Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Fed's policymaking table is set for the 'family fight' Warsh says he wants

Federal Reserve chief nominee Kevin Warsh says he wants a "good family fight" at the policymaking table once he takes over as head of the U.S. central bank. And a fight, or at least stiff resistance, may be exactly what he gets if he tries to deliver the steep interest rate cuts that President Donald Trump expects from his nominee when Fed Chair Jerome Powell's leadership term ends on May 15.

With ​Bayer at US Supreme Court, MAHA rallies against pesticides

"Make America Healthy Again" activists rallied at the U.S. Supreme Court building on Monday against Bayer as the justices heard arguments in the German company's effort to end thousands of lawsuits that allege its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. A couple of hundred MAHA supporters cheered and chanted on the sidewalk outside the ​neoclassical white marble edifice during a rally called "The People vs. Poison," waving signs with slogans such as "No Immunity for Poison" and "How Much Cancer is Acceptable?"

Over 1,000 US TSA officers have left since start of shutdown, DHS says

Over 1,000 U.S. ‌Transportation Security Administration officers have left the ​agency since the start of the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown that began in mid-February, the DHS said on Monday. Here are some details:

Suspect in Washington dinner shooting charged with trying to assassinate Trump

The man accused of opening fire at the venue of a Washington dinner attended by Donald Trump was charged on Monday with attempting to assassinate the U.S. president and could face life in prison if convicted. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, wore a blue jail-issue V-neck shirt and pants at his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after authorities said he launched an unsuccessful attack at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, an annual black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians. His hands were cuffed behind his back as he was led into and out of the courtroom.

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni lawyers due in court ahead of 'It Ends With Us' trial

Lawyers for actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are due in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday for a final hearing ahead of a highly anticipated civil trial stemming from Lively’s allegations of sexual harassment by Baldoni during the filming of their 2024 romantic drama "It Ends With Us." The civil trial set to begin in May will ‌be limited to Lively’s retaliation claims against Baldoni’s production company after a judge threw out her sexual harassment claims. Both actors are expected to testify about Lively’s claims after a steady drip of details emerged in more than a year of acrimonious and widely publicized litigation.

US Supreme Court to hear claims Cisco aided Chinese human rights abuses

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday confronts a case with broad implications for human rights litigation in American courts, a long-running lawsuit brought by members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement who have accused Cisco Systems of facilitating religious persecution in China. San Jose, California-based Cisco is urging the Supreme Court to further limit the scope of the Alien Tort Statute, a 1789 law that lets non-U.S. citizens seek damages in American courts for violations of international law. The court in a series of decisions since 2013 has limited the reach of this law, making it more difficult to hold American corporations legally liable for human rights abuses.

Citadel's Griffin to meet with NY leadership this week

Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of the hedge fund and market trading firm Citadel, said on Tuesday he will meet with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday to talk about its 'future direction.' Earlier this month Kathy Hochul proposed a new tax on second homes worth over $5 million that was backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The so-called pied-à-terre tax is aimed at supporting Mamdani's efforts to close New York City's budget gap.

US Transport chief wants Congress involved in $2.5 billion low-cost airline aid request

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday that Congress would need to play a role in a request by U.S. budget airlines for $2.5 billion in ‌government aid to address the spike in jet fuel costs during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. "I don't have that money - can't just pull it out of the couch cushions. There would have to be a lot of government engagement and a bipartisan effort to find the funds for them. You can't snap your fingers," Duffy told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

Florida's DeSantis proposes new US House map targeting four Democratic seats

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map on Monday aimed at flipping four Democratic U.S. House of Representatives seats in November's midterm election, further escalating a coast-to-coast redistricting war that has already reshaped dozens of districts nationwide. It remains unclear whether the map has enough support in the Republican-controlled state legislature to pass. DeSantis has called ‌lawmakers to convene a special session starting on Tuesday to consider his plan.

US DEA medical marijuana registration portal to launch Wednesday

Companies seeking to register as medical marijuana dispensaries after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the rescheduling of cannabis can do so starting on Wednesday, according to a notice on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's website. The DEA's medical marijuana registration portal will go live Wednesday at 9 a.m. EST, less than a week after the U.S. Justice Department announced that it would immediately loosen restrictions on some marijuana products and move quickly to reclassify the drug as less dangerous.

Man pleads guilty in murder of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay

A New York man on Monday pleaded guilty to taking part in the 2002 murder of pioneering hip-hop star Jam Master Jay of famed group Run-DMC as part of a dispute over a drug deal, according to federal prosecutors. Appearing in court in Brooklyn, Jay Bryant, 52, admitted to playing a role in the fatal shooting of Jason Mizell, better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, and faces up to 20 years in prison, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.

Sam Altman's sister loses lawyers in her sexual abuse lawsuit against OpenAI CEO

The two law firms representing Sam Altman's sister in her sexual abuse lawsuit against the OpenAI chief executive said on Monday they are withdrawing from her case. In filings in St. Louis federal court, the Mahoney Law Firm and the Simon Law Firm cited "an unfortunate general breakdown in the attorney-client relationship" between them and Annie Altman, and said continuing to represent her in the civil lawsuit was "impracticable."

Fed likely to hold rates steady as Powell prepares for possible swan song

Federal Reserve policymakers will gather in Washington this week in what may be Jerome Powell's last meeting as head of the U.S. central bank, with energy prices still elevated and the Iran war at a standstill and likely to prolong uncertainty about the economic and monetary policy outlook. A May ⁠15 endpoint for Powell's eight years at the Fed's ​helm now appears more likely after a major obstacle to the U.S. Senate's confirmation of his appointed successor, Kevin Warsh, was removed on Friday. As a final act, Powell will likely oversee on Wednesday another vote by ⁠the central bank's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee to hold its benchmark overnight interest rate steady in the 3.50%-3.75% range, where it has been since December.

US House Republicans to modify Senate-passed DHS funding bill, courting delay

Legislation to fund the U.S. Secret Service and other agencies in the Department of Homeland Security will have to be modified before it can pass the House of Representatives, Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday, raising the possibility of funding delays days after a gunman opened fire at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump. The measure, which the Senate twice passed unanimously, is part of a two-pronged Republican effort to end the partial shutdown that has gripped U.S. homeland security operations since mid-February. Negotiations to fund the department failed to reach agreement on reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens earlier this year.

US seeks to accelerate deportations of migrant children in custody, CNN reports

The U.S. administration is bringing ⁠forward immigration hearings for deportations of migrant children in custody by weeks or even months in a bid to accelerate the process, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing administration officials and lawyers for the children. The report said children as young as four had to repeatedly appear in court and provide updates on the status of their case, at times without legal help, within a matter of weeks.

Taylor Swift files to trademark her voice, likeness to ward off AI deepfakes

Pop superstar Taylor Swift filed trademark applications for two audio clips and one image of herself in what a trademark attorney said is an attempt to protect her voice and likeness from deepfake videos and audio created by artificial intelligence. The applications were filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Friday and list Swift's TAS Rights Management as being the owner of the audio clips and image.

US Congress Republicans push legislation to build, fund Trump's $400 million ballroom

Two ​days after a shooting at a dinner that President Donald Trump was attending, Republicans in the U.S. Congress pushed for legislation to fund and speed construction of a White House ballroom, citing increased security concerns. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and two fellow Republicans have crafted a bill to mainly finance the construction, which already is underway, at taxpayers' expense.

Analysis-SpaceX ties Musk compensation to Mars colonization goal

SpaceX's board has approved a compensation plan for founder Elon Musk with goals as futuristic and celestial as the company's ambitions: colonizing Mars and running data centers in outer space. The details of Musk's sweeping pay package, which have not been widely reported, were revealed in the company's confidential registration statement ⁠filed in recent weeks with the Securities and Exchange Commission and reviewed by Reuters last week.

Analysis-Trump push for state voter rolls rebuffed by courts as midterms near

As the U.S. midterm elections approach, Democrats are winning legal challenges to the Trump administration's push to obtain states' voter rolls, dealing a blow to the president's unprecedented effort to expand the federal government's role in elections. The Democratic-run states' victories come as their party is locked in a fierce battle to take back both houses of Congress from President Donald Trump's Republicans in the November 3 midterms.

Explainer-Who takes charge if the US president is incapacitated?

Saturday's attack at a black-tie Washington gala that featured President Donald Trump did not result in any deaths, but it did raise the question about who would take charge if he or other top members of his administration were harmed. U.S. law lays out a clear line of succession, which includes top congressional officials and cabinet secretaries.

Trump administration fires entire National Science Board

President Donald Trump's administration has terminated the entire National Science Board of more than ⁠20 members, ​two fired members of the board said on Monday. Here are some details:

Google signs classified AI deal with Pentagon, The Information reports

Alphabet's Google joined a growing list of technology firms to sign a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to use its artificial intelligence models for classified work, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter. The agreement allows the Pentagon to use Google's AI for “any lawful government purpose”, the report added, putting it alongside OpenAI and Elon Musk's xAI, which also have deals to supply AI models for classified use.

Austrian man pleads guilty to foiled attack on Taylor Swift's Vienna concert

A 21-year-old accused of planning an Islamist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024 that was foiled at the 11th hour pleaded guilty as his trial opened on Tuesday. The defendant, an Austrian identified as Beran A, was arrested on August 7, 2024, the day before the first of three planned concerts by the U.S. pop star in Vienna.

Purdue Pharma to be sentenced, paving way for opioid settlement

Purdue Pharma will be sentenced on Tuesday in New Jersey federal court for deceiving government regulators and paying kickbacks to doctors to boost opioid sales, completing a plea deal that clears the way for the company to dissolve in bankruptcy and use its assets to fund a $7.4 billion settlement intended to compensate people harmed by the opioid epidemic. The company agreed to $5.5 billion in criminal fines, most of which will go unpaid under a 2020 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in which the agency will collect just $225 million. That deal allows Purdue to direct its ⁠remaining assets to repaying creditors, mostly state and local governments, which were left to deal with the cost and consequences of the opioid crisis in their communities.

OpenAI trial pitting Elon Musk against Sam Altman kicks off

A trial that could help shape the future of artificial intelligence begins on Tuesday, with billionaires Elon Musk and Sam Altman at odds over the evolution of ChatGPT maker OpenAI from a nonprofit to a profit-seeking juggernaut worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Opening statements in Musk's civil lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman will take place in the Oakland, California, federal court, following the selection on Monday of nine jurors.

Designated survivor discussions took place prior to press dinner, White House says

U.S. officials discussed a designated survivor and the line of succession ⁠prior to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, after a gunman tried to attack President Donald Trump and administration officials at the event. The shooting on Saturday rattled the press dinner, ⁠a prominent event on Washington’s social calendar, sending attendees scrambling under tables and prompting law enforcement to whisk senior officials out of the room. Trump, who was set to deliver remarks later in the evening, was rushed off the stage by security personnel after shots were fired.

Soccer-Congressmen call for National Guard to address drone threats at the World Cup

Two Republican members of Congress are calling on the Trump administration to empower the National Guard to address potential drone-related threats and ensure a "unified federal security posture" at the upcoming World Cup games. The letter by U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul and Elijah Crane, who both sit on the House of Representatives' Committee on Homeland Security, was sent to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Friday.

Kimmel says his joke was misconstrued, Trump says ABC should fire late-night host

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday his joke about U.S. first lady Melania Trump had been misconstrued and was not a "call to assassination." Kimmel used the opening monologue of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to address comments made last Thursday in a parody segment on the White House correspondents' dinner.

Trump withdraws nomination of hospitality executive to head National ‌Park Service

The White House has withdrawn President Donald Trump's nomination of a hospitality company executive to be director of the National Park Service more ‌than two months after sending the nomination to the U.S. Senate. The White House did not give a reason for withdrawing the nomination of Scott Socha in its announcement on Monday.

US soldier accused of gambling on Maduro removal due in court

The U.S. Army soldier charged with winning $400,000 by using insider information to bet on the removal of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is due in court on Tuesday, ​where he is expected to be asked how he pleads to fraud charges. Gannon Van Dyke, 38, is due to appear before U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).