Reuters US Domestic News Summary

They plan to bump Iowa as the state where White House runs kick off every four years, hoping to usher in a more diverse, early nominating calendar, according eight senior Democratic officials. Trump company tax fraud trial nears end in battle over who to blame Jurors heard starkly different views on Thursday on whether to convict former President Donald Trump's real estate company of tax fraud, with the prosecution describing a culture of wrongdoing at the Trump Organization and the defense blaming the greed of the government's star witness.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear Biden's bid to reinstate student debt plan

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear President Joe Biden's bid to reinstate his plan to cancel billions of dollars in student debt after it was blocked by a lower court in a challenge by six states that have accused his administration of exceeding its authority. An injunction issued on Nov. 14 by the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocking the program will remain in place for now, as the justices deferred taking action on Biden's request to immediately lift it. But they agreed to fast-track the case, saying in a brief order they will hear arguments in their session that runs from late February to early March.

U.S. Congress backs legislation to block rail strike

The U.S. Senate backed a measure to block a potentially devastating railroad strike after President Joe Biden had warned that the economic impacts could have been felt in the coming days. At least 73 senators voted to impose a tentative contract deal reached in September on 115,000 workers after four of 12 unions rejected the deal.

Uvalde shooting victims file $27 billion class-action suit

Victims of the Uvalde mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school in May have filed a $27 billion class-action lawsuit against an array of public entities and officials, seeking damages for ongoing trauma. The suit filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas names the city of Uvalde, its police department, the school district, the state Department of Public Safety and several police and school officials, alleging they failed to follow protocols for an active shooter.

Biden, Macron condemn Putin, but willing to talk to Russian leader

U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron presented a united front on Ukraine on Thursday at the White House, and Biden said he would talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he is willing to end the invasion. Biden has resisted talking to Putin since the Russian leader launched the invasion in February, while Macron has kept lines of communication with Putin open.

U.S. Rep. Clyburn wins new House Democratic Party post as Cicilline bows out

U.S. Representative James Clyburn on Thursday was elected to be assistant House Democratic leader starting in January, after Representative David Cicilline dropped his bid for the job that he had hoped would raise the gay community's profile. Cicilline, an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, abandoned the race against Clyburn after receiving assurances from leadership that the gay community's interests will be represented, according to a House Democratic aide.

As U.S. diversifies, Democrats to swap Iowa with Michigan in presidential kick-off

U.S. President Joe Biden may be a man of tradition, but the Democratic Party he leads is poised to get rid of one of its oldest political rituals. A closed group of Democrats will meet Friday to reshape the party's presidential nomination process. They plan to bump Iowa as the state where White House runs kick off every four years, hoping to usher in a more diverse, early nominating calendar, according eight senior Democratic officials.

Trump company tax fraud trial nears end in battle over who to blame

Jurors heard starkly different views on Thursday on whether to convict former President Donald Trump's real estate company of tax fraud, with the prosecution describing a culture of wrongdoing at the Trump Organization and the defense blaming the greed of the government's star witness. In closing arguments at the criminal trial, defense lawyer Susan Necheles said Trump knew nothing about and deserved no blame for the misconduct of Allen Weisselberg, the company's longtime chief financial officer, who pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution.

Minneapolis to pay $50,000 each to 12 injured by police during Floyd protests

The city of Minneapolis will pay $50,000 each to 12 people injured by police during demonstrations that erupted after a white officer killed George Floyd by pinning the 46-year-old Black man's neck to the ground with a knee, court records show. As part of a settlement approved on Wednesday in federal court, Minneapolis will also implement reforms in the way police officers handle demonstrations, prohibiting them from using physical force and from deploying chemical agents against peaceful protesters.

U.S. appeals court rules against Trump in documents fight, ends arbiter

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday dealt a blow to Donald Trump, reversing a judge's appointment of an independent arbiter to vet documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and allowing all of the records to be used in a criminal investigation of the former president. A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Justice Department in its challenge to a September ruling by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to appoint a "special master" to review the records to decide if some should be kept from investigators. The 11th Circuit also overturned Cannon's decision to bar investigators from accessing most of the records pending the review.

Pharmacy owner in deadly 2012 U.S. meningitis outbreak gets 1 year in prison

A co-owner of a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy whose mold-tainted drugs sparked a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012 was sentenced on Thursday to one year in prison for deceiving regulators to avoid federal oversight before the tragedy. Gregory Conigliaro was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston after a federal appeals court last year revived his conviction for conspiring to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ahead of the outbreak.