Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

FAA says Trump arch with signal flame got no special treatment in review

The head of the US Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday there was no political interference in the agency's air safety review of President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch that will include an eternal flame for visibility. "We put the process through the same obstruction evaluation that our career (employees) do for any project," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters on the sidelines of an event, adding the project did not get any special consideration.

US ​FAA says error messages in telecommunications circuit prompted shift to backup on Sunday

The head of the US Federal Aviation Administration said a series of error messages in a telecommunications circuit prompted the agency on Sunday to switch to a backup fiber line before an outage snarled thousands of flights along the East Coast. The FAA said its contractor L3Harris advised they wanted to ​switch to the backup on Sunday to begin troubleshooting of the circuit at a Philadelphia air traffic control facility before a New Jersey Transit contractor on Monday accidentally cut the backup fiber line near New Brunswick, New Jersey.

ShinyHunters hackers say they ‌breached FBI, stole data on bureau employees

The ​digital extortion group known as "ShinyHunters" said on Tuesday that it had breached the Federal Bureau of Investigation and stolen data on a huge number of current and former FBI employees. The FBI said the agency "is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating."

US Democrats tee up pre-election war powers vote as some Republicans break with Trump on Iran

The US Senate could vote as soon as Thursday to tell President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran or get Congress' authorization to continue it, as Democrats tee up a vote on the unpopular conflict before November's midterm elections. With polls showing Trump's Republicans struggling to keep their slim congressional majorities on November 3, more of them have been edging away from the war, which has pushed up fuel prices. Democrats are pushing for a vote to put Republicans on the record. Only 34% of respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week said they approved of the strikes on Iran.

Factbox-Key issues for this week's Trump-Xi summit in Washington

US President Donald Trump is hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping for their second summit this year, as they seek stability in a relationship under pressure from issues ranging from trade to Taiwan and Iran, as well as global ‌worries about artificial intelligence. Xi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade. In the four months since the leaders of the two superpowers met in Beijing in May, he has overseen a surge in China's trade with the world, while Trump — mired in the Iran war and with low approval ratings — is looking for economic wins he can tout to Americans unhappy with rising prices.

Republican coordinated campaign spending surges after US Supreme Court ruling

Since the US Supreme Court in June sided with Republicans and struck down federal caps on spending by political parties in coordination with candidates, Republican committees have blown past the former limits as President Donald Trump's party fights to retain control of Congress in November's midterm elections. The Republican committees supporting the party's candidates in Senate and House of Representatives races have exceeded the former national caps by more than $48 million, according to Federal Election Commission spending disclosures for July and August. Their Democratic counterparts also eclipsed the former limits, but by much less — just under $4 million.

Senators from both parties ask Trump to release emergency heating oil as prices surge

The two US senators from Maine, the state most reliant on home heating oil, asked President Donald Trump this week to tap the country's emergency stash of the fuel as diesel prices soar to record levels and push up household bills. "We write to request that you release home heating oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to protect Mainers from the very high prices that are imposing a difficult financial burden," Senators Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, wrote in a letter to Trump on Tuesday.

Trump rolled back regulations for oil company campaign donors, Democrats say

Two ‌top Democrats in the US Senate launched a report on Thursday saying that oil and gas companies were rewarded with tax breaks, subsidies and rollbacks of environmental regulation after then-candidate Donald Trump asked them for $1 billion in donations during the 2024 campaign. The report by Senators Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, and Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the environment committee, was based on 19 investigations of regulatory rollbacks by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 13 investigations into nine other agencies and 13 probes into what they called 88 polluters.

Republicans may have gerrymandered their way into a Texas-sized Latino problem

South Texas unfurls in long stretches of highways across flat landscapes dotted with pump jacks, mesquite trees, and gas stations sporting prices that voters swear should not be this high. This territory swung heavily to Donald Trump ‌in 2024 — but may shift again in 2026. From the outskirts of San Antonio, through historic, sprawling ranchlands to the border city of McAllen, Reuters traveled more than 360 miles (580 km) and spoke to more than 30 Latino voters, who shared a similar refrain: as President, Trump had a chance to lower prices across this expanse, where trucks and beef barbacoa are king, and failed.

US lawmakers propose overhaul of China tech review before Trump-Xi talks

The Republican chair of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee and the panel's top Democrat unveiled bipartisan legislation to overhaul a federal process that blocks Chinese technology from entering the US market, as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

The bill would rewrite procedures governing the Federal Communications Commission's "Covered List," which has become a central tool in Washington's efforts to restrict Chinese technology on national security grounds. The move comes amid a broader US-China struggle over trade and technology.

Trump's White House media ban faces long odds in court, legal experts say

US President Donald Trump’s move to ban several news outlets https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-bans-media-outlets-cnn-msnow-politico-white-house-2026-09-18/ from the White House over his dislike of their coverage likely runs afoul of US legal prohibitions against viewpoint discrimination by the government, four legal experts told Reuters. Trump’s announcement on Friday that he would ban CNN, MSNOW and Politico for reporting what he deemed “FAKE NEWS” was the latest move by his administration to curtail press access, part of the Republican president’s wider pressure campaign https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trumps-court-setbacks-fail-blunt-his-campaign-against-media-2026-04-29/ against news coverage he dislikes. Trump said on Saturday that he might ban other outlets https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-says-he-might-ban-other-media-outlets-white-house-2026-09-18/ as well.

Judge blocks Trump's White House media ban, orders access to be restored

A federal judge ordered US President Donald Trump on Thursday to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying his ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional. In a major setback for Trump in one of his biggest battles with the media, US District Judge Tim Kelly issued his order in a lawsuit that the news organizations filed contesting the ban that the Republican president announced on September 18.

Trump's FDA pick to face ⁠vaccine, abortion pill questions at US Senate hearing

The US ​Senate health committee will hold a confirmation hearing on Thursday for Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the embattled FDA, as it also weighs advancing his surgeon general nominee. Trump nominated Overton, a White House policy aide, ⁠in August, turning to an "America First" ally to steady an agency shaken by staff losses, low morale and fights over vaccines, the abortion pill and drug approvals.

Trump to raise detainees with Xi, but other rights issues may not come up

President Donald Trump is expected to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping to free two US citizens held by China, but it is not clear whether other human-rights issues will get similar attention during this week's summit. In a preview of Xi's visit last Friday, a US official said Trump is likely to bring up cases of people wrongfully detained in China with Xi. However, the White House has not said whether Trump will directly raise broader rights issues related to Tibet, the Uyghur Muslim minority group, and the country's new "ethnic unity" law.

Netanyahu expected to berate New York's Mamdani in 'campaign speech' of UN address

Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his UN address on Thursday to berate New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal, a feud that highlights the ⁠Israeli leader's growing isolation ahead of elections at home that he may lose. Addressing the mayor directly in a video statement this week, Netanyahu said he was going to New York "to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers" and "to tell the truth about you." He falsely accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants.

White House pushes for speedy review of voter rolls in hunt for noncitizen voters

The White House has pushed federal agencies to accelerate their review of at least 47 state voter rolls obtained by the Department of Homeland Security, according to an internal email seen by Reuters, part of an unprecedented effort to find noncitizens among registered voters as midterm elections near. DHS has surged hundreds of officers from across the US security and immigration apparatuses in recent months to comb the rolls for evidence of voter fraud under its Unlawful Voter Initiative, current and former officials said.

Trump ramps up noncitizen voting prosecutions ahead of midterms

President Donald Trump’s administration is ​ramping up criminal prosecutions of noncitizens accused of voting in US elections as he presses claims of widespread election fraud ahead of the November midterms. The US Justice Department has brought criminal charges against about 20 people this month under a law criminalizing “voting by aliens”, roughly 13% of all prosecutions brought under the statute since it was enacted three decades ago, according to a Reuters review of court records and government statements.

US says new air traffic control system will not suffer disruptions

The US government is developing a modern, resilient air traffic control system that will not experience massive telecom outages like the one that disrupted thousands of flights this week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Tuesday. "This won't happen in the future with the ⁠new architecture. There'll be no single or dual points of failure. There's multiple routes that we can bring telecom into all of our facilities," Duffy told Fox News' "Fox and Friends."

Explainer-US diesel exports ban would hurt global fuel markets, analysts say

A US diesel export ban could become a self-defeating exercise that would do little to ease high US fuel prices but could worsen supply and economic disruptions around the globe, analysts said. US President Donald Trump reportedly said on Tuesday he backed the idea of a ban. Average US diesel prices have jumped to a record $6.5107 a gallon, according to AAA. Diesel is critical to the global economy because it powers transportation, farm equipment and the machinery used to make and move goods.

Politico, MS NOW denied access to White House after judge's order

Politico and MS NOW reporters were barred from the White House on Thursday despite a judge's order calling for access to be restored immediately for journalists from Politico, CNN and MS NOW after President Donald Trump banned the news outlets. The Politico reporter's credentials were also confiscated, Politico said, hours after a ⁠federal judge ​temporarily blocked Trump's ban and said it was likely unconstitutional. MS NOW also said its reporter was blocked from the White House.

US Senate Democrats seek sanctions over Israeli settlements, bill says

A group of US Senate Democrats will introduce legislation on Wednesday to sanction individuals or groups that facilitate Israel's "E1 project," a widely condemned West Bank settlement plan cutting across land the Palestinians seek for a state, according to a copy of the legislation seen by Reuters. The introduction of the bill is the latest sign of growing friction between Democrats in Congress and the Israeli government over its handling of the West Bank, with many in the party — and a few Republicans — calling for curbs on US military aid to Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza.

Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years for New York sexual assault

A New York judge sentenced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a former production assistant in 2006, following the ex-movie mogul's conviction at a retrial last year. Weinstein, 74, was convicted in June 2025 of first-degree criminal sexual act for assaulting Miriam Haley at his Manhattan apartment, the culmination of a six-year legal saga that saw his 2020 conviction overturned by New York's highest court. Weinstein has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.

US weekly jobless claims decrease as labor market regains footing

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to a firming labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 197,000 for the week ended September 19, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 201,000 claims for the latest ⁠week.

Trump ramps up noncitizen voting prosecutions ahead of midterms

President Donald Trump’s administration is ramping up criminal prosecutions of noncitizens accused of voting in US elections as he presses claims of widespread election fraud ahead of the November midterms. The US Justice Department has brought criminal charges against about 20 people this month under a law criminalizing “voting by aliens”, roughly 13% of all prosecutions brought under the statute since it was enacted three decades ago, according to a Reuters review of court records and government statements.

Florida fund sues New York Times over alleged anti-Israel bias, demands records

Florida's state-run public pension fund and a conservative think tank sued the New York Times on Wednesday, seeking materials to determine whether the company's board is letting the newspaper promote biased editorial coverage against Israel. According to ⁠a petition filed in a New York state court in Manhattan, a series of factual errors in Times reporting on various subjects supports a reasonable inference that the board has allowed journalistic standards to be "weaponized within the company to serve the ⁠personal agendas of unchecked editors."

Battle over Missouri's congressional map reaches US Supreme Court for third time

Challengers to a redrawn congressional map in Missouri aimed at favoring Republicans returned to the US Supreme Court on Tuesday, urging it to halt its use in November's midterm elections after a St. Louis-based federal court again ordered its reinstatement despite two previous Supreme Court orders to the contrary. The latest emergency request involving the battle over the makeup of Missouri's US House of Representatives districts marks the third time in September that the dispute has reached the nation's top judicial body.

White House denies report US is considering a diesel export ban

A White House official on Wednesday denied a news report that said the US is preparing a 90-day ban of diesel exports in an attempt to control record prices for fuel widely used by farms, trains and trucks. Diesel prices have shot to records over $6.50 a gallon as the wars in Iran and Ukraine constrain deliveries of oil and fuel products, a political risk for President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.

US eases screwworm ban on Mexican cattle, but beef prices unlikely to budge

The United States plans to reopen the biggest port for livestock inspections along the US-Mexican ‌border on Thursday, expanding America's cattle supplies but not slashing record-high beef prices, government and industry officials said. The US Department of Agriculture said last week it ‌will resume livestock trade at a port in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, after blocking imports from Mexico last year in an attempt to keep out New World screwworm.

Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Iowa newspaper and pollster

An Iowa judge on Wednesday dismissed President Donald Trump's lawsuit filed in late 2024 against the Des Moines Register newspaper and pollster J. Ann Selzer, saying a poll that showed the Republican leader trailing before the ​2024 elections was legally protected speech. Iowa District Judge Scott Beattie said Trump's lawsuit sought to stretch the law to turn speech that enjoys the highest category of legal protection under the Constitution into fraud.