US Domestic News Roundup: Elizabeth Holmes denies misleading investors in trial testimony; Opening statements begin in trial of Minnesota police officer who killed Daunte Wright and more

Separately, a Russian foreign ministry official was quoted as saying the United States might be included for the first time in a group of countries working to end a seven-year war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists. Ghislaine Maxwell's trial enters eighth day, testimony of fourth victim expected soon Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal trial entered its eighth day on Wednesday, after jurors heard testimony from three women who said they were teenagers when the British socialite set them up for sexual abuse by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.


Reuters | Updated: 08-12-2021 18:32 IST | Created: 08-12-2021 18:28 IST
US Domestic News Roundup: Elizabeth Holmes denies misleading investors in trial testimony; Opening statements begin in trial of Minnesota police officer who killed Daunte Wright and more
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Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Elizabeth Holmes denies misleading investors in trial testimony

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes denied making misleading statements about the blood-testing startup during cross-examination on Tuesday, as her testimony in defense against fraud charges neared its end. Former Theranos investors have testified at the trial that Holmes had led them to believe the company's technology was being used by the U.S. military in the field. Under questioning from prosecutor Robert Leach, Holmes said she had never made such statements to investors and that they would not have been true.

Opening statements begin in trial of Minnesota police officer who killed Daunte Wright

A white Minnesota police officer who fatally shot an unarmed Black motorist in April, triggering protests against police brutality, will go on trial on Wednesday as opening statements to the jury get underway. Kimberly Potter, a former police officer in a city north of Minneapolis, has said she mistakenly used her handgun instead of her Taser when firing at Daunte Wright, 20, as he attempted to flee in his car following a traffic stop.

Omarova withdraws nomination to lead U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Saule Omarova has withdrawn her nomination to lead a top banking regulator, the White House announced Tuesday, after facing opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. Omarova withdrew her name from consideration to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency after a contentious nomination process that saw moderate Democrats express skepticism over some of her opinions, while Republicans grilled her.

U.S. Congress includes $300 million for Ukraine, addresses China in massive defense bill

U.S. lawmakers included efforts to push back against Russia and China in a compromise version of a massive annual defense bill released on Tuesday, proposing $300 million for Ukraine's military and a statement of support for the defense of Taiwan. But they omitted some measures that had strong support in Congress, including a proposal to impose mandatory sanctions over the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and a plan to subject women to the military draft for the first time.

Russia says both sides to follow up quickly on Putin-Biden call

Russian and U.S. officials will urgently follow up Tuesday's two-hour call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden on Ukraine with discussions on "this complex confrontational situation", the Kremlin said. Separately, a Russian foreign ministry official was quoted as saying the United States might be included for the first time in a group of countries working to end a seven-year war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

Ghislaine Maxwell's trial enters eighth day, testimony of fourth victim expected soon

Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal trial entered its eighth day on Wednesday, after jurors heard testimony from three women who said they were teenagers when the British socialite set them up for sexual abuse by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Prosecutors are expected to call one more alleged victim to take the stand, and may wrap up their case as soon as Thursday, about two weeks faster than they had originally forecast.

Maxwell's defense seeks difficult balance in attacking accusers

As Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers cross-examine her accusers, they face the difficult task of casting doubt on their credibility without seeming too aggressive toward women who say they were abused, legal experts say. Prosecutors have accused the British socialite of recruiting young girls to be sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide at 66 in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty.

Biden travels to Missouri to highlight U.S. infrastructure law

U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday to draw attention to his $1 trillion program to invest in infrastructure. Biden will visit the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to highlight the law, which invests in the country's roads, bridges and public transportation, and passed Congress last month with support from Republicans and Democrats.

Jury to hear final arguments in N.Y. opioid case against drugmakers

Jurors in a New York state court are expected to hear closing arguments Wednesday over whether drugmakers AbbVie Inc and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd fueled an opioid epidemic in the state, concluding a trial that has lasted more than five months. New York's Attorney General and Nassau and Suffolk Counties are seeking to hold the two companies responsible for the cost of dealing with opioid addiction. The companies have said they complied with federal regulations and that changing standards of care were behind surging opioid prescriptions.

U.S. Supreme Court again tackles public funding for religious schools

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear a challenge by two Christian families to a Maine tuition assistance program that excludes private schools that promote religious beliefs, giving its conservative justices a chance to further expand public funding of religiously based entities. The nine justices will hear an appeal by the families of a lower court ruling rejecting their claim that the Maine program singles them out for religious discrimination in violation of the U.S. Constitution including its First Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion.

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

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