US Domestic News Roundup: Democrats aim to reset domestic legislative agenda after Biden speech; Jury to decide fate of U.S. Capitol rioter as bellwether trial ends and more

It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralyzed Ottawa, Canada's capital city. U.S. gasoline prices soar to highest since 2008 on Russia conflict -AAA U.S. gasoline prices at the pump jumped 11% over the past week to the highest since late July 2008 as global sanctions cripple Russia's ability to export crude oil after its invasion of Ukraine, automobile club AAA said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Democrats aim to reset domestic legislative agenda after Biden speech

Congressional Democrats this week will try to start salvaging the unfinished parts of U.S. President Joe Biden's domestic agenda and respond to voters' demands to address inflation while also bolstering high-tech jobs to compete with China. Biden, in his State of the Union address last week, sketched out a more moderate path following a year of spending around $3 trillion to tame the COVID-19 pandemic and invest in infrastructure improvements.

Jury to decide fate of U.S. Capitol rioter as bellwether trial ends

U.S. federal prosecutors on Monday are expected to make closing arguments in the first jury trial of someone charged with joining in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters. Justice Department lawyers will wrap up their case against Guy Reffitt of Texas, the first of some 750 people charged with joining in the riot to face trial in Washington.

'People's Convoy' truck protest targets Washington, slows traffic

Hundreds of trucks, recreational vehicles and cars circled the outskirts of Washington on Sunday, aiming to slow traffic around the capital as part of a protest against pandemic restrictions. The so-called "People's Convoy," which originated in California and has drawn participants from around the country, is calling for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralyzed Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

Tornado slams central Iowa, killing at least six

Six people were killed by a tornado that struck Winterset, Iowa, on Saturday, the Des Moines Register reported, citing local officials. The tornado crashed into the city southwest of the state capital Des Moines in the late afternoon, the newspaper reported, causing severe damage. Heavy storms caused more than 10,500 people in Des Moines to lose power.

U.S. working to secure release of basketball star detained by Russia

Diplomats were working to ensure the release of seven-time WNBA All-Star player Brittney Griner after Russia said it had detained the player last month for possession of vape cartridges containing hash oil, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday. The Russian Customs Service, without naming Griner, said on Saturday that it had detained an athlete in February after the player arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on a flight from New York.

Climate change, COVID loom over Alaska's 50th annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race

Forty-nine mushers and their teams of huskies trotted through Alaska's largest city on Saturday to start the 50th annual running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, an event transformed by climate change and commercialism since its humble beginnings. The starting gate has been returned to downtown Anchorage, a year after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted organizers to launch the 2021 race from a secluded riverside spot north of the city and off-limits to the usual crowds of spectators.

Trucks, RVs and cars flock to Washington area to protest COVID restrictions

More than a thousand large trucks, recreational vehicles and cars are gathering on the outskirts of Washington as part of a protest against COVID-19 restrictions that threatens to roll on the U.S. capital in the coming days. The so-called "People's Convoy," which originated in California and has drawn participants from around the country, is calling for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. It was inspired by demonstrations last month that paralyzed Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

U.S. gasoline prices soar to highest since 2008 on Russia conflict -AAA

U.S. gasoline prices at the pump jumped 11% over the past week to the highest since late July 2008 as global sanctions cripple Russia's ability to export crude oil after its invasion of Ukraine, automobile club AAA said on Sunday. AAA said average U.S. regular grade gasoline prices hit $4.009 per gallon on Sunday, up 11% from $3.604 a week ago and up 45% from $2.760 a year ago.

Alberta oil can be a solution to U.S. energy supply crunch - minister

Alberta, Canada's main oil-producing region, can help alleviate the global oil supply crunch caused by energy disruptions, Alberta energy minister, Sonya Savage, said on Sunday. Alberta has some spare pipeline and rail capacity and can move more oil to the United States, Savage said in Houston ahead of the CERAWeek energy conference by S&P Global. Oil prices in Monday trading in Asia have soared to $128 per barrel, up from about $83 per barrel in January.