Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The strain, known as B.1.1.7, was identified in Britain last fall and has since been detected in 52 jurisdictions in the United States, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a White House briefing. 'They want us to leave': Russian fines pile pressure on U.S. broadcaster RFE/RL A Russian court fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty $70,000 on Wednesday for flouting its foreign agent legislation, a move the U.S. broadcaster said was part of a campaign to force it out of Russia.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. scours files for more Trump-era migrant family separations than previously known

The Biden administration said on Wednesday it is examining 5,600 previously unreviewed cases of migrant children to see whether they were separated from parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Donald Trump. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told reporters the review seeks to find any separated children beyond those already identified through litigation. The official said the aim is ultimately to reunite any families who remain apart.

Biden plans to crack down on 'ghost guns' with action on Thursday

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday will unveil his administration's first steps to curb gun violence, including a plan to reduce the proliferation of 'ghost guns,' after a slew of mass shootings that have put pressure on him to act. Biden will announce that the Justice Department intends to issue a proposed rule within 30 days to help reduce the increasing prevalence of untraceable, self-assembled 'ghost guns,' a White House official told reporters. The details of the rule were not immediately clear.

UK variant of COVID-19 is now most common strain in United States: CDC

The highly contagious variant of COVID-19 first discovered in the United Kingdom has become the most common strain of the virus in the United States as cases continue to climb, a top U.S. health official said on Wednesday. The strain, known as B.1.1.7, was identified in Britain last fall and has since been detected in 52 jurisdictions in the United States, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a White House briefing.

'They want us to leave': Russian fines pile pressure on U.S. broadcaster RFE/RL

A Russian court fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty $70,000 on Wednesday for flouting its foreign agent legislation, a move the U.S. broadcaster said was part of a campaign to force it out of Russia. The U.S. multimedia news outlet, which has a bureau in Moscow, has been fined $1 million this year for what Russia says is its repeated failure to label itself as a foreign agent in the output of its Russian services and affiliates.

Trump adviser Giuliani asks judge to throw out $1.3 billion lawsuit over his 'big lie' election claims

Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani asked a judge on Wednesday to throw out a voting machine company's $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit relating to his false claims about the November 2020 presidential election being rigged. Giuliani's lawyer said in a court filing that Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, and because the company has not adequately justified its request for money damages.

Powerful thunderstorms, possible tornadoes predicted in U.S. South

Severe thunderstorms were forecast across Southern U.S. states and the lower Mississippi River Valley on Wednesday with the possibility of high winds, hail and tornadoes, the National Weather Service said. The storms marked the latest rough weather to descend on the South, where in late March five people were killed, dozens injured and entire neighborhoods wiped out in Northern Alabama by a string of powerful twisters.

Chauvin had no need for force after Floyd was handcuffed and prone, expert testifies

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone. Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin's murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May.

Biden ally in U.S. Senate says Republicans have until end of May for infrastructure deal

Republicans in Congress have until the end of May to negotiate provisions of an infrastructure bill before Democrats opt to move sweeping legislation on their own, one of U.S. President Joe Biden's closest Senate allies predicted on Wednesday. Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Biden's home state of Delaware said several senior Senate Republicans had privately signaled they would support a package of up to $1 trillion that targets roads, bridges and other typical infrastructure areas and includes some tax increases to pay for legislation.

Biden willing to negotiate on corporate taxes, but 'sick and tired' of non-payers

President Joe Biden on Wednesday made a fiery appeal for U.S companies to foot most of the bill for his $2 trillion-plus infrastructure plan, but signaled an openness to negotiate over exactly how much they would have to pay. "I'm willing to negotiate that," he told reporters. "But we've got to pay for this."

U.S. begins study on allergic reaction risk in Moderna, Pfizer vaccines

The U.S. National Institutes of Health said on Wednesday it had begun a mid-stage study to determine the risk of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc. Several allergic reaction incidents, including serious episodes, known as anaphylaxis, have been reported in the U.S. after vaccinations of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna shots.