US Domestic News Roundup: Teacher, 14-year-old among hundreds of Americans hit by gunfire over the weekend; Texas power use hits record for June, all-time peaks to come and more

Federal prosecutors accused the five men of plotting the attack in advance and encouraging other Trump supporters to prevent Congress from certifying his 2020 election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden. Spare 'documented Dreamers' from deportation, tech giants tell Biden official The Biden administration must protect young adults who could lose U.S. immigration status because of processing delays for permanent residency, tech companies including Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Teacher, 14-year-old among hundreds of Americans hit by gunfire over the weekend

A Philadelphia school teacher, an Arizona teenager, and a Chicago police officer were among hundreds of people struck down by bullets over the weekend, part of a relentless wave of shootings that has pushed gun violence to the forefront of U.S. politics. More than 124 people were killed and 325 wounded in 300-plus shootings documented in the United States since Friday, according to GunViolenceArchive.org, a Washington D.C. non-profit that tracks shootings.

Texas power use hits record for June, all-time peaks to come

Power demand in Texas broke the June record on Monday and will continue rising until it breaks the all-time high later this week as economic growth boosts overall usage and hot weather causes homes and businesses to crank up their air conditioners. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the states' power load, said it had enough resources available to meet forecast demand.

San Francisco district attorney faces recall effort amid crime concerns

Voters in San Francisco are poised to recall the city's progressive district attorney, Chesa Boudin, on Tuesday in what has become a nationally watched test of frustrations over rising crime. Boudin has been the target of a multi-million-dollar recall campaign by residents who say the liberal California enclave has become an increasingly unsafe place to live. Polls show strong support for the recall.

CEO-worker pay gap jumps in 2021 at low-wage U.S. companies

The pay gap between workers and CEOs at 300 publicly listed U.S. companies with the lowest median wage jumped in 2021, a study from the Institute for Policy Studies https://ips-dc.org (IPS) showed on Tuesday. The average gap was 670 to 1, up from 604 to 1 in the prior year, while 49 companies had ratios above 1,000 to 1, the study showed. Average CEO pay in the group climbed $2.5 million to $10.6 million, while median worker pay rose $3,556 to $23,968.

U.S. VP touts $3.2 billion investment aimed at stemming Central American migration

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has marshaled $3.2 billion in corporate pledges to tackle the factors that drive some Central Americans to migrate to the United States, according to her office, an effort she will tout on Tuesday at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The new commitments from companies - including Visa and the apparel company Gap Inc - total $1.9 billion and are more than double the $1.2 billion promised by the private sector in December.

Novavax COVID vaccine heads to U.S. FDA advisory committee

Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday will consider whether to recommend Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine for adults, which the drugmaker hopes can become the shot of choice among some American vaccine skeptics. Novavax's shot is a more traditional type of vaccine employing technology that has been used for decades to combat diseases including Hepatitis B and influenza.

Trump ally seeks return to Congress, California votes on crime in U.S. midterm primaries

A former member of Donald Trump's cabinet will attempt a return to the U.S. Congress in Montana and California Democrats concerned about crime may oust one of their own as voters head to the polls in midterm primary elections in seven states on Tuesday. Voters in South Dakota, New Jersey, Iowa, Mississippi and New Mexico will also cast ballots in nominating contests that will set the competitive field for Nov. 8's elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years.

Cosby accuser describes going to Playboy Mansion with the comedian

A woman who accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1970s began her court testimony on Monday, describing how she and a friend met the comedian as teenagers and accompanied him to the famed Playboy Mansion. Judy Huth, who has filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby for unspecified damages, told jurors she was playing frisbee at a public park on a weekday when she noticed a movie filming nearby. She and a friend, Donna Samuelson, walked closer and recognized Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier and other actors.

Proud Boys leader Tarrio charged with sedition for role in U.S. Capitol attack

The former leader of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, and four associates were charged with seditious conspiracy on Monday for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters. Federal prosecutors accused the five men of plotting the attack in advance and encouraging other Trump supporters to prevent Congress from certifying his 2020 election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

Spare 'documented Dreamers' from deportation, tech giants tell Biden official

The Biden administration must protect young adults who could lose U.S. immigration status because of processing delays for permanent residency, tech companies including Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google said on Tuesday. After turning 21, foreigners can no longer stay in the United States under their parents' work visas. If applications for their own visas are not processed by that birthday - as is often happening amid pandemic-induced delays - they must leave.