Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The national opinion poll of 4,423 adults from April 12-16 found that 55% approved of Biden’s performance in office, while 40% disapproved and the rest were not sure. 'Light at end of the tunnel': New York mayor envisions full reopening by July 1 New York City aims to "fully reopen" on July 1 after more than a year of closures and capacity restrictions, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday, citing satisfactory progress in vaccinating its more than 8 million residents.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. FAA authorizes next three SpaceX launches

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it authorized the next three launches of the SpaceX Starship prototype and confirmed the agency's head spoke to Chief Executive Elon Musk about safety last month. The FAA said that prior to the launch of SN15, the FAA would

U.S. Justice Department considers law to address domestic terrorism, official says

The Justice Department is looking into ways to tighten federal criminal law to make it easier to prosecute alleged domestic terrorists, a top Justice Department official told Congress on Thursday. Brad Wiegmann, deputy chief of the Justice Department's national security division, noted that U.S. federal prosecutors can charge suspected foreign militants with "material support for terrorism," but that there is no parallel law prosecutors can use against suspected domestic terrorists.

Eight men indicted in hazing death at Ohio's Bowling Green State University

An Ohio grand jury indicted eight men on Thursday on charges stemming from an alcohol-induced death of a 20-year-old student after a fraternity hazing event at Bowling Green State University near Toledo two months ago. Sophomore student Stone Foltz was found unresponsive in his apartment after he consumed a fatal amount of alcohol on March 4 at an event hosted by the university's Pi Kappa Alpha chapter, Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson said during a news conference.

Four North Carolina deputies involved in fatal shooting of Andrew Brown return to duty

Four North Carolina deputies suspended over the fatal shooting of a Black man while trying to serve him with a search warrant have returned to duty after investigators found they never fired their guns, but three others who did will remain on leave, their sheriff said on Thursday. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten released the names of all seven deputies placed on administrative leave after the April 21 shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr., 42, in Elizabeth City, a riverfront town near the Virginia border.

Bipartisan police reform talks open in Congress after Biden speech

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday started talks on a police reform bill, the day after Democratic President Joe Biden urged senators and representatives to act before the May 25 anniversary of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis policeman. Republican Senators Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Cory Booker and Democratic Representative Karen Bass were among those tasked with reaching a consensus, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and two Democratic legislative aides said.

Explainer: What's next in the criminal probe of Trump ally Giuliani?

Federal agents searched Rudolph Giuliani's Manhattan apartment and office, advancing a criminal investigation into the Ukrainian dealings of Donald Trump's former lawyer. Here is a summary of what is publicly known about the investigation and what trouble it could spell for Giuliani and the former president:

Trump lashes out at McConnell again, saying Republicans need new leadership

Former President Donald Trump kept up his attack on U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday, saying Republicans would do well to find a new leader if they hope to take back the Senate in 2022. Trump launched the latest salvo on Fox Business Network, when his interviewer asked about the upcoming mid-term election battle for control of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Many Republican voters agree with Biden - 'trickle-down economics' has failed, poll shows

A majority of Americans support measures favored by President Joe Biden to substantially redistribute U.S. wealth, according to an Ipsos poll for Reuters released on Thursday, including tax hikes on the wealthy and a higher minimum wage. The national opinion poll also found that Republican voters were divided over the "trickle-down economics" championed by their party's leaders since President Ronald Reagan some 40 years ago.

Biden fares better than Trump over first 100 days-Reuters/Ipsos poll

More than half of Americans approve of President Joe Biden after nearly 100 days on the job, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, a level of support that his Republican predecessor Donald Trump never achieved and one that should help Democrats push for infrastructure spending and other big-ticket items on Biden's agenda. The national opinion poll of 4,423 adults from April 12-16 found that 55% approved of Biden’s performance in office, while 40% disapproved and the rest were not sure.

'Light at end of the tunnel': New York mayor envisions full reopening by July 1

New York City aims to "fully reopen" on July 1 after more than a year of closures and capacity restrictions, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday, citing satisfactory progress in vaccinating its more than 8 million residents. "We are ready to bring New York City back fully on July 1," de Blasio told a news briefing. "Now we can see that light at the end of the tunnel."