Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The liberal justice handles certain cases for the court from a group of states including New York. As Biden touts Ohio Intel plant, Rep. Tim Ryan questions his 2024 plans President Joe Biden made an election-year visit to an overwhelmingly Republican part of Ohio on Friday for the groundbreaking of a semiconductor plant that he promoted as evidence that his economic policies are working.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Supreme Court's Sotomayor lets Yeshiva University bar LGBT student club for now

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday permitted Yeshiva University to refuse to recognize an LGBT student club that the Jewish school in New York City has said violates its religious values, temporarily blocking a judge's ruling ordering it to allow the group. Sotomayor put on hold for now the judge's ruling that a city anti-discrimination law required Yeshiva University to recognize Y.U. Pride Alliance as a student club while the school pursues an appeal in a lower court. The liberal justice handles certain cases for the court from a group of states including New York.

As Biden touts Ohio Intel plant, Rep. Tim Ryan questions his 2024 plans

President Joe Biden made an election-year visit to an overwhelmingly Republican part of Ohio on Friday for the groundbreaking of a semiconductor plant that he promoted as evidence that his economic policies are working. But his trip was punctuated by comments from a fellow Democrat, Ohio Representative Tim Ryan, who is now running for the U.S. Senate. On Thursday, Ryan publicly questioned whether the party needed new leadership after he was asked if the 79-year-old president should run for re-election in 2024.

New York to ramp up polio vaccinations after virus found in wastewater

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency on Friday in a bid to accelerate efforts to vaccinate residents against polio after the virus was detected in wastewater samples taken in four counties. Hochul's executive order followed the discovery of the virus last month in samples from Long Island's Nassau County, bordering the New York City borough of Queens. Earlier this year the virus was found in samples from Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties, all north of the city.

Lawmakers seek U.S. probe on airline handling of COVID funds

The leaders of two congressional committees want a federal probe into whether airlines used government pandemic money to fund pilot buyouts and early retirements that may have fueled current pilot shortages, according to a letter released on Friday. Congress approved $54 billion in three rounds covering much of U.S. airline payroll costs for 18 months that ended in September 2021. Airlines accepting government assistance that funded payroll costs were prohibited from furloughs or firing workers and faced limits on executive compensation and bans on stock buybacks and dividends.

Explainer-Republicans push to restrict mail-in voting ahead of U.S. November midterms

The Republican Party has pushed to enact new curbs on mail-in voting, which surged in the 2020 presidential election and fueled former President Donald Trump's false claims that he was robbed of victory by widespread voter fraud. Citing security concerns, 18 states passed new legal limits on mail-in voting in the months after the election, from extra identification requirements to shortening the window in which mail ballots can be requested or cast.

Tropical storm threatens to fan California wildfires, but will cool off state

A tropical storm approaching Southern California on Friday threatened to bring high winds that could whip up wildfires and heavy rainfall that could trigger flash floods, but the system will also bring relief from a brutal, 10-day heat wave. Tropical Storm Kay was expected to generate wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour, potentially fanning the flames of the Fairview Fire, which has already scorched about 27,000 acres (10,926 hectares) in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles.

Exclusive-Georgia probe into Trump examines chaplain's role in election meddling

Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman didn't recognize the man who banged on her door. Terrified, she called 911. She had reason to fear. By the morning of Dec. 15, 2020, when she saw the stranger's red sedan parked in her driveway, she had received hundreds of threats from supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Two weeks earlier, Trump's campaign had falsely accused Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, of pulling fake ballots from suitcases at Atlanta's State Farm Arena to rig the 2020 election for Democrat Joe Biden.

Virginia's Republican attorney general creates unit to investigate voter fraud

Virginia's Republican attorney general on Friday announced the formation of an "election integrity unit" within his office that will investigate alleged voter fraud cases, part of a broader effort by Republicans in the wake of former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Attorney General Jason Miyares, who took office in January after being elected last year, said the new unit includes more than 20 attorneys, investigators and paralegals from his office.

A competitive Senate race in North Carolina has Republicans worried

In his campaign for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, Republican candidate Ted Budd has described himself as a "conservative warrior" and a "liberal agenda crusher." But some of his fellow Republicans worry he is not fighting hard enough. While Democratic candidate Cheri Beasley has spent the summer running TV ads and campaigning across the state, Budd has kept a lower profile, staying off the airwaves for months and devoting much of his time to private fundraising events.

Illinois man pleads guilty to assaulting Reuters journalist during U.S. Capitol riot

An Illinois man on Friday pleaded guilty to assaulting a Reuters journalist and a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Shane Jason Woods, 44, of Auburn, pleaded guilty in a federal court hearing in Washington to one felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding police and one misdemeanor count of striking, beating and wounding within U.S. territory.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)