Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. U.S. House approves expanded background checks for gun sales

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would expand background checks for gun sales to include firearm purchases at gun shows and over the internet, a measure likely to face Senate and White House opposition. The background check bill, which was approved by a 240-190 vote, is the first gun control measure taken up by Democrats since they regained control of the House in the 2018 congressional midterm elections. As Biden weighs 2020 bid, Democrats ask: 'Does he meet the moment?'

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said this week he was "very close" to deciding whether to make a 2020 White House bid and will run only if he thinks he can win the Democratic Party's nomination. He is not alone in questioning if he is the man for the moment. Trump border wall prototypes torn down to make way for new barrier

The prototypes for President Donald Trump's contest for a border wall near San Diego, California, were torn down on Wednesday, to make way for a new section of actual border fencing. To the president's supporters, the eight 30-foot-high (9-meter) models were a symbol of his commitment to build a wall along the length of the U.S. Mexico border to enhance national security. To opponents, they were a waste of taxpayer money and an affront to Mexico and immigrants. Senate set to confirm ex-coal lobbyist to lead top U.S. environment regulator

The U.S. Senate is poised on Thursday to confirm President Donald Trump's candidate, a former coal lobbyist, to lead the nation's top environmental regulator, a nomination that has infuriated conservation groups and Democrats. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a Washington insider with years of experience working as a congressional staffer, was nominated by Trump in January to permanently replace Scott Pruitt, who resigned in July after widespread criticism for alleged ethical missteps. Trump derides 'fake' hearing but says Cohen truthful on 'no collusion'

President Donald Trump criticized his former attorney Michael Cohen on Thursday for lying in testimony to Congress but found reason to praise him, too, for not alleging Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia in 2016. Trump, speaking at a news conference in Vietnam after failing to achieve a peace deal with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, called the blockbuster hearing back in Washington fake and said it should not have been scheduled during his trip. Senator Sanders urges FDA to allow older versions of $375K drug

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders this week urged regulators to allow pharmacies and manufacturers to resume distributing unbranded, lower-cost versions of a drug used to treat a rare neuromuscular disorder, according to a letter provided by his office to Reuters. The drug is now sold at a list price of $375,000 a year by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals under the brand name Firdapse. It is used to treat Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), which affects about one in 100,000 people in the United States. Senate panel wants Chinese-funded institutes to change or leave U.S.

China has provided over $158 million to U.S. schools for Confucius Institutes to promote Chinese culture, U.S. Senate investigators said on Wednesday, releasing a report saying the centers have acted as tightly controlled propaganda arms for Beijing and should be changed - or shut down. The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations spent eight months investigating the Confucius Institutes, which were created in 2004 to promote Chinese language and culture at schools and universities around the world. Impeachment decoded: A look at how to remove a U.S. president

Investigations involving President Donald Trump by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and U.S. lawmakers have raised the possibility that Congress could seek to remove him from office using the impeachment process set out in the Constitution. The Constitution assigns different but equally crucial roles to the 435-seat House of Representatives and 100-member Senate. After public grilling, ex-Trump lawyer Cohen to testify on Russia in private

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen will talk behind closed doors on Thursday to a congressional panel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. election, capping an explosive week of testimony in which he leveled new allegations of wrongdoing at his former boss. In his third and final Capitol Hill session this week, Cohen will testify, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT) and going all day, to the House Intelligence Committee. It has been probing Russian election meddling and any collusion with the Trump campaign. River flood swamps 2,000 buildings in Northern California

A rain-swollen river in Northern California flooded about 2,000 homes and businesses on Wednesday along a valley famous for its wineries and left residents of one town stranded by high waters, officials said. Water rose to the roofs of homes and submerged cars as the Russian River overflowed its banks, forcing authorities in Sonoma County, about 70 miles (110 km) north of San Francisco, to order the evacuation of 3,600 people, local authorities said.