Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said the license authorizes private company Holtec to store 500 canisters holding nearly 8,700 metric tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants for 40 years. UK citizen extradited to US pleads guilty to 2020 Twitter hack A citizen of the United Kingdom who was extradited to New York from Spain last month has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes, including the 2020 hack of the social media site Twitter, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US approves temporary nuclear waste storage in New Mexico

The U.S. nuclear energy regulator on Tuesday issued a license to Holtec International to build and operate a temporary facility to store nuclear waste from power plants, despite a New Mexico state law that could present a hurdle to the project. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said the license authorizes private company Holtec to store 500 canisters holding nearly 8,700 metric tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants for 40 years.

UK citizen extradited to US pleads guilty to 2020 Twitter hack

A citizen of the United Kingdom who was extradited to New York from Spain last month has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes, including the 2020 hack of the social media site Twitter, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. Joseph James O'Connor, 23, was charged in both North Dakota and New York. The North Dakota case was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Biden's approval rating at 40%, Americans concerned about immigration - Reuters/Ipsos

U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval was at 40% in recent days, close to the lowest level of his presidency, with Americans unhappy about his handling of immigration and inflation, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. The three-day poll, which ended on Sunday, showed a marginal increase in Biden's popularity from last month, when 39% of respondents said they approved of his performance as president. The poll has a margin of error of three percentage points.

Embattled US Republican Rep. George Santos to face federal charges -CNN

U.S. federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against George Santos, the embattled Republican U.S. congressman who has admitted to lying about his resume but defied calls to step down, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing three sources. Santos is expected to appear as soon as Wednesday in federal court in New York's Eastern District, where charges have been filed under seal, CNN reported.

Migrants amass along US-Mexico border as COVID-era restrictions near end

U.S. border agents in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday urged hundreds of migrants amassing on city streets to surrender to authorities as illegal crossings rose in the run-up to the end of COVID-19 border restrictions known as Title 42 later this week. At the same time, migrants were gathering at different points on the Mexican side of the U.S. southern border in anticipation of crossing when border policy changes just before midnight on May 11.

Tucker Carlson will bring his show to Twitter after leaving Fox

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who was taken off the air by the network last month, said on Tuesday he would relaunch his show on Twitter "soon." Fox News Media and its top-rated host agreed to part ways last month, shortly after parent company Fox Corp settled for $787.5 million a defamation lawsuit in which Carlson played a starring role.

Gunman who killed 8 at Texas shopping mall had 'neo-Nazi ideation,' officials say

The man who shot eight people to death at a Dallas-area shopping mall over the weekend harbored neo-Nazi sympathies but appeared to have targeted his victims at random, without regard for race, age or sex, Texas law enforcement officials said on Tuesday. Authorities also disclosed new details about the gunman's background. They said he was discharged from U.S. Army basic training 15 years ago, had once worked as a private security guard and suffered from an unspecified mental illness.

Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll, must pay her $5 million, jury says

Donald Trump must pay $5 million in damages for sexually abusing magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and then defaming her by branding her a liar, a jury decided on Tuesday. "Today, the world finally knows the truth," Carroll said in a statement. "This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Biden, McCarthy divided over debt ceiling but still talking

President Joe Biden and top lawmakers failed to break a deadlock on Tuesday in face-to-face talks over raising the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt limit but vowed to meet again with just three weeks before the country may be forced into an unprecedented default. After about an hour of talks in the Oval Office, Biden, a Democrat, and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, showed no signs of softening their positions as a default looms as early as June 1. But talks among aides may continue as soon as Tuesday night on the federal budget.

Dianne Feinstein returning to U.S. Senate after health-related absence

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is returning to Washington on Tuesday after a months-long absence due to illness, her spokesman said, restoring Democrats' 51-49 majority to full strength. The 89-year-old lawmaker had been sidelined since February as she recovered from a bout of shingles, which had led to calls from some fellow Democrats that she step aside and allow someone else to take her place.