US Domestic News Roundup: Oath Keeper leader in Alabama pleads guilty to conspiracy in U.S. Capitol attack; U.S. Capitol riot panel says Trump may have engaged in 'criminal conspiracy' and more

In a court filing — one of the U.S. House of Represenative's Select Committee's most detailed releases of findings yet — the panel said Trump potentially engaged in conspiracy to defraud the United States and may have obstructed an official proceeding. Biden administration seeks $32.5 billion in Ukraine and COVID aid -reports U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is seeking $32.5 billion in additional funding from Congress to aid Ukraine and bolster the U.S. COVID response, U.S. media reports said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Oath Keeper leader in Alabama pleads guilty to conspiracy in U.S. Capitol attack

The leader of the Alabama chapter of the right-wing Oath Keepers militia group pleaded guilty to criminal charges including conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday. Joshua James, 34, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress after playing a role in leading the assault on the Capitol, according to a news release. Prosecutors say James is the Oath Keepers' regional leader and heads up the Alabama chapter.

U.S. Capitol riot panel says Trump may have engaged in 'criminal conspiracy'

The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday said former President Donald Trump may have engaged in criminal conduct in his bid to overturn his election defeat. In a court filing — one of the U.S. House of Representative's Select Committee's most detailed releases of findings yet — the panel said Trump potentially engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and may have obstructed an official proceeding.

Biden administration seeks $32.5 billion in Ukraine and COVID aid -reports

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is seeking $32.5 billion in additional funding from Congress to aid Ukraine and bolster the U.S. COVID response, U.S. media reports said on Thursday. The White House is seeking $10 billion to help train Ukraine's military, protect its electrical grid, boost its cyber defenses and enforce sanctions, the Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Florida Senate expected to pass 15-week abortion ban

Florida's Republican-led Senate on Thursday is expected to pass a bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, putting the state one step closer to adopting a gestational limit currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state's House of Representatives, which also has a Republican majority, approved the measure last month on a party-line vote. Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is expected to sign it after Senate approval.

Texas Republican quits U.S. House race, admits affair with former ISIS war bride

Two-term U.S. Representative Van Taylor on Wednesday withdrew from a Republican primary run-off race, ending his reelection bid after admitting he had an extra-marital affair with the widow of an American who joined the Islamic State, according to media reports. Taylor, who represents a northeast Texas district, last year voted for the creation of a special congressional panel to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, earning the ire of former President Donald Trump, whose supporters mounted the deadly attack.

Accused U.S. Capitol rioter wanted to drag Pelosi from building, prosecutor says

The Texas man who is the first person to stand trial for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol told a friend he wanted to drag Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building, a prosecutor said on Wednesday. Guy Reffitt of Wylie, Texas, is the first of some 750 people charged with joining the riot by former President Donald Trump's supporters to face trial in Washington. Reffitt has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including carrying a semi-automatic handgun while on Capitol grounds.

U.S. states probing TikTok's effects on young people

Eight states, including California and Massachusetts, announced on Wednesday that they had launched a bipartisan, nationwide probe of TikTok, focusing on whether the popular video-sharing app causes physical or mental health harm to young people. The probe will also look at what the company knew about its role in perpetuating those harms.

Amazon workers get go-ahead for a second union election in New York -organizer

Amazon.com Inc workers at a Staten Island sortation center have been given the green light to hold a vote on whether to unionize, according to a labor advocate, in what would be a second potential union election for the retailer in New York. The Amazon Labor Union has been notified by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that it had a sufficient showing of interest to hold a vote, said Christian Smalls, the group's leader and a former Amazon employee.

Arkansas teachers settle with Allianz over fund debacle

A pension fund for teachers in Arkansas has settled with Allianz and dropped its lawsuit over losses in a multibillion-dollar trading debacle at the German insurer's funds arm, according to a court document. The Arkansas Teacher Retirement System was the first lawsuit lodged against Allianz in 2020 after the downfall of the $15 billion Structured Alpha funds, a saga that has dogged the German insurer and asset manager for two years.

Biden Supreme Court pick Jackson to get March U.S. Senate committee hearings

Hearings on federal appellate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's nominee, who would become the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, will begin on March 21, a first step before she can be voted on by the full chamber. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin revealed the timeline hours after Jackson arrived on Capitol Hill to visit Senate leaders of both parties, as lawmakers mulled her candidacy for the lifetime post.

(With inputs from agencies.)