Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Blanche, in his first congressional testimony since ascending to the top of the Justice Department after Pam Bondi's firing last month, also told Democratic senators that he could not commit to barring any of the nearly $1.8 billion from the settlement going to Trump campaign donors. US Republican senator says Trump ballroom funding removed from spending bill U.S. Republican Senator John Kennedy on Wednesday said there was insufficient support in the Senate to spend $1 billion on a planned White House ballroom and related security measures, and that the ‌proposal would not be included in a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Slain security guard of California mosque engaged gunmen in shootout, hailed as hero

The security guard slain at the Islamic Center of San Diego was hailed on Tuesday as a fallen hero who sacrificed his life to keep 140 school children inside the mosque safe by engaging two gunmen in a shootout that deterred the teenage suspects and helped thwart their attack. Authorities also disclosed that the 17- and 18-year-old assailants, who took their own lives shortly after Monday's shooting, were believed to have met online and were ​apparently "radicalized" in hate-related ideology on the internet.

Republicans Collins, Dooley advance to primary runoff in hopes of facing US Senator Ossoff in November

A hardline Republican congressman and a former college football coach who has never held elective office advanced to a runoff on Tuesday in Georgia's U.S. Senate Republican primary election, extending a messy intra-party battle to determine who will face Democratic Senator Jon ​Ossoff in the November general election. U.S. Representative Mike Collins led former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley 40.5%-30% with 80% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press. Their projected advance to a June 16 runoff eliminated a ‌third contender, Representative Buddy Carter, who had spent ​heavily to gain statewide name recognition.

Barney Frank, architect of landmark Wall Street reforms, dies at 86

Former U.S. Representative Barney Frank, a quick-witted Democrat who gave his name to a landmark financial reform bill after the economic crisis of 2007-2009, has died, his sister Ann Lewis said on Wednesday. He was 86. One of the best-known gay politicians of his time, Frank served for over 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member from Massachusetts and a liberal who gladly worked with Republicans.

US watchdog urged to probe Roblox over child safety and marketing

Two children's advocacy groups asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday to investigate gaming platform Roblox, according to a letter shared with Reuters saying its design features and marketing techniques are “unfair and deceptive.” The groups Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation asked the FTC to investigate whether Roblox violated the Federal Trade Act’s section 5, according to the letter. The law prohibits unfair or deceptive practices affecting commerce.

More gasoline price shocks might hit US drivers this summer travel season

As millions of travelers hit the road for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, high gasoline prices fueled by ongoing supply disruptions from the war with Iran are set to add financial strain for motorists, kicking off ‌what is set to become a pricier summer travel season. U.S. retail gasoline prices have jumped more than $1.50 per gallon, or about 45%, since late February, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Prices for crude oil used to make gasoline have also surged, along with prices for many goods, as the conflict has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade conduit through which roughly 20% of the world's oil consumption flows.

How Trump's revenge tour against Republicans could cost the party in November

Sixteen months into his second presidency, Donald Trump may be as unpopular as he's ever been among the American electorate – but his grip on his core base of MAGA voters remains unshaken.

That power was on full display over the last two weeks, as Trump ousted a string of fellow Republicans he considered apostates for not showing him enough personal fealty. The president's revenge tour continued on Tuesday, when a hand-picked loyalist defeated U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a frequent critic, in a Kentucky nominating contest.

Vance or Rubio for 2028? The White House briefing room edition

The White House press briefing room has emerged as an informal audition stage this month in the intensifying race of who will succeed President Donald Trump in 2028. Taking the podium on Tuesday, two weeks after a similar appearance by possible rival Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance used the historic venue primarily to impress an audience of one.

Fed minutes show more policymakers open to a rate hike

Federal Reserve officials' concerns about inflation being stoked by the Iran war intensified last month, with a growing number open to the possibility that they may need to raise interest rates, in a sign that incoming Chair Kevin Warsh will inherit ‌an increasingly hawkish crew of central bankers. A majority of Fed policymakers at their April 28-29 meeting felt "some policy firming would likely become appropriate" if inflation stays persistently above the central bank's 2% target, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday.

Analysis-Trump's $1.776 billion 'weaponization' fund sparks outrage, but court challenges will be tough

Opponents of President Donald Trump's sweeping legal settlement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service will face high hurdles in challenging its $1.776 billion fund for victims of alleged political "weaponization" and its provision barring audits of his taxes, according to legal experts. Congressional Democrats derided the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund as a slush fund to steer taxpayer dollars to Trump's political allies, while watchdog groups called the tax immunity agreement illegal. Even some Republicans expressed qualms. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, for instance, said he was "not a big ‌fan" of the plan.

Sinkhole shuts down runway at New York LaGuardia airport

A sinkhole on Wednesday forced the closure of one of the runways at New York's LaGuardia airport, prompting cancellations and delays and ongoing emergency repairs. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages New York City area airports, said at 11 a.m. officials were conducting a daily morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield when crews identified a sinkhole.

'I'm not greedy': January 6 rioters and Trump allies eye $1.8 billion 'weaponization' fund

Since President Donald Trump's administration announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund for Americans deemed to be victims of political "weaponization," January 6 Capitol riot defendants and other Trump allies have scrambled to figure out how to get their share. Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy over the January 6, 2021 riot, said he planned to apply to the fund, assuming he could get between $2 and $5 million.

Trump to sign order on AI oversight as security fears mount among supporters

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on AI and cybersecurity as soon as Thursday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as pressure grows from parts of his political base to increase oversight of new AI models, such as Anthropic's Mythos. The order would create a voluntary framework for AI developers to engage with the U.S. government about the public release of covered models, the sources said. Under the framework, the developers would be asked to provide their models to the government 90 days before public release, and also give pre-public access to critical infrastructure providers such as banks, one of the people said.

American Ebola patient evacuated from DRC to Germany is in stable condition, CDC says

A U.S. citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus has killed over 130 people, is being treated in Germany and is in stable condition, the U.S. CDC said on Wednesday. Six other high-risk U.S. citizens were currently being moved from the DRC to Germany and the Czech Republic, Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager for ⁠the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ebola ​response, said in a briefing.

US Supreme Court's uneven approach to election-map rulings boosts Republicans

The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court last December permitted Texas to move ahead with a new voting map beneficial to Republicans, as the justices faulted a ⁠lower court for issuing an order blocking it "on the eve of an election." At the time, the Texas party primary elections were four months away and the general election was 11 months off. The top U.S. judicial body's action in the case followed a legal concept known as the Purcell principle it established two decades ago that courts should strive to avoid changing voting rules too close to an election due to the risk of voter confusion.

'Am I out?' Drought and rising costs from Iran war deepen pain for US farmers

Scott Irlbeck crouched in a field of stunted wheat plants in a parched stretch of West Texas and slipped his hand into a crack wide enough to swallow it. Last autumn, Irlbeck planted a crop that barely grew because rain never came. He now hopes his insurance adjuster will declare it a total loss so he will not need to spend money on pricey fuel to harvest it next month.

US group says Starbucks plastic cups marked recyclable end up in trash

Starbucks' plastic single-use ⁠cups it often serves in U.S. cafes are not as recyclable as the company claims, an environmental nonprofit group said on Wednesday. Vermont-based Beyond Plastics attached location trackers to 36 single-use polypropylene cups earlier this year and placed them in recycling bins inside Starbucks' cafes across the country. None of the cups were tracked to a recycling facility, the group said. Instead, 33 ended up in landfills, incinerators, or on their way to either. Three were last seen in sorting facilities.

Supreme Court rulings loom in four major Trump-related cases

President Donald Trump was incensed on February 20 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his sweeping global tariffs, an integral part of his economic and foreign policy strategy. That may not be the last disappointment for Trump during the court's current term. Four more major cases involving Trump are due to be decided by the top U.S. judicial body by around the end of next month. They involve his effort to restrict birthright citizenship, ​fire a member of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors, oust a Federal Trade Commission member and end protected status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Haiti and Syria.

US Health Secretary Kennedy fires heads of key preventive health panel

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the chair and vice chair of the influential task force that decides what preventive medical care should be provided at no cost to patients, according to letters sent earlier this month and seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The Preventive Services Task Force, which typically has 16 members, last met over a year ago after Kennedy canceled its regularly scheduled meetings. New members have not been named to replace the five volunteers whose terms expired in December.

Former DOJ lawyer charged ⁠with theft of unreleased report on Trump documents case

A former U.S. Department of Justice attorney has been charged with emailing herself copies of an unreleased volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report concerning the now-dismissed criminal case accusing President Trump of retaining classified documents after his first term. Carmen Lineberger, who had worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, pleaded not guilty to charges related to the theft and concealment of government records during a Wednesday hearing in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida.

South Carolina lawmakers advance US House map targeting powerful Democrat Clyburn

South Carolina’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a new congressional map early on Wednesday aimed at ousting longtime Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn in November’s midterm elections. The map still needs approval from the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 34-12 advantage. The legislation would also postpone the state’s primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives from June 9 to August 18 to allow time for candidates to file again and run campaigns in the redrawn districts.

US Democrats push to rein in Trump on Cuba as ⁠White House steps ​up pressure

A group of Democratic U.S. senators introduced a resolution to stop President Donald Trump from using the military against Cuba on Wednesday, as his administration escalated pressure on the island's government by indicting former President Raul Castro. Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia, Adam Schiff of California and Ruben Gallego of Arizona introduced a War Powers Resolution to block the use of the U.S. armed forces against the Communist-ruled island.

US provides another $200 million for plan to rebuild New York Penn Station

The U.S. Transportation Department said on Wednesday it will provide another $200 million to begin construction by the end of next year on an $8 billion plan to rebuild New York Penn Station, a key transit artery. U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak and President Donald Trump's administration said the plan includes expanding track capacity, building a grand entrance on Eighth Avenue to a new train hall and replacing aging walkways with open modern concourses. Penn Station is the busiest transit hub in the U.S., serving 10 million Amtrak passengers annually and 100 million total when regional train systems are included.

Police officers who guarded Capitol sue to block Trump's $1.8 billion 'slush fund'

Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters on January 6, 2021, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to halt President Donald Trump's nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political "weaponization." In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges alleged Trump has "created a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name."

Trump approval drops to 35% as Republican support softens, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Donald Trump's presidential approval rating fell to nearly its lowest level since he returned to the White ⁠House, hit by a drop in support among Republicans, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The four-day poll, which closed on Monday, showed 35% of the country approved of Trump's job performance, down a percentage point from a Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month and just above the low-point of his presidency - 34% - seen last month. Trump started his current term in January 2025 with a 47% approval rating.

US Senator Durbin urges RFK Jr. to resist easing vape rules

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin urged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday to resist an easing of rules on flavoured vapes, saying the moves were short-sighted and driven by lobbying and donations from big tobacco companies. Under pressure from the White House, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has in recent weeks softened its ⁠stance on flavoured vapes, a shift that contributed to the resignation of Commissioner Marty Makary, raised concerns about political influence at the agency and reignited debate over vaping.

New York City hotels reach labor deal before World Cup

New York City hotel operators ⁠and unions have reached an eight-year labor deal covering about 25,000 workers, averting a strike over wages, workloads and staffing levels that had threatened to disrupt the city ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the head of the Hotel Association of New York City said on Tuesday.

Vijay Dandapani, the association’s president and chief executive, said the mood among owners was "overall positive" after weeks of negotiations, though the industry made significant concessions.

US acting AG Blanche won't rule out Trump 'weaponization' payouts to January 6 rioters who assaulted police

U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday he could not commit to barring money from President Donald Trump's newly announced "weaponization" fund from going to people who assaulted police officers, including during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Blanche, in his first congressional testimony since ascending to the top of the Justice Department after Pam Bondi's firing last month, also told Democratic senators that he could not commit to barring any of the nearly $1.8 billion from the settlement going to Trump campaign donors.

US Republican senator says Trump ballroom funding removed from spending bill

U.S. Republican Senator John Kennedy on Wednesday said there was insufficient support in the Senate to spend $1 billion on a planned White House ballroom and related security measures, and that the ‌proposal would not be included in a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill. Speaking to reporters after leaving a meeting of Republican senators, Kennedy, of Louisiana, said: “We were told ‌that, and again, I haven't looked at the text, but we're told that the ballroom money is out.”

Harvard faculty take aim at grade inflation by capping 'A' grades for students

Harvard University faculty have imposed a limit on the number of "A" grades that can be given to undergraduate students in an effort to end a growing trend of grade inflation at the elite U.S. university. In hundreds of votes cast over the past week, ​more than two-thirds of the voting faculty supported a measure allowing them to award A's to no more than one-fifth of the students enrolled in a course, plus up to four more students.