Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Apple may change 'Lake Ontario' to 'Lake America' soon after talk with Trump, U.S. Interior Secretary says

U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken to Apple about changing the name of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" and the company may soon alter its maps, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Monday. Trump announced on Thursday that he was changing the name of the smallest of the five Great Lakes, part of an escalating trade feud with Canada that has prompted the two ​countries to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.

Trump ally Laura Loomer faces fresh criticism over racist comments

Multiple lawmakers and rights advocates on Monday condemned Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, over racist comments attacking Democratic socialist Angie Nixon and other prominent Black U.S. politicians. "Angie Nixon is a ​ghetto, black, communist," Loomer said on X on Monday. Nixon recently scored an upset victory in Florida's Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate, one of a number of winning candidates that have stirred enthusiasm on the ‌party's left flank but been characterized ​by Republicans as extremists.

Trump says it's 'very early' to talk about a Hegseth 2028 presidential campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters it was too soon to discuss his potential successor, sidestepping talk of a 2028 campaign by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Asked about an NBC News report that the Pentagon chief has discussed a potential White House run, Trump said Hegseth is doing a "fantastic job, but it's very early to talk about that."

Trump the builder carves his legacy in stone as pressures mount

With Iran diplomacy stalled, financial markets uneasy and his approval rating at another low point, President Donald Trump reverted to familiar territory on Wednesday, leading reporters on a tour of White House construction projects he hopes will cement his legacy. The former real estate developer spent about 30 minutes guiding reporters across the South Lawn, touting a new granite helipad, a $400 million ballroom and other renovations he said would modernize the historic complex while preserving it for future generations.

New York cannot enforce $75 billion climate 'superfund' law, US judge rules

A federal judge ruled on Monday that New York cannot enforce a 2024 state law that sought ‌to force fossil fuel companies to contribute $75 billion over 25 years into a fund to pay for damage caused by climate change. Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes in Syracuse, New York sided with 22 Republican state attorneys general, as well as industry groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in finding the state measure preempted by federal law.

For Republicans, Dallas convention is both rally and rescue mission

President Donald Trump https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/ 's Republican Party is increasingly viewing its first-of-a-kind midterm convention in Dallas next month as crucial to regaining momentum at a time when opinion polls show voter frustration over the economy and the Iran war, according to party officials, donors and convention planners. When Republicans announced the convention https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-republicans-stage-convention-dallas-ahead-midterms-2026-06-30/ earlier this year, some strategists dismissed it as a distraction as campaigns entered the final stretch. They questioned the need for a national gathering with no official party business.

EPA grants 1.76 billion biofuel exemptions, weighs shifting obligations to larger refiners

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday granted small refinery exemptions worth 1.76 billion renewable fuel credits for the 2025 compliance year and said it will propose reallocating the waived obligations to larger refiners in future years, a move that could deepen divisions within the oil industry over biofuel policy. The decision caps a week of intense lobbying by the Farm Belt and Big Oil over pending small-refinery exemption requests, pitting farmers who fear lost demand for biofuel crops against refiners seeking relief from costly blending mandates.

North Carolina girl, 17, charged in role in California mosque attack

A grand jury in North Carolina on Monday indicted a 17-year-old girl on ‌suspicion of aiding and abetting the May 18 shooting that killed three people at a mosque in San Diego by recording and disseminating a live video of the attack. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill told a press conference that officials decided to bring state charges because in North Carolina the girl can be tried as an adult. She faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted in North Carolina, while federal charges could result in a three- or four-year sentence.

Depleted US oil stash loses potency as Iran war grinds on

Six months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, Washington may find it harder to calm jittery oil markets after U.S. presidents drained the aging ‌Strategic Petroleum Reserve over the last five years. The SPR, which Washington created after the oil crises of the 1970s, holds crude in a series of 60 underground salt caverns along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. After years of releases by former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, the reserve is at its lowest level since 1982, holding just 289.7 million barrels.

Trump administration plans $4 million for right-wing media in Europe, sources say

President Donald Trump's administration is planning to spend $4 million to bolster right-wing media in Europe, part of a package of at least $25 million for civil society groups working on conservative causes in the region, according to four people familiar with the funding. The grants risk deepening tensions between the Trump administration and European governments, some of which have already accused Washington of interfering in their domestic politics.

Tennis-Anisimova cruises to birthday win at US Open

Amanda Anisimova breezed past Ashlyn Krueger 6-1 6-3 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday in a strong start for last year's runner-up as she looks to challenge for the title again. "Today was my birthday, so maybe that took a little bit of the stress off," Anisimova, who turned 25, told reporters after her victory in Flushing Meadows, where the crowd sang her "Happy Birthday."

Trump to host oil executives after accusing refiners of gouging consumers

President Donald Trump has accused U.S. oil refiners of gouging Americans, called for a Justice Department investigation and urged companies to use their bumper earnings to bring down gasoline prices that spiked amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

On Tuesday, he is expected to host many of those companies at the White House to celebrate efforts to keep the market well supplied in hopes of managing gasoline prices currently averaging over $4 a gallon.

600,000 seniors have signed up for obesity drugs under new Medicare program

U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. ⁠Mehmet Oz said on Monday that 600,000 ​seniors have signed up to receive GLP-1 weight loss medications in the first two months of a new federal program created to expand access to the highly sought-after treatments. Under the so-called Medicare Bridge program, which ⁠launched in July, millions of older Americans qualify for obesity medications at just $50 a month.

NASA launches powerful Roman Space Telescope, a spy satellite turned to the stars

NASA began a new mission to probe some of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology with the launch on Sunday of the U.S. space agency's new flagship astronomical observatory, a repurposed spy satellite that will capture panoramic views of the cosmos. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a roughly $4 billion project, was carried aloft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket through blue skies just after sunrise. Its mission is planned for five years, though NASA said the telescope may have enough fuel for five additional years.

Singer D4vd, charged with murdering and dismembering teen, dismisses lawyer

The musician D4vd, facing trial on charges that he stabbed and dismembered a 14-year-old girl who threatened to expose their secret relationship, replaced his ⁠defense team on Monday with the Los Angeles public defender's office. D4vd, 21, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. The appearance came a month after Judge Charlaine Olmedo found probable cause to order him to stand trial following a days-long proceeding in which prosecutors offered graphic testimony and gruesome crime-scene photos as evidence.

State Farm sued by Los Angeles County for allegedly mishandling wildfire claims

State Farm was sued on Monday by Los Angeles County, which accused the largest U.S. home insurer of mishandling claims by victims of the January 2025 wildfires in southern California. According to the complaint, State Farm handled claims worse than any other insurer, including by failing to pay benefits, lowballing loss estimates, bouncing policyholders from one adjuster to another, and pressuring policyholders whose contaminated homes remained standing to return home.

Galliano and the Met ​call off 2027 exhibition following backlash

Fashion designer John Galliano and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art have scrapped a planned 2027 retrospective in his honor after an outcry over plans to honor a designer whose career was derailed by antisemitic remarks. “After much reflection and discussion with The Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,” Galliano said in a joint statement with the museum that he also posted on Instagram.

Trump administration announces drug pricing deals with CSL, Astellas and others

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new round of drug-pricing agreements with international pharmaceutical companies and ⁠some smaller biotechs on Monday, part of a push to make healthcare more affordable for Americans. Deals were signed with companies including Astellas, BeOne Medicines, CSL, BridgeBio, Sun Pharmaceutical, and UCB SA, Trump said in an Oval Office event with executives of the companies.

Kalshi permanently bans George Santos over State of the Union bets

Prediction market company Kalshi said on Monday it imposed a penalty of more than $71,000 on former U.S. Congressman George Santos and permanently banned him from its platform for betting on his own attendance at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives in 2023, was also fined by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission a month ago for alleged market manipulation over the incident.

California opposes Paramount request for $1.88 billion bond

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is opposed to Paramount Skydance's request for a $1.88 billion bond to address the cost of delay in completing its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, arguing that any damages ⁠are self-imposed, ​showed a court filing Monday.

Trump urges Congress to pass tax incentives for entertainment industry

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said that Congress should pass tax incentives for the entertainment industry to keep production in the country. "I am going to suggest that Republicans and Democrats get together, and immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America."

Polymarket stands ready to fight misconduct as US midterms loom, intel chief says

Prediction market company Polymarket is fully prepared to police trading on its platform as the approaching U.S. midterm elections test the industry's controls, the company's new global head of investigations and intelligence told Reuters. Polymarket is also working to keep U.S. users off its international platform, as required by an enforcement settlement it reached with U.S. regulators in 2022, said Shana Bautista, a former Coinbase analyst and FBI investigator.

US farm agency moves to support beef industry

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Monday that the USDA is taking actions to support the beef industry, including loans for small meat processors and the use of conserved land for grazing. President Donald Trump on Friday pledged action to allow ranchers to process their own cattle, aimed at breaking up a "nasty monopoly" among top meatpackers.

Republican committees ask US Supreme Court to preserve access to cheaper ad rates

Two Republican committees have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve a federal policy that would give ⁠them access to discounted television and radio advertising rates long available to political candidates, as President Donald Trump's party seeks to keep control of Congress in the November midterm elections. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee asked the justices in a filing made public on Monday to halt a lower court's ruling that effectively blocked them from benefiting from the Federal Communications Commission's so-called "lowest unit charge" rule.

'No plans' to deploy troops to midterm elections polling sites, top US general says

The top U.S. general said the military has no plans to send federal military personnel or National Guard troops to polling places during this year's midterm elections. In a letter to U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin, ⁠a Democrat from Michigan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said election administration and security remain the responsibility of state and local officials.

US to announce sharply lower vehicle fuel economy requirements

The Trump administration ⁠will soon announce sharply lower vehicle fuel-economy standards, reversing a push by the prior administration to force automakers to build more fuel-efficient vehicles, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday. Under Republican President Donald Trump, the federal government has not detailed the final standard, but automakers expect it to be similar to a December proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That proposed a fleetwide average of 34.5 miles per gallon (14.7 km per liter) by 2031, down from 50.4 miles per gallon (21.4 km per liter) under former President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

At least 2 dead in Grand Canyon flooding; Park Service says 20-plus may be missing

At least two people were killed and as many as 20 or more others were unaccounted for after flash flooding struck the Grand Canyon in Arizona over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of dozens of hikers by helicopter, the National Park Service said. Heavy rains on Saturday sent a cascade of mud, boulders and debris rushing through Bright Angel Creek, a major side canyon that runs from the park's North Rim to the Colorado River, sweeping away trails, foot bridges ‌and other infrastructure.

Jury weighing fate of ex-gang leader accused of plotting Tupac killing

A Las Vegas jury on Monday began deciding whether an ex-gang leader ‌who publicly professed to a role in the drive-by killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur was telling the truth and should be convicted of murder, despite disavowing his tale. Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is charged in Nevada's Clark County with a single count of murder using a deadly weapon and has pleaded not guilty in the only case brought over Shakur's violent ​death. He is accused of getting a gun and assembling a crew to hunt down Shakur and avenge the beating of his nephew at a casino on September 7, 1996.