US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. seizes $2.3 million in bitcoin paid to Colonial Pipeline hackers; Virginia Democrats compete in primary for closely watched governor's race and more

The opposition from Republicans may push President Joe Biden to attempt to use budget procedures to pass the initiatives with only Democratic votes. From Vermont to Kentucky, some Republicans expand voting access in 2021 Vermont's Republican governor on Monday signed a law requiring the state's top election official to send a mail ballot to every eligible voter, becoming one of the few Republican leaders at the state level to buck their party's trend of trying to limit voting access.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. seizes $2.3 million in bitcoin paid to Colonial Pipeline hackers

The Justice Department on Monday recovered some $2.3 million in cryptocurrency ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline Co, cracking down on hackers who launched the most disruptive U.S. cyberattack on record. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said investigators had seized 63.7 bitcoins, now valued at about $2.3 million, paid by Colonial after last month's hack of its systems that led to massive shortages at U.S. East Coast gas stations.

Virginia Democrats compete in primary for closely watched governor's race

Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe leads a slate of Democratic candidates vying on Tuesday for the party's gubernatorial nomination in a race that could offer signs of where voters stand after a divisive 2020 presidential election. The winner of the primary will face off in November against Republican Glenn Youngkin, a former private equity executive who won his party's nomination last month and immediately received former President Donald Trump's endorsement.

U.S. Senate set to pass sweeping bill to address China tech threat

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday is set to approve a sweeping package of legislation intended to boost the country's ability to compete with Chinese technology, as Congress increasingly seeks to take a tough line against Beijing. The nearly $250 billion bill cleared a procedural vote 68-30 in late May and is expected to win final approval after a couple of votes on outstanding issues. The desire for a hard line in dealings with China is one of the few bipartisan sentiments in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, which is narrowly controlled by President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats.

U.S. Republicans vow to oppose Yellen's G7 tax deal, casting doubt on its future

Several top U.S. Senate Republicans on Monday rejected Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's G7 deal to impose a global minimum corporate tax and allow more countries to tax big multinational firms, raising questions about the U.S. ability to implement a broader global agreement. The opposition from Republicans may push President Joe Biden to attempt to use budget procedures to pass the initiatives with only Democratic votes.

From Vermont to Kentucky, some Republicans expand voting access in 2021

Vermont's Republican governor on Monday signed a law requiring the state's top election official to send a mail ballot to every eligible voter, becoming one of the few Republican leaders at the state level to buck their party's trend of trying to limit voting access. The law signed by Governor Phil Scott makes permanent a universal mail-in voting system that Vermont adopted in 2020 to address the challenges to voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic. It puts Vermont in the company of just six other U.S. states that automatically mail ballots to all eligible voters.

Harris meets Mexican President with goal of lowering migration from Central America

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday, after mid-term elections in the country eroded his power base in Congress, and officials from both countries will sign an accord to cooperate on efforts aimed at lowering migration from Central America. Lopez Obrador's leftist party the National Regeneration Movement's (MORENA) hold on the lower house of Congress weakened but the party dominated state votes.

U.S. Senate committees urge new security steps after Capitol riot

Two Senate committees assessing security at the U.S. Capitol in light of January's deadly attack recommended giving the Capitol Police chief greater authority on Tuesday and developing plans for rapid response by the Pentagon. In a statement, U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) welcomed the report and said it had already changed its operations planning to focus on national security, but continued to point to U.S. intelligence failures to warn of the attack.

U.S. agents to start wearing body cameras when serving warrants

U.S. law-enforcement agents will be required to wear body cameras when serving search and arrest warrants, the Justice Department said on Monday, adding a measure of accountability already required of many state and local police departments. Federal agents had previously been barred from wearing cameras, a policy that sometimes created tension during joint operations with state and local police.

U.S. efforts to reunify families separated at border moving slowly

An effort by U.S. President Joe Biden to reunite migrant families separated by the previous administration is moving slowly, with only seven children reunited with parents by a task force launched in February, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report released on Tuesday. Another 29 families are set to be reunified in the coming weeks, the report said.

U.S. Supreme Court blocks permanent residency for some immigrants

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden's administration. The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)