Reuters US Domestic News Summary

| Sun, 05 Dec 2021 23:52:24 GMT

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Democrat Omar: Pelosi to act against Republican for anti-Muslim comments

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar said on Sunday that she is confident House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will take “decisive action” in coming days against Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert, for remarks about Omar that have been decried as Islamophobic. Boebert described Omar, a Muslim who was born in Somalia, as a member of a “jihad squad” at an event in her home state of Colorado last month and said it was safe to ride with her in a Capitol elevator if she was not wearing a backpack.

Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect plead not guilty to manslaughter charges

A Michigan judge set bail at $500,000 each for the parents of a teenager accused of murdering four fellow high school students with a weapon the couple bought him as a Christmas gift, after authorities arrested them on Saturday following a manhunt. Appearing by videolink from jail for their arraignment, James and Jennifer Crumbley both pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Omicron variant found in nearly one-third of U.S. states

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread to about one-third of U.S. states, but the Delta version remains the majority of COVID-19 infections as cases rise nationwide, U.S. health officials said on Sunday. Though the emergence of the new variant has caused alarm worldwide, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, told CNN “thus far it does not look like there’s a great degree of severity to it.” He added that it was too early to draw definitive conclusions and that more study is needed.

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Manslaughter charges against Michigan shooter’s parents break new legal ground

There is little precedent for the criminal charges against the parents of Ethan Crumbley, the Michigan teenager who fatally shot four of his high school classmates with a handgun on Tuesday, but prosecutors may have a strong case, legal experts said. Detroit police said early on Saturday that the parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, had been taken into custody.

Factbox-Facts about the late former Senator Bob Dole

Former Republican U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole, 98, died on Sunday. Here are some facts about him:

The humor of the late Senator Bob Dole

Former Senator Bob Dole was renowned for a sense of humor that could be self-deprecating, good natured or quite barbed. He wrote “Great Political Wit: Laughing (Almost) All the Way to the White House,” a book of anecdotes of political humor. “Irreverence is in my blood,” he said.

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Bob Dole, war hero, longtime U.S. senator, presidential candidate, dies at 98

Bob Dole, who overcame grievous World War Two combat wounds to become a pre-eminent figure in U.S. politics as a longtime Republican senator from Kansas and his party’s unsuccessful 1996 presidential nominee, died on Sunday. He was 98. Dole, known for a wit that ranged from self-deprecating to caustic, died in his sleep, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation said. Dole announced in February that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and would begin treatment.

Trump ally Perdue to challenge Georgia Republican governor – media

Former U.S. Senator David Perdue plans to challenge Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in next year’s election, U.S. media reported on Sunday, opening a new Republican Party rift in a battleground state that handed Democrats their current U.S. Senate majority. Perdue intends to make his announcement in a video on Monday and file his campaign paper work at the same time, Politico and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing unnamed sources briefed on his plans.

Jurors at Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial shown Epstein’s massage table, photo of sex toys

A green massage table seized from Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach estate was carried into a Manhattan federal courtroom on Friday, where British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial for her alleged role in the sex abuse of underage girls. Prosecutors have said many of Epstein’s encounters with teenagers began as massages before escalating, calling the term “massage” a “ruse” to get girls to touch Epstein.

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Tradition again: Biden celebrates Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell at Kennedy Center Honors

President Joe Biden celebrates artists including Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell and Lorne Michaels on Sunday at the Kennedy Center Honors, bringing back presidential participation in the annual ceremony skipped by Republican Donald Trump. Singer Justino Díaz and Motown founder Berry Gordy round out the group of artists selected by the Kennedy Center for top honors this year at a show that had been upended by politics and the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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