Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Last year, a commission created by Congress recommended new names for nine bases that honored Confederate officers, after the nationwide protests following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd prompted the military to re-examine its history through the lens of race. Oath Keepers get prison sentences for sedition in US Capitol attack Oath Keepers militant group members David Moerschel and Joseph Hackett were sentenced on Friday to prison for seditious conspiracy and other crimes arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by then-President Donald Trump's supporters.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US ends probe of Pence documents with no charges

The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its investigation into former Vice President Mike Pence without filing any charges related to classified documents found in his Indiana home, a department official said on Friday. The department notified Pence through a letter, the official added.

Experts debate how much US Supreme Court ruling chills labor strikes

The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered the latest in a series of rulings undercutting organized labor, with some legal experts predicting that the decision will make unions that engage in strikes more vulnerable to lawsuits while others see a more modest impact. An 8-1 ruling on Thursday authored by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett made it easier for companies to sue over strikes that cause certain instances of property damage. The case involved a strike by the union representing truck drivers at a concrete business owned by Japan-based Taiheiyo Cement Corp in Washington state.

Georgia probe of Trump expands to activities in other states -Washington Post

A Georgia-based probe into whether former Republican President Donald Trump and others illegally sought to overturn his loss in the state's 2020 presidential election has expanded into activities outside of Georgia, the Washington Post reported on Friday. Fulton County's prosecutor has broadened the two-year-long investigation to include Trump's campaign "hiring two firms to find voter fraud across the United States and then burying their findings when they did not find it," including issuing a subpoena to one of the companies, the Post reported, citing two people with knowledge of the probe.

Biden lauds 'crisis averted' with debt ceiling deal in first Oval Office address

U.S. President Joe Biden declared a "crisis averted" on Friday in his first address from the White House's Oval Office, as he touted the passage of a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and curb spending. Biden, a Democrat, said he would sign the bill into law on Saturday, concluding months of uncertainty and averting what would have been a first-ever U.S. default as early as June 5.

US debt ceiling deal strands $16 billion of defense side-projects

A $16 billion list of lower-priority defense items like tanks, helicopter upgrades and a ship, that would normally be paid for as part of the defense budget, could go unfunded after the U.S. passed a landmark bill that lifts the debt ceiling but curbs federal spending. The agreement to avoid default left legislators, the Department of Defense and other agencies wondering how to pay for projects that in past years were last-minute additions to the must-pass defense policy and appropriations bills, that generally get approved with little discussion.

Horse racing: Churchill Downs to suspend racing amid safety review

Churchill Downs on Friday said it would suspend racing as it conducts a "top-to-bottom" safety review following the death of 12 horses at the famed Kentucky track in the past month. Racing will be halted from June 7 through the remainder of the Spring Meet, which concludes on July 3. This weekend's races will go ahead as scheduled and the remainder of the meet will be relocated to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky.

Republicans set debate rules, creating hurdles for long-shots in 2024 primary election

The Republican National Committee on Friday announced relatively stringent limits on who can participate in the first 2024 presidential primary debate, posing a potential challenge for several long-shot contenders. The RNC, the Republican Party's governing body, will also require all attendees to support the eventual Republican nominee, the body said on Friday. The pledge requirement is notable as former President Donald Trump, who leads in the polls, has neither promised to support a nominee, nor has he confirmed he will attend the debates.

North Carolina's Fort Bragg sheds Confederate name, becomes Fort Liberty

Fort Bragg, the U.S. Army base in North Carolina that is among the world's largest military installations, was formally renamed Fort Liberty on Friday, part of a broader effort to rechristen bases named for Confederate officers. Last year, a commission created by Congress recommended new names for nine bases that honored Confederate officers, after the nationwide protests following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd prompted the military to re-examine its history through the lens of race.

Oath Keepers get prison sentences for sedition in US Capitol attack

Oath Keepers militant group members David Moerschel and Joseph Hackett were sentenced on Friday to prison for seditious conspiracy and other crimes arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by then-President Donald Trump's supporters. Hackett, a Florida chiropractor and low-level Oath Keepers leader, was sentenced to 42 months in prison while Moerschel received a three-year prison term.

Trump moves to disqualify judge in porn star hush money case

Former President Donald Trump is seeking to disqualify the New York state judge overseeing the criminal case against him stemming from a hush money payment to a porn star. In a motion made public on Friday, Trump's lawyers argued that New York state Justice Juan Merchan in Manhattan has a conflict due to his daughter's work at a consulting firm that does work for Democrats. The motion also noted that the judge encouraged a former Trump Organization executive to cooperate during a prior case, calling that a preconceived bias against Trump.