US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. Rep. Santos to recuse himself from committee assignments; Trump's fundraising for presidential bid gets off to modest start and more

Here are a few proposals Republicans have floated ahead of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's Wednesday meeting with Democratic President Joe Biden:


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 01-02-2023 19:04 IST | Created: 01-02-2023 18:27 IST
US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. Rep. Santos to recuse himself from committee assignments; Trump's fundraising for presidential bid gets off to modest start and more
Former US President Donald J Trump (File Image) Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. Rep. Santos to recuse himself from committee assignments

U.S. Representative George Santos, who has admitted to fabricating much of his resume, told fellow Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he would not serve on committees for now, lawmakers said. House of Representatives' Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the freshman lawmaker asked if he could recuse himself from his committee assignments while he works to clear up an ethics cloud. McCarthy called it an "appropriate decision."

Trump's fundraising for presidential bid gets off to modest start

Donald Trump's bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 got off to a modest fundraising start, with his campaign ending the year with about $7 million on hand while his Save America fund had about $18 million, according to financial disclosures released on Tuesday. After launching his third consecutive run for the White House on Nov. 15, a week after a weaker-than-expected Republican performance in midterm congressional elections, the former U.S. President did little campaigning, not hitting the trail until this Saturday.

Hundreds of Afghans risk 11-country trek to seek haven in United States

Their journey starts with a humanitarian visa for Brazil: one of the few remaining exit routes for Afghans fleeing Taliban rule. It ends, after a perilous trek overland through Latin America across at least 11 countries, with scaling the border wall and jumping onto U.S. soil.

Tyre Nichols funeral draws civil rights leaders, U.S. vice president

Family and friends of Tyre Nichols will pay their final respects on Wednesday to the Black 29-year-old father whose fatal encounter with Memphis police last month transformed him into the new face of the U.S. racial justice movement. The Rev. Al Sharpton will eulogize Nichols, and another prominent civil rights leader, attorney Ben Crump, will deliver a "call to action" during a funeral at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Nichols' adopted hometown of Memphis.

Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling talks to set tone for divided Washington rule

President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are set to discuss the nation's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Wednesday, a meeting that will give a first sign of how the two will work together, or fail to, in a divided Washington. The Oval Office talks come as Biden, a Democrat, and the Republicans, who won control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November's elections, are locked in a standoff over raising the federal government's borrowing cap. Failure to reach a deal by June could lead to a default that would shake the global economy.

Airlines cancel over 1,400 U.S. flights as ice storm hits multiple states

Airlines canceled over 1,400 flights in the United States on Wednesday, after an ice storm hit states from Texas to West Virginia. A total of 1,467 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled, while 527 flights were delayed as of 6.48 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

Fed expected to deliver small rate hike but keep anti-inflation tilt

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise its target interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, setting aside the rapid hikes used last year to curb a surge in inflation in favor of a more stepwise hunt for a stopping point.

The expected increase would set the U.S. central bank's benchmark overnight interest rate in the 4.50%-4.75% range, the highest since November 2007, when the economy was on the eve of what would prove to be a long and deep recession.

U.S. states struggle to share dwindling waters of Colorado River

The Colorado River, which provides drinking water to 40 million people in seven U.S. states, is drying up, straining a water distribution pact amid the worst drought in 12 centuries, exacerbated by climate change. California split from the six states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming on Tuesday in the face of a U.S. government deadline to negotiate their own supply cuts or face possible mandatory cutbacks by the federal government.

Baldwin charged for 'reckless acts' leading to 'Rust' shooting

Actor Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday for showing a "reckless" disregard for safety that led to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie "Rust" in New Mexico in 2021, according to court documents. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed charges following months of speculation as to whether she had evidence that Baldwin acted with criminal negligence when a revolver with which he was rehearsing fired a live round that killed Hutchins.

Factbox-U.S. House Republicans' many proposals for spending cuts in debt-ceiling debate

Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives say any increase in the United States' $31.4 trillion debt ceiling should be paired with spending cuts, but so far are not unified on any specific demands. Here are a few proposals Republicans have floated ahead of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's Wednesday meeting with Democratic President Joe Biden:

(With inputs from agencies.)

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