Reuters US Domestic News Summary

"This ain’t your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said during remarks in Seattle, as he described the difficulty in getting Republican support for his climate change and other goals in Congress. Florida governor signs bill stripping Disney of self-governing authority Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill that strips Walt Disney Co of self-governing authority at its Orlando-area parks in retaliation for its opposition to a new law that limits the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Sandy Hook families' lawyer says Alex Jones' InfoWars bankruptcy is 'sinister'

Families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre called for InfoWars' bankruptcy to be thrown out of court on Friday, accusing the far-right wing website of seeking Chapter 11 protection for "sinister" purposes. Lawyers for the families, who have won defamation lawsuits against InfoWars and its founder, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, raised questions about the legitimacy of the bankruptcy at a hearing in Victoria, Texas.

COVID-19 third leading cause of death again in 2021- U.S. study

COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States for the second year in a row in 2021, with death rates rising for most age groups, a government study showed on Friday. COVID-19 was the underlying or contributing cause of 460,513 deaths in the United States last year, a nearly 20% jump compared to 2020, the study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed.

Gunman takes own life after wounding 4 near elite Washington prep school, police say

A gunman opened fire on random victims from a sniper's nest in an apartment building near an elite prep school in the nation's capital on Friday, wounding four people, before taking his own life as police closed in, officials said. Police said the suspect, Raymond Spencer, 23, of suburban Fairfax, Virginia, was initially identified from video he had posted on social media that appeared to show gunshots fired from the vantage point of an upper-floor window, with the misspelled label: "Shool shooting!"

Republican Kevin McCarthy under fire after audio shows he discussed urging Trump to resign

Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, came under fire from some of his fellow party members, after an audio recording showed him saying that then-President Donald Trump should resign over the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. The comments, which McCarthy had denied hours before the recording emerged, could undermine his widely known ambition to become House speaker next year if Republicans take control of the chamber in November's midterm elections, as expected.

New Mexico hit hard as wildfires sweep parched Southwest

Wind-driven wildfires in northern New Mexico burned multiple homes and forced hundreds to flee mountain villages as blazes raged in the parched U.S. Southwest at a time when the fire season is just beginning. Two wildfires merged northwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico, on Friday and raced through 15 miles of forest driven by winds of over 75 mph (121 kph).

Republican Party is 'the MAGA party now,' Biden says after McCarthy audio's release

U.S. President Joe Biden took an unusually harsh swipe at his Republican opponents during Earth Day remarks on Friday, calling their party the "MAGA party," a reference to former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. "This ain’t your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said during remarks in Seattle, as he described the difficulty in getting Republican support for his climate change and other goals in Congress.

Florida governor signs bill stripping Disney of self-governing authority

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill that strips Walt Disney Co of self-governing authority at its Orlando-area parks in retaliation for its opposition to a new law that limits the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools. The Republican-controlled legislature on Thursday approved the bill, which will eliminate the special governing jurisdiction that allows the company to operate Walt Disney World Resort as its own city. Within the 25,000-acre tract, it operates four theme parks, two water parks and 175 miles of roadway.

Exclusive-Local election chief threatened by Republican leader seeking illegal access to voting equipment

A local Republican Party leader in North Carolina threatened to get a county elections director fired or have her pay cut unless she helped him gain illegal access to voting equipment, the state elections board told Reuters. The party official, William Keith Senter, sought evidence to support false conspiracy theories alleging the 2020 election was rigged against former U.S. President Donald Trump. The previously unreported incident is part of a national effort by Trump supporters to audit voting systems to bolster the baseless stolen-election claims.

WHO says at least one child has died after increase of acute hepatitis cases in children

The World Health Organization said on Saturday that at least one child death had been reported following an increase of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children, and that at least 169 cases had been reported in children in 12 countries. The WHO issued the figures as health authorities around the world investigate a mysterious increase in severe cases of hepatitis - inflammation of the liver – in young children.

Voting rights groups sue over new Florida congressional maps

Several voting rights groups filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging Florida's new congressional map, saying it unfairly diluted the voting power of Black residents to benefit Republicans. The new map is backed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who signed it into law on Friday. It passed the state Senate on Wednesday and the House of Representatives on Thursday after some Black lawmakers from the Democratic Party staged a sit-in protest during debate.