Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Virginia monitoring traveler linked to Hantavirus-hit cruise ship, says resident is low-risk

The Virginia Department of Health said on Thursday it is monitoring a resident who recently returned from a cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak. The person had been aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship that is at the center of an international public-health response after multiple cases of the rare virus were identified on board.

Democratic senators call ​early US review of Disney station licenses 'abuse of power'

A group of 10 U.S. Democratic senators on Thursday demanded that Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr explain why he ordered an early review of licences for Walt Disney's eight ABC stations. The senators -- including Ed Markey, Chuck Schumer and Maria Cantwell -- called the action "the latest and ​most extreme step in your use of the FCC’s licensing authority as a cudgel against broadcasters whose editorial choices displease the president." Carr's action came just a day after President Donald Trump publicly demanded ABC late-night ‌talk show host Jimmy Kimmel ​be fired for a joke he cracked.

Amazon cloud outage at North Virginia data center largely resolved

Amazon's cloud services were largely back online on Friday after overheating at one of its data centers triggered an outage that impacted companies including cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. The cloud giant said it was making progress in resolving the issue after a rapid spike in temperatures at a single data center in northern Virginia on Thursday knocked out power. A full recovery would take several hours, it said. Coinbase said its services were restored after the outage hampered their availability.

US appeals court weighs Pentagon bid to punish Senator Mark Kelly

A U.S. federal appeals court at a hearing on Thursday appeared skeptical that the Trump administration’s could legally punish Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Kelly over public remarks he made urging service members to refuse unlawful orders. Members of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit expressed criticism of the government’s efforts to censure Kelly, a retired Navy captain and Arizona Democrat, over more than an hour of questioning.

US CDC classifies hantavirus ‌outbreak as 'level 3' emergency response, ABC News reports

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the hantavirus outbreak as 'level 3' emergency response, the lowest level of emergency activation, ABC News reported on Thursday citing sources.

Egyptian man who fire-bombed pro-Israel rally in Colorado sentenced to life in prison

The man who lobbed gasoline bombs at a pro-Israel rally last year in Colorado, setting several people aflame including a woman who later died from her burns, was sentenced on Thursday to spend the rest of his life in prison but said he wished to be executed. Mohamed Soliman, 46, an Egyptian national, pleaded guilty to 101 charges brought by state prosecutors, including first-degree murder, then apologized in court and decried his own crimes as contrary to "the teachings of Islam" in a statement before his sentence was pronounced.

Verizon cutting a few hundred jobs nationwide

U.S. wireless carrier Verizon said on Thursday it is cutting a few hundred jobs nationwide as it continues work to revamp its operations. A company spokesperson said as part of the company's overhaul "we’re continuing to add headcount to grow parts of the business that are growing while making targeted job reductions to portions of the business where this is needed."

US judge rules humanities grant terminations by DOGE were unlawful, discriminatory

A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the terminations of hundreds of humanities grants last year by the Trump administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency were unconstitutional, and involved "blatant" discrimination. In April last year, President Donald Trump's administration terminated more than 1,400 grants, representing over $100 million in ‌congressionally appropriated funds awarded to scholars, writers, research institutions and other humanities organizations.

Education tool Canvas hacked, multiple US college newspapers report

Education tool Canvas, used by schools, colleges and universities for grades and other class materials, was hacked, blocking students from accessing the application, multiple college student newspapers reported on Thursday. The Harvard Crimson reported that students could not gain access to the site beginning on Thursday afternoon with hacking group ShinyHunters saying Harvard was among "thousands of schools allegedly affected by a breach of Instructure, Canvas' parent company."

Trump to deliver remarks at Rose Garden on Friday, White House says

U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House on Friday at 1200 ET (1600 GMT), ‌the White House said late on Thursday. The president's schedule released by the White House did not mention what the remarks would be about.

US FTC's investigation of trans youth care was 'retaliatory,' judge says

A U.S. judge on Thursday derailed an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a consumer protection agency, into two medical groups that support gender-affirming care for transgender youth. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg blocked the FTC from demanding documents like internal communications and financial records from the Endocrine Society and World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni dispute over 'It Ends With Us' has not ended, as she seeks fees

Blake Lively, who recently settled her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni's production company, is still seeking damages from the actor and director tied to their 2024 movie "It Ends With Us," Lively's lawyers said on Thursday. According to a filing in Manhattan federal court, Lively wants Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios to cover her legal fees and pay damages for filing a "retaliatory" defamation lawsuit, which the judge overseeing their legal disputes dismissed last June.

White House calls Mark Hamill 'sick' after actor posts Trump gravesite image

The White House called "Star Wars" star Mark Hamill "one sick individual" on Thursday after an AI-generated image of U.S. President Donald Trump in a shallow grave was posted on one of the actor's social media accounts. "If Only" was inscribed on the image of Trump lying with his eyes closed adjacent to a gravestone, surrounded by daisies, with the inscription "Donald J. Trump 1946-2024." The image was posted on Hamill's verified Bluesky account.

US to start revoking passports of parents who owe child support, AP reports

The State Department will begin revoking the U.S. passports of thousands of parents who owe a significant amount of unpaid child support, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. The revocations would begin on Friday and be focused on those who owe $100,000 or ⁠more, or about 2,700 American passport holders, the ​AP reported.

New York state set to ban law enforcement, including ICE, from wearing masks

New York state is set to ban law enforcement from wearing masks while on duty, Governor Kathy Hochul said ⁠on Thursday, a move that is likely to be challenged by the Trump administration. The announcement was made as Hochul, a Democrat, said an agreement had been reached with state lawmakers on New York's 2027 budget, which included sweeping immigration changes.

Tesla Model Y is first vehicle to pass new US driver-assistance system tests

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday the 2026 Tesla Model Y is the first vehicle model to pass the agency’s new advanced driver-assistance system tests. The tests have recently been added to the agency's New Car Assessment Program. The models that passed are Model Y vehicles manufactured on or after November 12, 2025. The tests cover pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention.

US trade court rules Trump tariffs illegal, but issues narrow block

A U.S. trade court dealt another blow to President Donald Trump's tariff strategy, ruling that his ⁠latest 10% temporary global duties are unjustified under a 1970s trade law, but blocked the levies only for two private importers and the State of Washington. The U.S. Court of International Trade's 2-1 decision leaves the temporary tariffs in place for all other importers while any appeal by the Trump administration plays out. They are expected to expire in July.

DOJ antitrust head warns dealmakers not to mislead on AI

The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust head on Thursday warned companies against trying to misleadingly use artificial intelligence disruption as a defense in merger reviews without providing evidence. Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi oversees the DOJ's work reviewing mergers and said that merging parties are welcome to engage with his division at any point in the process.

Man pleads guilty to assaulting US lawmaker Ilhan Omar in January town hall

A man pleaded guilty ​on Thursday to assaulting U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar during a January town hall in which the Democratic lawmaker condemned Republican President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, the U.S. Justice Department said.

"Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, pleaded guilty today to one count of Assaulting a United States Officer in U.S. District Court," the Justice Department said in a statement.

US job growth likely slowed in April as boost from temporary factors fades

U.S. job growth likely slowed in April as the boost from warmer weather and return of striking health workers faded, but that would not signal a material change in labor market conditions, with the unemployment rate expected to have ⁠held steady at 4.3%. The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday is also projected to show wage growth picking up last month, which would further reinforce financial market expectations that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged into 2027. Economists said it was too early for the effects of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran to show.

US imposes sanctions on Cuban military conglomerate, mining joint venture

The United States on Thursday imposed financial sanctions on a sprawling business conglomerate run by Cuba's military and a Cuban-Canadian mining joint venture, as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on the island's communist leaders by targeting sources of foreign investment. After the military raid to seize the leader of longtime Cuban ally Venezuela in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has said that "Cuba is next," and blocked most oil shipments to the country, laying siege to the island's government and dramatically worsening blackouts.

Tennessee Republicans pass new map erasing majority-Black US House district

Tennessee Republicans on Thursday ⁠approved a ​new congressional map dismantling a majority-Black U.S. House district centered on Memphis, as several other Southern states seek to leverage last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision that severely weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act. The move, greeted by loud protests at the state capitol, is likely to flip the Democratic-held seat in November's midterm elections, when Republicans' razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will be at stake.

Louisiana presses US Supreme Court to halt abortion pill mail delivery

Louisiana urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to prevent abortion pills from being prescribed through telemedicine and distributed by mail, as the Republican-led state presses its case to overturn a 2023 federal rule that made access to the medication easier. Republican Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's office in a filing asked the justices to deny emergency requests by two manufacturers of the abortion pill to lift a lower court's decision that narrowed access to it by blocking the regulation nationwide while the state's legal challenge continues.

US job growth beats expectations in April; unemployment rate steady at 4.3%

U.S. employment increased more than expected in April while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, pointing to labor market resilience and reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged for some time. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 115,000 jobs last month after an upwardly revised 185,000 advance in March, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls ⁠rising by 62,000 jobs after a previously reported 178,000 rebound in March.

US Justice Department settles Agri Stats meat pricing case

The U.S. Department of Justice and six states settled their antitrust lawsuit against data company Agri Stats on Thursday in a move DOJ officials said would lower meat prices for consumers.

The Trump administration is looking to make consumer foods more affordable as Americans grapple with the rising cost of living, including surging gas prices.

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-Trump vowed to fight crime in Minneapolis. Prosecutions plunged

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.

Trump makes surprise visit to see Lincoln Memorial pool renovations

U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise visit on Thursday to inspect renovations to the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool, one of several high-profile projects the former real estate developer is pursuing across the nation’s capital as he seeks to leave a visible mark on Washington. “It’s really beautiful, and it’s going to be fantastic,” Trump told reporters during a visit to the site, where he viewed ongoing work on the drained basin. He said the overhaul would replace the pool’s “gray stone” appearance ‌with a more vibrant, industrial-strength coating in the color of a blue swimming pool.

Trump’s crackdown on China-linked solar firms stalls U.S. factory ‌boom

Top solar companies, banks and insurers have stopped doing business with at least a half dozen recently built U.S. panel factories because of uncertainty over whether their ties to China could disqualify them from clean-energy subsidies, according to industry executives and documents reviewed by Reuters. The shift, driven by new Trump administration policies, jeopardizes more than a third of U.S. solar capacity in factories ​initially built by Chinese firms. Details of how the policy uncertainty is driving installers and insurers away from U.S. solar factories with China ties have not been previously reported.