Reuters US Domestic News Summary

This year, the party emerges from its winter meeting less unified ahead of a wide-open primary season. 'Tsunami' of woes: U.S. school shootings spike amid pandemic stress A 19-year-old former student was shot and killed after a high school basketball game a week ago in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Pence says Trump was wrong that he could have overturned 2020 election

In a sharp rebuke of his former boss, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that Donald Trump was wrong to believe Pence had the power to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election that Trump has falsely claimed was stolen from him. After losing his re-election campaign to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020, the Republican Trump in a bid to stay in office pressured Pence to block congressional certification of the results while presiding over the proceedings on Jan. 6, 2021.

With Trump silent, Pennsylvania Republicans decide against endorsing in Senate race

Republicans in Pennsylvania chose on Saturday not to endorse a primary candidate in one of the most closely-watched U.S. Senate races in the country, amid concerns they could back a candidate in a crowded field who might put them at odds with Donald Trump. The endorsement of the state committee is widely considered the early prize of primary season, catapulting its recipient to the general election. This year, the party emerges from its winter meeting less unified ahead of a wide-open primary season.

'Tsunami' of woes: U.S. school shootings spike amid pandemic stress

A 19-year-old former student was shot and killed after a high school basketball game a week ago in Beloit, Wisconsin. On Monday, a shooting outside Chaparral High School in Las Vegas left three teens hospitalized. On Tuesday, five teenage girls were shot and injured outside Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. Also Tuesday, a student was killed and another shot outside the South Education Center in Minneapolis, the only of these cases in which suspects were arrested. Two students from the school have been charged.

Avenatti convicted of defrauding ex-client Stormy Daniels, sealing U.S. lawyer's fall

Lawyer Michael Avenatti, who rose to fame for taking on then-U.S. President Donald Trump before a string of criminal charges ended his legal career, was convicted on Friday of defrauding a former client, porn star Stormy Daniels. Avenatti, who faces up to 22 years behind bars, had pleaded not guilty to embezzling nearly $300,000 in book proceeds intended for Daniels.

'Snake oil salesmen' advised Trump on 2020 election, Pence aide says

Former President Donald Trump received bad advice from "snake oil salesmen" who falsely told him Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, Pence's former chief of staff Marc Short said. "Unfortunately, the president had many bad advisers who were basically snake oil salesman giving him really random and novel ideas as to what the vice president could do," Short said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

NBC's Olympics opening ceremony coverage draws nearly 14 million U.S. TV viewers

NBC's coverage of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympic Games averaged close to 14 million U.S. television viewers, according to preliminary data provided by NBCUniversal on Saturday, about half the TV audience for the last Winter Games opening ceremony four years ago.Across all platforms, including the USA Network, NBC Sports app and Peacock streaming service, NBC's average audience reached nearly 16 million people, the company said in an email. The opening ceremony for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, which historically attracts a bigger audience than the Winter Games, drew 16.7 million TV viewers. Across all platforms, 17 million people watched the ceremony.

Housekeeper at Colorado ranch of Michael Bloomberg abducted at gunpoint

A housekeeper at the Colorado ranch of billionaire Michael Bloomberg was abducted at gunpoint this week by a man who forced her to drive them to Wyoming, where police later arrested the suspect and freed the woman unharmed, according to officials and court documents. Joseph Beecher, 48, was taken into custody on Thursday and was jailed without bond in Cheyenne, Wyoming, facing multiple state charges including kidnapping and felony menacing, a Colorado sheriff's office said in an online statement

Hundreds in Minneapolis protest police killing of Black man in raid

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of downtown Minneapolis on Saturday demanding justice in the fatal police shooting of a young Black man, Amir Locke, during a "no-knock" raid on his apartment earlier this week. The boisterous but peaceful crowd, chanting Locke's name and the slogan "no justice, no peace," rallied at Government Plaza in Minnesota's largest city three days after Locke, 22, was shot on his couch by police.

Republicans censure Cheney, Kinzinger, call Jan. 6 probe attack on 'legitimate political discourse'

The Republican Party on Friday censured U.S. Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for joining Congress' investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat, calling the probe an attack on "legitimate political discourse." Cheney and Kinzinger are the only Republicans on the House of Representatives Jan. 6 select committee. The panel is investigating who -- including people in Trump's circle -- had any role in planning or enabling the worst assault on the U.S. Capitol since the War of 1812.

Popular U.S. podcaster Joe Rogan apologizes for using racial slurs

Joe Rogan, the popular U.S. podcaster, issued an apology for the second time in a week, this time for using racial slurs after a montage video surfaced showing him repeatedly saying the N-word. In an apology video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Rogan said it was the "most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly." During the video, Rogan said footage that emerged of him using the epithet had been taken out of context, but looked "horrible, even to me."

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