Reuters US Domestic News Summary

As U.S. COVID-era border restrictions give way to strict new asylum rules on Friday, she and other migrants in Mexico have opted to forgo unlawful crossings and instead heed the Biden administration's calls to request asylum via mobile app. Wendy Sherman, US official who led diplomacy with China and Russia, to retire U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the country's number two diplomat, said on Friday she will retire at the end of June after three decades in Washington's foreign policy establishment.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Faced with tougher U.S. policy, migrants in Mexico pin hopes on asylum app

Oriana Silva, a 30-year-old Venezuelan mother of two, was so determined to make it to the United States that she entered illegally and was expelled back to Mexico five times in seven months. Now, she is trying another way she hopes will be easier: the U.S. asylum app. As U.S. COVID-era border restrictions give way to strict new asylum rules on Friday, she and other migrants in Mexico have opted to forgo unlawful crossings and instead heed the Biden administration's calls to request asylum via mobile app.

Wendy Sherman, US official who led diplomacy with China and Russia, to retire

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the country's number two diplomat, said on Friday she will retire at the end of June after three decades in Washington's foreign policy establishment. Sherman is the first woman to serve in her current role, in which she has headed up the Biden administration's diplomacy with China and led unsuccessful talks with Russia to avert Moscow's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Former US Marine charged with manslaughter in NYC subway choking death

A former U.S. Marine sergeant who killed a homeless man by putting him in a chokehold on the New York City subway was charged with manslaughter on Friday in a Manhattan criminal court, hours after he surrendered to police. A viral video showed Daniel Penny putting 30-year-old Jordan Neely in a chokehold on May 1 while they rode on an F train in Manhattan. Neely died from a compression of the neck, the medical examiner said, but Penny's lawyers said their client did not mean to kill him.

JPMorgan opposes class-action status for Epstein accusers

JPMorgan Chase & Co on Friday asked a federal judge to deny class-action status to more than 100 women who said the bank helped enable the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse them. In a filing in Manhattan federal court, the largest U.S. bank said Epstein's accusers had too many differences to sue under an "oversimplified" theory that it was liable to all of them by having provided Epstein with banking services.

Debt ceiling worries deepen as early June U.S. default reinforced

The Washington standoff over raising the U.S. government's $31.4 trillion borrowing limit is adding to global economic worries, as a new non-partisan congressional report cited "significant risk" of a historic default within the first two weeks of June. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office report, issued Friday morning, confirms Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's earlier warnings that a default could come as early as June 1.

Uncertainty clouds US transition at Mexico border as new rules take effect

The Biden administration began implementing a sweeping policy shift at the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday as a COVID-era order that had allowed the swift expulsion of many migrants expired and new asylum restrictions took effect amid confusion and uncertainty. Several last-minute court actions added to questions about how President Joe Biden's reworked border strategy will play out, with advocates filing a legal challenge to the new asylum regulation as it was enacted.

Data of 237,000 US government employees breached

The personal information of 237,000 current and former federal government employees has been exposed in a data breach at the U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT), sources briefed on the matter said on Friday. The breach hit systems for processing TRANServe transit benefits that reimburse government employees for some commuting costs. It was not clear if any of the personal information had been used for criminal purposes.

U.S. metals magnate Sabin sours on DeSantis, backs Scott in 2024 race

Metals magnate and Republican donor Andy Sabin said he has soured on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over his stance on abortion and Ukraine, and is now planning to back Senator Tim Scott instead in the 2024 Republican White House race. Sabin had been considering donating to DeSantis, who is expected to officially announce a White House run in June, but changed his mind after the governor signed a new law banning abortions after six weeks and called the war in Ukraine a "territorial dispute."

U.S. Congressman George Santos agrees to settle lawsuit in Brazil

Republican U.S. congressman George Santos, who has Brazilian heritage, agreed to settle a lawsuit in which he was accused of bouncing checks to buy clothes in a Rio de Janeiro clothing store over a decade ago, a court in Rio said. Santos was indicted this week for fraud and money laundering in the U.S. and has faced months of allegations related to lies about his career and history.

Biden to meet congressional leaders on debt early next week - White House

President Joe Biden is expected to meet with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders early next week to resume budget negotiations and resolve a looming default on the nation's debt, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday. The leaders had canceled a planned meeting on Friday to let staff continue to discuss.