Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation sought and received legal authorization to remotely disable aspects of the Chinese hacking campaign, the sources told Reuters. Anti-Muslim incidents jump in US amid Israel-Gaza war Complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian discrimination and hate in the U.S. rose by about 180% in the three months after Oct. 7 following Hamas' attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, an advocacy group said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

NRA deserved 'pat on back' for reforms, ex-chief LaPierre says at graft trial

Wayne LaPierre, the longtime chief of the National Rifle Association, defended himself at a corruption trial on Monday, saying New York's attorney general should have given the gun rights group a pat on the back for implementing reforms. Under questioning by NRA lawyer Sarah Rogers, LaPierre said the group underwent a "course correction" to improve accounting practices in 2018, two years before Attorney General Letitia James sued it for violating state law governing nonprofits.

Analysis-California and Big Oil are splitting after century-long affair

It is the end of an era for Big Oil in California, as the most populous U.S. state divorces itself from fossil fuels in its fight against climate change. California's oil output a century ago amounted to it being the fourth-largest crude producer in the U.S., and spawned hundreds of oil drillers, including some of the largest still in existence. Oil led to its car culture of iconic highways, drive-in theaters, banks and restaurants that endures today.

US appeals court won't block West Point's race-conscious admissions policy

A federal appeals court on Monday declined to block the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from considering race as a factor in admissions decisions, as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether to halt the elite U.S. Army school from doing so. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to issue an injunction sought by Students for Fair Admissions, the group behind a successful Supreme Court challenge to race-conscious collegiate admissions policies.

US Congress negotiators reach deal on 12 gov't spending bills -Republican lawmakers

Bipartisan negotiators in the U.S. Congress have reached agreement on the spending levels in the 12 bills that legislators would need to pass to avert a government shutdown beginning in early March, Republican lawmakers said on Monday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Exclusive-US disabled Chinese hacking network targeting critical infrastructure, sources say

The U.S. government in recent months launched an operation to fight a pervasive Chinese hacking operation that successfully compromised thousands of internet-connected devices, according to two Western security officials and one person familiar with the matter. The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation sought and received legal authorization to remotely disable aspects of the Chinese hacking campaign, the sources told Reuters.

Anti-Muslim incidents jump in US amid Israel-Gaza war

Complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian discrimination and hate in the U.S. rose by about 180% in the three months after Oct. 7 following Hamas' attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, an advocacy group said on Monday. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Ex-IRS contractor sentenced to 5 years for leaking Trump tax records

A former U.S. Internal Revenue Service contractor was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison for leaking the tax records of Donald Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans to media organizations, with a judge calling his actions a threat to democracy. Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty in October to a charge of disclosing income tax return information without authorization.

One in 10 US hate crimes occur at schools, FBI says

As many as one in 10 hate crimes in the U.S. take place at schools - from kindergarten through college - according to an FBI report released on Monday, with Black students the most frequent targets, followed by Jewish and LGBTQ victims. Schools were the third most frequent location for hate crimes - after residences and roadways or alleys - from 2018 to 2022, even though most schools experienced months of closures during the 2020-2021 academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Political pressure builds on Biden to strike Iran after US deaths

The killing of three U.S. troops and wounding of dozens more on Sunday by Iran-backed militants is piling political pressure on President Joe Biden to deal a blow directly against Iran, a move he's been reluctant to do out of fear of igniting a broader war. Biden's response options could range anywhere from targeting Iranian forces outside to even inside Iran, or opting for a more cautious retaliatory attack solely against the Iran-backed militants responsible, experts say.

Exclusive-Republican candidate Nikki Haley was targeted in second swatting attempt

Two days after a man called in a fake emergency at the South Carolina home of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, she was targeted by a second "swatting" attempt on New Year’s Day, this time by someone who said Haley had shot her daughter, according to an incident report seen by Reuters. A Charleston County sheriff’s deputy responded on Jan. 1 to Haley's home after a person who identified themself as “Rose” called 911 claiming Haley’s daughter was lying in a pool of blood and Haley was threatening to shoot herself, a sheriff’s office report said. The caller claimed to be on the phone with Haley.