Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Foreign hackers targeted Colorado water systems in August, governor's office says

Foreign hackers targeted and manipulated equipment in two local Colorado water systems last month, a spokesperson for Colorado Governor Jared Polis said on Friday. The incidents occurred at two privately owned utilities, each serving less than 200 people, and there was "no impact to public ​safety or water services," the spokesperson, Ally Sullivan, said in a statement.

Analysis-Russia sanctions bill gives Trump sweeping new tariff powers

The Russia sanctions bill signed into law by US President Donald Trump on Friday gives him new powers to impose tariffs that ​could last well beyond his presidency, injecting more uncertainty into the global economy after nearly two years of trade wars. The immediate impact may be limited, given Trump's reluctance ‌to take actions that ​could push consumer prices higher ahead of the November midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake, analysts said.

US CDC works on standard definition for measles deaths as cases rise

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized case definition for measles deaths, the agency said Friday, as the outbreak grows across the country. Here are the details:

Exclusive-US weighs allowing most pharma licensing deals with China, sources say

The US is working on rules for pharmaceutical companies investing in China that would likely preserve their ability to strike most licensing deals for Chinese drugs, according to three people who have been briefed on the process. That would mark a departure from the Trump administration's tightening of business with China for other industries under new national security ‌legislation, and would be looser than restrictions sought by some lawmakers.

White House turns away CNN, MS NOW, Politico reporters after Trump's ban

The White House on Saturday denied access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, following through with US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would ban them from the building's grounds. All three news outlets separately said their teams' press passes were confiscated on Saturday morning when their journalists went to the White House. They have signaled that they may contest the ban on the grounds that it conflicts with the US Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press.

Democrats try to ride data center backlash to election victory in rural US Midwest

No company has announced plans for a data center in Defiance, a city of 17,000 people surrounded by soybean fields in northwestern Ohio. But people in the aptly named community are not taking any chances.

ICE agent pleads not guilty to lying about Minneapolis shooting

A US immigration agent pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal charges of lying to the FBI that he was attacked before shooting a Venezuelan man in the leg in Minneapolis at the height ‌of President Donald Trump's deportation sweeps in January. Christian Castro, who has been suspended without pay from his job as a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, is the first federal law enforcement officer to be charged by the US Justice Department with wrongdoing in Operation Metro Surge, which saw thousands of armed, masked agents deployed to Minnesota's cities last winter.

Trump says he might ban other media outlets from White House

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he might bar other media outlets from the White ‌House, hours after saying CNN, MSNOW and Politico were banned. "I don't want them in my office," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I don't want them here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can."

US appeals court rejects Trump policy allowing swift deportations to third countries

A US federal appeals court rejected on Friday a policy adopted by the Trump administration that allows authorities to rapidly deport migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to raise safety concerns. Ruling in a case that is likely headed to the Supreme Court, a three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld a February decision by a lower-court judge that declared the Department of Homeland Security's policy unlawful.

Trump says he might ban other media outlets from White House

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he might bar other media outlets from the White House, hours after saying CNN, MSNOW and Politico were banned. "I don't want them in my office," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I don't want them here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can."

Trump is talking with Senate's Thune about bill to cut data-center electricity costs

President Donald Trump said on Friday he is engaging with Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune about bringing to the floor a bill aimed at protecting ⁠households from electricity cost increases tied ​to the expansion of data centers. "Well, I'm talking to him about it. We'll see what happens," Trump told reporters on Friday.

Trump says he will appoint ⁠a new AI adviser, without providing details

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Saturday that he plans to appoint a new artificial intelligence adviser, known as an "AI czar," and create an "AI force," though he did not provide details about either initiative or how they would be implemented. Fears are growing in Washington among lawmakers about the risks posed by AI technology on humans and property. Earlier this month, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said that "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." Trump has repeatedly downplayed concerns about AI and argued that additional regulation is unnecessary.

Trump says he will demand ⁠some childhood vaccines be split into five shots

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration plans to demand vaccine makers split certain childhood shots into five separate doses, which he believes will result in a massive reduction in autism, an idea repeatedly debunked by scientists. Trump did not provide any scientific evidence linking vaccines and autism. Nor did he say which vaccines the administration plans to split into smaller doses.

Trump to convert triumphal arch into military complex

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had agreed to a request by the military to convert his proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington ​into a complex to house and deploy drones and sniper ammunition. The president cited national security concerns for the move, without mentioning any specific threats.

Trump extends push for $100,000 H-1B visas by another year

President Donald Trump has extended an executive order that would impose a fee of $100,000 for H-1B non-immigrant visas by another year, the White House said on Friday. US employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers can use the federal government's H-1B visa program for a fee, allowing tech and other professionals from ⁠abroad to work in the United States for a few years.

All 50 states sign up for Trump's Medicaid most-favored-nation plan

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will participate in his most-favored-nation drug pricing scheme for the Medicaid program for low-income Americans. According to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the drug pricing push could save state governments $27.6 billion and the federal government $36.6 billion over the next decade.

Trump signs Russia sanctions bill into law

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed the sweeping Russia sanctions bill into law, the White House said in a statement, paving the way for increased economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The legislation targets ⁠Russia's energy ​and defense industries, as well as its "shadow fleet" of tankers that evade existing sanctions, in order to deprive Moscow of funds used to pay for its war with Ukraine.

US judge signals rejection of part of TikTok privacy settlement

TikTok and ByteDance's proposed $400 million settlement with the US Justice Department hit a hurdle on Friday after a federal judge indicated he would reject part of the agreement. TikTok and its Chinese parent company agreed in August to settle allegations that the short-video app violated US children's online privacy laws.

Trump says his son told him he will repay Russian oligarch for wedding parties

US President Donald Trump said on Friday his son, Donald Trump Jr., has told him he would pay back a Russian oligarch who bankrolled wedding celebrations for him in the Bahamas in May. Democrats in the US Congress launched an investigation this week into reports that Umar Kremlev, a wealthy Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Association, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the wedding festivities.

Republican China committee chair urges tough Trump line with Xi

The Republican chair of the US congressional committee ⁠on China on Friday urged President Donald Trump to take a tough line in his summit with Xi Jinping next week, warning against concessions and calling for tighter technology restrictions and consequences for China's alleged support for Iran. The outreach reflects concerns among China hawks in Washington that Trump could offer too many concessions in his summit with Xi, aimed at stabilizing US-China relations.

FAA clears proposed Trump arch, requires 'eternal flame' to alert pilots

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday a proposed triumphal arch President Donald Trump wants to ⁠build near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would not pose a hazard to aircraft but would be required to have an "eternal flame" on top. The FAA determination requires ⁠it to be marked with a light on top of the structure and floodlight projectors pointed at the arch to make it noticeable for pilots. Some aviation experts have raised safety concerns given its proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport.

Trump declines to say whether he will tear down Kennedy Center

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday refused to say whether he would attempt to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the iconic facility on Washington's Potomac River. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump repeated his belief that the center should append his name to the building in exchange for his work to raise money to renovate the facility. He falsely claimed the center faced long-term financial strains that required dramatic action, although the facility posted profits in seven of the past nine years, according ‌to its tax filings.

Lingering feuds threaten Democrats' bid to reclaim US Congress

Democrats are seeking to reclaim Congress, ‌but lingering divisions from a bruising run-up to the November election threaten to imperil the party's attempt to claw back power from President Donald Trump's Republicans. With control of both chambers at stake, Democrats have sought to move past the bad blood of the primaries, but in several ​competitive states, influential party figures have withheld endorsements or so far declined to campaign with nominees for the November 3 US midterm elections.