Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US Senate Democrats urge Postal Service to halt work on mail-in voting rules

Lawmakers urged the U.S. Postal Service on Friday to halt work on new mail-in voting rules, saying they threaten the integrity of the November congressional elections. "The Postal Service’s continued illegal attempts to turn itself into an election administration agency at the direction of President Trump risks disenfranchising eligible American voters and threatens the integrity of upcoming elections," wrote Senator Gary Peters of Michigan and the other six ​Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that oversees the USPS in a letter seen by Reuters.

Lindsay Clancy trial highlights growing efforts to aid jurors after traumatic cases

For jurors in the six-week murder trial nL6N44W0R3 of Lindsay Clancy, the end of their service could be the start of the emotional fallout. The jurors listened to ​a gut-wrenching emergency call from Clancy's now ex-husband, reviewed gruesome autopsy photos of the three young children she strangled and spent nearly seven days deliberating. After being dismissed from the trial, each Clancy juror received a pamphlet containing a QR ‌code to request counseling services ​as part of Massachusetts' juror counseling program.

Musk super PAC wades into US midterms with $800,000 for Republicans in close races

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has spent more than $800,000 in recent days on over a dozen key congressional races through his super PAC, funding direct-mail and other campaign materials for Republican candidates who face close races in the midterm elections. Musk’s political action committee America PAC, which has been sitting on a $50 million war chest funded by the world's richest man, reported its first spending for the 2026 election in a filing late on Wednesday, with a focus on races in Texas and other battleground states.

Lindsay Clancy trial highlights growing efforts to aid jurors after traumatic cases

For jurors in the six-week murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the end of their service could be the start of the emotional fallout. The jurors listened to a gut-wrenching emergency call from Clancy's now ex-husband, reviewed gruesome autopsy photos of the three young children she strangled and spent nearly seven days deliberating. After being dismissed from the trial, each Clancy juror received a pamphlet containing a QR code to request counseling services as part of Massachusetts' juror counseling program.

Cyclosporiasis outbreak exposes a weakened ‌US public health system

During the height of the summer outbreak of cyclosporiasis, Dea Lancaster set aside her usual duties as nurse coordinator at Michigan's Washtenaw County Health Department to call patients, asking about their symptoms and tracing the contaminated food they ate. The stress of handling one of the largest U.S. foodborne illness outbreaks in decades gave her an eye twitch as she called dozens of patients a day while commiserating with overwhelmed colleagues and cracking dark jokes to cope.

Strong August jobs report sends yields higher

U.S. job growth accelerated sharply in August while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, pointing to a stable labor market and keeping an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve this month on the table. Nonfarm payrolls surged by 162,000 jobs last month after an upwardly revised rise of 21,000 in July, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls would increase by 56,000 after a previously reported drop of 23,000 in July.

Starbucks dress code didn't violate NYC workers' labor rights, US court rules

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday reversed a federal labor board ruling that said Starbucks broke the law by barring workers at a flagship Manhattan store with a "steampunk hipster vibe" from wearing t-shirts or multiple pins supporting a union.

The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/OPN/24-3168_opn.pdf the National Labor Relations Board failed to properly balance Starbucks' ability to present its preferred image https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judges-say-starbucks-vibe-may-justify-limits-union-apparel-2025-11-13/ to customers with its workers' rights to encourage unionizing.

Explainer-Will Trump's restrictions on mail-in ballots be in place for the midterms?

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court ‌to allow it to enforce a new U.S. Postal Service rule tightening the use of mail-in ballots, leaving states in limbo as to whether they will be required to implement it for the November 3 midterm elections. The uncertainty has taken on new urgency as deadlines approach for U.S. states to send out mail ballots ahead of the midterms, with Trump's Republicans defending narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress. North Carolina was expected to send out its ballots on Friday, the first state to do so.

US labor market remains stable; services input price rises point to elevated inflation

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits rose marginally last week amid low layoffs, pointing to stable labor market conditions that give the Federal ‌Reserve room to focus on inflation stemming from the Middle East conflict. The inflation headache was underscored by an Institute for Supply Management survey on Thursday showing a measure of prices paid by services businesses for inputs jumped to a three-year high in August, which economists said suggested that recent inflation was not confined to the goods sector. Rising price pressures have led economists to expect an interest rate hike from the U.S. central bank by year end.

Opponents seek to block US from starting work on Trump arch in Washington

A group of three military veterans and an architectural historian on Friday asked a U.S. judge to block the Trump administration from starting work on a triumphal arch in Washington. The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday announced plans to move forward soon with work for the 250-foot (76-meter) arch near Arlington National Cemetery despite legal challenges and the lack of final approval from a government planning authority.

Lasers down 11 cartel drones along southern border, US military says

The U.S. military has downed 11 cartel drones using lasers since deploying the technology along the U.S.-Mexican border last week, U.S. officials said on Friday. U.S. Northern Command, in a statement, said the unmanned aerial systems "were assessed to be associated with illicit activity along the border" and were targeted with the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser system as part of a task-force operation.

Exclusive-Trump's bid to shield chip supply chain could backfire in Tennessee

A Tennessee factory that Washington had hoped to protect as part of a push to safeguard the U.S. semiconductor supply chain is at risk of closure after the Trump administration's new trade measures drove away its two remaining customers, according to sources familiar with the matter. Germany's Wacker Chemie, which produces polysilicon that goes into chips and solar panels, will make a decision in the coming weeks on whether to close its Charleston, Tennessee, facility, which employs about 600 workers, the sources said.

Trump plans to break ground on Washington arch without final approval

The Trump administration on Thursday ⁠announced plans to break ground on a 250-foot (76-meter) ​arch in Washington, despite legal challenges and the lack of final approval from a government planning authority. The arch is part of Trump's broader effort to leave his architectural mark on America's capital city, with projects including a ⁠new White House ballroom, renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and redevelopment of a golf course in East Potomac Park.

Exclusive-US military turns off ad trackers on devices amid Middle East targeting reports

U.S. military officials say they have disabled advertising trackers on a range of phones and computers, according to letters released on Friday by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and statements given to Reuters, a development that follows reports that commercially available location data had been used to target American forces in the Middle East. The Air Force told Wyden it disabled the advertising identifiers on computers and mobile phones two months ago. U.S. Special Operations Command said in a separate letter that it had "recently" disabled them on its Windows devices. The Army told Reuters that advertising IDs tied to mobile devices had been disabled since earlier this year.

Trump says if the Fed doesn't cut rates, he'll stop trading with some nations

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that ⁠unless the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, he would stop trading with countries with which the United States had a deficit. "High interest rates put the U.S.A. at a very unfair disadvantage, and I won't allow that to happen!" said Trump, who has repeatedly demanded that the Fed cut rates.

Trump signs orders to allow ranchers to protect herds from wolves, expand meat processing

President Donald Trump on Friday signed executive orders aimed at helping cattle ranchers protect their herds from wolves, expand meat processing and move toward country-of-origin labeling, as his administration seeks to bring down record-high beef prices. The orders include measures allowing ranchers to protect their herds from gray wolves and making it easier for farmers and ranchers to process and sell food from their own operations, Trump said during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

White House arcade games invite players to block border 'siege', fill Trump Accounts

The White ​House has released a new "arcade" website where users play 1980s-style video games that block "the coming horde" at the U.S.-Mexico border, fill Trump Accounts for children and pursue other priorities of President Donald Trump. "CAN'T STOP WINNING. ..Build the wall. Deport. Fill a Trump Account," the White House posted on X, announcing the gaming site's debut on Thursday.

Will Trump's restrictions on mail-in ballots be in place for the midterms?

President Donald Trump https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/ 's administration on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to enforce https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-administration-takes-mail-in-ballot-fight-us-supreme-court-2026-09-03/ a new U.S. Postal Service rule tightening the use of mail-in ballots, leaving states in limbo as to whether they will be required to implement it for the November 3 midterm elections. The uncertainty ⁠has taken on new urgency as deadlines approach for U.S. states to send out mail ballots ahead of the midterms https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elections/, with Trump's Republicans defending narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress. North Carolina was expected to send out its ballots on Friday, the first state to do so.

More children under 12 in US are being prescribed weight-loss drugs, study finds

Prescriptions for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs among children under 12 in the U.S. have risen more than 300-fold since 2019 as doctors seek new, effective treatments for younger patients with obesity, according to a study published on Friday. The study, which included more than 3.5 million children aged between eight and 11 years with obesity but not diabetes, found that prescriptions for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs rose from 0.03% in 2019 to 9.3% as of June.

US Supreme Court preserves parties' access to cheap ads, siding with Republicans

The U.S. Supreme Court revived on Friday a federal policy giving party committees access to discounted TV and radio advertising rates long available to ⁠political candidates, ​as major Republican committees head toward the November midterm elections with a cash advantage over their Democratic counterparts. The justices granted a request by two Republican committees to block a lower court's ruling that had effectively prevented them from benefiting from the Federal Communications Commission's "lowest unit charge" rule while they appeal that decision to the Supreme Court.

Explainer-What's next for Lindsay Clancy after mistrial?

The trial of a Massachusetts woman who strangled her three children but argues she is not guilty by reason of insanity ended on Friday with a deadlocked jury. But defendant Lindsay Clancy is still charged with murder and could face a second trial. Here is a look at what’s next for Clancy, whose televised trial has sparked debate over postpartum mental health treatment in the U.S. and how the country’s legal system treats cases where mothers kill their children.

Trump says he will spend $400 million to $500 million from his super PAC on midterm elections

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters he planned to allocate $400 million to $500 million from his MAGA Inc super PAC for Republicans in the November midterm elections, trying to calm party worries that he will not spend the money. "I'm going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try to help us," Trump said at an event in the Oval Office. "This is money from MAGA Inc. This is money that I control."

Trump's mail-in ballot order gets Supreme Court boost but legal fights persist

U.S. President Donald Trump https://www.reuters.com/topic/person/donald-trump/ has been pushing to implement his executive order restricting the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections, but a ⁠federal judge blocked it. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court handed him a win, lifting that judicial order, but other challenges remain.

In blow to Trump, Missouri top court blocks Republican-drawn congressional map

The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Republican-drawn new congressional map from being used in November's midterm elections, a blow to the party's odds for maintaining its narrow U.S. House majority. The ruling could save the House seat of longtime Democratic U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver. His Kansas City-based district had been dismantled under the redrawn map.

US CDC records more than 3,100 measles cases so far in 2026

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday there were 3,134 confirmed measles cases in the country so far this year, ⁠marking the highest annual total in more than 35 years. Here are some details:

Trump moves to strip tax-exempt status from schools that consider race

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday proposed new regulations that would strip schools of tax-exempt ⁠status if they offer targeted support to specific racial groups. The rules proposed by the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service are the latest salvo in the administration’s campaign to eradicate diversity programs and end what officials say is discrimination against white students in favor of students of color.

Factbox-Lindsay Clancy trial the latest high-profile murder case for Judge William Sullivan

Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan played a prominent role in at least two other high-profile murder trials before presiding over the case of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of murdering her three young children. Sullivan declared a mistrial on Friday in the case of the former labor and delivery nurse. Her attorney says she suffered from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children in 2023, then cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life that left her paralyzed.

Pentagon temporarily rescinds guidance on testosterone screening for US troops

The Pentagon is temporarily rescinding recently published clinical guidance for a new, mandatory testosterone deficiency screening policy for service members aged 30 and older, a U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday. On Wednesday, the Pentagon posted the "Clinical Guidance ‌for Health and Human Performance Optimization" on its website. By Thursday, the memo and an accompanying statement from spokesperson Sean Parnell had been removed.

US Senate ‌Democrats urge Postal Service to halt work on mail-in voting rules

Lawmakers urged the U.S. Postal Service on Friday to halt work on new mail-in voting rules, saying they threaten the integrity of the November congressional elections. "The Postal Service’s continued illegal attempts to turn itself into an election administration agency at the direction of President Trump risks disenfranchising eligible American voters and threatens the integrity of upcoming ​elections," wrote Senator Gary Peters of Michigan and the other six Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that oversees the USPS in a letter seen by Reuters.