US Domestic News Roundup: More Oath Keepers convicted of sedition in US Capitol attack face sentencing; Ex-JPMorgan executive wrote Epstein 'should not be a client' in 2011 email -deposition and more

The top Democrat and Republican in chamber vowed to do all they could to speed along the bill negotiated by Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which would suspend the debt limit until Jan. 1, 2025 in exchange for a cap on spending. Failed Republican candidate charged in shooting spree aimed at New Mexico Democrats A failed Republican state candidate in New Mexico was charged by federal authorities on Wednesday for a shooting spree targeting the homes of four elected Democratic officials, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

More Oath Keepers convicted of sedition in US Capitol attack face sentencing

Two more members of the far-right Oath Keepers militant group are set to be sentenced on Thursday for seditious conspiracy and other crimes arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by then-President Donald Trump's supporters. Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to sentence Roberto Minuta and Edward Vallejo to 17 years in prison each after they were convicted in January alongside two other Oath Keepers members.

Ex-JPMorgan executive wrote Epstein 'should not be a client' in 2011 email -deposition

A former JPMorgan Chase & Co executive wrote in a 2011 email that the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein should not be a client of the bank, according to a transcript of a deposition of Chief Executive Jamie Dimon seen by Reuters. Dimon said in the deposition he was not aware of the email at the time but "I know it today."

Republican 2024 field gets crowded with Pence, Christie to announce bids

Former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are planning to enter the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination next week in long-shot challenges to the dominance of front-runner Donald Trump. Christie, who advised Trump's campaign in 2016 only to become a vocal critic of the former president, will formally announce his 2024 campaign on June 6, a person familiar with the matter said.

‘California is meant to burn': Experts teach landowners art of prescribed burns

The prescribed burn begins on a California hill with a drip torch to light brush, needles and fallen branches, the flames spreading out on the forest floor far below the tree canopy. Students on this Saturday class learn how to keep the burn under control, while others stand by ready to assist with water pumps, hand tools and first aid.

McCarthy's moment: Debt ceiling vote secures Republican US House speaker's standing

Kevin McCarthy earned his stripes as Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, navigating fierce hardline opposition to pass a debt ceiling bill containing federal spending limits that President Joe Biden for months vowed to resist. Six months after he endured 15 humiliating floor votes just to be elected speaker, McCarthy proved capable of dragging Biden into negotiations over spending and other Republican priorities, and then marshalling two-thirds of his often fractious House Republican majority to enact bipartisan legislation.

Digital doubles, fake trailers: AI worries Hollywood actors before labor talks

A search for Wes Anderson on YouTube turns up trailers that the famed director with a distinctive style appears to have made for adaptations of "Star Wars," "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" featuring Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and other stars. Artificial intelligence allowed people with no real actors and far smaller resources than major Hollywood studios to generate the fake movie trailers, feeding debate on the issue that will be on the bargaining table when the SAG-AFTRA actors union begins labor talks with studios on June 7.

Republican DeSantis strives for personal touch on 2024 kick-off tour

For Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, campaigning for president in Iowa meant coming to a place like the Grass Wagon, a no-frills, dimly lit reception hall where about 300 people on Wednesday awaited him, more curious voters than ardent supporters. DeSantis was on the second day of his first swing through Iowa as a 2024 presidential candidate, and the modest surroundings and relatively small crowd – the venue was about one-third filled – was a reminder of the work that lies ahead if he hopes to wrest the Republican nomination from Donald Trump.

Texas governor names interim attorney general to replace impeached Paxton

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday appointed an interim attorney general to fill in for Ken Paxton, who was impeached last week on allegations of corruption and other irregularities. Abbott said in a written statement that he had appointed John Scott, an attorney and former Texas secretary of state under Abbott, as interim attorney general.

US Senate aims for quick passage of debt ceiling bill to avoid default

The U.S. Senate on Thursday was set to take up a bill to lift the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, with just four days left to pass the measure and send it to Democratic President Joe Biden to sign, averting a catastrophic default. The top Democrat and Republican in chamber vowed to do all they could to speed along the bill negotiated by Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which would suspend the debt limit until Jan. 1, 2025 in exchange for a cap on spending.

Failed Republican candidate charged in shooting spree aimed at New Mexico Democrats

A failed Republican state candidate in New Mexico was charged by federal authorities on Wednesday for a shooting spree targeting the homes of four elected Democratic officials, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement. Solomon Pena, 40, lost a state House of Representatives race last November. After his defeat, Pena organized the shootings on the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two New Mexico state legislators, prosecutors said.

(With inputs from agencies.)