Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The Obama Presidential Center, a $850 million development, is set to open in Chicago, marking the city's largest single investment in a century on its South Side.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Obama Presidential Center, designed as hub of civic life, set to open in Chicago

Throngs of guests were due to converge on a lakefront park in Chicago on Thursday to dedicate the Obama Presidential Center, a sprawling campus of granite, nature and art designed as a hub of civic life and culture honoring the 44th president of the United States. Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were expected to preside over the ceremonial opening of the center, an $850 million development that local ​historians say marks the greatest single investment in a century in the city's long-neglected South Side.

Senate committee sets vote on Trump's BLS chief nominee

A U.S. Senate committee will vote next week on whether to advance the nomination of Brett Matsumoto, President Donald Trump's pick to head the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that produces key economic data ​including monthly reports on the state of the job market and inflation. The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has set a vote for June 24, according to an undated posting on its website.

Luigi Mangione plans ‘extreme emotional disturbance’ defense at CEO ‌killing trial

Luigi Mangione, the man accused ​of gunning down a health insurance executive in Manhattan, plans to argue at his murder trial that he was undergoing an extreme mental health crisis at the time of the alleged killing, a judge revealed at a hearing on Wednesday. The strategy poses steep legal hurdles but could lead to a jury convicting Mangione of the lesser crime of manslaughter, which carries significantly lighter sentences.

Trump says Apple to partner with Intel on US chip design, production

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday that Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture its chips in the United States. A partnership with Intel helps Apple diversify its manufacturing base as it seeks additional chip capacity. The iPhone maker relies heavily on TSMC, whose advanced production lines are in high demand from AI chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD.

Warehouse roof fire triggers smoke alert in Los Angeles

Flames swept the roof of a massive warehouse in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, quickly spreading across the building's solar panels, belching thick clouds of smoke and ammonia gas that prompted a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. The blaze erupted around 2:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) at a 500,000-square-foot (46,450-square-meter) Lineage company warehouse in the city's historic Boyle ‌Heights neighborhood, with flames breaching a pressurized ammonia line but mainly burning across the roof, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore.

Golf-US Open suspended early in first round due to fog

Organisers suspended play at the U.S. Open on Thursday due to fog, as the first round of the major at Shinnecock Hills got off to a slow start in Southampton, New York. A thick blanket of fog hovered over the venerated course in the fashionable beach town east of New York City, where a long line of standstill traffic held up ticketholders while a handful of players got the action going at eye-wateringly early tee times.

Strong US retail sales showcase economy's resilience despite Iran war

U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in May, with households boosting purchases of motor vehicles even as they paid more for gasoline, but a slowdown is likely as the cushion from larger tax refunds against higher prices diminishes. The fourth straight month of strong retail sales reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday added to a recent pickup in job growth in highlighting the economy's resilience despite the oil price shock from the U.S.-led war with Iran, which is stoking inflation.

US banks to make final push on capital rule changes as Fed wraps up consultation

Large U.S. banks on Thursday will formally pitch the central bank on tweaks to a Federal Reserve proposal aimed at reducing the funds they must set aside to absorb potential losses, as the central bank enters the last leg of a marathon overhaul of U.S. capital rules. Among their top asks will be reductions to capital assigned to Wall Street trading activities, scrapping a requirement to hold capital against unused credit card lines, and further fixes to reduce ‌the impact of a surcharge levied on globally interconnected banks, according to five industry executives and employees. The officials spoke anonymously to discuss ongoing regulatory matters and the contents of comment letters that are not yet public.

Donald Trump settles lawsuit against niece over publication of tax records

U.S. President Donald Trump has settled his lawsuit accusing his niece Mary Trump of improperly leaking information to the New York Times for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes. Both sides announced a settlement in a letter filed on Tuesday with a New York state court in Manhattan, and expect to seek a formal dismissal in the coming weeks.

Trump blows up spy bill after Senate Republicans say 'no' to voter ID legislation

President Donald Trump's derailment of a U.S. ‌Senate plan to pass a key national security bill this week is only the latest example of a growing rift with Senate Republicans, who are more willing to defy the commander-in-chief in the run-up to the November midterm elections. Aiming to protect his controversial choice of loyalist Bill Pulte as acting U.S. spy chief, Trump forced the Senate Intelligence Committee to postpone a confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, his permanent nominee for director of national security, who Republicans had hoped to fast-track into the job.

US Health Department announces over $700 million to combat mental health, addiction, homelessness

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday announced more than $700 million in new funding opportunities aimed at tackling mental illness, addiction and homelessness. The package includes a new $96 million grant program, Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support, or STREETS, which will award funding to eight communities, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

Warsh Fed holds rates steady. Trump says 'It's all right. Whatever.'

President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed confidence in Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh after the new central bank chief concluded his first rate-setting meeting with a decision to leave interest rates unchanged and published projections that showed nearly half of U.S. central bankers feel a rate hike will be needed this year. "It's all right. Whatever," Trump said in France, when asked what he felt about the Fed's decision to hold interest rates steady.

Trump delays spy nominee Clayton's confirmation, wants voter ID law

U.S. President Donald Trump threw doubt on Wednesday on the confirmation of his nominee to become the nation's top spy, Jay Clayton, ordering its abrupt postponement in an effort to force Congress to pass a strict voter identification bill. Republicans who have been pushing for rapid Senate approval of Clayton, the top U.S. attorney for Manhattan, to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) had said his confirmation hearing would go ahead as scheduled, until Trump ordered him not to appear.

New York to honor historic Knicks championship with ticker-tape parade

Massive crowds are expected in New York on Thursday for a ticker-tape parade celebrating the NBA champion ⁠New York Knicks, capping a dream season for one ​of basketball's most long-suffering franchises. The Knicks' dominant run through the NBA playoffs, which included wins in 15 of their last 16 games, unified and electrified this sports-mad city. Saturday's victory in Game 5 of the NBA finals over ⁠the San Antonio Spurs sealed the team’s first title in 53 years, sparking celebrations in the streets across the city's five boroughs as fans streamed out of packed bars, frenzied fan zones and impromptu watch parties.

Trump administration removed dozens of national park exhibits that 'disparage' US

The U.S. National Park Service has removed at least 51 exhibits from 37 sites to carry out President Donald Trump's executive order targeting displays that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living," a court-ordered inventory showed. The examples revealed in a Trump administration filing on Wednesday span a variety of national parks and monuments including Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, where an exhibit describing the ownership of enslaved people by George Washington, the first U.S. president, was removed.

US weekly jobless claims fall amid low layoffs

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week as layoffs remained low, underpinning the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 226,000 for the week ended June 13, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by ⁠Reuters had forecast 225,000 claims for the latest week.

Mangione, accused insurance CEO killer, could face hurdles with mental breakdown defense

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating a health insurance executive in a carefully executed plot, could have a hard time convincing jurors at his murder trial that he suffered a mental health breakdown, legal experts said. Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown in December 2024. Defense lawyers indicated on Wednesday that Mangione plans to mount a type of legal defense that allows jurors to downgrade murder charges to manslaughter if they believe a defendant lost control of their actions due to an “extreme emotional disturbance.”

Fed's Warsh flags new tasks forces to study Fed operations

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh announced on Wednesday a wide-ranging project to review key aspects of central bank policy making, in a move that indicated any near-term moves to change how the Fed manages its massive ​stock of bonds lay well off in the future. “I'm appointing a task force in each of five areas that are central to the broad conduct of monetary policy,” Warsh said in a press conference following the first interest-rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee meeting held under his stewardship.

Congress to hold hearing on US airline competition, regulation

A House of Representatives panel will hold a June 24 hearing on the state of U.S. airline competition and regulation after the collapse of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines last month. A House Judiciary subcommittee that oversees antitrust issues will hold a hearing titled "The 30,000 Foot View: Competition and Regulation in the U.S. Airline Industry." Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu is expected to testify at the hearing.

Knicks accept invitation ⁠to visit White House after win, owner says

Knicks owner James Dolan said on Wednesday the New York basketball team has accepted an invitation to the White House following last week's championship win. "We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details," Dolan said during an interview on WFAN Sports Radio.

Senator urges FAA to reject White House pressure to approve Trump arch

The top Democrat on the Senate aviation subcommittee urged the Federal Aviation Administration to reject White House pressure to approve President Donald Trump's proposed 259-foot (79-meter) tall Independence Arch, saying it could pose risks to commercial flights. "The FAA must commit to upholding the highest safety standards and be firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure from President Trump to prioritize the construction of his gaudy, vanity arch over the safety of the American people," Senator Tammy Duckworth wrote FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford in a letter Thursday.

Warsh kicks off Fed chief era with sweeping review as rates remain unchanged

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh opened a new era of U.S. ⁠monetary policy ​on Wednesday, with officials agreeing to leave interest rates unchanged despite inflation stuck well above their target but also launching an ambitious review that could reshape how the central bank makes decisions and communicates with the public. Warsh, who took over as Fed chief last month, made an immediate imprint in organizing a unanimous consensus around a stripped-down policy statement that jettisoned any forward guidance on what actions the central bank might take in the near term, although new quarterly projections, eschewed by Warsh himself, showed nine of 19 policymakers now anticipate a rate hike by the end of 2026.

Fed chief Warsh skips rate-path 'dot,' launches communications review

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh did not submit an interest-rate path projection as part of the central bank’s quarterly publication of economic projections on Wednesday, spelling big changes ahead for what's become a key guidepost for investors on monetary policy. The central bank's latest "dot plot" released on Wednesday depicting the anonymized individual rate-path views of policymakers featured just 18 submissions. The full slate of Fed policymakers numbers 19.

Waymo recalls nearly 3,900 robotaxis over risk of entering closed construction zones

Alphabet self-driving unit Waymo is recalling nearly 3,900 robotaxis in the U.S. because a software issue could cause the vehicles to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving. It is the second recall by Waymo in just over a month.

Soccer-Unquenchable Scottish thirst for World Cup beer pushes Boston bars to the limit

Bars in Boston are gearing up for a second tidal wave of drinking by Scotland's Tartan Army of football fans who nearly drained some pubs of all their beer in the first weekend of their World Cup occupation of the city. When Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 on ⁠Saturday in their first World Cup appearance since 1998, bar staff had to scramble for emergency supplies to satisfy the country's famously raucous and thirsty fans who have packed into Boston by the tens of thousands.

Tropical Storm Arthur forms near Texas coast, life-threatening flooding expected

Tropical Storm Arthur formed near the Texas coast and is expected to bring life-threatening flooding across portions of the Southeastern U.S., the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. The storm — the first named system of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season — was located about 20 miles (35 km) north-northwest of Matagorda, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon, producing maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 km/h).

Death rate in ICE immigrant detention centers more than doubles under Trump, Reuters analysis finds

A Vietnamese man with cardiovascular problems collapsed and died ⁠in the “Speedway Slammer,” the repurposed Indiana maximum-security prison that’s become a symbol of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. In a Pennsylvania detention center, a Chinese man who had previously attempted suicide was found hanging in the shower. In a New ⁠York facility, a Honduran man with an elevated heart rate and tremors from alcohol withdrawal died in his cell with no emergency care. These men are among 50 people who have died in U.S. immigration detention since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement records show.

Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine faces FDA advisory panel scrutiny

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel is set to vote on whether the benefits of Moderna's flu vaccine outweigh its risks in older adults, after regulators reversed course on rejecting the drugmaker's initial application for the shot. Moderna is seeking a traditional approval for the shot, called mFlusiva, for adults 50 to 64 years old, and an accelerated approval, which requires the company to conduct additional studies to confirm the vaccine's benefit, for adults 65 and older.

New York LaGuardia airport to temporarily close runway to address pavement issue

New York's LaGuardia airport said on Wednesday it will close a runway at 5 p.m. EDT to address a pavement issue, the second time in less than a month it has been forced to close a runway. The airport said a two-inch depression adjacent to a runway was identified, forcing the closure so crews ‌can conduct additional testing, identify the cause, and perform any stabilization work and aim to return the runway to operations by Thursday morning. Last month, ‌the busy airport was forced to close a runway for two days because of a runway sinkhole.

US FTC sues transgender health nonprofit over youth care standards

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and four states accused a nonprofit focused on transgender health of making misleading statements about the benefits of gender-affirming treatments for young people in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday. The lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is the latest ​move by the Trump administration and Republican-led states to limit gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Texas, Iowa, Nebraska and Alaska joined the lawsuit filed in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas.