US Domestic News Roundup: Congress to probe 'rogue' actions of Trump's Justice Dept; U.S. FDA declines to approve Avenue's non-opioid painkiller again, shares drop and more

Gunfire erupted at about 1:30 a.m. in the Sixth Street area, a popular nightlife destination in the state capital, Austin Police Department Interim Chief Joseph Chacon said in a news conference on Saturday afternoon. Explainer: Big changes under Georgia’s new election law Georgia Governor Brian Kemp this year signed into law sweeping voting restrictions sponsored by Republicans, with potentially big implications for how elections are administered in the battleground state in 2022, and the U.S. presidential contest of 2024.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Congress to probe 'rogue' actions of Trump's Justice Dept

The top two Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Sunday vowed to probe the "rogue" actions of the Justice Department during former President Donald Trump's term, including its move to seize the communications records of Democratic lawmakers. Those reviews will run parallel with an investigation by the department's own internal watchdog https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-denounces-trump-attorney-generals-reported-actions-democrats-phone-2021-06-11 into its moves to subpoena phone records of Representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, as part of a probe into leaks of classified information.

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in U.S. trial

Novavax Inc on Monday reported late-stage data from its U.S.-based clinical trial showing its vaccine is more than 90% effective against COVID-19 across a variety of variants of the virus. The study of nearly 30,000 volunteers in the United States and Mexico puts Novavax on track to file for emergency authorization in the United States and elsewhere in the third quarter of 2021, the company said.

U.S. FDA declines to approve Avenue's non-opioid painkiller again, shares drop

Avenue Therapeutics Inc said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had once again declined to approve its non-opioid painkiller tramadol, sending its shares about 5% lower in premarket trading. The FDA has been pushing drugmakers to develop alternatives to opioid-based painkillers, as the United States grapples with the menace of opioid addiction.

Judge tosses Houston hospital workers' lawsuit over vaccine requirement

A U.S. federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 117 workers at a Texas hospital over its requirement that they be vaccinated against COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes upheld Houston Methodist Hospital's policy mandating employees be vaccinated, in a ruling issued on Saturday.

Shooting in Texas capital leaves 14 wounded; one suspect still at large

Fourteen people were wounded after two men opened fire at each other in a busy entertainment district in downtown Austin, Texas early on Saturday, police said, adding that one of the suspected shooters remained at large. Gunfire erupted at about 1:30 a.m. in the Sixth Street area, a popular nightlife destination in the state capital, Austin Police Department Interim Chief Joseph Chacon said in a news conference on Saturday afternoon.

Explainer: Big changes under Georgia’s new election law

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp this year signed into law sweeping voting restrictions sponsored by Republicans, with potentially big implications for how elections are administered in the battleground state in 2022, and the U.S. presidential contest of 2024. Proponents say the legislation is needed to safeguard elections and restore voters' faith in the process. Opponents say it was born out of the Republican Party's "Big Lie," the false claim that Democrat Joe Biden's defeat of incumbent President Donald Trump in November was the result of widespread fraud.

Actor Ned Beatty has died at age 83 - media

Hollywood actor Ned Beatty, known for roles in the movies Deliverance, Superman and Network, has died at the age of 83, media reports said on Sunday. The Oscar-nominated actor died of natural causes at his Los Angeles home, his daughter Blossom Beatty told https://bit.ly/3vnpryj The Hollywood Reporter. His agency Shelter Entertainment Group later confirmed the news to other media.

Democrats battle Republican-led voting curbs in Georgia

Democrats and their allies are mounting a major effort to educate Georgia voters on sweeping new voting restrictions passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature ahead of next year’s crucial U.S. Senate and congressional races. Volunteers are alerting Georgians to stiffened rules for mail ballots, urging early in-person voting instead. They're handing out leaflets, sending texts and speaking in churches to warn of vanishing drop boxes and reduced voting hours. They are knocking on doors, visiting high schools and meeting with parole officers to register new voters, including young people and ex-offenders.

U.S. bishops to discuss Communion rules that may rebuke Biden for abortion views

U.S. Roman Catholic bishops are due this week to discuss whether politicians, including President Joe Biden, should receive Communion while supporting abortion and LGBTQ rights, a debate that has divided the clergy and laid bare internal cultural rifts. As the second Catholic to serve as U.S. president, Biden, a Democrat, has alarmed some church leaders by supporting same-sex marriage and abortion rights, views they say are antithetical to church teachings.

Wasabi the Pekingese wins Westminster Dog Show in New York

Wasabi, a fuzzy Pekingese with a black and brown face and soulful eyes, won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Sunday in Tarrytown, New York. A whippet named Bourbon came in second, winning the Reserve prize at the 145-year-old competition. This year marked the first time the show was not held in Manhattan.

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