Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

The Fed's building renovations and Trump's push to oust Powell

President Donald Trump began publicly attacking Jerome Powell -- and privately musing about firing him -- just months after Trump elevated Powell in 2018 to the top job at the US central bank. Trump was unhappy that Powell did not deliver the interest-rate cuts the president felt were called for. But it wasn't until 2025, soon after Trump began his second term in the White House, that the president and key ​members of his administration zeroed in on cost overruns for renovations of the Fed's Washington headquarters as a focal point for efforts to oust Powell, or at least to pressure him into easier monetary policy.

Alleged Cornell gang rape prompts calls to revise New York sexual assault laws

Some New York lawmakers are urging a revamp of the state's sexual ​assault statutes to make it easier to prosecute cases involving intoxicated victims, following renewed outrage over an alleged 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house.

The Tompkins County district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, said this week ‌that his office initially declined to ​pursue charges against the students accused of raping the woman partly due to the constraints of current New York law.

US senators hit deal on energy project permitting bill, vote after midterm elections

US senators from both parties said on Wednesday they have reached a deal to reform laws on the permitting of large energy and infrastructure projects, though a vote will not occur before the midterm elections. The agreement marks a significant milestone in the years-long effort by Congress to overhaul federal permitting, which lawmakers and industry groups say is needed to speed construction of transmission lines, data centers, mines and both renewable and fossil fuel energy projects.

US Justice Department files complaint against Minnesota judges who gave interviews about immigration surge

The US Justice Department filed a judicial misconduct complaint on Wednesday against judges in Minnesota who gave interviews to the New York Times about the immigration surge there, alleging it was unethical and partisan. In September, judges in Minnesota told the Times that the Trump administration had a "disregard for court orders" and its actions threatened the rule of law. Two did so on the record.

Second judge blocks Trump's $100,000 fee for new H-1B worker visas

A ‌second federal judge on Wednesday blocked an unprecedented $100,000 fee that US President Donald Trump has imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. US District Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California, ruled that US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department failed to follow necessary rule-making processes before implementing Trump's fee.

US trade court probes Trump's 'forced labor' tariffs

The US Court of International Trade on Wednesday scrutinized the legal and factual underpinnings of President Donald Trump's latest global tariffs, which were imposed on nearly all US imports over allegations trading partners aren't doing enough to stop forced labor. A panel of three judges appointed by Presidents Trump, Barack Obama and Joe Biden heard arguments in Manhattan over lawsuits alleging that the latest tariffs are an attempt to revive the unchecked tariff power the Supreme Court struck down in February.

Super PAC backed by hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin spends $5 million to aid Florida Republican

A super PAC backed by billionaire Ken Griffin has spent nearly $5 million on Florida's US Senate race to bolster Republican candidate Ashley Moody, a sign that major donors and party leaders are scrambling to defend seats once considered safe as President Donald Trump's popularity wanes. Across the US, Republicans running for the Senate and House are facing voter backlash, according to party officials and strategists, as Trump's approval rating slides and Democrats gain ground in races once viewed as long shots in November's midterm congressional elections.

What is Alaska LNG and why does the project face doubts?

President Donald Trump could unveil plans nL1N45L130 as soon as Wednesday to tap South Korea's pledged strategic investment package for about $54 billion to build a ‌liquefied natural gas project in Alaska, as he rolls out a series of economic initiatives ahead of November's midterm elections. WHAT IS THE ALASKA LNG PROJECT?

US FCC chair says government ads featuring Trump do not raise concerns

The chair of the US Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump are not improper and do not raise any red flags. Democratic lawmakers said the White House transferred $20 million in Homeland Security Department funds to air the ads, including one that closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad.

ShinyHunters website goes offline after FBI deadline expires

The website used by ShinyHunters, the group that claimed responsibility for a recent hack of thousands of FBI agents' personal and sensitive data, went offline on ‌Wednesday, a day after the group's deadline for the FBI to retract or modify a statement about the group's tactics and track record expired. ShinyHunters, a prolific cyber extortion group with a long record of targeting major corporations around the world, told Reuters and other news organizations on September 22 that it had stolen data "on almost ALL FBI Agents, and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job."

Super PAC backed by hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin spends $5 million to aid Florida Republican

A super PAC backed by billionaire Ken Griffin has spent nearly $5 million on Florida's US Senate race to bolster Republican candidate Ashley Moody, a sign that major donors and party leaders are scrambling to defend seats once considered safe as President Donald Trump's popularity wanes. Across the US, Republicans running for the Senate and House are facing voter backlash, according to party officials and strategists, as Trump's approval rating slides https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-approval-falls-career-low-32-high-costs-bite-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2026-09-21/ and Democrats gain ground in races once viewed as long shots in November's midterm congressional elections.

US inflation rises below expectations in August, gives the Fed breathing space

US inflation increased less than expected in August and price pressures were more moderate in the prior month than previously reported, likely reducing the urgency for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again in October. Another rate hike this year, however, remains on the table as the report from the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed consumer spending surging last month. The economy so far appears to be holding up despite headwinds from the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has raised energy prices. With diesel prices at record highs, economists expected inflation to remain high.

Trump says he regrets nominating Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch, Barrett and Kavanaugh

US President Donald Trump said he regretted nominating three Supreme Court justices — Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh — who have opposed him in recent rulings, according to a Time Magazine interview. The Republican president was asked about his recent ⁠comments regarding the three conservative justices in the interview, ​which was conducted on Monday.

Water wars come to the ballot box in Arizona

On Phoenix campaign signs, Arizona-wide TV ads and in debates for key US House races, one issue has bubbled to the ⁠top of politics in this drought-hit state: Water. Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat seeking reelection in the November 3 midterm polls, says, “Arizona’s water is for Arizonans” in a TV commercial claiming she fought the federal government this year for the state's fair share of the drought-stricken Colorado River.

Trump will not win this year's Nobel Peace Prize, but he may influence who does, say experts

US President Donald Trump will not win this year's Nobel Peace Prize as he wages war with Iran, but his influence will still be felt by the awarding body that picks the laureate, according to experts. Last year's award, to Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado, was unique in the prize's 125-year history, coming amid repeated lobbying by Trump to get the award. Weeks later, Machado gave her gold Nobel medal to Trump, in a bid to win support for her efforts for a democratic Venezuela.

Democratic lawmakers seek probe of US government ads featuring Trump

A pair of Democratic lawmakers ⁠sought on Thursday independent investigations into taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump that are airing shortly before the November congressional elections. Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and Representative George Whitesides, asked the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel to determine if the use of government funds was illegal.

Explainer-What is red-dyed diesel and can it help lower prices, as Trump wants?

The White House is considering regulatory relief that would expand sales of red-dyed diesel, a tax-exempt fuel typically used for farming, as prices surge following supply disruptions linked to the US conflict with Iran, Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and declining global inventories. Analysts warn such relief would do little to combat the problem of shrinking supply that has driven prices to record levels. Here is more about the problems plaguing the diesel market, and what effect, if any, broader use ​of red-dye diesel may have:

US says it conducted experiment aimed at improving ability to detect nuclear blast

The US National Nuclear Security Administration conducted a "subsurface, non-nuclear chemical high-explosive experiment" on Wednesday that the Energy Department said aimed to improve the United States' ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions. DETAILS:

Immigration judge rules US can deport president of Wisconsin's largest mosque

An immigration judge ruled that the US government can deport Palestinian American Salah Sarsour, who is the president of Wisconsin's largest mosque and a US permanent resident, under a Cold War-era law. Sarsour, who grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in late March and released in mid-June after ⁠a federal judge said he had raised a substantial free speech retaliation claim that would render his detention unlawful.

US weekly jobless claims fall; layoffs drop in September

New applications for US unemployment benefits fell last week and layoffs decreased in September, suggesting that labor market stability persisted even as employers remained cautious about boosting hiring. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 197,000 for the week ended September 26, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 200,000 claims for the latest week.

Trump says he has done a 'bad job' explaining his economic record

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has done "a very bad job" of explaining his economic record as his job approval rating sags under the weight of high gasoline prices ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump, speaking to a supportive crowd at a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the White House, made the comment as he prepares to embark on a 32-day campaign blitz for Republican candidates ⁠ahead of the November ​3 elections that will decide whether his party retains control of the US Congress.

Democratic wave is hitting Republican states hardest, scrambling Senate strategy

Kentucky Democrats say they have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to flip a US Senate seat in a Republican stronghold. But a couple of things are missing: their governor and money. Kentucky is one of several states that President Donald Trump won by double digits in 2024 where Republicans are significantly trailing the president's performance, an indication that Democrats have expanded their pathway to a majority in November's midterm elections. It's not clear, however, that the party will invest its limited resources into flipping seats once considered to be out of reach.

California, six other states sue Trump administration over federal funds

California and six other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday, accusing it of withholding federal funds approved by Congress, including about $810 million the White House moved to cancel before the fiscal year ended. Last week, US President Donald Trump sought to unilaterally withhold the funds approved by Congress for spending on immigration, race and education. The White House deployed a technique known as a "pocket rescission" for the move.

We are capitalists: US Democrats push back against communist label ahead of midterms

Democrats in competitive midterm races are increasingly declaring themselves proud capitalists, worried that Republican accusations of socialism and communism could sway critical swing voters this November, interviews with candidates and a review of campaign materials show. The effort represents an extraordinary moment in US politics, where Democrats who have long operated within a capitalist system as one of ⁠the country's two major parties now feel compelled to emphasize their commitment to a market-based economy on the campaign trail.

US Senate blocks bill to address data center costs

The US Senate on Wednesday blocked legislation requiring state utility regulators to consider whether large electricity users, including data centers, should bear the incremental costs of power infrastructure built to serve them and thus ease the burden on households. Senators voted 57-43 to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act, with only four Democrats voting for it. The measure needed at least 60 affirmative votes to clear a Senate procedural hurdle.

Senators will try to win approval of permanent Chinese car ban in November

The two US senators backing a permanent legislative ban on Chinese vehicles in ⁠the US will not seek approval until the Senate returns from recess in November, congressional aides said Wednesday. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno said on Tuesday that he planned to seek fast-track approval for the stringent ban on Chinese vehicles ⁠this week before the Senate left ahead of the November congressional election. But supporters were unable to address the concerns of a holdout senator, Republican Rand Paul, who had raised concerns it was unfairly targeting Mercedes-Benz.

Harvard sued by US agency seeking records in anti-white hiring probe

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit seeking to force Harvard University to turn over records for an investigation into whether the Ivy League school's hiring practices are discriminatory, particularly against white men. The EEOC filed the lawsuit in Boston federal court late on Tuesday after the commission's Republican chair, Andrea Lucas, filed a charge last year accusing Harvard of engaging in systemic discrimination on the basis of race and sex.

Leading Democrat asks AI firms for data on any Chinese access to sensitive code

A Democratic lawmaker is warning that Beijing could steal AI model weights developed by OpenAI, Anthropic and other top US firms, erasing the US edge over China in the AI race and posing a risk to US national security. OpenAI and Anthropic have reported multiple instances of Chinese AI firms like Moonshot or DeepSeek "distilling" their AI models, or training their ‌own tools from the output of leading Western models. But there are few known cases of any bad actor stealing model weights, the exact parameters ‌and code that make an AI model operate.

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survives execution attempt

Christa Pike, convicted of murdering a schoolmate three decades ago, survived Tennessee's effort to execute her by means of lethal injection late on Wednesday, prison officials said, foiling the state's first attempt to put a woman to death in two centuries. Pike's condition following the ordeal was not immediately known, and ​it was not clear what legal avenues her lawyers or the state might pursue next after she was taken for medical treatment from the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.