Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

North Miami cop acquitted of felonies in shooting at autistic man, media say

A Florida jury on Monday night acquitted a North Miami police officer of two felony charges of attempted manslaughter in the shooting of an unarmed caretaker for an autistic man who was holding a toy truck, media reports said. The officer fired at the autistic man, thinking that a shiny toy truck he held was a gun. He missed the autistic man but hit his therapist, Charles Kinsey, who was laying on his back in the street with his hands up, complying with police orders. Kinsey, who is black, was shot in the leg.

Virginia Republicans lose in U.S. Supreme Court racial gerrymandering case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed Republican legislators in Virginia a defeat, leaving in place a ruling that invalidated state electoral districts they drew because they weakened the clout of black voters in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The justices, in a 5-4 decision, sidestepped a ruling on the merits of the case. They instead found that the Republican-led state House of Delegates lacked the necessary legal standing to appeal a lower court ruling that had invalidated 11 state House districts for racial discrimination.

Harvard revokes Parkland shooting survivor's acceptance over racial slurs

Harvard University has rescinded its admission offer to a survivor of the 2018 massacre at a Florida high school over his past use of racial slurs in an online document posted on Twitter, the student said on Monday. The student, Kyle Kashuv, was a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida when a gunman opened fire in February 2018 and killed 17 students and staff. He became the target of online criticism last month after images of a shared study guide from more than a year ago circulated on Twitter, showing he wrote anti-black slurs.

Democratic presidential hopeful Klobuchar details top policy goals

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar unveiled on Tuesday a 137-point list of priorities she would address in her first 100 days in office if elected president, a sweeping set of policies she is highlighting as part of her bid for the Democratic nomination. The policies touch on matters ranging from high-profile topics like climate change, healthcare and gun regulations to the classification of federal tax offices.

U.S. military landlord filed false maintenance logs, earning bonuses, Reuters finds

A unit of UK infrastructure giant Balfour Beatty plc falsified housing maintenance records at a major U.S. military base to help it maximize fees earned from the Department of Defense, a Reuters investigation found. At Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, the company’s U.S.-based unit used a second set of books and altered records to make it appear responsive to maintenance requests, Reuters found in a review of company and Air Force emails, internal memos and other documents, as well as interviews with former workers.

In New York sex cult trial, leader's tactics echo those of other sects

The New York man charged with keeping women as sex slaves branded with his initials is one of the few cult leaders to face prosecution in the United States, but he controlled his followers in ways that are strikingly similar to those of cult figures who have been convicted. Prosecutors said that 58-year-old Keith Raniere used his group Nxivm, which presented itself as a self-help organization, as cover for blackmailing young women into having sex with him. If convicted, Raniere, who is charged with racketeering, forced labor, sex trafficking and possessing child pornography, faces life in prison.

Trump says U.S. agency will begin removing millions of illegal immigrants

President Donald Trump said on Monday that U.S. authorities will begin next week removing millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. "Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States," Trump tweeted, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. "They will be removed as fast as they come in," he said.

Trump ex-aide Manafort moved to Manhattan, arraignment seen near: source

Paul Manafort, U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, was transferred to a detention facility in Manhattan on Monday ahead of an expected arraignment on state charges in New York, a person familiar with the matter said. Manafort, 70, was moved from a federal prison in Pennsylvania to the Metropolitan Correctional Facility, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the transfer has not been disclosed.

At least two killed after woman crashes car into Michigan river with her children inside

A woman deliberately crashed her vehicle into Michigan's Kalamazoo River with her two children inside, killing at least two people, local police said on Tuesday. Kalamazoo police said they had launched a search for victims late on Monday after receiving a tip from two young females that a family member had driven her vehicle into the river.

Jury chosen for Navy SEAL's war crimes trial, opening arguments on Tuesday

Opening arguments are set to begin on Tuesday in the trial of a U.S. Navy SEAL court-martialed on charges of murdering a wounded Iraqi prisoner and shooting unarmed civilians, a war crimes case that has drawn the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump. A jury was selected on Monday in the trial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, City News Service and the Fox affiliate in San Diego reported.