Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

White House set to extend Jones Act shipping waiver, sources say

President Donald Trump's administration is set to extend a waiver to a US law in coming days allowing some foreign-flagged ships to transport oil and other commodities between US ports, four industry sources said on Thursday. The extension will require individual voyages to undergo case-by-case review rather than allowing foreign ships to receive blanket exemptions from the Jones Act, two sources said. The waiver is one of the tools the administration ​has used to try to lower diesel and gasoline prices, which have been driven higher by the wars in Iran in Ukraine.

US Justice Department has not concluded Alice Huang was Chinese spy, Blanche says

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that the Justice Department has not yet reached a conclusion on whether Alice Huang, the Chinese ​businesswoman who had an affair with former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, was a Chinese spy. Blanche said at a press conference that "of course" the FBI was investigating reports that Alice Huang was working for the Chinese government.

Tim Cook for Nvidia ‌CEO? Trump and the world ​ponder who's next

When it comes to the next CEO of Nvidia, Donald Trump is thinking outside the box. After the AI chip company's board parted ways with chief Jensen Huang, the US president said on social media on Thursday, "There is only one man to take his place - TIM COOK of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend!"

Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico if it does not halt migrants

President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to double tariffs on Mexico if it does not stop more than a thousand migrants walking north toward the United States after last week's US election, warning that they would not be allowed to enter. "Here we go again!" the Republican president wrote on social media. "They will not be accepted! MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED. MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, OUR GREAT BORDER PATROL, & ICE, HAVE BEEN SO INFORMED. There will be no leniency!"

Democrat Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat, becomes state's first Black senator since 1874

Democratic challenger Scott Colom defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi election for the US ‌Senate, media projected on Wednesday, making him the Southern state's first Black senator since the Reconstruction era that followed the US Civil War. The result was a stunning upset in the heavily Republican state and expanded on the national drubbing the Democrats delivered to President Donald Trump's Republicans in the November 3 midterm elections. It was also a historic victory for African Americans in a former slave state that was a hotbed of repression during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Fed's Barr: US should prepare for 'serious' AI job disruption, widening inequality

The US should be prepared for "serious short-term disruptions" to the job market because of artificial intelligence which, depending on how fast it is deployed, could begin displacing workers at scale and widening inequality in favor of investors, Fed Governor Michael Barr said on Thursday. His comments, not predicting but suggesting preparation for social strains because of AI, follow midterm elections that swung partly on a backlash to the rapid AI buildout. They also precede a public Fed forum in San Francisco on Monday by a task force appointed by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh to explore what the new technology may mean for the economy.

White House sends CFTC, SEC role picks to Senate for approval

The White House on Thursday sent bipartisan nominations for roles at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission to the Senate for approval. The move comes as President Donald Trump's Republican Party is set to lose control of the chamber in January following last week's midterm election defeat.

After ICE raids, southwest Kansans swung to a Democrat. Now they want accountability

Early last month, in a starkly ‌lit meeting room in southwest Kansas, Amy Soberanes stood to address members of the Dodge City commission. It had been two weeks since US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on the city, and she and other community organizers peppered the commissioners with questions: What had they known? Why had the area been targeted? How would the city respond if it happened again?

China warns tougher US chip curbs could disrupt global supply chain

China has "always opposed the abuse of export control measures", a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday when asked about tougher chip curbs the US is preparing to advance and whether China views these potential measures as violating the US-China trade truce. The measures would disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and this ‌is not in line with any party's interests, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press briefing on Friday.

US Congress Democrats plot 'must-have' victories in 2027

Democrats poised to take full control of the US Congress next year are aiming for a fast start in the opening weeks of January, with what they say will be a response to voters' top concerns in the aftermath of the party's huge wins on November 3. In statements and interviews, prominent Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate, told Reuters their initial forays could address voter frustration over the Iran war, high consumer prices, and affordable healthcare.

Hegseth awards medal to soldier who rebuked his group outside Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal on Thursday to a US Army sentinel who appeared to admonish him and his aides for failing to adhere to proper decorum outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day. Hegseth posted a picture of him pinning a medal on Army Specialist Thomas Iglesias as he stood alongside members of his unit, the 3d US Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard. Hegseth wrote: "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots."

Trump's AI task force met Thursday, discussed AI-powered cyberattacks

Members of US President Donald Trump's AI task force met on Thursday and discussed ways to encourage critical US sectors to report AI-powered cyberattacks, according to a Trump administration spokesperson. The task force, a group of advisers, is expected to help shape the administration’s approach to AI as the technology rapidly advances.

US House Democratic Leader Jeffries wants 'dramatic change' in Middle East

US House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Thursday for "dramatic change" in the Middle East and reiterated his support for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. Democrats' sweeping victories in last week's midterm elections could lead to the curbing of US support for its close ally Israel, putting the spotlight on party leaders' views as they prepare to take control ⁠of both houses of Congress on January 3.

US ​to fund new research into psychedelic drug ibogaine for veterans with PTSD

The US government will spend up to $4.9 million to prepare for clinical trials of psychedelic drug ibogaine as a possible treatment for veterans with post-traumatic ⁠stress disorder (PTSD), Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Thursday.

President Donald Trump had allocated $50 million in April for research into ibogaine.

US bank overdraft fees jump 9% to four-year high, data shows

US banks collected $1.6 billion in overdraft fees in the third quarter, up 9.4% from the prior three-month period and the highest quarterly amount in four years, according to Reuters calculations, which were confirmed by bank data and analytics provider KBRA Financial Intelligence. Economists said the jump in overdraft fees could be an early warning sign of deteriorating consumer health. Also, overdrafts, consumer credit problems and President Donald Trump's budget and staff cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were campaign issues for Democratic candidates who won control of both houses of the US Congress in the midterm elections this month.

USPS plans 11% package fuel surcharge but no first-class stamp hike

The cash-strapped US Postal Service said on Thursday it is seeking approval for an 11% price hike for ⁠domestic priority mail and package deliveries in January to deal with rising fuel costs. USPS, which needs approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission for the price increase, said it was not planning to hike the price of first-class stamps in January, which rose in July from 78 to 82 cents.

Alaska judge rules against Democratic US Senate candidate's request for absentee ballot data

A judge ruled on Wednesday that a request by the campaign of Democratic US Senate candidate Mary Peltola of Alaska seeking the immediate release of records identifying absentee ballots was not reasonable. Peltola's campaign sued state election officials last week seeking the immediate release of records identifying absentee ballots that were rejected in the voting during this month's US midterm elections

Vance, Rubio, Ossoff and Buttigieg lead 2028 White House hopefuls, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Four potential contenders in the 2028 race for the White House have caught American voters' attention with ​their early jockeying: Republicans JD Vance and Marco Rubio and Democrats Jon Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. None of the four has yet formally launched a campaign and the parties' 2028 nominating contests are more than a year away, leaving plenty of time for new contenders to emerge and for voters' views to change.

New York City building collapse kills 8, mayor expands probe

Rescue teams worked through torrential rain on Thursday and found no more victims in the rubble of a New York City apartment building collapse that killed at least eight people and prompted Mayor Zohran Mamdani to order an investigation into dozens of linked construction sites. A day after Wednesday's late-afternoon collapse ⁠in the city's Brooklyn borough, Mamdani said the city would examine five companies associated with a construction site adjacent to the collapse and 100 more sites connected with those entities.

Chris Van Hollen announces run for US Senate majority leader, challenging Schumer

Democratic US Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Thursday he would run for Senate majority leader, challenging Chuck Schumer, who has led the Democrats in the Senate since 2017, after the Democratic Party won a majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. Schumer, who is expected to retain his party's leadership in the chamber but previously predicted not having a challenger, released his own statement on Thursday saying he had the votes to continue as the Democratic leader in the Senate.

Explainer-Can a new US Congress mean an end to the Iran war?

The American public wants the unpopular eight-month-long war on Iran to end, and showed it by handing President Donald Trump's Republicans a resounding defeat in last week's congressional elections. Trump acknowledged that unhappiness about the conflict contributed to ⁠his party's ​losses, but defends the war, both insisting that he has won it and saying it will continue.

Richard Posner, prominent US judge who butted heads with Justice Scalia, dies at 87

Former US Circuit Judge Richard Posner, a prolific jurist who ranks as the country's most-cited legal scholar of the last century and was viewed as one of the most influential judges outside the US Supreme Court, has died at 87. Posner, who had served on the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals for 36 years until retiring in 2017, died on Tuesday, according to the University of Chicago Law School, where he had long taught.

US CDC confirms six measles-related deaths in 2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed six measles-related deaths in the US this year, according to the agency's website on Thursday, as the country grapples with its worst resurgence of the virus in decades. The updated figure doubles the death toll recorded in 2025 and underscores the continuing spread of the highly contagious viral disease, which was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.

Gunman kills one, wounds four in busy Washington, DC, neighborhood

A gunman killed one person and wounded four others in a busy Washington, DC, neighborhood on Thursday before barricading himself in his apartment and eventually taking his own life following a standoff, officials said. The suspect, whom police identified as Matt Lambert, 55, had been embroiled in a longstanding dispute with his condominium association over mold and moisture in his apartment.

Eight dead after Brooklyn apartment building collapses, NY mayor says

Eight people were killed when an apartment building in Brooklyn collapsed into ⁠a neighboring construction site on Wednesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. At least 17 people, including 3 firefighters were injured, Mamdani said on Thursday, as rescue operations continued.

Trump says US does not need Iran deal, directs Vance to focus on domestic corruption

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US does not need a deal with Iran and directed Vice President JD Vance, who has played a role in efforts to resolve the war, to focus "his complete and total attention" on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states. Trump's directive came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was considering face-to-face peace talks with a hard-line Iranian security official and a week after the vice president ⁠blamed the costly war with Iran for Republicans' midterm elections drubbing.

US labor market resilient; existing home sales hit more than 16-year low in October

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, ⁠but remained at a level consistent with a stable labor market, allowing the Federal Reserve to focus on fighting inflation. Economists expect layoffs to remain low through the end of the year, though seasonal volatility related to the holiday season could cause some spikes in the claims data. The government last week reported a surge in nonfarm payrolls in October and a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.1% from 4.2% in September. The resilience in the labor market is despite the ongoing Middle East conflict, which is boosting inflation.

SpaceX plans over $74 billion investment in Texas, Arizona AI campuses

SpaceX said on Thursday it plans to invest more than $74 billion in two supercomputing campuses, its Starbase site in Texas and in Cochise County, Arizona, expanding its AI computing ambitions alongside rocket and satellite businesses. The AI segment of the Elon Musk-led company, which went public in June, generated more than half of its revenue in the third quarter, highlighting how far the business has moved beyond rockets and Starlink satellite internet.

Trump says ex Apple CEO Cook is 'a legend', should replace Huang at Nvidia

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that former Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim ‌Cook should replace Jensen Huang as the CEO of Nvidia. "NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, ‌there is only one man to take his place - TIM COOK of Apple," Trump said on social media. "A Legend replaces a Legend!" he added.

White House urges Congress to provide $30.1 billion for aviation reform

The White House and Department of Transportation on Friday urged Congress to approve a further $30.1 billion to upgrade the United States' aging airports and air traffic control system. The world's most complex airspace ​has experienced a series of events in recent years that have disrupted flights and risked safety. In January 2025, a midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people.