US Domestic News Roundup: Biden says Americans should stop targeting teachers, banning books; The pattern of 'racial discrimination found in Minneapolis policing, study says and more

Republicans are widely seen as favored to flip the minimum five seats they need nationwide to capture a U.S. House of Representatives majority in November's congressional elections, enabling them to block much of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda for the remaining two years of his first term. Pfizer to start U.S. trial of gene therapy as FDA lifts hold Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it would open the first U.S. trial sites for its experimental gene therapy for a muscle-wasting disorder, after the Food and Drug Administration lifted its hold on a late-stage study.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden says Americans should stop targeting teachers, banning books

U.S. President Joe Biden said American teachers are being unfairly targeted in "the culture wars," and warned against book banning in an event at the White House Wednesday. Biden, speaking at an annual 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year award ceremony, said politicians are trying to score points by banning books, in an apparent reference to conservatives and Republicans in states from Texas to Tennessee.

The pattern of 'racial discrimination found in Minneapolis policing, study says

An inquiry prompted by the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a white police officer found a pattern of unlawful, "discriminatory policing" in Minneapolis and little accountability for offenders, a state report released on Wednesday said. The investigation by Minnesota's Department of Human Rights concluded that city officials had allowed the city's police to persist in practices that violate the state's Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in public services.

Former U.S. Marine Reed lands in U.S. after prisoner swap with Russia - spokesperson

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who was detained in Russia and released in a prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, landed in his home country, Reed's spokesperson said on Thursday. The location where Reed landed was not immediately clear.

U.S. economy still 'very, very strong,' despite likely drop in GDP growth-official

U.S. data due out Thursday is expected to show slower economic growth in the first quarter, mainly due to a less robust jump in business inventories, but the overall economy remains strong, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters on Wednesday. The Commerce Department's advance reading of first-quarter gross domestic product, is due out at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230 GMT), should not be interpreted as a sign that the economy is headed in a bad direction, the official said.

Proud Boys member pleads guilty to obstructing police at U.S. Capitol riot

A member of the far-right Proud Boys group on Wednesday pleaded guilty to obstructing police officers when he joined the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters in their attempt to overturn his election defeat. The plea agreement filed in federal court in Washington calls for Louis Enrique Colon of Missouri to admit to a single felony charge and cooperate with prosecutors. Colon admitted to crossing police barricades during the riot before climbing a wall to gain access to a higher level of the Capitol.

U.S. FDA to publish proposal to ban menthol cigarettes - WSJ

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is likely to publish proposed rules to ban menthol cigarettes on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The proposed ban, which would prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars, will not take effect for at least two years, according to the WSJ report.

Sanders seeks to cut $10 billion funding proposal for new NASA lunar lander

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders asked lawmakers to delete language from a bill that would fund the development of a new lunar lander for NASA, a move seen as part of the senator's effort to nix federal funds that could go to companies owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The provision is part of a broad bill that would provide $52 billion in semiconductor manufacturing subsidies and authorize additional funds to boost U.S. competitiveness and scientific research.

In blow to Democrats, New York's top court invalidates the congressional map

In a blow to Democrats' chances of maintaining a majority in the U.S. Congress, New York's highest court on Wednesday ruled the state's new congressional map was unconstitutionally designed to favor Democrats and ordered the lines redrawn. Republicans are widely seen as favored to flip the minimum five seats they need nationwide to capture a U.S. House of Representatives majority in November's congressional elections, enabling them to block much of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda for the remaining two years of his first term.

Pfizer to start U.S. trial of gene therapy as FDA lifts hold

Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it would open the first U.S. trial sites for its experimental gene therapy for a muscle-wasting disorder after the Food and Drug Administration lifted its hold on a late-stage study. The FDA had put Pfizer's trial request on hold after the death of a patient in another early-stage study of the therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which was also paused.

Moderna files for U.S. authorization of COVID shot for kids under 6

Moderna Inc said on Thursday it asked U.S. regulators to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 6, which would make it the first shot against the coronavirus available for those under 5-years-old. The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE is authorized for children 5 and older. But their trial results for 2- to 4-year-olds showed a weaker immune response than in adults, forcing the study to be extended to test the third dose. Pfizer has said that data would come in April.