Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Factbox-The races that will decide control of the US Senate

Democrats need a net gain of at least four seats in November's midterm elections to wrest control of the US Senate from Republicans, with voter discontent over President Donald Trump, the Iran war and rising prices putting races in once-solidly Republican states into play. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, and a Democratic takeover looked unlikely at the start of the year. But Democrats are now competitive in ​states Trump won handily in 2024, even as Republicans seek to capture Democratic-held seats of their own.

Investigators say Learjet may have broken up before crashing in Florida

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday a Learjet 60 that crashed on Sunday in a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board, ​may have broken up before hitting the ground at high speed. The private Bombardier-made jet had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas. Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were occurring in the area where it ‌went down.

Sectors bracing for a pivot ​as US midterm elections loom

As the US midterm elections approach, Corporate America is bracing for a potential shift in the balance of power in Washington. In case of a strong Democratic showing, analysts and strategists say clean energy, housing and healthcare stocks could benefit, while AI, data center and defense names may draw greater scrutiny from lawmakers.

Trump White House maps path to govern without Congress if Democrats win

President Donald Trump's White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of Congress, developing plans to keep advancing major parts of his agenda through executive power while bracing for investigations of his administration, according to a White House official and two people familiar with the plans. Senior officials, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget director Russell Vought, have been working with the White House Counsel's Office since April to identify executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending that Trump could pursue without congressional approval, said the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

US manufacturing strengthens in October, input prices stay high

US manufacturing activity picked up in October amid strong domestic demand, keeping inflation ‌at the factory gate elevated.

Despite the unexpected improvement reported by the Institute for Supply Management on Monday, sentiment among manufacturers remained overwhelmingly downbeat, with some complaining that "economic policies coming out of Washington continue to weigh on business conditions," and others saying the situation was "making it impossible to make sound long-term decisions."

Lindsay Clancy's lawyers push for Massachusetts murder case dismissal

Lindsay Clancy's lawyers urged a judge on Monday to dismiss murder charges against her and expressed frustration that prosecutors have yet to make clear their plans to retry her for killing her three young children at her Massachusetts home in 2023. Judge William Sullivan had asked the prosecution and defense to be prepared at the hearing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to discuss a date for a potential retrial for Clancy after the judge declared a mistrial on September 4 due to a deadlocked jury in the initial trial.

Explainer-What you need to know about the 2026 US midterm elections

Early voting has been underway for weeks ahead of the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, when US voters will elect members of the House of Representatives and Senate and governors in states across the country. Held in the middle of each four-year presidential term, the midterms by definition do not involve the president. But for anyone who thinks they lack drama or importance this year, consider these two statistics:

Nine people dead in Learjet crash in south Florida, officials say

A Learjet crashed on Sunday afternoon in a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board, US transportation officials said. The private jet had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom ‌International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

US judge dismisses Trump election lawsuit in Alaska

A federal judge on Sunday threw out a lawsuit by President Donald Trump's administration seeking to block Alaska from certifying a loss by Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in Tuesday's midterm elections if votes for a rival who shares his name could have changed the outcome. The ruling by US District Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage was the latest blow to Trump's efforts to assert a greater federal role in elections, which under the US Constitution are administered by the states.

Judge tells Trump administration to stop demands on California about alleged noncitizen voters

A federal ‌judge ordered President Donald Trump's administration on Monday to stop demanding that California election officials segregate ballots cast by people on the US government's lists of suspected noncitizens. US District Judge James Boasberg's ruling in Washington marked the latest legal defeat for the administration's pressure campaign on states over alleged noncitizen voting on the eve of the midterm elections. Trump's fellow Republicans are battling to maintain control of Congress.

US Supreme Court rejects Trump, lets California count all ballots

Acting on the eve of the US midterm elections, the Supreme Court quickly rejected on Monday a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to temporarily block California from counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters who federal officials allege are likely non-US citizens. The justices denied the Justice Department's emergency request just hours after it filed it, shutting down the administration's claims over disputed ballots that could have affected thousands of voters and injected uncertainty into election outcomes.

Trump brushes aside tough midterm prospects with visit to Reflecting Pool

Facing elections that could cost his party control of Congress, President Donald Trump spent his last major speech before the midterms talking about pipes and paint on Monday. Trump ruminated on his Washington renovations, new sod, the White House's helipad, a grand new arch and the recently reopened Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a 54-minute speech that the White House billed as part of the president's closing argument before voters cast their ballots.

US voters in a sour economic mood heading into midterm elections

On the eve of elections that will decide whether President Donald Trump's Republican Party keeps control of Congress, voters' minds are on the economy, with high and rising prices a key issue and many blaming his policies, specifically tariffs and the Iran war, for the nagging inflation. In short, Americans are in a sour mood.

Judge dismisses case against ex-FBI officials, says DOJ rushed charges before midterms

A federal judge on Monday tossed out a ⁠criminal case accusing two former senior FBI officials ​of lying about their involvement in an investigation of former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, excoriating the Justice Department for bringing what he said was a political prosecution before Tuesday's midterm elections. US Magistrate Judge Zia ⁠Faruqui threw out the case at a remarkably early stage, finding that prosecutors had not shown sufficient evidence that the two officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence officials, had knowingly made false statements.

Democratic wins would shift Congress' trade debate but fall short of US tariff rollbacks

President Donald Trump's trade agenda will face a new source of friction if Democrats win control of Congress on Tuesday, with a cascade of oversight hearings and symbolic tariff rollback votes likely next year, but Trump will remain undeterred in his zeal for more tariff actions, trade experts and congressional aides say. Democrats are eager to pass legislation to negate many of Trump's tariffs and the more archaic statutes backing them, but any gains by the party will run into the reality of Trump's veto power.

The mid-term races Wall Street and other financial firms are watching

Wall Street and financial market players are watching this year's US midterm ⁠elections for more than which party controls Congress. A handful of unusually competitive races could determine the fortunes of some of the financial industry's biggest political allies and adversaries, and help shape policy on cryptocurrency, credit cards, financial regulation and the artificial-intelligence investment boom.

US judge dismisses Trump administration's Harvard admissions probe case

A federal judge dismissed on Monday a lawsuit by President Donald Trump's administration seeking to force Harvard University to turn over records for an investigation into whether it continues to consider race in its student admissions process. US District Judge Myong Joun in Boston rejected the US Department of Justice's lawsuit, which Harvard contends was filed as part of a broader campaign by the Republican president's administration against the Ivy League school.

Explainer-What's next in the Lindsay Clancy murder case?

Prosecutors are considering whether to retry Lindsay Clancy on first-degree murder charges for killing her three young children at ​her Massachusetts home in 2023, after an initial trial ended in a mistrial in September due to a deadlocked jury.

Here is a look at what's next for Clancy, whose televised trial has sparked debate over postpartum mental health treatment in the US and how the country’s legal system treats cases where mothers kill their children.

Trump floats 'concept' of US-Canada deal that includes pipeline talking to Carney

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration has the "concept" of a new trade deal with Canada while Prime Minister Mark Carney said the two leaders had a good conversation on the future of trade between their countries. "I spoke to him again yesterday, and we ⁠have the concept of a deal that's going to be great for our farmers, great for our country, and we'll be fine for that," Trump told reporters in Dubuque, Iowa.

Trump Justice Dept breaks with tradition to intervene in midterms

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has shown a willingness to intervene directly in Tuesday's midterm elections, breaking with decades of practice meant to avoid the appearance that its law enforcement powers are being used to benefit a political party or candidate. In California, the Justice Department sought to set aside mail-in ballots from about 20,000 voters it alleges are likely non-US citizens ineligible to vote.

US senator wants 'full accounting' of Air Force One White House flyover

US Senator Tammy Duckworth, the top Democrat on a subcommittee that oversees aviation regulation, asked government agencies on Monday for a full accounting of why they allowed a White House flyover last week by the presidential airplane in what she said was a "dangerous stunt." The flyover, part of a children's Halloween party attended by President ⁠Donald Trump on ​Thursday, forced a temporary halt to traffic at Reagan Washington National Airport that delayed flights, while city lawmakers voiced concerns that residents, officials and the airport received only 15 minutes' notice.

Automakers back US rollback of fuel economy rules

A group representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other major automakers on Monday backed the Trump administration in a legal challenge to its sharply lower vehicle fuel economy standards filed by California and other states. Last month, the US Transportation Department said it was finalizing a fleet wide fuel economy average of 34.9 miles per gallon (14.7 km per liter) by 2031, down from 50.4 miles per gallon (21.4 km per liter) that had been approved under then President Joe Biden in 2024.

Major automakers urge US Congress to pass permanent ban on Chinese vehicles

A group representing nearly all major automakers on Monday urged US lawmakers to pass a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles when they return next week for a quick session after the midterm congressional elections. In September, the Senate sponsors of the bipartisan effort to ban Chinese vehicles agreed to delay an effort to fast-track the bill until November despite overwhelming support.

Pennsylvania measles cases rise to 1,433, state health department says

The number of measles cases in Pennsylvania reached 1,433 as of Monday, up seven cases from the previous update, as the state battles its worst outbreak of the disease in years. Here are more details:

Explainer-How Trump’s noncitizen voter lists could affect the midterms

As Americans head to the polls on Tuesday for midterm elections, lists the Trump administration has compiled of possible noncitizen ⁠voters could be used to contest the validity of the results. With US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party fighting to maintain control of Congress, here’s how the lists could affect the midterms.

Factbox-The mid-term races Wall Street and other financial firms are watching

Wall Street and financial market players are watching this year's US midterm elections for more than which party controls Congress. A handful of unusually competitive races could determine the fortunes of some of the financial industry's biggest political allies and adversaries, and help shape policy on cryptocurrency, credit cards, financial regulation and the artificial-intelligence investment boom.

Accused arsonist in Los Angeles' deadly Palisades fire returns for federal retrial

Jury selection began on Monday for a retrial of the man prosecutors say deliberately ⁠set a blaze that grew into one of the deadliest, most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, City News Service reported. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, in US District Court in downtown Los Angeles, is facing a scaled-down version ⁠of the charges leveled against him in an initial three-week trial that ended in a hung jury in late June.

Trump approval near career low ahead of elections, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

President Donald Trump's approval rating held near a career low as a broad swath of the US electorate saw their vote in Tuesday's congressional midterm elections as a way to oppose the Republican president, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday. The poll results underscore Republican vulnerabilities brought on by a surge in fuel prices since Trump launched a war on Iran in February. Voters in the nationwide poll said they preferred Democrats over Republicans — 46% to 38% — in what is known as a "generic ballot" question.

Inside the US Postal Service sprint to deliver millions of ballots by Tuesday

From longer hours and extra staffing to special lines in its branches, the US Postal Service is taking an array of special actions to make sure mail-in ballots for the midterm elections are counted on Tuesday. This year more than ever, the pressure is on the Postal Service to deliver. President Donald Trump ordered the agency to write rules ‌that would bar it from delivering ballots if the states did not agree to turn over lists of eligible voters and some voters ‌have expressed concern about voting by mail. The Supreme Court blocked Trump and USPS from enforcing those rules in September.

New York state reports first measles-linked child death in over 30 years amid outbreak

The New York State Department of Health said on Monday that a child in Lewis County had died in connection with an ongoing measles outbreak, marking the state's first known measles-associated death ​in more than 30 years. The state's Governor Kathy Hochul last month declared a State Disaster Emergency in response to the measles outbreak across areas of New York and neighboring states.