Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups have been calling for the White House to take aggressive measures on climate change after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said last week was not ready to support key climate provisions in Congress. Trump ex-adviser Bannon felt he was 'above the law,' prosecution tells jury A federal prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday at Steve Bannon's criminal trial that the prominent former presidential adviser to Donald Trump decided he was "above the law" in defying a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Democrats' policy package to include prescription drug cost controls and Obamacare fix

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that prescription drug cost controls and an Obamacare fix are the components Democrats will seek for now in a fast-track domestic policy bill. "The two things we want to do in reconciliation, that we're going to do in reconciliation, are prescription drugs and a two-year extension of ACA," Schumer told reporters.

Biden set to announce executive measures on climate - White House

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to announce new federal measures aimed at the climate crisis on Wednesday during a trip to Massachusetts, but will stop short of declaring a climate emergency, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups have been calling for the White House to take aggressive measures on climate change after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said last week was not ready to support key climate provisions in Congress.

Trump ex-adviser Bannon felt he was 'above the law,' prosecution tells jury

A federal prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday at Steve Bannon's criminal trial that the prominent former presidential adviser to Donald Trump decided he was "above the law" in defying a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol. The prosecution and defense delivered opening statements after jurors were selected in the trial, with the government's first witness then testifying. Evan Corcoran, a lawyer for Bannon, said in his opening statement that Bannon did not ignore the subpoena and in fact engaged with the committee in the belief that it would negotiate with his attorney and that its deadlines "were not fixed - they were flexible."

Daily Harvest says it has found source that sickened customers

Meal-kit delivery company Daily Harvest said on Tuesday it had identified tara flour as the ingredient that sickened hundreds of customers and led to a recall of its French Lentil + Leek Crumbles last month. Daily Harvest, a direct-to-consumer brand, voluntarily recalled all of its French Lentil + Leek Crumbles in June due to consumer reports of gastrointestinal illness and potential liver function issues.

Power use in Texas, U.S. Plains states to hit new records this week

Power use in Texas and other Central U.S. states is expected to shatter all-time records in coming days as homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners for relief from the heat, regional electric grid operators said on Tuesday. Grid operators have started taking steps to ensure they have enough resources to keep up with soaring demand as temperatures climb into the triple digits across the United States and the cost of delivering electricity rises for utility companies.

Americans endure 'dragon's breath' heat wave, set to last into next week

They're planning days around air conditioning in Oklahoma, monitoring the grid in Texas and keeping an eye out for sharks as they try to cool off in New York. Across the United States, Americans have been enduring in some cases dangerously high heat that meteorologists say will last into next week.

Indiana doctor threatens to sue state prosecutor for defamation in 10-year-old's abortion case

An Indiana doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim threatened to sue Indiana's attorney general for defamation on Tuesday, filing a claim alleging that he made "false and misleading" statements about her handling of the case. The case prompted a national outcry and scrutiny after the Indianapolis Star newspaper published a story, based on Indiana Dr. Caitlin Bernard's account, of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion because an Ohio law banned the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.

Biden approval rating falls to 36%, matching record low: Reuters/Ipsos poll

U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval rating fell to 36% this week to tie the lowest rating of his 19 months in the White House as inflation takes its toll on American life, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday. The two-day national poll found that 59% of Americans disapprove of Biden's job performance.

Romanian man extradited to U.S. on hacking charges over virus that hit NASA

A Romanian man accused of helping distribute a computer virus that infected more than 1 million computers and caused big financial losses worldwide has been extradited to the United States, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday. Mihai Paunescu, 37, is accused of running a hosting service that helped distribute the Gozi virus, which stole personal bank account information while remaining virtually undetectable. He made an initial appearance on Monday in federal court in Manhattan, where he was ordered detained.

U.S. House passes bill protecting marriage equality

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill protecting gay marriage rights, after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade imperiled similar precedents that protected rights to same-sex relations and contraception. The bill, which passed the Democratic-controlled chamber by a vote of 267-157 with support from 47 Republicans, establishes federal protections for gay marriage and prohibits anyone from denying the validity of a marriage based on the race or sex of the couple.