Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US Army report cites systematic failures in 2025 helicopter and jet collision that killed 67

The collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last year that killed 67 people was the result of several systemic failures, according to a US Army investigative report seen by Reuters. The previously undisclosed report completed in May made a series of safety recommendations and said the key factor was ​two broken radio transmissions resulting in the helicopter crew not receiving critical details from air traffic control.

Democrats in tight Midwest US races split on trans rights strategy

After being caught flat-footed on transgender issues in the last US election, Democrats in tight midterm races are pursuing different strategies, with some adopting more conservative stances and others trying ​to deflect, according to a Reuters review of campaign messaging and interviews with nine party strategists and insiders. Ahead of the November 3 election, vulnerable Republican candidates have renewed their attacks over transgender rights, a message that political strategists ‌say helped Donald Trump and his ​party win unified control of Washington in 2024.

Democrats sue Trump to halt taxpayer-funded TV ads that praised him

Democratic Party officials sued US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, seeking a court order blocking his administration from using taxpayer money to pay for election-related TV ads. The lawsuit, filed by the Democratic National Committee in federal court in Washington, accused Trump of a "blatant violation of the statutory ban on the use of appropriations for 'publicity or propaganda purposes.'"

FBI arrests man for plotting mass shooting at Mall of America

The FBI has arrested an 18-year-old man who had been plotting to carry out a mass shooting at the Mall of America near Minneapolis in the name of ISIS, according to court filings. He was arrested on Tuesday after an FBI undercover agent sold the Minnesota man, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, an AK-47, ammunition and magazines for $600, according to the complaint. Mohamud told the informant he planned to use the items to kill 30 to 60 people at an event at the mall in late October.

US House Speaker Johnson weighs 'next chapter' if Republicans lose majority-Fox News

Republican US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson told ‌Fox News he does not know if he will remain in politics if his party loses control of the chamber in next month's congressional election even as he insisted his focus was on protecting the party's majority. "Heaven forbid, if we lose this majority or whatever, I don't know what my next chapter of life is,” the Louisiana lawmaker told Fox News.

US proposes to boost transit funding to areas with higher marriage, birth rates

The US Transportation Department said on Wednesday it is proposing to boost grants for major transit projects by 10% in areas that have above-average marriage and birth rates and imposing strict deadlines to ensure projects remain on schedule.

Democrats criticized the plan, which would apply to 40 major projects already in the program that funds light rail, bus and commuter rail projects and said it could result in lower spending in cities controlled by Democrats.

Most Republicans in tight midterm races distance themselves from Trump, Reuters review finds

Two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive US House and Senate races have broken with President Donald Trump on policy or played down ties to him, a Reuters review found, revealing a widespread effort to distance themselves from the president as his unpopularity threatens the party's hold on Congress. The review of voting records, public statements and campaign materials found candidates in 41 of 62 competitive congressional races seeking some distance from Trump ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

US will rescind policy targeting oil and gas industry methane leaks

The US Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it would soon propose scrapping a Biden-era rule ‌aimed at curbing large leaks of methane from oil and gas operations. The move is part of a broad Trump administration effort to slash regulations that it says burden US businesses as it seeks to boost fossil fuel production.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico press judge to keep Trump White House ban blocked

A lawyer for CNN, MS NOW and Politico urged a federal judge on Thursday to extend their protection against being barred from the White House by US President Donald Trump, while the Justice Department defended the bans as fair and justified. US District Judge Timothy Kelly promised a ruling by Tuesday, when a temporary block he placed on the ban expires, after holding a hearing in Washington. The three news ‌outlets are seeking a court order halting the ban while their lawsuit challenging Trump's action as unconstitutional plays out.

Missouri sued over alleged decades of underfunding at historically Black university

Seven current and former students at Lincoln University of Missouri sued the state on Wednesday, alleging it violated the US Constitution and federal civil rights law by systematically underfunding the historically Black university for decades. The complaint, filed in federal court in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri Central Division, seeks compensatory damages under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act for what plaintiffs describe as "educational and economic injuries" caused by decades of underfunding. It also seeks an injunction requiring Missouri to fully match Lincoln University's federal land-grant funding in the future.

Trump awarding former baseball star Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would award former baseball pitcher Roger Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor awarded by the president. Clemens, a friend of Trump who has golfed with the president, is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball, but sportswriters have not elected him into the Hall of Fame because of his suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Protesters stage 'I Am Jane Doe' rally in New York City against sexual violence

Protesters calling for tougher action against sexual violence rallied on Thursday outside the New York City courthouse where a Cornell University student stirred a national uproar by suing several campus fraternity members she accused of gang rape. The demonstration, drawing a crowd of hundreds to the New York State Supreme Court building in Manhattan, was one of dozens of protests organized on campuses and in communities across the country under the social media banner "#StopSexualViolence: From the Frat House to the White House."

North Carolina reports first flu death of 2026-27 season

North Carolina has reported its first flu death of the 2026-2027 ⁠season, state health officials said on Thursday, urging ​residents to get vaccinated against seasonal respiratory illnesses. An adult living in the central part of the state died from flu complications during the first week of October, the North Carolina Department of Health and ⁠Human Services said.

US to livestream Army execution of Fort Hood shooter, Pentagon official says

The US will livestream the Army's upcoming firing squad execution on December 3 of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in a 2009 shooting spree, a Pentagon official said, in what would be an unprecedented move. Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, is set to become the first person to be executed by firing squad by the US military since 1945.

Exclusive-Trump AI task force leaders to meet on Thursday, vice chair says

The four leaders of US President Donald Trump's AI task force are slated to meet on Thursday, task force vice chair Scott Kupor told Reuters, adding that he expects the full committee to convene next week as pressure builds on Washington to take action on AI. The task force is expected to help shape the administration's approach to AI at a pivotal moment for the technology.

Hurricane ⁠Isaias strengthens as US Gulf Coast prepares for landfall

Hurricane Isaias strengthened on Thursday as it barreled toward the US Gulf Coast, prompting mandatory evacuations in parts of Florida and emergency declarations in Alabama as forecasters warned of life-threatening storm surges, tornadoes and flooding. Isaias has already severely disrupted oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing energy companies to evacuate offshore platforms and shut down operations.

US states label abortion drugs a 'public nuisance' in bid to curb access

Three Republican-led US states are testing a novel legal argument as they seek to stem the flow of abortion pills to residents who can still obtain them from out-of-state providers despite their abortion bans. Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas filed two lawsuits last week claiming that medical providers are creating a "public nuisance" by mailing abortion drugs over state lines and that New York, California and Massachusetts have aided that ​conduct by adopting shield laws protecting abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution and civil liability.

Exclusive-US farm debt is at a record. Official data might be undercounting it

American farmers are borrowing more money than ever before to operate — but the rise in non-traditional and vendor credit has created some gaps in the federal government's current ability to measure and track farm debt, US Department of Agriculture officials told Reuters. Financial pressure is mounting across farm country, where growers have already faced years of tight margins due to slumping prices and high input costs. More recently, farmers have struggled with disruptions to export markets from Washington's trade fights with top buyers including China, while the US-Israeli war ⁠with Iran has driven up the cost of fertilizer and fuel.

The skilled foreign tech workers' green card program under attack from Trump

The US government said on Thursday it is suspending some of the world's biggest tech and IT firms including Microsoft, Cognizant and Capgemini from a key green card program that allows skilled foreign workers to gain permanent residency through their employment. Senior US officials cited alleged fraud as the reason behind the move, saying companies have been using the program to replace American workers with cheaper foreign workers, and comes as the latest step in the Trump administration's crackdown on skilled foreign labor.

New York governor plans to seek federal help to tackle measles outbreak

New York Governor Kathy Hochul will seek federal assistance to tackle the measles outbreak in the state, including support from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, her spokesperson said. Hochul will make a "detailed and specific request for assistance from the ⁠federal government," spokesperson ​Nicolette Simmonds told Reuters late on Wednesday.

Isaias intensifies into first Atlantic hurricane of 2026

Hurricane Isaias became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, triggering production shut-ins and evacuations at energy facilities in the US Gulf. Isaias was located about 445 miles (715 Km) south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi river, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the US National Hurricane Center said on Thursday.

US Supreme Court won't speed up Democratic challenge to FCC political ad policy, for now

Siding with Republicans, the US Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Federal Communications Commission to avoid for now a judicially imposed deadline in a Democratic challenge to the agency's new political advertising policy. With November midterm elections looming, Chief Justice John Roberts agreed to lift a lower court's order that gave the FCC until Friday to rule on a challenge by Democratic candidates to its revamped rule that lets party committees pay lower TV and radio ad rates long available to political candidates.

US judge orders return of Egyptian deported to Equatorial Guinea

A US judge has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the release and return of an Egyptian man who was deported to Equatorial Guinea this year and has since been jailed there. Ahmed Soliman is one of hundreds of migrants sent from the US to African countries under so-called third-country deportation deals that the US government has used to accelerate removals.

Abortion drug safety review will be completed by March, US FDA says

The Trump administration plans to complete a review of the abortion drug mifepristone ⁠by March 2027, according to a court filing, paving the way for potential changes that could limit access to the pills. The US Food and Drug Administration in a filing in Louisiana federal court late on Wednesday said it expects to receive the results of a study on the drug's safety risks in December and will issue a report after interpreting them.

New York City man shot in car with child present by ICE agents, mayor says

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and wounded a man on Thursday in his car with a child present in the vehicle in the Bronx borough of New York City, according to the mayor, city police and eyewitness accounts. "Early reports indicate ⁠agents surrounded (the man) and a 5-year-old-child in his car before firing multiple rounds," New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.

Trump says comment that Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles was misinterpreted

US President Donald Trump on ⁠Thursday said comments he made that Iran could "take out" California cities had been misinterpreted and that he was instead referring to the need for people to tolerate higher gas prices. Trump made the remarks at a political rally in Nebraska on Monday as he spoke about Americans' wartime economic sacrifices.

Trump says he may ask FBI to look into Nolan Wells death

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was considering asking the FBI to look into the death of an 18-year-old Black man whose body was found on a Mississippi barrier island following a Fourth of July trip with friends. Asked by reporters at the White House whether he planned to push the FBI to launch an independent investigation into the death of Nolan Wells, Trump said: "Well, we're looking at that. Yes, we are."

Award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh detained by US immigration authorities

An award-winning filmmaker whose work has explored conflict in his native Kashmir has been detained by US immigration officials after legally coming to the United States to study and later claiming asylum, his family and friends said on Wednesday.

The Department of ‌Homeland Security separately confirmed on Wednesday that Arfat Sheikh was arrested on September 24. The department said that Sheikh "legally entered the US on ‌a temporary basis and illegally overstayed his lawful admittance."

Christa Pike 'angry and confused' about Tennessee's failed execution effort, lawyers say

Christa Pike, sentenced to death for a 1995 murder, awoke "angry and confused" in a hospital this week with a long recuperation ahead after surviving Tennessee's botched effort to execute her, her lawyers said on Wednesday. A week ago, Pike, 50, was taken from the execution ​chamber to a Nashville hospital, unconscious, critically ill and with severe arm injuries after two injections of the caustic barbiturate pentobarbital failed to kill her at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.