Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The small but powerful Republican faction warned this week that they could try to block any agreement to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling from passing the House of Representatives, if the accord does not contain "robust" federal spending cuts. U.S. Supreme Court dismisses dispute over Title 42 border expulsions The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a case in which Republicans sought to keep in place a policy introduced under former President Donald Trump that had let American officials quickly expel hundreds of thousands of migrants at the U.S.-Mexican border.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US House hardliners could try to block debt-ceiling deal without 'robust' cuts

President Joe Biden and Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have voiced growing confidence about striking a debt-ceiling deal to avoid a catastrophic default, but they could be tripped up by last-minute opposition from the hardline House Freedom Caucus. The small but powerful Republican faction warned this week that they could try to block any agreement to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling from passing the House of Representatives, if the accord does not contain "robust" federal spending cuts.

U.S. Supreme Court dismisses dispute over Title 42 border expulsions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a case in which Republicans sought to keep in place a policy introduced under former President Donald Trump that had let American officials quickly expel hundreds of thousands of migrants at the U.S.-Mexican border. The policy, known as Title 42, was implemented by Trump's administration in March 2020 - early in the COVID-19 pandemic - as a measure tied to a public health emergency. President Joe Biden's administration allowed the policy to expire last week, with new asylum restrictions taking effect.

US Senator Feinstein still suffering complications from shingles, her office says

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who returned to Washington last week after a months-long absence due to shingles, is continuing to suffer from a medical complication known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a spokesperson said on Thursday.

Feinstein had also previously suffered encephalitis, her office said, after the New York Times reported on medical conditions that had not been publicly disclosed.

Republican states to be hit hardest by proposed cuts in US debt ceiling fight

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."

Migrants sleep in Chicago police stations as shelters strain

Chicago's new mayor is grappling with how to house hundreds of migrants arriving on buses from the U.S.-Mexico border, with some sleeping in police stations and shelters strained after border crossings rose earlier this month. Officials in the third-largest U.S. city have said they cannot afford to rent hotel rooms for all arriving migrants and have pressed for more federal funding. Some migrants seeking a safe place to sleep have turned to police stations.

Hollywood actors' union asks members to authorize possible strike

The board of Hollywood's actors union asked members on Thursday to give negotiators the power to call a strike, a move that would add new pressure to major studios already facing a writers' strike. The SAG-AFTRA actors union set a June 5 deadline for its 160,000 members to cast ballots in a strike authorization vote. If approved, the measure would allow union leaders to call a work stoppage if they cannot reach a new contract agreement with major Hollywood studios.

Senate confirms Biden court pick despite Manchin opposition

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Joe Biden's nominee to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, overcoming rare Democratic opposition from Senator Joe Manchin. Nancy Abudu, a lawyer for the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) legal advocacy group, was confirmed on a 49-47 vote. She will be the first Black woman to serve on the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit.

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 of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and their staffs.

US House member 'pauses' subpoena attempt over Afghanistan cable

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee said on Thursday he accepted the State Department's invitation to view a classified cable related to the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and would "pause" attempts to enforce a subpoena to obtain it. “In light of this invitation, I will pause efforts to enforce the Committee’s subpoena pending my review of the documents,” Republican Representative Michael McCaul wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

TikTok users file lawsuit to block Montana ban

Five TikTok users in Montana who create content posted on the short-video app filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the state's new ban on the Chinese-owned platform. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban TikTok in the state, effective Jan. 1. The five users seek to block the law, which makes it unlawful for the app stores of Alphabet Inc's Google and Apple Inc to offer TikTok within the state.