US Domestic News Roundup: Biden, McCarthy push forward towards deal on US debt ceiling; Biden campaign memo: Many paths available on road to 2024 victory and more

Since the $739 billion in costs and revenues measure, which also tackles rising health care costs, deficit reduction and enforcement at the Internal Revenue Service, passed into law in August, the administration has issued a series of highly-watched rules on how the tax credits that power its climate investments are earned, including the Made in America requirements that upset Group of Seven (G7) leaders and global CEOs. Pushing for cuts in debt-ceiling fight, US Republican gets millions for his district In Washington, Republican U.S. Representative Clay Higgins has been a vocal advocate for spending cuts.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden, McCarthy push forward towards deal on US debt ceiling

President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to reach a deal soon to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically catastrophic default. After a monthslong standoff, the Democratic president and the speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday agreed to negotiate directly on a deal. An agreement needs to be reached and passed by both chambers of Congress before the federal government runs out of money to pay its bills, as soon as June 1.

Biden campaign memo: Many paths available on road to 2024 victory

President Joe Biden's re-election campaign attempted to set the tone for the battle to come on Thursday, saying the incumbent Democrat will have many roads to victory in 2024. Despite polls showing tepid support for the 80-year-old president who would be 86 by the end of a second term, the Biden campaign saw reason for optimism in 2024.

Explainer-The latest on tax credit rules in Biden's climate and drugs bill

U.S. President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), cheered by some Democrats and the White House as a milestone in the fight against climate change, has also rankled foreign allies and global companies with its economic protectionism and prompted a new subsidy race with Europe. Since the $739 billion in costs and revenues measure, which also tackles rising health care costs, deficit reduction and enforcement at the Internal Revenue Service, passed into law in August, the administration has issued a series of highly-watched rules on how the tax credits that power its climate investments are earned, including the Made in America requirements that upset Group of Seven (G7) leaders and global CEOs.

Pushing for cuts in debt-ceiling fight, US Republican gets millions for his district

In Washington, Republican U.S. Representative Clay Higgins has been a vocal advocate for spending cuts. Back home in Louisiana, it's a different story. The cowboy-hat wearing conservative regularly highlights federal funding for hospitals, bridges and ports in his district, while voting against the spending bills that include them as "unsustainable" and "socialist garbage."

Gains in diversity among Hollywood writers at stake in strike

As the Writers Guild of America strikes to bring about better pay and work security in a streaming TV world, a generation of diverse writers like Caroline Renard fear for the future of their careers. While there have been improvements in diversity within writers' rooms in recent years, writers of color, women of color, disabled writers and LGBTQ+ writers in Hollywood still lag in opportunities.

U.S. Democrats warn Biden against toughening aid for the poor

Democrats in the U.S. Congress expressed frustration with President Joe Biden's willingness to engage with Republicans demanding tougher work requirements for food aid recipients as part of any deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling. They have stopped short of threatening to block such moves, as talks on lifting the federal government's $31.4 trillion borrowing limit shifted into a bilateral format between Democrat Biden, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and their staffs.

U.S. weekly jobless claims fall more than expected

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, with filings in Massachusetts decreasing sharply, suggesting the labor market remains tight. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 242,000 for the week ended May 13, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims jumped to 264,000 in the prior week, driven by a surge in filings for unemployment insurance in Massachusetts.

South Carolina advances 6-week abortion ban

South Carolina's Republican-controlled state House of Representatives late Wednesday passed a "fetal heartbeat" bill to ban abortions about six weeks into pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant, moving it to the state Senate where its fate is less certain. The measure, which passed mostly along party lines with a vote of 82 to 33, is a heavily amended version of a ban that the state Senate passed in February.

Florida Governor DeSantis to enter US presidential race next week

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis will officially enter the 2024 U.S. presidential race next week, according to two sources familiar with the decision, immediately becoming Donald Trump's biggest rival for the Republican nomination and shaking up a contest that largely has been one-sided. DeSantis will likely file paperwork declaring his candidacy on May 25 to coincide with a donor meeting in Miami, with a more formal launch the week of May 29, according to a source.

US Republican transgender laws pile up, setting 2024 battle lines

Oklahoma's governor has signed into law a bill making it a felony to provide gender-affirming healthcare to a minor. Indiana has enacted a law requiring teachers to tell parents when students ask to be called by a new name or different pronoun. North Dakota has approved a law that lets public school teachers and state employees ignore using a transgender person's preferred pronoun.