Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US consumer sentiment near record low as frustration over economy mounts

US consumer sentiment slumped further in early October as the rising cost of living because of the Middle East conflict soured households' views of the economy, more bad news for President Donald Trump ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers was the latest in a series of recent polls to capture the darkening mood among Americans, who are ​being squeezed by high inflation and borrowing costs. Trump's approval rating is at the lowest of his political career amid angst over his handling of the economy.

What do US politicians agree on? Inflation is the other party’s fault: Marty Fridson

Cost of living concerns in the US are very real, but the debate about affordability involves ​statistics that often aren’t as straightforward as they seem. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) data released on Wednesday showed that inflation rose by 0.3% on a monthly basis in August, bringing the 12-month rate to 3.4%, well below ‌consensus estimates.

ICC urges members to make ​sure it can continue despite US sanctions

The International Criminal Court on Friday strongly rejected the sanctions imposed on it by the US government and called on its member states to make sure it can continue to function. "It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the Court from doing what it was created to do. It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order," the court said in a statement.

Explainer-Is it legal for the US to livestream the Fort Hood shooter's execution?

The Pentagon said on Thursday that it would livestream the firing squad execution of the man who killed 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, raising questions about the legality of the unprecedented announcement. Here's what US law says about public executions and death by firing squad.

US FDA approves Asahi Kasei's drug for persistent herpes infections

The US FDA on Friday approved Japan's Asahi Kasei's drug for persistent herpes simplex virus sores in certain patients with weakened immune systems who have not responded to ‌available antiviral treatments. The oral drug, called pritelivir, was developed by German drugmaker Aicuris, which Asahi Kasei acquired in April

Trump envoy kept financial ties to firm behind $15 billion Hormuz-bypass oil pipeline plan

Thomas Barrack, a top US diplomat in the Middle East, advocated for a firm run by his business partner to take part in the development of an oil pipeline from Iraq to Syria, three people said, activities which appear to violate federal ethics rules. In July, Iraq and Syria signed memorandums of understanding with a consortium made up of the company, Californian investment group TI Capital, along with Chevron and Qatar’s UCC Holding, to carry out technical and financial studies in preparation for rehabilitating the pipeline, which would skirt the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.

Lawmaker calls for US research funding curbs on more Chinese schools

A Republican lawmaker has called on the Defense Department to put US research funding restrictions on dozens more Chinese universities, including one with ties to top American business leaders. Representative from Michigan John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, this month asked the department to add 58 more Chinese schools and 62 Chinese technology labs to what is known as the 1286 list, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters.

Exclusive-Friend of suspected FBI data thief says he warned 'crazy' teen not to hack bureau

A friend of the suspected thief of a massive cache of personal data from the FBI says he begged the teenager not to do it. Adem El Adeb, 19, told Reuters that he tried to convince Saif al-Din ‌Khader last month that breaking into the FBI would bring the weight of the US government down on his shoulders but that Khader would not be swayed.

Fed's Cook lawyers say hearing will show no mortgage fraud case

Lawyers for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said on Friday that if a planned White House hearing on allegations against her is "anything close to objective," it will demonstrate that Cook did not commit mortgage fraud and will leave no case to remove her. "We have engaged with the White House to evaluate whether the process proposed has a possibility of being a genuine one and not simply a box checking exercise," lawyers Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen said in a statement. "Governor Cook ‌welcomes the opportunity to present the facts so she can clear her name and demonstrate there is no legal basis to fire her.”

US judge rules Justice Department use of voter rolls unlawful

A US judge ruled on Friday that the Justice Department's push to obtain state voter rolls and check them against a federal immigration database to demand that states remove voters it deemed ineligible was unlawful. US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan's decision marked the latest setback for President Donald Trump's push to expand federal control over election administration ahead of the November 3 midterms, with his Republican Party battling to hold majorities in both houses of Congress.

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

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

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.

Anthropic AI model submits false homicide tip to Philadelphia police website

An Anthropic artificial intelligence model submitted a false homicide tip through a Philadelphia police website, the department said in a statement, the latest incident of rogue behavior from the powerful technology. Anthropic notified authorities earlier this week and said that an automated testing process was responsible for the submission, according to the police.

US diesel prices remain ⁠high despite Trump's moves to boost supplies

US diesel ​prices remain at near-record highs, up 70% since the US-Israeli war on Iran began despite two recent moves by President Donald Trump to boost supplies: pressuring allies to release emergency reserves and expanding ⁠access to tax-exempt red-dyed diesel. The wars in Iran and Ukraine have triggered a severe global fuel supply crunch, pushing the average US diesel price to $6.28 a gallon on Friday, according to motorist group AAA.

Trump renews bid to fire Fed's Cook with fresh White House inquiry

US President Donald Trump launched a new inquiry into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook weeks before congressional elections, convening an investigative committee and ordering an unprecedented White House hearing into allegations she made false statements on mortgage applications. Trump has been trying to fire Cook for more than a year as he moves to exert more control over a central bank he says is refusing for political reasons to lower interest rates. Lawyers for Cook said on Friday any fair hearing would show there is no legal basis for firing her.

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.

US measles cases rise to 4,080, CDC says

The US CDC on Friday reported 4,080 confirmed measles cases in the country as of October 8, up 193 from a week earlier. Here are key details:

Trump says Russia to supply diesel to US and global markets

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets in an effort to lower fuel prices, ​and his administration temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel that were designed to deprive Moscow of revenues for its war on Ukraine. Prices for diesel, used for agriculture, heating homes and trucking, are near a record and risk for Trump's fellow Republicans ahead of the November 3 congressional elections that will determine whether they maintain thin control of Congress. Diesel prices fell after the announcement, but analysts said the deal may not be enough to keep them down.

Republican opposition widens to livestreamed execution; Trump still weighing it

Republican US lawmakers joined religious leaders and international observers on Friday in opposing a Pentagon plan to livestream an execution by firing squad, while ⁠President Donald Trump said he has not yet decided whether to allow the live feed. Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism over whether the Pentagon will proceed with livestreaming the scheduled December 3 execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who was found guilty in a US military trial of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.

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

US immigration agents shot and wounded a man on Thursday in his car with a child present in the Marble Hill neighborhood of New York City, according to the mayor, city police and eyewitnesses. Federal immigration agents have shot at least 21 people since Republican President Donald Trump returned to office, 7 fatally, sparking protests across the US. Critics contend that Trump's push to ramp up deportations has led to an increasing number of violent confrontations, and accuse the administration of resisting accountability for the agents involved.

Trump cancels ⁠trip to ​Alabama football game amid looming hurricane

US President Donald Trump on Friday canceled a planned trip to Alabama on Saturday for a college football game with a hurricane expected to impact the city where the Alabama-Georgia contest is to be played. Trump still plans to speak at a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday, in support of Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, he said in a social media post.

Explainer-How the US plan to livestream an execution compares with global practice

The U.S. military plans to livestream the Dec. 3 execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. If carried out as planned, death penalty experts said it would mark the first known broadcast or livestream of a lawful execution.

Vance says he won't watch livestream of execution; Trump remains silent

US Vice President JD Vance said on Friday that he would not watch a livestream of the military execution of the gunman who killed 13 people at Fort Hood military base in 2009, while President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the Pentagon plan. "I don't know that that's actually going to happen," Vance told reporters while campaigning in Ohio. "If it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it."

FCC chief defers to Pentagon on airing US execution on TV networks

The chair of the Federal Communications Commission said on Friday that he would defer to the Pentagon on whether US networks could air ⁠a planned December 3 military execution, which would be an unprecedented broadcast. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009, would be livestreamed.

NFL-Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame player and Bears coach, dies at 86

Mike Ditka, a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end best known as the slick-haired and mustachioed head coach who led the NFL's Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl triumph in 1986, has died. He was 86. Ditka's death was announced in a statement by his family on Friday. No cause ⁠of death was given.

Patel says FBI has arrested another person tied to ShinyHunters hackers

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday the bureau has arrested another person tied to the ShinyHunters hacking group. In a post ⁠on X, Patel said, "Our agents in the field have arrested another suspected co-conspirator of the ShinyHunters group," whom he said was believed to be responsible for the recent break-in at the FBI jobs site that has exposed a wide swathe of sensitive employee data.

New Trump rules will make it harder for farmers to access US funds for energy projects

President Donald Trump's looming changes to a rural energy program that has distributed billions of dollars in recent years will make it harder for many farmers to access funds for such things as solar arrays and energy efficiency projects, farmers, energy companies and analysts said. It is Trump's latest move to slash government support for renewable energy. While working on the changes, the administration had halted applications this year for the Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP.

US immigration chiefs defend shooting of New York man, attack 'sanctuary' policies

US immigration officials defended federal agents on Friday who shot and wounded a New York City man in his car with a young child believed to be his son in the back seat and ‌rebuked Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his condemnation of immigration agents. US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at a press conference that officers ‌did not know the child was in the car at the time they opened fire and accused the man, a Dominican who was the target of the operation, of endangering both officers and the child.

Trump selects Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has appointed Katie Zacharia, a communications adviser for his Truth Social ​platform, to serve as White House press secretary following Karoline Leavitt's departure in August. He said Zacharia has an "unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter."