country," Senator John Cornyn, a 19-year veteran of the Senate, said in a Twitter post directed at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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.

Chicago teachers vote on job action, claim schools not ready to reopen

Chicago teachers will vote on Saturday on a resolution to not return to classrooms next week, claiming the third largest school system in the United States lacks an adequate plan to safely re-open schools amid the pandemic. The results of the vote, expected on Sunday, could jeopardize Chicago Public Schools' phased reopening as the district plans to offer in-person instruction for 70,000 elementary and middle school students.

(With inputs from agencies.)