Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Same-sex marriage protection bill clears initial hurdle in U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to advance a bill protecting federal recognition of same-sex marriage, prompted by concerns that a more conservative Supreme Court could reverse a 2015 decision that made it legal nationwide. The bill garnered the 60 votes required to limit debate before a final vote on its passage. It would serve as a legal backstop against any future Supreme Court action by requiring the federal government to recognize any marriage that was legal in the state it was performed.

Mormon church backs U.S. measure to protect gay marriage

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said on Tuesday it supports proposed federal legislation intended to protect gay-marriage rights, as long as it also protects the right of religious groups to believe such unions are against God's word. The Utah-based church said in a statement posted on its website its doctrine related to marriage - that God commanded it be between a man and a woman - would remain unchanged.

Republicans win U.S. House majority, setting stage for divided government

Republicans were projected to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, setting the stage for two years of divided government as President Joe Biden's Democratic Party held control of the Senate. The victory gives Republicans the power to rein in Biden's agenda, as well as to launch potentially politically damaging probes of his administration and family, though it falls far short of the "red wave" the party had hoped for.

Lab-grown meat cleared for human consumption by U.S. regulator

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time cleared a meat product grown from animal cells for human consumption, the agency announced on Wednesday. UPSIDE Foods, a company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks, will be able to bring its products to market once it has been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), said a release from the FDA.

Car crashes into Los Angeles sheriff's department recruits on training run

Multiple Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recruits were injured when a car crashed into them on Wednesday morning while they were out for a run in Whittier, California, the department said. The injured recruits were taken to hospitals, but their condition was unknown, as was the condition of the driver. Details about what caused the crash were also unavailable, according to a department spokeswoman.

Oath Keepers defendant compares storming of U.S. Capitol to 'Black Friday'

A member of the far-right Oath Keepers told a jury on Wednesday that she got "swept up" in the moment when she stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, comparing it to the same feeling shoppers get on Black Friday when they rush to buy flat-screen televisions. In at times emotional testimony, Jessica Watkins admitted to some of the crimes she is charged with and apologized to police officers for impeding them from doing their duties that day.

McConnell holds off challenge as Trump allies turn on congressional Republicans

Top U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell held off a challenge to his leadership on Wednesday as some of Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress lashed out at Republican leaders after a weaker-than-expected midterm election performance. McConnell fended off the first challenge in his nearly 16-year reign as party chief, after Senator Rick Scott tried to unseat him as minority leader, contending that the "D.C. swamp" was to blame for the party's inability to win a Senate majority.

Biden's team warily welcomes Trump's 2024 presidential run

Donald Trump's decision to jump into the 2024 race could help give Joe Biden a second term in the White House, the Democratic president and his aides believe, viewing his Republican predecessor as a vulnerable and defeated politician even as they fret about the impact a bitter campaign could have on America. Several Biden aides and advisers, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave their assessment of how the president and his team view Trump's entry into the race. Trump made his announcement on Tuesday night as he sought to get a jump on potential rivals for the Republican nomination.

Pence says he will not testify before U.S. House Jan. 6 panel

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said he would not testify before the House of Representatives panel probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol because Congress "has no right to my testimony." In an interview with CBS News, Pence said it would establish a "terrible precedent for the Congress to summon a vice president of the United States to speak about deliberations that took place at the White House."

Tyson Foods ends COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees

Tyson Foods Inc confirmed on Wednesday it eliminated a requirement that employees receive COVID-19 vaccinations, a step the company said improved meatpacking operations after plants closed in 2020 due to outbreaks among workers early in the pandemic. The biggest U.S. meat company by sales lifted the mandate on Oct. 31, one year after imposing it, according to a report Tyson filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. The requirement "generally improved our ability to operate our business effectively in fiscal 2022," the report said.