US Domestic News Roundup: Debt ceiling fight shows stakes of Feinstein's US Senate absence-Klobuchar; Republican U.S. House Speaker McCarthy to pitch spending cuts on Wall St and more

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber dedicated the final Broadway performance to his son Nicholas, who died of gastric cancer last month. Republican U.S. House Speaker McCarthy to pitch spending cuts on Wall St Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to make his case for cuts in federal spending to accompany a lifting of the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Debt ceiling fight shows stakes of Feinstein's US Senate absence-Klobuchar

The standoff over raising the U.S. federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling illustrates the stakes of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein's lengthy absence from Washington, fellow Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Sunday. Feinstein, 89, faced calls from some fellow Democrats last week to resign her seat after being sidelined since early March by a bout of shingles. On Wednesday she said she would temporarily step down from her spot on the Judiciary Committee while she recovers.

Republican U.S. House Speaker McCarthy to pitch spending cuts on Wall St

Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to make his case for cuts in federal spending to accompany a lifting of the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. His speech comes as the federal government ticks closer to the moment sometime this summer when it will no longer be able to meet its financial obligations. Without action by the divided Congress, that would trigger a historic default that would shake the U.S. and world economies.

Video shows New Mexico police were at wrong house seconds before killing homeowner

New Mexico police officers realized they were at the wrong address just moments before the front door opened and they fatally shot the armed homeowner, then exchanged gunfire with his wife, according to newly released body camera video of the April 5 shooting. Robert Dotson, 52, was killed by police in Farmington, New Mexico, on April 5, after officers responding to a domestic violence report arrived at the wrong house.

Explainer-What to expect in the Dominion v. Fox defamation trial

One of the most closely watched U.S. media trials in decades kicks off in a Delaware court on Monday as Fox Corp and Fox News face a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems over the network's coverage of false claims that the ballot-counter company rigged the 2020 presidential election. Here is an explanation of the case.

Four dead in Alabama 'Sweet 16' birthday party shooting

At least four people were killed and 28 wounded in a shooting that erupted during a late-night "Sweet 16" birthday celebration at a dance studio in the small town of Dadeville, Alabama, state police and local news media said on Sunday. Some of the injured were critically wounded during the shooting in east-central Alabama, about 60 miles (100 km) northeast of the state capital of Montgomery, authorities said. There was no official word on what led to the gun violence.

US Supreme Court considers Christian mail carrier's refusal to work Sundays

An evangelical Christian former mail carrier's fight with the U.S. Postal Service over his refusal to work on Sundays gives the Supreme Court another chance to widen religious rights but also has led to a debate over whether religious people are more legally deserving than others to weekend days off from work. The justices are set to hear arguments on Tuesday in an appeal by Gerald Groff, a former mail carrier in Pennsylvania, of a lower court's ruling rejecting his claim of religious discrimination against the Postal Service for refusing to exempt him from working on Sundays, when he observes the Christian Sabbath. Groff sued after being disciplined for repeatedly failing to show up when assigned a Sunday work shift.

House Republicans chart new strategy to pressure Biden, Democrats

U.S. House Republicans will try to agree on a plan to lift the federal $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and cut government spending when Congress returns this week, after being stymied for months by Democratic President Joe Biden's demands they do so without conditions. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a Monday speech at the New York Stock Exchange will lay out the conditions Republicans want Democrats to agree to in exchange for movement on the debt ceiling.

'The Phantom of the Opera' ends Broadway run after 35 years

Musical "The Phantom of the Opera" ended a record-breaking 35-year Broadway run on Sunday when, amid predictions that the show would one day return, teary-eyed cast members took a final bow alongside its original stars. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber dedicated the final Broadway performance to his son Nicholas, who died of gastric cancer last month.

DeSantis backers launch first TV ad attacking Trump in 2024 White House race

A fundraising group supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's potential run for U.S. president on Sunday launched its first attacks on leading rival Donald Trump, questioning the former president's allegiance to his fellow Republicans. "Trump should fight Democrats, not lie about Governor DeSantis," the ad stated. "What happened to Donald Trump?"

Fox defamation trial delayed, network pursues settlement talks

The start of Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation trial against Fox has been pushed back by a day, the judge said on Sunday, with a source familiar with the matter saying the media giant was pursuing settlement talks. The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told Reuters that Fox was seeking a possible settlement. The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal also reported that Fox was pursuing settlement talks, citing sources.