Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Lawsuit challenges ICE ability to enter homes without warrants from US judges

Immigrant rights advocates filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging a recently disclosed policy adopted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement allowing its officers to enter the homes of people suspected of living in the United States illegally without a judicial warrant. The lawsuit by the Greater Boston Latino Network and Brazilian Worker Center was filed in federal court in Boston and marked the first case to challenge the constitutionality of a policy laid out in a May memo ICE issued that became public last week as a result of a whistleblower complaint.

US Federal Trade Commission warns law firms about DEI hiring

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Friday it had written to 42 law firms warning them about diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring, which it described as potentially unfair and anticompetitive. President Donald Trump's administration has eliminated DEI-related programs in the government. Several private firms have also rolled back such initiatives.

Commerce Secretary Lutnick planned lunch on ‌Epstein's island, new release shows

The U.S. Justice Department on Friday published millions of new files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including emails that show Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump's commerce secretary, apparently visited Epstein's private island for lunch years after he claimed to have cut off ties. Todd Blanche, the U.S. deputy attorney general, said Friday's massive batch of documents marked the end of the Trump administration's planned releases under a law passed in November that mandated the release of all Epstein investigative documents. The new cache includes more than three million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images, he said at a press conference.

Measles cases in South Carolina rise by 58 to 847, state health department says

South Carolina reported 847 measles cases on Friday, state health data showed, including 58 additional infections since Tuesday, as officials warned the widening outbreak could last weeks or months amid lagging vaccine uptake. There are currently 443 people in quarantine and 20 in isolation. The latest end of quarantine for these is February 24, the state health department said.

US SEC ⁠overhauls board of US accounting watchdog

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday tapped new board members to lead the country's audit watchdog, including a new chairman who spent four decades at large audit firm Ernst and Young. The SEC said in a statement that it has tapped retired EY auditor Demetrios Logothetis to lead the PCAOB, a nonprofit created by Congress in response to a series of accounting scandals and auditing failures that led to the bankruptcies of Enron and WorldCom.

Explainer-What does a law protecting abortion clinics have to do with Don Lemon?

Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested for his involvement in a protest at a Minnesota church and charged by U.S. prosecutors with violating an obscure 1994 law that has been used chiefly to crack down on demonstrations at abortion clinics. WHAT IS THE FACE ACT?

US government heads toward shutdown as time runs short to approve spending deal

The U.S. government was headed toward a partial shutdown on Friday, as Congress appeared unlikely to approve a deal that would keep a wide swath of operations funded past a midnight deadline. After hours of delay, the U.S. Senate was moving quickly toward a final vote on Friday afternoon. But the House of Representatives is out of town and not expected to take up the measure until Monday at the earliest.

US Justice Dept opens civil rights probe into Alex Pretti shooting, official says

The U.S. Justice Department has started a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ​federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, a senior official said on Friday. The department's investigation could potentially lead to criminal charges against the officers involved, though there is a high legal bar to bring such a case.

Republican senator's threat to block Fed chief nominee escalates battle with Trump

President Donald Trump's pick of Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve is running into opposition from within his own party in Congress, as at least one Republican senator said on Friday he will block the confirmation if the Justice Department's investigation of U.S. central bank chief Jerome Powell continues. Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said in a post on X that he will continue to "oppose the confirmation of ‍any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman" until the Justice Department's inquiry into Powell is "fully and transparently resolved."

Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty after US judge dismisses murder charge

Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty after a U.S. judge on Friday dismissed murder and weapons charges against the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in a major blow to federal prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan said she felt constrained by Supreme Court precedents to dismiss the murder charge, calling it legally incompatible with the two federal stalking charges Mangione still faces.

US to add 65,000 seasonal guest worker visas for 2026

President Donald Trump's administration will add some 65,000 H-2B seasonal guest worker visas through September 30, a Federal Register notice said, saying the visas would be available to employers at risk of severe financial hardship due to a lack of U.S. labor. The move roughly doubles the 66,000 visas available each year to businesses such as construction, hospitality, landscaping and seafood processing, in a recognition that U.S. employers in those industries could be struggling to find workers.

Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' dead at 71

Catherine O'Hara, the shape-shifting Canadian comic actor whose characters ranged from the deliriously theatrical Moira Rose in "Schitt's Creek" to the frantic mother in "Home Alone," has died at 71 — prompting an outpouring of tributes led by her co-star Macaulay Culkin and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. A representative from the office of her manager Marc Gurvitz confirmed the death of O'Hara, who earned the 2020 Emmy for best comedy actress, helping to propel "Schitt's Creek" to TV awards season dominance at the 2021 Golden Globes.

Ex-CNN journalist Don Lemon arrested after anti-ICE church protest in Minnesota

Former CNN news anchor Don Lemon was due in court on Friday after being arrested on federal ⁠charges for his role covering a protest ‌at a Minnesota church against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, the Justice Department's latest move against a critic of the Republican president. Lemon, now an independent journalist after being fired by CNN in 2023, livestreamed a ⁠protest that disrupted a January 18 service at Cities Church in St. Paul against Trump's deployment of thousands of armed immigration agents into Democratic-governed Minnesota's biggest cities.

US says 9th motorist killed in crash with faulty replacement air bag

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday said a ninth motorist has been killed in a crash caused by a dangerous Chinese replacement air bag inflator. The auto safety agency said it was aware of 11 crashes in the U.S. resulting in death or serious injury from ruptured replacement air bag inflators made in China by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co Ltd, also known as DTN, and likely illegally imported into the United States.

Thousands demonstrate in Minnesota and across US to protest ICE

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and students across the United States staged walkouts on Friday to demand the ‍withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens. Students and teachers abandoned classes from California to New York on a national day of protest, which came amid mixed messages from the Trump administration about whether it would de-escalate Operation Metro Surge.

US Senator Graham holds up spending bill, pressing for right to sue the government

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham held up a bipartisan deal to avert a government shutdown on Friday as he sought to restore a widely panned provision that would allow him to sue the government for damages. Several lawmakers have blocked the Senate from acting on the funding deal, which would ensure agencies like the Pentagon and the Department of Labor would keep operating when current funding expires at midnight. But he was the most visible.

Michigan AG asks Chinese battery maker ​Gotion to return $23.7 million after defaulting on US plant

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Friday asked Chinese battery company Gotion Inc to return $23.7 million in state funds the company received after the company last year abandoned a plan to build a $2.4 billion plant in Michigan to produce key materials for electric vehicle batteries. The plan, first announced in October 2022, was expected to create 2,350 factory jobs but came under criticism from some lawmakers for the company's Chinese ownership. Gotion did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US federal court says Energy Dept climate group violated law

A U.S. federal court on Friday ruled ⁠the Department of Energy violated the law when it formed a climate science advisory group, potentially putting its forthcoming final proposal to repeal a key climate regulation at risk. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a judgment that said the creation by the Trump administration of a Climate Working Group, comprised of five climate change skeptics, violated the law that governs how federal advisory committees work.

Trump calls rate questions on Fed nominee Warsh inappropriate, confident on cuts

President Donald Trump said on Friday it would be inappropriate to ask Kevin Warsh, his nominee to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, whether he would cut interest rates, but added he was confident Warsh was inclined to lower borrowing costs. Trump said he wasn't too worried about the Senate confirmation process for his nominee or a vow by Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, to block the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee until a Justice ⁠Department investigation of inquiry into the current Fed chair, Jerome Powell, is "fully and transparently resolved."

Factbox-Five things to know about Kevin Warsh, Trump's 'central casting' Fed chair pick

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he will nominate former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to return as Fed Chair in May, as the president continues his campaign for lower U.S. interest rates. Here are five key things to know about Warsh:

New York governor proposes bill to ban local law enforcement from being deputized by ICE

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday introduced a bill aimed at banning local law enforcement from being deputized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take part in immigration enforcement operations. The bill, which was unveiled amid national U.S. protests following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota, would end an agreement enabling ICE to task state and local law enforcement officers with performing certain ICE functions under the agency's oversight.

Trump signs order for IndyCar race in Washington to celebrate America's 250th birthday

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday calling for an IndyCar race to roar through the streets of Washington in August as part of celebrations to mark the 250th birthday of the United States. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. would mark the first-ever IndyCar street race in the nation's capital.

US to propose unwinding Biden-era heavy truck fuel economy rules

The U.S. Transportation Department said Friday it plans to propose rolling ⁠back fuel economy standards for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, the latest effort to unwind stringent vehicle standards set by former President Joe Biden. In 2024, Biden's administration finalized rules to require heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans to increase fuel efficiency by 10% per year for model years 2030-2032 and 8% per year for model years 2033-2035.

US judge temporarily blocks end of Ethiopians' deportation protections

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from ending protections from deportation that had been granted to thousands of Ethiopians living in the United States. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston said he would issue an order delaying the February 13 effective date of ⁠the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's termination of the Temporary Protected Status granted to over 5,000 Ethiopians in order to provide more time for a legal challenge to be heard.

Trump taps ex-Fed insider Warsh ‌to lead world's top central bank

President Donald Trump on Friday chose former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to head the U.S. central bank when Jerome Powell's leadership term ends in May, giving a frequent Fed critic a chance to put his idea of monetary policy "regime change" into practice just as the White House pushes for more control over the setting of interest rates. Warsh, should he survive a possibly contentious confirmation process in the Senate, is set to take the helm of the world's most important central bank, an institution that determines the cost of credit for the U.S. and beyond and which has been in Trump's crosshairs since his return to the White House last year. In his earlier stint at the Fed, Warsh had a reputation as an inflation hawk, but he now advocates for rates to be lowered.

Trump advisor Hassett tells CNBC Warsh a good pick to run central bank

Top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Friday said the Federal Reserve blundered in not cutting rates this week, in comments that also ⁠called for a swift approval of Kevin Warsh to be Fed Chair. Hassett, speaking on CNBC, acknowledged the legal issues that surround the Fed that could gum up any approval process until they are resolved.

US to require planes to keep 25 hours of cockpit voice recordings under FAA rule

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday finalized a rule to require cockpit voice recorders to retain 25 hours of data for all new passenger airplanes in 2027 compared with the current two-hour loop. The ‍National Transportation Safety Board has been pushing for the change since 2018, and the United States is behind much of the world in the requirement for commercial planes.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)