Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The limit was technically breached on July 31 but is being circumvented by Treasury Department "extraordinary" steps. Texas governor signs Republican-backed voting curbs decried by Biden Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday made Texas the latest U.S. state to impose Republican-backed voting restrictions, signing a law that was swiftly challenged in court and criticized by President Joe Biden as part of an "all-out assault" on American democracy.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

White House asks Congress for funding on Afghanistan and hurricanes

President Joe Biden's aides on Tuesday asked Congress for billions in new funds to deal with hurricanes and other natural disasters as well as the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan. The White House said in a blog post at least $24 billion in new money will be needed for disasters, including Hurricane Ida, and $6.4 billion will be needed for the Afghan evacuation and refugee resettlement.

Biden tours flood-hit areas; calls climate change 'existential threat'

President Joe Biden on Tuesday toured sites of deadly floods in the Northeast and said Hurricane Ida demonstrated the ravages of climate change as he pressed for investments to boost infrastructure and fight global warming. "Climate change poses an existential threat to our lives, to our economy, and the threat is here. It's not going to get any better," Biden said after touring neighborhoods in New Jersey and New York City's Queens borough that were hurt by the storm. "We can stop it from getting worse."

U.S. workplaces look to college fights as return to work 'turning point' looms

A legal battle is brewing over remote work between administrators at U.S. colleges committed to in-person classes and some faculty with disabilities. Experts warn it is a precursor of what awaits employers that order staff back to the office amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Employment lawyers said higher education provides a key test of who can work remotely because it is a profession traditionally associated with in-person work.

Idaho man accused of attacking police in U.S. Capitol riot pleads guilty

An Idaho man accused of attacking police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot on Tuesday entered guilty pleas to two riot-related criminal charges. Duke Wilson, 67, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to a charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding police and to obstructing an official proceeding.

75% of U.S. adults have taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine - CDC

75% of adults in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The agency said 193,798,688 of adults have had at least one shot, while 165,947,460 people, or 64.3% of the adult population, are fully vaccinated.

U.S. Congress stuck between a rock and a hard place on raising debt limit

Democrats and Republicans will start what could become a monumental game of chicken this month over raising the limit on U.S. government borrowing, as Congress attempts to avert an historic debt default. Leaders of the Democratic-led Senate and House of Representatives are expected to force votes to lift the $28.4 trillion debt limit in late September. The limit was technically breached on July 31 but is being circumvented by Treasury Department "extraordinary" steps.

Texas governor signs Republican-backed voting curbs decried by Biden

Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday made Texas the latest U.S. state to impose Republican-backed voting restrictions, signing a law that was swiftly challenged in court and criticized by President Joe Biden as part of an "all-out assault" on American democracy. Abbott, a Republican, said during a signing ceremony in the East Texas city of Tyler that the law is intended to combat voter fraud. Critics have said it will make it harder for Black and Hispanic voters - important voting blocs for Democrats - to cast ballots.

Britney Spears' father asks court to end singer's conservatorship - media reports

Jamie Spears, the father of Britney Spears, has petitioned a Los Angeles court to end the pop singer's 13-year conservatorship, NBCNews and CNN reported on Tuesday.

U.S. House panel sets debate this week on its portion of $3.5 trillion bill

A U.S. House of Representatives committee this week will attempt to advance sweeping legislation to expand healthcare benefits for the elderly and other social services as part of Democrats' $3.5 trillion domestic investment plan. The House Ways and Means Committee plans to debate its wide-ranging measure that also would expand Medicare health coverage for the elderly to include dental, vision and hearing benefits in work sessions on Thursday and Friday.

Trump backs challenger to third House Republican who voted to impeach

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Michigan state lawmaker Steve Carra's bid to unseat U.S. Representative Fred Upton, his third endorsement of a challenger to a Republican who voted to impeach him on a charge of sparking the Capitol riot. It was his second such endorsement in a week after throwing his weight behind a challenger to Republican U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in Washington state. Trump is seeking both to help Republicans win control of Congress in the November 2022 elections and to replace his Republican critics in Congress.