Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

In Republican collapse, Colorado military town elects Democrat for the first time

Colorado Springs, a military town and global center for Christian evangelism, has sent a Republican to Washington every election since its US House of Representatives district was created in 1970. Then came 2026.

US prosecutor who oversaw probes into past Trump investigations resigns

Jason Reding Quiñones, who oversaw probes into past criminal investigations of US President Donald Trump ​as the top federal prosecutor in Miami, has resigned, Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday. As US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Quiñones was at the center of Trump's attempts to leverage the Justice Department to exact revenge on his political adversaries. His office was tasked with ​investigating the criminal probes of Trump's handling of classified documents after he left office in 2021 and his campaign's contacts with Russia in the 2016 election, among other issues. Those efforts have not borne ‌fruit so far.

Democrats planning flood ​of AI bills when they take control of Congress

Democrats are planning to unleash a flood of new legislation targeting artificial intelligence systems and data-center development when they take control of the US Congress in January, lawmakers, congressional aides and advocates said. The plans would mark a sharp shift from the Republican-led Congress, where lawmakers largely focused on promoting AI development and declined to pass legislation restricting aspects of the technology at a time when voters turned against the rapid development of data centers and their extensive power needs.

Two top Justice Department officials resign as post-election exodus accelerates

Two top officials at the US Department of Justice resigned on Friday, accelerating an exodus of senior figures from the department following the midterm elections, in which President Donald Trump's Republicans lost control of Congress. The departures of John Eisenberg, who headed the DOJ's National Security Division, and Jason Reding Quiñones, who pursued probes into past criminal investigations of Trump, follow the resignation of civil rights unit chief Harmeet Dhillon on Thursday.

Mississippi ‌US Senate candidates battle over ballots as winner remains unclear

US Senate candidates in Mississippi are battling over the treatment of ballots still being counted in the race, one of two remaining Senate contests yet to be called after Tuesday's midterm elections. The outcome in Mississippi and in Alaska, where the Senate race is also not yet called, will determine whether the Democratic Party extends its sweeping election victory in which it seized at least 54 of the Senate's 100 seats, and also took control of the US House of Representatives.

US Senator Murphy to miss Senate votes for weeks as he recovers from stroke

Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy said on Friday he would miss the next several weeks of votes in the Senate as he continues his recovery from a stroke. "In order to take my recovery seriously and get back to work on the quickest timeline possible, I will be spending several weeks at a rehabilitation center after being discharged from the hospital today," the Connecticut senator said in a statement.

Largest US Muslim advocacy group suspends Florida operations over 'terrorist' designation law

Muslim advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations has suspended operations in Florida after the enforcement of a law that gave state officials power to designate groups as "terrorist organizations," state officials and CAIR said. Earlier this year, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure giving him and other state officials the power to ‌designate groups as "terrorist organizations" and expel students who support them. Human rights groups say the law chills free speech.

US anti-trans ballot wins pose challenge for Democrats ahead of 2028

Voters in four US states approved ballot measures to restrict transgender rights in Tuesday's midterm elections, sending a warning to Democrats on an issue that has divided the party and is likely to remain a political challenge heading into the 2028 presidential race. The measures succeeded even as Democrats swept to victory nationwide and retook control of Congress, suggesting voters who backed Democratic candidates were still receptive to some Republican arguments on transgender issues.

Top US House Democrat on trade issues ‌committed to reversing 'unjustified' tariffs

US Representative Richard Neal, the Democrat who is expected to regain the chairmanship of the tax- and trade-focused House Ways and Means Committee, said on Friday that he is committed to reversing President Donald Trump's "unjustified" tariffs and "backroom deals" on trade. In an address to a trade conference hosted by the Biden administration's former US Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, Neal said Trump's "deliberately chaotic and unjustified trade policies" had contributed to rising living costs and growing inequality between workers and the wealthiest Americans.

Wall Street critic Elizabeth Warren could be at the height of her power in new Congress

Democratic progressive and one-time presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has long been a vocal Wall Street critic, but next year the US senator from Massachusetts will likely have more power over the industry than ever before. As the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, Warren is widely expected to become its chair when Democrats take over Congress in January, handing her more staff and the power to issue subpoenas, demand testimony and advance legislation.

Macklemore says US venues rejected his Free Palestine tour

American rapper Macklemore, an outspoken critic of Israel's war in Gaza, said on Friday that major US concert venues including New York's Madison Square Garden refused to book his Free Palestine tour that just concluded three dates in Europe. The "Thrift Shop" performer launched the effort after he was removed as the opening act on musician Ed Sheeran's concert tour in August. Macklemore said at the time that stadium owners had objected to him saying "Free Palestine" on stage.

Factbox-Before his promotion, Stephen Miller designed Trump's immigration crackdown

US President Donald Trump on Friday promoted Stephen Miller, the architect of some of his ⁠toughest policies on immigration and other domestic ​issues, to run his White House after Republicans lost control of Congress in this week's midterm elections. Here are some facts about Trump's next White House chief of staff:

After midterm rout, Vance ⁠tries to build his own 2028 brand

Late in his blitz to salvage Republicans' midterm fortunes, Vice President JD Vance shifted strategy. He talked less about President Donald Trump and more about the issues that define his own political identity. Vance argued the case for Republicans, who lost control of Congress in Tuesday’s vote, almost exclusively through the lens of his policy portfolio, according to a Reuters review of half a dozen speeches since the Republican convention in September.

Four things to note from Friday's US jobs report

The US economy added 165,000 jobs in October — 100,000 more than expected by economists — and the unemployment rate ticked down unexpectedly to 4.1% amid a fairly broad-based improvement in the job market. Here is a look at four notable data points from the Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

US judge temporarily ⁠blocks Trump’s Washington arch

A judge temporarily blocked construction from beginning on President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch in Washington late on Thursday, shortly after it won a key approval. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day restraining order following the National Capital Planning Commission 8-4 vote to approve the project after it heard from about 100 opponents, including Democratic lawmakers.

Trump makes hardliner Stephen Miller his chief of staff after midterm defeat

US President Donald Trump named longtime aide Stephen Miller as his chief of staff on Friday, giving the architect of some of his toughest domestic policies one of the most powerful jobs in Washington after Republicans lost control of Congress. Miller, who will replace Susie Wiles, assumes the role as the president prepares to confront a ​Democratic-led House of Representatives and Senate and a wave of congressional investigations into his administration.

US measles cases climb above 5,000 for first time since 1991

US measles cases have surged to 5,182 so far this year, the highest annual total recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 35 years, as the disease continues to spread across the country. The vast majority of infections were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, accounting for 96% of cases in 2026, the CDC's data showed.

Trump says he met Putin envoy, sees Ukraine deal soon

US President Donald ⁠Trump said he met privately on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy after the Russian official appeared with representatives from Ukraine at a White House event organized by US first lady Melania Trump. Trump would not disclose what he discussed with Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev but predicted a deal could emerge soon aimed at resolving the Russian war in Ukraine.

Four things to note from Friday's US jobs report

The US economy added 165,000 jobs in October — 100,000 more than expected by economists — and the unemployment rate ticked down unexpectedly to 4.1% amid a fairly broad-based improvement in the job market. Here is a look at four notable data points from the Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Cornell faculty senate declares no confidence in university leadership

Cornell University's faculty senate approved a resolution of no confidence on Friday in the administration's ability to handle what it has called ⁠a sexual ​assault crisis, after a former student sued the university for not protecting her from an alleged 2024 gang rape. The resolution, which 55.6% of elected faculty senators who cast votes supported, is a condemnation of Cornell's leadership from its major legislative and advisory body, but has no concrete consequences. The tally showed 37% voted against it and 7.4% abstained, Cornell University spokesperson Rebecca Valli said.

Exclusive-Rubio seeks to impose order at State as Republicans look ahead to 2028

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has moved to tighten control over the State Department, telling senior officials in a recent meeting that staff must stay in their lanes and avoid efforts that present conflicts of interest, four people familiar with the matter said. Rubio's message, delivered last week before the Republican Party's electoral losses this Tuesday, comes as the party's leading figures attempt to put distance between themselves and an increasingly unpopular Trump administration.

Jay Rockefeller, heir to famed dynasty and healthcare advocate in US Senate, dies at 89

John D. "Jay" Rockefeller IV, the progeny of one of America's most famous and wealthiest families who during three decades in the US Senate sought expanded healthcare for the poor and excoriated President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq war, died aged 89 on Friday at his home in Washington, his wife Sharon Percy Rockefeller said. She added that plans were underway for a service ⁠at the Washington National Cathedral.

How Democrats won their blowout midterm victory

Four years after helping Democrats win both US Senate seats in Georgia, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went looking for a candidate who could expand the party's map. He found one in an unlikely place: Mississippi.

Pope Leo voted in US midterms because 'I'm proud to be an American'

Pope Leo said on Friday he had decided to cast a ballot by mail in the US midterm elections in an historic first for a Catholic leader because he feels pride in being a US citizen and wanted to do his civic duty. "I'm proud to be ⁠an American and to exercise the right," Leo, the first US-born pope, told a journalist aboard his flight from Rome to Uruguay, where he is opening an ambitious 12-day trip across South ⁠America.

Trump vows new US air show will be biggest in the world

US President Donald Trump and NASA on Friday touted plans for a new space and aeronautics industry conference in the United States intended to surpass major air shows in other countries. The event, called CapeWeek and slated to be held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will start in two years, Trump said in a speech. CapeWeek's inception was billed as an alternative to similar gatherings abroad, and comes after the White House in September urged space companies to avoid attending a high-profile global space summit that month in Paris organized by French President Emmanuel Macron.

White House recasts Trump arch as military tribute

Hours after a US judge paused construction on President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot (76.2-meter) arch in Washington, the White House on Friday shared new depictions portraying the project as a tribute to the nation's military heritage, the latest attempt to rebrand it amid mounting opposition. The site unveiled on Friday calls the ‌project, which would stand near the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery, the Military Triumphal Arch.

Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, charged ‌with possession of child sexual abuse photos

Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Britain's Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, was arrested on Friday on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs of himself with naked underage girls, found in rented storage units in California. FBI Director Kash Patel said the 82-year-old father-in-law of Prince Harry was ​taken into custody by federal agents in Florida, where according to the Daily Mail the elder Markle, who uses a wheelchair, was a nursing home patient.