Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Lawyer for Fed's Cook, targeted by Trump, says there is no grounds for dismissal

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's lawyer on Wednesday offered a detailed rebuttal to the accusations of mortgage fraud that U.S. President Donald Trump asserts provide cause to fire her, saying they rely "on untried and unproven allegations of criminal wrongdoing." "Governor Cook has never committed mortgage fraud or any intentional wrongdoing, and there is no legally cognizable cause for removing her from the Federal Reserve Board," Cook's ​attorney Abbe David Lowell said in a letter to the White House.

Three takeaways from Tuesday's South Carolina Republican Senate primary

South Carolina Republicans on Tuesday nominated Darline Graham to run in November's general election for her late brother's U.S. Senate seat, as she defeated Representative Ralph Norman in a primary runoff. Here are some takeaways from the result:

White House pushes ​for more refinery waivers to ease pump prices

The White House has asked federal environmental regulators to allow the nation’s small oil refineries to blend less biofuels into their gasoline and diesel than initially projected as part of the ‌administration’s efforts to ease pump ​prices, according to two administration officials. Such an outcome would please the oil industry, but trigger a backlash in the Midwest where agricultural interests have fought ferociously for strong biofuel mandates to support the country's farmers.

In win for Trump, Graham secures Republican nomination for US Senate in South Carolina

Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, won the Republican primary runoff in South Carolina for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, according to U.S. media projections, in a triumph for President Donald Trump. Graham, who was appointed to hold the Senate seat until the beginning of January following her brother's death on July 11, defeated Representative Ralph Norman and will run in November's election for a full, six-year Senate term.

US conservative gay rights group says it is ending advocacy for transgender causes

Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative gay rights group, said it is ending advocacy and support for transgender causes, with the decision coming at a time when Republican President Donald Trump's administration has acted to limit transgender rights. Ross Hemminger, the conservative gay rights group's board president, said in an online essay that the board of directors has voted for its advocacy to "concentrate specifically on issues ‌of sexual orientation and conservative values — in other words, we are an LGB advocacy organization."

US judge refuses to force extradition of jailed ICE agent from Texas to Minnesota

A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request by Minnesota to force Texas Governor Greg Abbott to immediately extradite a jailed U.S. immigration agent facing assault charges for shooting a Venezuelan man in the leg during last winter's deportation surge in Minneapolis. The ruling clears the way for Christian Castro, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer arrested by Texas Rangers acting on a Minnesota court warrant, to be freed from custody on Thursday. That's when a 90-day detention limit for someone awaiting extradition under Texas law is due to expire.

Retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan advances in US Senate race in Alaska

Retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan advanced to the general election for U.S. Senate in Alaska, according to U.S. media projections on Tuesday, creating potential voter confusion with incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, who also advanced.

US Senate Democrats urge Israel to rein in West Bank violence

U.S. Senate Democrats on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rein in a "surge" of violence by West Bank settlers and mass arrests of Palestinians by Israeli security forces in the occupied territory. In the letter to Netanyahu, seen by Reuters and signed by 45 of the Senate's 47-member Democratic caucus, the lawmakers noted increasing levels of "fatal violence by settlers."

Trump signs order banning some foreign equipment from US energy grid

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday declaring a national emergency and banning the use of some foreign equipment in the U.S. electricity grid, the White House ‌said. The order cites what the White House described as an "unusual and extraordinary foreign threat" posed by foreign-made bulk-power systems that may present national security vulnerabilities.

US senator hopes 'sledgehammer' Russian sanctions will pass next month

A U.S. senator sponsoring a bill for wide-ranging sanctions on Russia said on Wednesday he was hopeful it would pass the House of Representatives next month, and be a "sledgehammer" to President Vladimir Putin's efforts to fund his war in Ukraine. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and senior officials during a visit to Kyiv, said the bill had strong Republican support in the House, after comfortably passing an initial Senate vote last month.

NFL-NFL, NFLPA tighten discipline for repeat player-safety violations

The NFL and NFL Players ‌Association said on Wednesday they will suspend players for one game if they commit three specified player-safety violations in a season, under an updated on-field accountability system aimed at reducing dangerous techniques. "Player safety is a shared responsibility," the league and union said in a joint statement. "These changes focus on the techniques that create the greatest risk while ensuring player, coach, and club accountability."

Trump administration issues pause on immigrant visa appointments for applicants worldwide

President Donald Trump's administration has issued a pause on immigrant visa appointments for applicants around the world during an ongoing immigration crackdown by the U.S. government in the Republican leader's second term in the White House. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that it launched a global training initiative at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and that appointments for visa services will be adjusted to accommodate the training.

Factbox-What Meta agreed to in US teen safety settlement

Meta will pay up to $18 billion to resolve claims by U.S. states that Facebook and Instagram are designed to keep young users hooked, ending one of the highest-profile tests of allegations that social media companies harm children. The agreement, reached during a California federal trial, includes monetary payments and nationwide changes to Meta's services for teenage users.

Exclusive-Hack of water sector supplier draws FBI scrutiny as Iran-linked cyber concerns grow

U.S. authorities are investigating a data breach at a small maker of water utility technology, highlighting infrastructure cybersecurity threats even though the Kansas firm was apparently not part of a suspected Iranian-affiliated campaign against water plants in Minnesota and other states starting in July. The company and the FBI confirmed the attack at Micro-Comm in Olathe, Kansas, which has not previously been reported. Responsibility was claimed by Barracuda, a relatively new ransomware group that says it is motivated by profit and is not government sponsored.

US inflation remains elevated as GDP growth outlook brightens

Annual U.S. inflation held steady in July well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target for ⁠the 65th straight month, and the unexpected pause ​in the decline from a recent war-induced peak is likely to intensify the central bank's debate over whether interest rates should be lifted or held steady. Government data released on Wednesday also showed consumer spending decelerating modestly ⁠last month — and flatlining against inflation — while personal incomes rose faster than inflation, which could foreshadow an uptick in consumption as the year progresses.

Miley Cyrus pays tribute to godmother Dolly Parton after singer's death at 80

American singer Miley Cyrus said on Wednesday she was heartbroken following the death of her godmother, country music icon Dolly Parton, who died of cancer at age 80 on Tuesday. "The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they'll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts," Cyrus, who often referred to Parton as an aunt, wrote on X.

States, voting rights groups renew challenges to Trump plans to restrict mail-in voting

Democratic-led states and voting rights groups on Wednesday renewed their efforts to block the U.S. Postal Service from imposing new requirements on mail-in voting before ballots go out for the November congressional elections, as ordered by President Donald ⁠Trump. Democratic attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia, along with Pennsylvania's governor, filed a new lawsuit in Boston federal court two days after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an earlier injunction they had won blocking Trump's order on the grounds that they sued too soon.

Lawmakers seek probe into US failure to enforce airline passenger privacy rules

Two Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday asked a congressional watchdog agency to investigate the Transportation Department's failure to ensure privacy of airline passengers. Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Shontel Brown asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate USDOT, saying it has never brought any enforcement cases tied to passenger data for over 40 years "despite numerous widely-publicized privacy disasters impacting hundreds of millions of travelers."

Judge dismisses lawsuit by Elon Musk's X challenging New York hate speech law

A U.S. judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk's X seeking to ​void a New York state law requiring social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, harassment, foreign political interference and disinformation. U.S. District Judge John Cronan in Manhattan rejected X's argument that the Stop Hiding Hate Act violated the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment by exposing it to lawsuits and big fines unless it disclosed "highly sensitive and controversial speech" that the state found objectionable.

Meta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children

Meta Platforms agreed to pay a maximum $16.68 billion and make major changes to Facebook and Instagram to resolve claims by states across the U.S. that the company designed those platforms to addict children, misled consumers about their safety and improperly collected ⁠children's personal data. The settlement resolves claims brought by 29 U.S. states, and will end a federal trial that had been one of the highest-profile tests yet of allegations that social media companies harmed young users.

White House to announce new drug pricing deals with biotechs, Bloomberg News reports

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is planning to announce a new round of drug-pricing agreements with midsize biotech companies on Monday, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The companies will agree to provide discounts on outpatient drugs to state Medicaid programs such that the prices states pay align with what the companies charge in foreign countries, according to the report.

US judge blocks Trump overhaul of funding for fair housing groups

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from restructuring a federal grant program to redirect money away from over 100 non-profit organizations that had historically received funding to help prevent and investigate housing discrimination. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston ruled that the U.S. Department of Housing ⁠and Urban ​Development had failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its decision to implement "sweeping changes" to a decades-old grant program run by the agency designed to combat housing discrimination.

Dolly Parton leaves legacy of literacy, advocacy and charitable giving

Dolly Parton, the trailblazing country music icon, songwriter and actress who died on Tuesday at age 80, was so much more to millions around the world. She was a symbol of generosity, whose philanthropic work spanned literacy, disaster relief, medical research and support for marginalized communities and racial justice, transcending the political and cultural divides that reshaped the world around her.

Dolly Parton, queen of country music, dies at 80

Dolly Parton was around six when she wrote her first song: "Little Tiny Tasseltop," an ode to her corncob doll with corn-silk hair. Her mother stored it preciously in a shoebox. "I loved that little doll," Parton wrote decades later. "I expressed myself and my feelings through writing — I’m sure what I was thinking was, 'Well, Tasseltop has to have a song about her.'"

Exclusive-US produce supplier Taylor Farms frequently fails to disclose workplace injury tallies, records show

Taylor Farms, the produce company at the center of a U.S. cyclospora outbreak, frequently failed to submit federally required workplace injury logs in recent years, including for at least four facilities where workers suffered fatal or otherwise serious injuries, a Reuters review of federal records found. Over the past five years, five to seven Taylor Farms facilities filed the annual report within the following year, with some showing injury rates above industry averages, while others recording below-average rates. From 2021 to 2025, ⁠at least 17 facilities required such filings based on the number of employees and nature of the work, according to a review of intermittent U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection filings.

Trump says he signed proclamation to address 'unreasonably' high beef prices

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation to temporarily increase the quantity of lean beef trimmings that are imported, according to the White House. The proclamation released by the White House said that the step aimed to address beef prices that have "increased unreasonably" for U.S. consumers. The American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's top farm lobby, wrote to Trump in a letter that lightening the tariffs would "undermine America's ranchers."

Meta agrees to pay $18 billion to settle US lawsuits over children's social media ⁠addiction

Meta Platforms will pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and strictly limit how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram under an agreement with nearly all U.S. states to resolve claims it designed those social media platforms ⁠to addict children. The settlements announced on Wednesday end a federal trial over allegations Meta's products harmed children and the company misled the public about their safety. Four of the states — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — were expected to seek close to $200 billion in civil penalties.

US judge again blocks Texas law targeting drag acts as unconstitutional

A federal judge on Tuesday again blocked a Texas law restricting public drag performances, ruling for a second time that the legislation passed in the heavily Republican state violated the U.S. Constitution's free speech protections. "For those who find such activities as described in this case offensive, the solution is relatively simple ... just don't go," U.S. District Judge David Hittner wrote in his opinion — the second time the Texas-based judge has found the measure in violation of the Constitution's First Amendment.

Trump says he will look at beef processing regulations, as farmers fight tariff plan

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said on the Glenn Beck program that he will look into whether there are too many regulations on beef processing plants, after Beck suggested less regulation would enable farmers and ranchers to do their own slaughtering. The ‌Trump administration has moved to reduce regulation across the government.

As Cook case smolders, Trump has other paths to shape Fed policy team

U.S. President ‌Donald Trump's efforts to oust Federal Reserve officials to clear room for his own appointees have been stalled so far by the courts and political pushback in the Senate, but he may still have as many as four opportunities to try to beef up his influence over the central bank's policy committee. Trump has so far stood behind Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh even though his handpicked ​appointee sidelined talk of the interest rate cuts the president has been demanding. Warsh also set aside all rate guidance in June, shortly after becoming head of the central bank.