US Domestic News Roundup: Biden adviser Lander resigns after complaints he bullied staff; U.S. warns of extremism after Texas synagogue attack, bomb threats in colleges and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden adviser Lander resigns after complaints he bullied staff

A top science adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden resigned on Monday after allegations came to light that he had bullied and demeaned staffers. Eric Lander, who serves as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, was the focus of an internal review after subordinates complained about his treatment of them. The review was first reported by Politico earlier on Monday and confirmed by White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

U.S. warns of extremism after Texas synagogue attack, bomb threats in colleges

The United States faces heightened threats from extremist groups domestic and foreign, underscored by last month's hostage standoff crisis in a Texas synagogue and bomb threats at many historically Black colleges and universities, a U.S. government agency said on Monday. The warning comes after some schools across the United States cancelled classes and issued shelter-in-place orders last week. Investigators ultimately failed to turn up any explosives.

Democratic lawmakers urge U.S. DOJ to step up legal efforts over voting rights

Dozens of U.S. Democratic lawmakers with the Congressional Black Caucus have urged the Justice Department to step up legal efforts to protect voting rights across the country, condemning what they say are "anti-democratic" Republican efforts to restrict ballot access for voters of color. "These unabashedly racist and partisan attacks on our nation's democratic principles must be forcefully condemned and expeditiously reversed," the 41 members of the House of Representatives wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday.

U.S. Republican senators vow to thwart any Iran deal if Biden skips congressional review

A group of 33 Republican senators warned U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday that they would work to thwart implementation of any new Iran nuclear agreement if his government did not allow Congress to review and vote on its terms. Led by Senator Ted Cruz, a long-time opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal, the senators told Biden in a letter dated Monday that they would use "the full range of options and leverage available" to ensure that his government adhered to U.S. laws governing any new accord with Iran.

Exclusive-FBI Probes Pre-Capitol Riot Meeting of Far Right Groups

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing a meeting in a downtown DC garage the day before the January 6 Capitol Hill riot between the then-leader of the Proud Boys extremist group, the now-indicted leader of the Oath Keepers militia and other far-right figures, according to two witnesses interviewed by FBI agents. Among the half dozen people gathered at a garage near the Phoenix Park Hotel was Oath Keepers head Stewart Rhodes, who was indicted this year on charges of “seditious conspiracy” in the insurrection. Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was not present at the riot, was also at the garage meeting but left Washington afterward.

U.S. Supreme Court lets Alabama use electoral map faulted for racial bias

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let Alabama use a Republican-backed map of the state's U.S. congressional districts that a lower court found likely discriminates against Black voters, handing an important victory to Republicans as they seek to regain control of Congress in the Nov. 8 elections.

In a 5-4 decision, the court granted an emergency request by Alabama's Republican Secretary of State John Merrill and two Republican legislators to put on hold the lower court's injunctions ordering the state's Republican-led legislature to redraw the map.

Court sees 52 potential jurists in U.S. hate-crime trial of Arbery killers

The first round of jury selection ended late Monday with 52 potential jurists interviewed in the U.S. federal hate-crimes trial of the three white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, a Black jogger who was chased and shot while running through a mostly white Georgia neighborhood. The final panel seated will be asked to decide whether racial animus drove the defendants to fatally pursue Arbery in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in coastal Georgia in February 2020. Gregory McMichael, 66, his son Travis McMichael, 36, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, 52, were convicted of murder in an earlier state trial.

Abortion clinics in liberal U.S. states expand, brace for more patients

Abortion providers in liberal states are expanding clinics, training more staff and boosting travel assistance to prepare for an influx of patients from conservative states if the U.S. Supreme Court ends the constitutional right to the procedure. Planned Parenthood is enlarging several clinics in California and has purchased land to build a bigger clinic in Reno, Nevada. In Illinois, abortion providers have set up a logistics center to help make medical care arrangements for women from states where abortion is expected to be restricted.

Colorado bill would criminalize threats against election officials

Colorado lawmakers are seeking stronger protections for election workers after an unprecedented year of terroristic threats inspired by former President Donald Trump’s false voting-fraud claims, state officials said on Tuesday. Colorado’s “Election Official Protection Act” adds to a growing number of U.S. states considering similar legislation. The bill would expand on existing law to “make clear that it is a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce - or to attempt to intimidate, threaten or coerce - an election official while they are performing official duties,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold ahead of an expected Tuesday announcement on the legislation.

Olympics-Team USA take proactive approach on mental health at Beijing Games

United States Olympic officials said they learned lessons from the Tokyo Games on supporting athletes' mental health, taking a proactive approach in Beijing where isolation and COVID-19 fears have piled on more stress. Gymnast Simone Biles, a four-time gold medallist, rewrote the playbook on mental health in Tokyo, championing athlete wellbeing in a conversation once seen as taboo that nonetheless resonated from the Summer Games to the Winter.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)