Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Exclusive-US aims for Fourth of July to deploy Qatar-gifted jet as Air Force One

The U.S. Air Force is targeting a Fourth of July delivery for a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar that would join the Air Force One fleet in time for the nation's 250th anniversary, a U.S. official and a person familiar with the program said. The White House accepted the luxury jet from Qatar in 2025 and asked the ​Air Force to rapidly upgrade the aircraft to presidential standards, with L3Harris tapped to carry out the overhaul. If the company meets its deadline, President Donald Trump will have a new presidential aircraft in time for the national celebrations.

US DOJ says UCLA's medical school favors Black, Hispanic applicants in admission

The U.S. Justice ​Department said on Wednesday admissions practices at UCLA's medical school were biased in favor of Black and Hispanic applicants, citing findings of a probe as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on diversity policies at colleges. The ‌University of California Los Angeles' ​David Geffen School of Medicine said it was "carefully reviewing" the Justice Department's report and reiterated that its admissions process "is based on merit and grounded in a rigorous, comprehensive review of each applicant."

CDC says monitoring US travelers on cruise ship after hantavirus outbreak

The United States is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers on board the luxury cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday. Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - have died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Eight people, including a Swiss citizen, are suspected to have contracted the virus, according to the World Health Organization.

US jobless claims increase less than expected amid low layoffs

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits increased less than expected last week amid low layoffs that are helping to anchor the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 10,000

Trump administration sues Colorado over firearm ammunition magazine limit

The Trump administration sued Colorado on Wednesday seeking to strike down a 13-year-old state ban on large-capacity ‌firearm ammunition magazines, those allowing more than 15 bullets to be fired in rapid succession without the need to re-load. The lawsuit claims that Colorado's restriction on gun magazines, enacted in 2013 in the wake of a mass shooting that killed 12 people and wounded 58 others inside an Aurora movie theater, infringes on the right to own and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

Tensions over pro-Israel lobbying group highlight rifts in Democratic primaries

A growing number of Democratic primary challengers are making opposition to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee a campaign issue as they seek to unseat party incumbents backed by the influential pro-Israel advocacy group. The trend reflects divisions over U.S. policy toward Israel as the wars in Gaza and Iran deepen intraparty tensions ahead of November’s midterm election. It could also complicate Democrats’ efforts to capitalize on vulnerabilities among Republicans, the party of President Donald Trump, over high prices and a backlash against the U.S.-Israeli-launched Iran war.

Fed officials say rising supply chain risks fuel concern of more persistent inflation

Federal Reserve officials said on Wednesday the ongoing U.S.-backed war with Iran is raising the risk of a sustained inflation shock, with continued high oil prices and developing concerns about problems with global supply chains. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said business executives told him shortly after the conflict began on February 28 that a short rise in oil prices would not be a problem, but "if this was going to be month after month of really extended ‌high oil prices, they would start to feel pretty intense pressures on the supply chain," reminiscent of what helped drive the inflation surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

US senators urge stability, cooperation between US, China

A delegation of U.S. senators visiting Beijing has called for stability and peaceful cooperation between the world's two largest economies a week before the countries' leaders meet. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to the Chinese capital to meet President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15.

US FDA flags shortage of neurosurgical pads and sponges, expects disruption through 2026

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday acknowledged ongoing supply disruptions of certain sterile pads, sponges and strips ‌used in neurosurgery, warning the shortage could last through the end of 2026. Here are some details:

US reinstates deportation proceedings against pro-Palestinian student Mahdawi

The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals has reinstated deportation proceedings against pro-Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi, according to a court filing from his lawyers. A U.S. immigration judge in February had rejected efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to deport the Columbia University student, who was arrested last year following his participation in pro-Palestinian protests.

California's highest court leans toward Gilead in considering drugmakers' 'duty to innovate'

California's highest court on Wednesday appeared skeptical of requiring Gilead Sciences and other manufacturers of drugs that are considered safe to try developing drugs that could be safer. Gilead is appealing lower court rulings that said about 24,000 patients using an HIV drug it produced can pursue negligence claims over its decision to stop developing an alternative drug that had fewer side effects.

Factbox-Who is Vivek Ramaswamy, 2026 Republican nominee for Ohio governor?

Vivek Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire former biotech executive and erstwhile presidential hopeful, won the Republican primary for governor of Ohio on Tuesday and now faces a November general election contest against Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health. The Midwestern state last elected a Democratic governor in 2006 but is the site of a highly competitive U.S. Senate race in this year's midterm elections, which could also put the governorship into play. Here are some facts about Ramaswamy's life and career:

Trump signs new counterterrorism strategy that focuses on hemispheric threats

President Donald Trump has signed a new national counterterrorism strategy that focuses in part on the "neutralization" of hemispheric threats and incapacitating cartel operations, top White House adviser Sebastian Gorka said on Wednesday. Gorka, the White House counterterrorism director, told reporters Trump signed the document on Tuesday "driven by the principle that America ⁠is our homeland and must be protected."

Affordability beats ​other top issues for MAHA voters, poll finds

Even for the "Make America Healthy Again" advocates who helped usher President Donald Trump back to the White House for a second term, affordability will be ⁠top of mind when they vote in November's midterm elections, a new poll found. Lowering costs is the top health priority for voters across parties who identified as MAHA supporters, with at least half saying that will have a "major impact" on their decision to vote and who they will support, according to a poll from KFF, a nonpartisan health research organization.

New York judge releases purported Epstein suicide note

A federal judge on Wednesday released a document described as a suicide note purportedly written by the late Jeffrey Epstein and including the line: "It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye." Epstein, the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 in what was ruled a suicide.

Olympics-LA28 plans citywide Cultural Olympiad built around local artists, communities

Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics ⁠plan to use the Games' Cultural Olympiad to showcase the city's neighborhoods, artists and immigrant communities, with programming spanning film, food, fashion, music, performance and visual arts, LA28 officials said. The Cultural Olympiad is a multi-year program designed to meld sports and culture in the host city.

SpaceX files plan for $55 billion Terafab chip facility in Texas

Elon Musk's SpaceX has proposed an initial investment of $55 billion to build a semiconductor manufacturing facility, called Terafab, in Texas, according to a filing made public on Wednesday. The facility, a joint project with Tesla, comes as Musk seeks to secure in-house access to advanced chips, though analysts say the scale of capacity he has outlined would likely require far greater investment.

Ted Turner, outspoken founder of CNN, dies at 87

Ted Turner, the brash sportsman and entrepreneur whose ambition and instincts led to ​a media empire that included groundbreaking news network CNN, has died, CNN reported on Wednesday citing a press release from Turner Enterprises. He was 87. No cause of death was given.

General Motors to recall over 40,400 U.S. vehicles over brake fluid issues

General Motors is recalling 40,440 vehicles in the U.S. due to the presence of sediments in the brake fluid, increasing the risk of crash, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday.

US says airline jet fuel costs jumped $1.8 billion or 56% in March

Major U.S. passenger airlines spent just over $5 billion on jet fuel in March, up $1.8 billion or 56% from what they ⁠spent in February, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Wednesday. The cost per gallon of fuel in March was $3.13, up 74 cents, and 31% over February. Fuel use rose 20% in March, USDOT added.

Former New York City Mayor Giuliani released from intensive care

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was released from the intensive care unit but will remain in the hospital for recovery, his spokesperson Ted Goodman said Wednesday. Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized in critical condition and was recovering from pneumonia, Goodman said.

Lutnick testifies he can't recall why his family lunched on Epstein's island

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told members of a congressional committee in private testimony on Wednesday that he couldn't recall why he and his family had lunch on Jeffrey Epstein's private island, members said. Lutnick, the former chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, had lunch with the convicted sex offender for two hours on the island in 2012, contradicting a past public statement about ⁠cutting ties ​with Epstein years earlier.

Amazon to carry Ozempic at US kiosks, offer same-day delivery

Amazon.com said on Thursday its pharmacy will stock Novo Nordisk's Ozempic pill to treat type 2 diabetes at its kiosks and offer same-day delivery of the drug Novo's Ozempic uses the active ingredient semaglutide to control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, where the body either fails to produce or resists insulin, the hormone regulating blood sugar. Amazon has been stocking Novo's weight-loss drug Wegovy, which uses the same active ingredient as Ozempic, since January. It announced in April it would also stock rival Eli Lilly's Foundayo pill for weight-loss.

Trump defends higher ballroom costs, targets less than $400 million

U.S. President Donald Trump defended the rising cost estimates for his planned ballroom on Wednesday, saying the cost of the massive building on the White House complex would still be less than $400 million. "The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

US Supreme Court declines to pause order holding Apple in contempt in Epic Games lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Wednesday Apple's request to temporarily block a judicial order that found the iPhone maker in violation of sweeping court-mandated changes to its lucrative App Store as part of ⁠an antitrust lawsuit by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games. Justice Elena Kagan, on behalf of the court, declined to pause a ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that deemed Apple in contempt in the Epic lawsuit contesting App Store fees.

Trump administration can keep 2020 election ballots seized from Georgia, judge rules

A U.S. judge on Wednesday ruled that the Justice Department can keep 2020 election ballots seized during an FBI search in January, a win for President Donald Trump's administration as it pursues the president's false claims of widespread voter fraud. Atlanta-based U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee rejected Fulton County’s request for the return of original copies of ⁠the seized material. Lawyers for the county had argued that the FBI’s search of the county's election hub relied on faulty and discredited evidence and violated protections under the U.S. Constitution.

Chief Justice Roberts laments public ⁠perception of US Supreme Court as 'political actors'

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts expressed concern on Wednesday about the public perception of the Supreme Court as an institution driven primarily by political outcomes rather than the law at a time when some prominent voices have raised questions about the top U.S. judicial body's legitimacy. Roberts, who has led the court since 2005, appeared to acknowledge dimming public approval of the court, shown in opinion polls over the past few years, as its conservative majority continues to push American law dramatically rightward.

Exclusive-Iran conflict may have motivated Trump dinner shooting suspect, US intelligence report finds

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as a potential motive for the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration at a White House reporters' gala last month, according to an intelligence report sent to state and local law enforcement nationwide and other federal agencies. The report, a preliminary assessment by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis dated April ‌27, assessed that the suspect Cole Allen had "multiple social and political grievances." It concluded that the Iran conflict "may have contributed to his ‌decision to conduct the attack," citing social media posts from Allen that criticized U.S. actions in the war.

Exclusive-How Trump's Minneapolis immigration blitz hobbled federal crime fighting

The Trump administration blitz that flooded Minnesota with immigration agents also dramatically slowed other federal investigations and prosecutions into an array of serious crimes, a Reuters review of federal court records found. New gun and drug prosecutions ​stalled. Several top prosecutors quit. Some federal agents disappeared from drug task forces and gang cases. Others took the unusual step of bringing their investigations to state authorities.