Reuters US Domestic News Summary

If Biden's administration were to take the unprecedented step of listing such groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), or even a less-stringent designation, it would help curb dangerous white supremacist organizations, Slotkin argued in the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which was reviewed by Reuters. Doctors challenge 'drug overdose' defense in Derek Chauvin's murder trial Medical experts used anatomical diagrams and charts to testify on Thursday that George Floyd was killed by police pinning him to the ground, not a drug overdose, challenging a key assertion by former police officer Derek Chauvin in his murder trial for Floyd's deadly arrest.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

The lights are on: New York store keeps neon dream alive for 50 years

From a cross-legged Ronald McDonald to a martini glass replete with olive, classic neon signs fill Let There Be Neon, a Lower Manhattan shop that makes all their signs in-house. What makes that bright warm glow?

U.S. Rep. Kinzinger calls on fellow Republican Gaetz to resign

U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger has called for the resignation of fellow Republican Matt Gaetz, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump who faces a federal probe into a possible relationship with an underage girl. "Matt Gaetz needs to resign," Kinzinger, an outspoken critic of Trump, said in a Twitter post on Thursday night.

Biden faces key test on EV battery trade dispute

U.S. President Joe Biden faces a Sunday deadline to decide whether to intervene in a trade dispute between two South Korean electric vehicle battery makers that could impact a Georgia factory and his push for more electric vehicles. The companies, LG Chem and rival SK Innovation Co, have spent months trying to take advantage of past and promised U.S. investments, and ties to politicians.

Biden administration pressed by lawmaker to label white supremacists overseas as terrorists

President Joe Biden's administration is being pressed by a key Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, to consider designating white supremacist groups overseas as foreign terrorists subject to U.S. government actions. If Biden's administration were to take the unprecedented step of listing such groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), or even a less-stringent designation, it would help curb dangerous white supremacist organizations, Slotkin argued in the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which was reviewed by Reuters.

Doctors challenge 'drug overdose' defense in Derek Chauvin's murder trial

Medical experts used anatomical diagrams and charts to testify on Thursday that George Floyd was killed by police pinning him to the ground, not a drug overdose, challenging a key assertion by former police officer Derek Chauvin in his murder trial for Floyd's deadly arrest. Dr. Martin Tobin, who treats patients in a Chicago hospital's intensive care unit, told the jury that Floyd died "from a low level of oxygen" caused by being handcuffed face down in the street with the police officer's knee on his neck. Video of the arrest last May sparked global protests.

Friend of U.S. congressman Gaetz expected to plead guilty in Florida sex trafficking case

A friend of embattled Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida is expected to plead guilty in a sex trafficking and fraud case in a federal court in Florida, two law enforcement officials said on Thursday. Prosecutors and defense lawyers are in discussions about Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida's Seminole County, entering a guilty plea, and a judge on Thursday gave him until May 15 to do so, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Border Democrats like Cuellar hold key to Biden's U.S. immigration reform

President Joe Biden's hopes of working with congressional Democrats to craft a legislative solution to the rising number of immigrant asylum seekers at the southern U.S. border will hang heavily on moderates like Texas Representative Henry Cuellar. Cuellar, one of the most conservative House Democrats, has not been shy about warning the new Biden administration that it is moving too fast in reversing some of former President Donald Trump's tough anti-immigration policies.

Ex-NFL player fatally shot South Carolina doctor, four others

A former professional football player shot and killed a prominent South Carolina doctor, his wife, two grandchildren and another man before taking his own life at his home a short distance away, authorities said on Thursday. Phillip Adams, 32, who left the National Football League more than five years ago, was found dead hours after the killings of five people on Wednesday at the home of Dr. Robert Lesslie in suburban Rock Hill, South Carolina, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said.

First White House budget proposal to preview Biden's goals

President Joe Biden will release his first budget proposal to Congress on Friday, offering a long-awaited glimpse into a policy agenda that will mark a sharp departure from his predecessor, Donald Trump. Nearly three months into a job consumed by the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget proposal could shed light on the Democratic president's priorities ranging from cybersecurity to immigration and climate change.

Biden announces steps to limit U.S. 'ghost' guns, plans to tackle assault weapons

President Joe Biden and his Attorney General Merrick Garland announced limited measures to tackle gun violence in the United States on Thursday in what the White House described as a first step to curb mass shootings, community bloodshed and suicides. The new measures include plans for the Justice Department to crack down on self-assembled "ghost guns" and make "stabilizing braces" - which effectively turn pistols into rifles - subject to registration under the National Firearms Act.