US Domestic News Roundup: Why the US delayed China sanctions after shooting down a spy balloon; Trump jokes about sexual abuse verdict, repeats election falsehoods and more

What is it and what happens now? The United States is set to lift COVID-19 restrictions on Thursday night that have blocked hundreds of thousands of migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a move that has spurred a spike in illegal crossings and heightened political tensions.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Why the US delayed China sanctions after shooting down a spy balloon

When an alleged Chinese spy balloon traversed the United States in February, some U.S. officials were confident the incursion would galvanize the U.S. bureaucracy to push forward a slate of actions to counter China. Instead, the U.S. State Department held back human rights-related sanctions, export controls and other sensitive actions to try to limit damage to the U.S.-China relationship, according to four sources with direct knowledge of U.S. policy, as well as internal emails seen by Reuters.

Trump jokes about sexual abuse verdict, repeats election falsehoods

An unrepentant Donald Trump held firm to past grievances at the first televised town hall of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Wednesday, stressing from the moment he took the stage that he has little intention of mounting a more disciplined campaign for his third White House bid. In a contentious 70-minute broadcast, Trump drew laughter from a New Hampshire audience when he mocked writer E. Jean Carroll's account of his having sexually abused her, repeated falsehoods about his 2020 election loss, said he would pardon many of his supporters convicted of taking part in a Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and called the CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins a "nasty person."

Biden administration proposes crackdown on power plant carbon emissions

The Biden administration unveiled a sweeping plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's power industry on Thursday, one of the biggest steps so far in its effort to decarbonize the American economy to fight climate change. The proposal would limit how much carbon dioxide power plants, which are the source of more than a quarter of U.S. emissions, can chuff into the atmosphere, putting the industry on a years-long course to install billions of dollars of new equipment or shut down.

Explainer-Title 42 is ending at the US-Mexico border. What is it and what happens now?

The United States is set to lift COVID-19 restrictions on Thursday night that have blocked hundreds of thousands of migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a move that has spurred a spike in illegal crossings and heightened political tensions. WHAT IS TITLE 42?

Spike in U.S.-Mexico border crossings fuels political tensions as Title 42 ends

The U.S. will lift COVID-19 border restrictions known as Title 42 on Thursday night, a major shift that has drawn tens of thousands of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border, straining local communities and intensifying political divisions. The number of migrants caught crossing illegally has climbed in recent weeks, with daily apprehensions surpassing 10,000 on Monday and Tuesday. U.S. border cities have struggled to shelter the new arrivals and provide transportation to onward destinations.

Armorer bought live rounds before 'Rust' shooting, prop supplier told police

The prop supplier for "Rust" said the movie's armorer told him that before the production she bought the same type of ammunition as the live round that killed the cinematographer during filming in 2021, according to sheriff's office records. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is the only person still facing charges in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after prosecutors in April dismissed a charge against actor Alec Baldwin based on new evidence.

In Houston, homelessness volunteers are in a stand-off with city authorities

In Houston, Texas, a nonprofit group has been in a stand-off with local authorities over their feeding of homeless people in front of the city's library. The Houston chapter of Food Not Bombs, an international organization which promotes sharing vegetarian food with others, has been issued tickets by police 23 times since March.

Republicans ready tough border control bill for U.S. House passage

The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to pass on Thursday Republican legislation intended to stop immigrants and illegal drugs crossing the nation's southwestern border with Mexico through tough new law enforcement steps. The package, which Democrats have warned will be blocked in the Senate, would require asylum seekers to apply for U.S. protection outside the country. It also would resume construction of a wall along the border and expand federal law enforcement efforts.

Border crossings top 10,000 daily as migrants seek US entry before Title 42 ends

Thousands of migrants are crossing into the United States this week before a new regulation takes effect that could bar most who cross illegally from seeking asylum, while others gathered on the Mexico side amid confusion about U.S. policy. The U.S. rolled out a regulation on Wednesday that presumes most migrants are ineligible for asylum if they passed through other nations without seeking protection elsewhere first, or if they failed to use legal pathways for U.S. entry.

US Army sergeant sentenced to 25 years for Black Lives Matter protester's murder

A U.S. Army sergeant was sentenced to 25 years in a Texas prison on Wednesday for killing a man at a protest against police brutality in 2020, setting the stage for Governor Greg Abbott to make good on a pledge to grant a pardon. Daniel Perry was found guilty last month of shooting to death 28-year-old Garrett Foster, a U.S. Air Force veteran, at a Black Lives Matter rally in Austin, Texas. The demonstration came months after the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minneapolis.