US Domestic News Roundup: Top US Republican threatens impeachment probe of attorney general over Hunter Biden; US Supreme Court dismisses clash over Trump hotel documents and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Top US Republican threatens impeachment probe of attorney general over Hunter Biden

The top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives is threatening an impeachment investigation of Attorney General Merrick Garland over the Justice Department's criminal probe of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted on Sunday that U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the federal prosecutor appointed by Republican ex-president Donald Trump and overseeing the investigation, must answer questions about whistleblower allegations that the Justice Department intervened in the case to protect Biden's son.

US Supreme Court dismisses clash over Trump hotel documents

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit by a group of congressional Democrats who had sought details about a government lease for a Washington hotel covering the time when it was owned by Republican former President Donald Trump. The court acted after the lawmakers this month voluntarily dropped their 2017 lawsuit against the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency that manages federal government real estate, focused on what was called the Trump International Hotel. The justices last month had agreed to hear a bid by President Joe Biden's administration to block the lawsuit.

For America's political elite, family links to slavery abound

As U.S. lawmakers commemorated the end of slavery by celebrating Juneteenth this month, many of them could have looked no further than their own family histories to find a more personal connection to what's often called America's "original sin." In researching the genealogies of America's political elite, a Reuters examination found that a fifth of the nation's congressmen, living presidents, Supreme Court justices and governors are direct descendants of ancestors who enslaved Black people.

First U.S. malaria cases diagnosed in decades in Florida and Texas

Five cases of malaria have been confirmed in Florida and Texas, the first time the potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease has been locally acquired in the United States in 20 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The four Florida cases, along with one in Texas, have been diagnosed over a period of two months, the agency said.

More than 100 U.S. political leaders have ancestors who were slaveholders

The group includes Republican senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton and James Lankford, and Democrats Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.

Shooter in Colorado gay nightclub attack pleads guilty, gets life in prison

A 23-year-old was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty on Monday to killing five people in a 2022 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Anderson Lee Aldrich pleaded guilty in Colorado state court to five first-degree murder counts and 46 attempted murder counts, part of an agreement reached with prosecutors that avoided what could have been a lengthy trial. Aldrich also pleaded no contest to two counts of bias-motivated crimes.

DeSantis details hardline border plan, looking to compete with Trump

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday provided his most detailed plan yet for securing the U.S. southern border with Mexico as he tries to make up ground against Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. At an event in Eagle Pass, Texas, on the Rio Grande river border with Mexico, DeSantis took a swipe at Trump, lumping him with other presidents he said had failed to take action to stem the flow of migrants at the border.

Jaunts in jets, not risky adventures, the norm for wealthy travelers

Clad in a blue jumpsuit and dangling from the side of a skyscraper 1,200 feet above New York City, billionaire Richard Branson urged viewers on Twitter last week to live life to the fullest and try new things. As the founder of space tourism company Virgin Galactic, Branson is among a small handful of ultra wealthy entrepreneurs pushing the limits of exploration and experiences. Branson and Virgin Group did not immediately comment on the risks of space tourism.

Trump team lobbying for primary rule changes to boost his 2024 chances

Former President Donald Trump is leveraging his connections to loyalists in key primary states to lobby for voting rules and dates that could cement his front-runner status in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, his team and sources in several states told Reuters. Trump's campaign is reaching out to Republican state parties to push for the changes, as party officials set the parameters for contests that kick off early next year ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024 presidential election.

Trump's aide Walt Nauta set to face U.S. charges in documents case

Donald Trump's aide Walt Nauta is due to face federal criminal charges in a Miami court on Tuesday, accused of helping the former U.S. president hide national security documents from investigators after Trump left the White House. Nauta is scheduled to be arraigned at 9:45 a.m. ET (1345 GMT) before Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres. The proceeding was delayed when Trump himself pleaded not guilty to charges on June 13 because Nauta did not have a lawyer admitted to practice at the Florida court.