Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, countered that Chauvin behaved as any "reasonable police officer" would, arguing that he followed his training from 19 years on the force. Chauvin jurors facing 'through the roof' stress as deliberations begin As the 12 Minneapolis jurors in the Derek Chauvin murder trial prepare to hunker down and begin deliberations, the world awaits what will be a decision with a lasting impact on U.S. race relations, policing - and on the jurors themselves.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. will boost 'Do Not Travel' advisories to 80% of world

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Monday it will boost its "Do Not Travel" guidance to about 80% of countries worldwide, citing "unprecedented risk to travelers" from the COVID-19 pandemic. "This update will result in a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4: Do Not Travel, to approximately 80% of countries worldwide," the department said in a statement.

U.S. Capitol Police officer died of natural causes after attack -medical examiner

Washington, D.C.'s chief medical examiner on Monday ruled that a Capitol Police officer died of natural causes following multiple strokes after the attack on the Capitol, a finding that will make it harder for prosecutors to charge anyone with his murder. The medical examiner's office said on Monday that 42-year-old officer Brian Sicknick died of multiple strokes the day after he was sprayed with a chemical outside the U.S. Capitol while it was under siege.

'Believe your eyes': Prosecutors challenge Chauvin's 'reasonable officer' defense

Prosecutors told jurors to "believe your eyes" as they replayed video of George Floyd's death last May beneath the knee of Derek Chauvin in closing arguments on Monday before jurors began deliberating whether the former police officer was guilty of murder. Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, countered that Chauvin behaved as any "reasonable police officer" would, arguing that he followed his training from 19 years on the force.

Chauvin jurors facing 'through the roof' stress as deliberations begin

As the 12 Minneapolis jurors in the Derek Chauvin murder trial prepare to hunker down and begin deliberations, the world awaits what will be a decision with a lasting impact on U.S. race relations, policing - and on the jurors themselves. "Any high-profile case with a lot of media attention is going to be a little more stressful," said Roy Futterman, a trial consultant with the firm DOAR. "This one is through the roof."

U.S. House of Representatives approves cannabis banking bill

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation that would allow banks to provide services to cannabis companies in states where it is legal, a step towards removing what analysts say is a barrier to development of a national industry. Lawmakers voted 321-101 to approve the bill and send it to the Senate.

Minneapolis, other cities boost security ahead of Chauvin verdict

Minneapolis and other U.S. cities were ramping up security measures on Monday, girding for possible protests after a jury delivers a verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, charged with murdering George Floyd by kneeling on his neck. Citing the "threat of civil unrest," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz declared a preemptive state of emergency in the Minneapolis metropolitan area and requested security assistance from other states. Local officers were stretched, he said, having policed a week of protests over the fatal police shooting of a Black man in a Minneapolis suburb and bracing for more protests over the Chauvin trial verdict.

U.S. Republicans spotlight AOC PAC's contributions to vulnerable House Democrats

At least four moderate Democratic lawmakers have returned contributions from a political action committee formed by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that Republicans said had signaled they endorsed their party's most liberal policies. The Republican Party's congressional campaign arm launched a website on Monday calling on more than two dozen Democrats, some from highly competitive districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, to give back $5,000 donations from the fundraising effort started last year by Ocasio-Cortez.

U.S. judge detains two Proud Boys over role in storming Capitol

A federal judge on Monday ordered that two prominent leaders of the far-right Proud Boys group be detained for their roles in storming the U.S. Capitol, saying they posed a danger to the community and could not be trusted to abide by strict conditions of release. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly marked a small victory for the Justice Department, which had failed in two previous efforts to persuade the courts to detain Ethan "Rufio" Nordean of Auburn, Washington.

With climate clock ticking, activists push Biden to act faster

Climate activists rallied in New York's Union Square on Monday with a message for the Biden administration: Time is running out, but it is not too late. Along with demands to end fossil fuel reliance, activist leaders unveiled an addition to the digital "climate clock" displayed on a building above the square since September.

J&J, other drugmakers go to trial in California in $50 billion case over 'deadly legacy' of opioids

Four drugmakers helped cause the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing their drugs and downplaying their addictive risks, a lawyer for several California counties argued on Monday at the start of a multibillion-dollar trial. Those counties accuse Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Endo International Plc and AbbVie Inc's Allergan unit of fueling a drug crisis that according to the U.S. government resulted in nearly 500,000 opioid overdose deaths over two decades.