Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US Justice Dept sues California to block votes from alleged noncitizens

The US Justice Department sued California on Thursday, asking a federal judge to block the state from counting mail ballots for the November 3 midterm elections from more than 20,000 voters the Trump administration alleges are likely noncitizens. The lawsuit marks the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to boost the federal government's role in elections ahead of the midterms, with his Republican Party ​locked in a tight battle to retain control of both houses of Congress.

FBI, US Postal Service investigate suspicious mailings to election officials, lawmakers

The FBI and US Postal Service's law enforcement arm said on Thursday they were investigating suspicious mailings, including some sent to state election officials and lawmakers' offices ahead of the November 3 ​midterm elections. The FBI said some of the letters contained an unknown substance.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia says she did not pass bar exam

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said on Thursday she did ‌not pass the bar exam ​after facing scrutiny about her legal career before becoming the top spokeswoman for US President Donald Trump. Zacharia, who joined the White House on Monday, has previously said she practiced law before entering politics and Trump had described her as an attorney.

On the campaign trail, JB Pritzker courts farmers like he's running for president

The town of Shirley, Illinois, population 135, is an unlikely place for a campaign stop. Yet billionaire Democrat JB Pritzker traveled there to spar with his opponent in his bid for a third term as governor of the state in the November midterms. At Funk Farms, a 200-year-old corn, soybean and livestock operation there that was once represented by young lawyer and future president Abraham Lincoln, he extolled the virtues of farming.

Nvidia, Apple each gave $25 million for Trump's ballroom, Washington Post reports

Nvidia and Apple each committed $25 million for US President Donald Trump's planned White House ballroom, according to a Washington Post report on Thursday that showed $333 million in private donations for the project. The Adelson family, longtime financial supporters of Trump and his Republican Party, committed $25 million as well, as did billionaire ‌Charles Ergen, co-founder and chairman of telecommunications company Dish Network, the report added.

Venezuela's Maduro and wife plead not guilty to US torture charges

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a new US indictment accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents. The additional charges, brought last Thursday, significantly expanded the US criminal case against Maduro, 63, and Flores, 70. They previously pleaded not guilty to charges that they abused their power to help drug traffickers ship cocaine.

Warsh's quest for quiet Fed gets vocal pushback

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s call for a “quieter” central bank is facing pushback from colleagues who see public communication as a fundamental part of their job and have taken to TV, podcasts, interviews, social media and speakers' podiums to make their policy views known. Their voices have made a difference, with more than 40 appearances by nearly all of Warsh's colleagues at the central bank convincing traders to scale back rate-hike bets that had mounted after September's rate increase and Warsh's own silence on how much more the Fed may need to do.

Police say Chicago suburb suspect in alleged mass shooting plot had white supremacy manifesto

A man arrested in a Chicago suburb had shared a document expressing white supremacist views and outlined an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship, police said on Wednesday. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, was arrested on Sunday after an individual reported receiving concerning electronic communications from him, Palatine police said. It was not immediately ‌clear if he had legal representation.

Trump donor leading Caucasus fund has major Armenia holdings, Russia business history

US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead a $201 million investment fund in the Caucasus holds major telecom and mining interests there and formerly ran a Russia-focused investment firm that touted close ties to the Kremlin, documents reviewed by Reuters show. Konstantin Sokolov, a 51-year-old Russian-born businessman, was put in charge of the investment vehicle, now called the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund, in January, according to its incorporation documents.

US probes Omar's decades-old immigration paperwork with eye toward deportation, sources say

A predawn raid on Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s home by federal agents stemmed from an expanding investigation into her US immigration paperwork, three people familiar ‌with the case said this week. The investigation appears to center on whether the Somali-born Omar, who has represented a Minnesota district since 2019, or her relatives gave false information upon entering the US as refugees in the mid-1990s or during the process of becoming American citizens.

US judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit over New York City 'sanctuary' laws

A federal judge on Thursday threw out a Trump administration lawsuit that sought to block New York City laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, finding the government did not have a valid basis to sue. US District Judge Ramon Reyes in Brooklyn said President Donald Trump’s administration could not challenge a city law barring police from detaining immigrants at the request of federal authorities because that practice is already prohibited by state law.

Shooter kills four at Oregon elementary school before being shot dead by community member

A 16-year-old shooter opened fire on Thursday at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, killing four people including three children, before being killed by an armed member of the community who had pursued the assailant into the school, police said. The shooter entered Silver Rail Elementary School by firing through locked doors, police said, without offering any details beyond the suspect's age.

Trump's AI task force to meet Thursday, FTC spokesperson says

US President Donald Trump's new government task force on AI is scheduled to meet on Thursday, a Federal Trade Commission spokesperson said, as pressure builds on Washington to confront the risks posed by the rapidly advancing technology. The task force is expected to help shape the administration's approach to AI at a pivotal moment for public opinion of the technology. Public uneasiness with AI, and the small group of executives driving its development, has risen in recent months. Most American voters think Trump's administration and Congress are not taking the risks of AI seriously enough and want the government ⁠to write new regulations for the technology, according ​to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published October 7.

US producer prices post largest gain in 4-1/2 years; expensive gasoline boosts retail sales

US producer prices increased by the most in 4-1/2 years in September amid ⁠rising costs for goods and services, the latest indication of inflation broadening out beyond energy products. The report from the Labor Department on Thursday also showed fairly large rises last month in key components that go into the calculation of the main inflation measures tracked by the Federal Reserve for its 2% target, leading some economists to still anticipate another interest rate increase this month.

US retail sales beat expectations in September on higher gasoline prices

US retail sales increased more than expected in September, boosted by higher gasoline prices, but spending elsewhere was moderate, which could temper economists' expectations for another quarter of robust consumer spending growth. Retail sales rose 0.8% last month after an upwardly revised 1.3% jump in August, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, rising 0.3%.

Trump says he ⁠wants death penalty for anyone who kills a firefighter

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants the death penalty for anyone who kills a firefighter. Trump, who previously has called for the death penalty for anyone found guilty of killing a police officer, made the comment during a White House Rose Garden lunch honoring firefighter organizations.

'Godfather' star Al Pacino to receive life achievement award from actors' guild

Celebrated actor Al Pacino will receive a lifetime achievement award for his career achievements and humanitarian work next year, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA announced on Thursday. The American actor, best known for playing Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" films is the 62nd recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award. The union will present the award to him in Los Angeles at the 33rd Actor Awards on February 28, 2027 as part of a ceremony to be ​live-streamed on Netflix.

Pennsylvania secures $4 billion in investments, governor says

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on Thursday the state had secured more than $4 billion in life sciences and private-sector investment commitments over the past week. Here are more details:

Tesla's new Roadster turns in air with SpaceX thrusters, won't land until 2028

Tesla unveiled a redesigned Roadster powered with rocket-style thrusters on Thursday and said it would start production in 2028, more than a decade after it first showed a next-generation version of its electric sports car. The white two-seater vehicle, developed in collaboration with CEO Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX, drove upside down on a ramp using a suction system, turned in the ⁠air and landed using built-in thrusters. Later in the event it used the thrusters to jump over a truck and other vehicles, twisting in the air during the maneuver.

US weekly jobless claims rise marginally amid low layoffs

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased marginally last week amid low layoffs that are keeping the labor market stable. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 199,000 for the week ended October 10, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 200,000 claims for the latest week.

Hegseth's TV instincts backfire as Trump rejects execution livestream

As he took to the stage this week at an Army event, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked how much it looked like a TV set. The former Fox News host said that put him at ease, even as the first in a series of anti-war protesters shouted at him. But Hegseth's TV instincts, while ⁠perhaps one ​of the tools he relies on most in his Pentagon role, appear to have failed him on Thursday when President Donald Trump pulled the plug on his plans, announced last week, to livestream the Army's firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.

Elon Musk agrees to settle lawsuits over 2024 election lottery

Elon Musk and his America PAC political action committee said on Thursday they agreed to settle two proposed class actions alleging the billionaire entrepreneur defrauded residents in closely contested states before the 2024 US election by promising voters a lottery-style daily $1 million giveaway. Here are the details:

Microsoft president warns green-card curbs could hurt US tech, Politico reports

Microsoft President Brad Smith warned the Trump administration's move to restrict green-card access for skilled foreign workers could hurt US technological competitiveness and drive talent overseas, Politico reported on Thursday. In the interview, Smith also pushed back against Vice President JD Vance's accusations that Microsoft had abused the H-1B visa program, calling them "completely off base".

Trump shuts down Hegseth plan to livestream military execution

US President Donald Trump scrapped plans to livestream the execution of the former Army major who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, overruling Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Thursday after the proposal drew opposition from Republicans, religious leaders and the public. The reversal ended a plan to broadcast Nidal Hasan’s December 3 firing-squad execution. It also marked a rare public disagreement between Trump and one of the president’s closest allies, although the Pentagon said the two were “completely aligned.”

US delays small imports ⁠rule that raised alarm over prescription drug costs

The US government has delayed by 90 days implementation of new customs requirements for small international mail shipments, a move that should forestall higher prices for imported prescription drugs and other products for inflation-weary Americans until after the November midterm elections. The US Customs and Border Protection rule targets the de minimis tariffs exemption, which has eased requirements for shipments under $800. The rule aimed to speed up implementation of changes authorized by US lawmakers as part of President Donald Trump's spending and tax-cut bill, which are due to take effect in July 2027.

Seven subpoenas engulf Nevada election chief in key midterm battle

The first Justice Department subpoena demanding voter information ⁠caught Democratic Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar off guard. It was June, and his office had been working informally with the FBI on routine election security. Weeks later, in a July 16 address from the ⁠Oval Office, President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens had registered to vote, citing an administration review. That review cited Nevada - a key prize in November's fight for control of the US Congress - as one of four states where noncitizen voter registration was widespread.

US toy prices surge ahead of holiday shopping season as tariffs, Iran war bite

Cash-strapped US consumers are facing a squeeze in their shopping budgets this holiday season, hit by the double whammy of tariffs and high energy costs. While overall inflation is creeping up, toy prices are surging, with an increase of 6.6% in the last year, the latest US consumer inflation data showed. Other products that depend on both overseas shipments and petroleum in their manufacturing processes are also posting higher prices.

Just over half of candidates in key US Senate races say they will accept results, others hedge

Just over half of major party candidates in the most competitive US Senate races told Reuters they will accept election results regardless of the outcome, while some signaled a degree of uncertainty less than ‌a month before the November 3 midterms. Reuters asked Republican and Democratic Senate candidates and their campaigns whether they would accept election results in ‌13 states that could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress in the final years of Donald Trump's presidency.

US holiday sales growth to speed up as shoppers stay resilient, NRF forecasts

US holiday sales growth is expected to accelerate to 4.2% this year, the National Retail Federation said on Thursday, betting that consumers would remain resilient even as major retailers flag ​spending pressures. “This year’s forecast reflects our confidence that consumers will prioritize the holiday season even as they remain mindful of their budgets,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.