Reuters US Domestic News Summary

A 109-page indictment, handed up by a grand jury last week and made public on Tuesday, accuses 61 members of a group called Defend the Atlanta Forest of illegally occupying the 85-acre (34.4 hectares) wooded site where the $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is being built. Ex-Trump White House adviser Navarro heads to trial over contempt charges Former President Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro arrived at court on Tuesday for a trial on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress, after refusing to testify or provide documents to the U.S. congressional investigation of the 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US commerce secretary doesn't expect changes to Trump China tariffs until review complete

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Tuesday she does not expect any revisions to U.S. tariffs on China imposed during President Donald Trump's administration until an ongoing review is completed by the U.S. Trade Representative's Office. "I don't think the (Biden) administration will make any changes until that review is completed," Raimondo told CNBC. It is not clear when USTR will conclude the review.

Alabama to ask US Supreme Court to keep Republican-drawn electoral map

Alabama's Republican-backed congressional map illegally dilutes Black residents' voting power and must be redrawn, a panel of three federal judges ruled on Tuesday, a decision that the state said it would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That appeal plan escalated the stakes of a judicial decision that boosted Democratic chances to win back a U.S. House of Representatives majority in the 2024 congressional elections.

Hawaii, Maui sued by victim's family for gross negligence in deadly wildfires

The father of a woman who died during last month's wildfires in Hawaii has sued the state and the county of Maui in a “first-of-its-kind” lawsuit accusing the governments of gross negligence leading to the blazes that razed the historic town of Lahaina. Filed on Monday in Hawaii state court, the lawsuit is the first stemming from the wildfires to be lodged against the state. It also names the state's electric utility Hawaiian Electric, which is already facing several lawsuits, and a major landowner on the island, Bishop Estate, over the fires.

Meadows, other Trump allies plead not guilty in Georgia election case

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges in the Georgia election subversion case, joining two other allies of former President Donald Trump. Meadows and lawyers John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark all waived formal arraignment, which had been scheduled for Wednesday in Fulton County Superior Court.

Ukraine aid optimism marks return of US Senate to Washington

The Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. Senate expressed support for continued assistance for Ukraine on Tuesday, as lawmakers returned to Washington facing a tight deadline for passing spending bills. President Joe Biden last month asked Congress to approve about $40 billion in additional spending, including $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs, in a test of the country's willingness to keep supporting Ukraine as it fights Russian invaders.

Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio gets 22 years in Jan 6 case

A former leader of the right-wing Proud Boys group, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the longest sentence so far in the case. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly imposed the sentence on Tarrio, 39, of Miami, for his role in the riot by then-President Donald Trump's supporters. His lawyers said he would appeal.

McConnell largely ignores his public freeze-ups on return to US Senate

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell sidestepped questions about his health in his return to the Capitol on Tuesday, six days after freezing up for a second time while speaking in public. The 81-year-old lawmaker addressed the Senate hours after the doctor of Congress said in a statement that the two episodes did not appear to be the result of a stroke or seizure, but offered no explanation of what caused McConnell to stand speechless and wide-eyed during a press conference last Wednesday.

Dozens face RICO charges over Atlanta police center protests

More than five dozen activists have been charged with an illegal conspiracy to stop construction of an Atlanta police training center, derisively called "Cop City," that has been the target of sometimes violent protests in recent months. A 109-page indictment, handed up by a grand jury last week and made public on Tuesday, accuses 61 members of a group called Defend the Atlanta Forest of illegally occupying the 85-acre (34.4 hectares) wooded site where the $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is being built.

Ex-Trump White House adviser Navarro heads to trial over contempt charges

Former President Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro arrived at court on Tuesday for a trial on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress, after refusing to testify or provide documents to the U.S. congressional investigation of the 2021 attack on the Capitol. Navarro, a China hawk who advised Republican Trump on trade issues and also served on the White House COVID-19 task force, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

US Senate races ahead of House on spending in bid to avoid shutdown

Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate, on their return from summer recess on Tuesday, sought to gain the upper hand over House Republicans in talks over government funding as the threat of an embarrassing October government shutdown looms. A bipartisan group of senators in the Democratic-controlled chamber collaborated on President Joe Biden's request for a stopgap spending bill to keep agencies funded until deals can be brokered on the full fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1.