Reuters US Domestic News Summary

New York law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron said Giuliani has paid only $214,000 of nearly $1.6 million in legal expenses and fees he racked up between November 2019 and July 2023, according to a complaint filed on Monday in New York state court. US House panel sets first Biden impeachment inquiry hearing for next week The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives is set to hold its first committee hearing on Sept.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US anti-affirmative action group challenges West Point admissions policy

The group that successfully challenged race-conscious collegiate student admissions policies at the U.S. Supreme Court sued the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday, saying the Army school's affirmative action practices unconstitutionally discriminate against white applicants. The Virginia-based Students for Fair Admissions, founded by affirmative action opponent Edward Blum, seeks in the lawsuit to erase an exemption tucked inside the Supreme Court's June ruling that allowed the prestigious U.S. military academies to continue using race as one of the factors weighed in student admissions.

Biden to host second summit with Pacific islands at White House on Monday

U.S. President Joe Biden will host a second summit with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House on Monday, part of his efforts to step up engagement with a region where the U.S. is in a battle for influence with China. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement the summit with the 18-member forum would take place on Monday and Tuesday.

Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to gun charges

U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, will plead not guilty to federal gun charges, his attorney said in a court filing on Tuesday. THE TAKE

Republican infighting stalls spending bills in US House as shutdown looms

Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives failed to advance two spending bills on Tuesday, as party infighting threatened the ability of Congress to fund the government and avert a partial shutdown at the end of the month. The House voted 214-212 to defeat a measure that would have opened debate on an $886 billion fiscal 2024 defense appropriations bill, with five hardline Republican conservatives joining Democrats to oppose their party's own measure.

Ex-US congressman sentenced to 22 months for insider trading

Former U.S. Congressman Stephen Buyer was sentenced to 22 months in prison on Tuesday for trading on inside information he learned in 2018 as a consultant to T-Mobile US Inc ahead of its $23 billion merger with Sprint. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in New York sentenced Buyer, who was found guilty on four counts of securities fraud at a trial in March. Buyer was a Republican from Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1993 and 2011 before working as a corporate consultant.

Eli Lilly sues over US sales of bogus Mounjaro for weight loss

Eli Lilly on Tuesday said it was suing 10 U.S. medical spas, wellness centers and compounding pharmacies for selling products claiming to contain tirzepatide, the active ingredient in its diabetes drug Mounjaro which is expected to be approved for weight loss later this year. In four separate lawsuits filed in Florida and Texas federal courts, Eli Lilly is seeking orders barring Better Life Pharmacy, ReviveRX, Rx Compound Store and Wells Pharmacy Network from selling tirzepatide, and requesting unspecified damages.

Trump's Republican rivals need to take him on at next debate, moderator says

Donald Trump's rivals need to take him on more forcefully at next week's Republican presidential debate if they have any hope of cutting into the runaway front-runner's massive lead in opinion polls, one of the debate moderators said on Tuesday. "They're not going to be able to put a dent in his lead if they don't. President Trump has a commanding and seemingly very enduring lead. It's up to these candidates to show why they think that they would be better," said Dana Perino, a White House press secretary under Republican President George W. Bush and now an anchor and political commentator at Fox News.

Giuliani sued over $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees

Rudy Giuliani is facing a lawsuit that claims the former New York mayor owes a law firm nearly $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees connected to his work as Donald Trump's personal lawyer. New York law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron said Giuliani has paid only $214,000 of nearly $1.6 million in legal expenses and fees he racked up between November 2019 and July 2023, according to a complaint filed on Monday in New York state court.

US House panel sets first Biden impeachment inquiry hearing for next week

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives is set to hold its first committee hearing on Sept. 28 on its long-shot impeachment inquiry against Democratic President Joe Biden launched by Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week. The House Oversight Committee, led by Republican Representative James Comer, said it will explore constitutional and legal questions at the hearing, and also intends to subpoena personal and business bank records of Hunter Biden, the president's son, and James Biden, the president's brother.

US House moves ahead with defense policy bill, 'culture wars' fight ahead

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 393-27 on Tuesday to send its version of a sweeping bill setting policy for the Pentagon to conference with the Senate, paving the way for negotiations to narrow the deep divide between the two chambers over issues like abortion access and diversity initiatives. The massive bill - this year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA - authorizes a record $886 billion in military spending. It typically passes both congressional chambers in a largely bipartisan way.