Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump says he is thinking about suspending federal gas tax

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was thinking about suspending the federal gas tax as high gas and diesel prices pose a risk to his Republican Party heading into the November midterm US elections. DETAILS AND QUOTES:

Conservation group calls for moratorium on AI data centers on US public lands

Conservation group The Wilderness Society on Monday called for a moratorium on artificial ​intelligence data centers on federal lands, citing concerns over water use, electricity demand, wildlife habitat and public access. The call comes as the Trump administration is considering permits for several data center developments on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, according to federal land records. US President Donald Trump has sought ​to expand a range of industries on public lands, including mining and oil and gas

US forecasts hurricane later this week in Gulf of Mexico

US forecasters said on Tuesday a storm forming in the ‌Gulf of Mexico and speeding towards ​Louisiana and Mississippi would become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026 within two days. Currently named Tropical Depression Nine, the cyclone would be at tropical storm strength by early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Trump says taxpayers will no longer pay for TV ads that praised him

President Donald Trump on Monday said taxpayers will no longer pay for television ads featuring him shortly before the November congressional elections after widespread criticism of the campaign-style spots. Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a "golden age of America," and called for independent investigations.

Exclusive-Accenture contractor removed from FBI following damaging data breach, sources say

The Federal Bureau of Investigation removed an Accenture contractor on Monday over their role in a damaging data breach that exposed sensitive personal details of thousands of bureau employees, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The development comes as the FBI is still trying to ascertain the ramifications of the breach, which some former bureau officials have described as a major blow to the organization's operational security.

US agency to rewrite ‌rules to address vehicle headlight glare

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday that it will rewrite its vehicle lighting standards to address concerns about headlight glare and allow for the latest safety-improving lighting technologies. NHTSA said it plans to improve rules for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams and replaceable light sources. The agency will also evaluate headlamp height and aim and how they impact driver visibility and address headlight glare and make appropriate changes.

'I'm getting fed up': early US midterm voters line up before dawn in Ohio

Voters started lining up while it was still dark on Tuesday morning at the Medina County Board of Elections as early voting began in Ohio, a state that looms large in the nationwide campaigns between Republicans and Democrats battling for control of the US Congress. By the time polling in the northeast Ohio county closed for the day, Democrats' turnout eclipsed that of Republicans' in a possible early sign that they are more motivated to vote this year.

US trade balance sinks deeper into the red as imports hit record high despite tariffs

The US trade deficit widened more than expected in August as imports jumped to a record high against the backdrop of robust domestic demand, keeping trade on track to again subtract from economic growth in the third quarter. The deterioration reported by the Commerce Department on Tuesday was despite President Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs on imports, which he has argued are meant to shrink the trade gap. The nation posted record goods ‌trade deficits with at least three countries, including Mexico.

Cornell students stage anti-rape rally in support of 'Jane Doe'

Cornell University students staged a mass rally on Monday voicing solidarity with a classmate whose gang-rape allegations have ignited a national uproar and demanding that the Ivy League school take firmer action against sexual violence on campus. The protesters called for an external inquiry into how Cornell's administration has handled the matter, independent hearings and uniform minimum sanctions for all sexual assaults on campus, and better training for campus police in responding to complaints of sexual violence and harassment.

Emmy Awards to leave broadcast TV for Amazon's Prime Video in 2027

The Television Academy and Amazon's Prime Video on Tuesday announced ‌a six-year deal making the streaming service the exclusive global home of the Emmys, ending the awards show's rotation among US broadcast networks. The deal will take effect with the 2027 ceremony and ends the traditional "Wheel Deal" rotation under which the telecast alternated among broadcast networks ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, concluding with this year's show.

US arrests person in connection to Canada school shooting, officials say

US authorities arrested a person in Washington state on Tuesday who they accuse of providing advice and offering to live stream a deadly mass shooting carried out earlier this year in Canada. James Cody Bryant, 30, was detained on a charge of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country in connection to the shooting at Tumbler Ridge, according to the Department of Justice. The charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

Trump orders firing squad for gunman who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas

President Donald Trump has ordered the use of a firing squad to execute the former US Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in a 2009 shooting spree the gunman later described as retaliation for US wars in the Muslim world, the Pentagon said on Monday. Putting former US Army Major Nidal Hasan to death by Army firing squad was approved by Trump at the recommendation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on X.

US appeals court weighs Trump's block on Harvard research funding

US President Donald Trump's administration asked an appeals court on Monday to let it terminate more than $2 billion in grants awarded to Harvard University, a major target in the Republican president’s broader campaign against elite US universities. During an oral argument before the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Department lawyer Michael Velchik said the federal government had the authority to ⁠withhold federal funding from Harvard to ensure it ​was adequately combating antisemitism on its campus.

US appeals court weighs block on Kennedy's vaccine panel appointments

A lawyer for the Trump administration told a federal appeals court on Tuesday that a judge ⁠had improperly hamstrung an influential vaccine advisory panel by blocking Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handpicked appointees from serving on it. US Justice Department attorney Matthew Zorn argued at a hearing before the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston that the judge's ruling was preventing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices from meeting due to concerns that any new appointments Kennedy made to it could also be blocked.

Trump approval at record low; Hispanic voters sour on Republicans, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

President Donald Trump's approval rating held at a record low in recent days, as many Hispanic voters panned his job performance and planned to spurn his Republican Party in next month's midterm elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday. The six-day poll showed 32% of Americans giving a thumbs up to Trump's presidency, unchanged from a September Reuters/Ipsos survey that saw the leader's rating at ⁠the lowest of his political career.

Northeast Democrats urge Trump administration action as heating oil costs surge

Democratic lawmakers from northeastern US states urged Energy Secretary Chris Wright to take action to cut soaring heating oil costs they blamed on President Donald Trump’s war with Iran and administration policies, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday. Led by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the lawmakers said in a letter dated Monday that heating oil prices were about 60% higher than before the conflict and that families could pay roughly $600 more to heat their homes this winter.

Most Americans support switch to Medicare for all health insurance

Most Americans now favor government-paid health insurance for all, according to a new poll, as voters across party lines see major healthcare reforms as a priority less than a month before midterm elections to ​decide control of the US Congress. Two-thirds of US adults — up from 53% in 2020 — said they are in favor of universal US health insurance often referred to as "Medicare for all," according to a poll conducted by health policy research firm KFF released on Tuesday.

Cornell hires ex-Justice Dept official Yates to review rape claims response

Cornell University has hired a top former US Justice Department lawyer for an internal investigation of how it handled a student's allegations that she was gang-raped, a case that has brought mounting scrutiny and triggered student protests at the Ivy League school. Sally Yates, who served as deputy US attorney general from ⁠2015 to 2017, will conduct an independent review of how Cornell prevents and responds to sexual assault claims, university officials said on Tuesday.

US Justice Dept tells staff to call AI 'super intelligence' under Trump order

The US Justice Department directed its employees on Tuesday to use the words "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" when referring to the technology in most circumstances, including in court, according to a memo seen by Reuters. The directive from acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter follows US President Donald Trump's executive order last week mandating the switch within federal agencies, which Trump said would more accurately reflect the potential of the rapidly advancing technology.

Trump expands access to tax-exempt diesel fuel

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to expand access to tax-exempt diesel that he unveiled from a rally stage in Nebraska. High diesel prices, which shot to a record of about $6.50 a gallon last month, are a risk to Trump ahead ⁠of the ​November 3 midterm US elections in which control of Congress is at stake. Trump's Republican Party currently holds a narrow majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.

US Senator Murphy says Pentagon denied him access to US base in Qatar

Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy said on Tuesday that the Department of Defense denied him access to a key military base in Qatar during a visit to the Middle East, describing it as part of a US government effort to conceal the impact of the Iran war. The Al Udeid Air Base is the largest US base in the region and has repeatedly been attacked by Iran during the war launched by the US and Israel in February.

Trump says taxpayers will no longer pay for TV ads that praised him

President Donald Trump on Monday said taxpayers will no longer pay for television ads featuring him shortly before the November congressional elections after widespread criticism of the campaign-style spots. Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a "golden age of America," and called for independent investigations.

US Senator Warren presses federal housing director to cooperate with probe

Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday pressed Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, an ally of President Donald Trump, to cooperate with a congressional watchdog's inquiry into his criminal referrals of alleged mortgage fraud. In a letter sent to Pulte and seen by Reuters, Warren said she believes the FHFA ⁠is obstructing inquiries from the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan government agency.

Olympian cleared in vandalism case seeks watchdog probes of Trump's Reflecting Pool project

Lawyers for a former US Olympian accused and then cleared of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool demanded on Tuesday that two government watchdogs investigate the botched renovation of the Washington landmark by President Donald Trump's administration and the now-dismissed criminal case. Attorneys for David Hearn, a three-time US Olympic canoeist, urged the US Interior Department's inspector general to examine the flawed installation of an "American flag blue" liner at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool beginning in May. They also asked the US Justice Department's inspector general to investigate the case ⁠accusing Hearn of destruction of property, which prosecutors dropped weeks after securing an indictment.

Californians blast Trump remark that Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles, San Diego

President Donald Trump suggested to a crowd of his supporters ⁠in Nebraska that Iran could "take out" a major US city like Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing a swift rebuke from California's Democratic leaders and some fellow Republicans. Trump, speaking at a political rally in the state's farm belt on Monday, discussed American wartime economic sacrifices and said he was determined to "see a tremendous victory, because it verifies all the things we did."

Transcript of US Vice President Vance interview in Alaska

US Vice President JD Vance gave an exclusive interview to Reuters on Monday while campaigning in Alaska, a state that has emerged as a key battleground in the November elections that will determine control of Congress. This transcript of the interview, which took place after a rally at Fairbanks International Airport for Republican US Senator Dan Sullivan, has been edited lightly for length and clarity.

Tennessee execution survivor Christa Pike is conscious and speaking, lawyers say

Convicted killer Christa Pike, who survived Tennessee's effort to execute her by lethal injection last week, foiling the state's first attempt to put a woman to death in two centuries, has regained ‌consciousness and is speaking, her lawyers said in a statement on Tuesday. Despite severe injuries to her arms from the insertion of intravenous ‌lines during the aborted execution last Wednesday, Pike, 50, is "still handcuffed and shackled" to her hospital bed while she remains under medical care, her team of public defense attorneys wrote.

New York declares first US measles disaster emergency since 2025 surge

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday over a measles outbreak, the first such declaration by a ​U.S. state since cases began surging in 2025. The state also expanded the pool of health professionals allowed to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines as cases rise in rural communities.