Reuters US Domestic News Summary

In a letter sent to the Treasury last week, Democratic senators Warren, Martin Heinrich, Edward Markey, Sheldon Whitehouse and Jeffrey Merkley, as well as Sanders, an independent, welcomed the department's work on the issue so far but called for "added urgency" given increasing risks. How DeSantis' early missteps hobbled his U.S. presidential bid Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had a chance in April to address Donald Trump's growing momentum toward the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US Senator Menendez rejects calls to step down from Congress

U.S. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez on Monday ignored calls to resign from his seat, denying wrongdoing and vowing to stay in Congress after prosecutors charged him and his wife with taking bribes from three New Jersey businessmen. Some elected officials, including the Democratic governor of Menendez's state of New Jersey, have publicly urged him to step down. His decision to remain in the Senate may complicate his party's efforts to maintain its narrow 51-49 majority in that chamber, although New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972.

Conservative activist uses Civil War-era law to challenge US corporate diversity

The anti-affirmative action activist behind the successful U.S. Supreme Court challenge to race-conscious college admissions policies is trying to use a Civil War-era law designed to protect formerly enslaved Black people from racial bias to dismantle American corporate diversity programs. In a trio of lawsuits filed since August, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights organization has challenged grant and fellowship programs designed by a venture capital fund and two law firms to help give Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority groups greater career opportunities.

Striking Hollywood writers reach tentative deal with studios

Hollywood's writers union reached a preliminary labor agreement with major studios on Sunday, a deal expected to end one of two strikes that have halted most film and television production and cost the California economy billions. The three-year contract still must be approved by leadership of the Writers Guild of America (WGA,) as well as union members, before it can take effect.

Biden, US officials warn of hunger for millions in a government shutdown

U.S. President Joe Biden and one of his top aides warned on Monday that a federal government shutdown could cause widespread suffering, including a rapid loss of food benefits for nearly 7 million low-income women and children. Biden told a meeting on Historically Black Colleges and Universities that failure by Congress to fund the federal government would have dire consequences for the Black community, including by reducing nutritional benefits, inspections of hazardous waste sites and enforcement of fair housing laws.

Biden makes new pledges to Pacific island leaders as China's influence grows

President Joe Biden met Pacific island leaders for a second White House summit in just over a year on Monday, part of a charm offensive aimed at curbing further inroads by China into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard. Before welcoming the island leaders, gathered under the umbrella of the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Biden announced U.S. diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue.

US House to press forward with spending cuts despite shutdown risk

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is due to try to advance steep spending cuts this week that stand no chance of becoming law and could force a partial shutdown of the U.S. government by next Sunday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sought to avoid that scenario when he hammered out a spending agreement with Democratic President Joe Biden this spring. But some members of his own party have threatened to depose him if he does not support steeper cuts that are sure to be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Factbox-Who qualified for the second 2024 Republican presidential debate?

At least six Republican candidates will take part in the second 2024 Republican presidential debate on Wednesday in California. Donald Trump plans to skip the event and give a speech in Detroit to autoworkers. Here are the candidates expected to be on stage for the debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT on Sept. 28) at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute in Simi Valley, California:

Republican candidate DeSantis to debate California governor Nov 30 -Fox

U.S. Republican presidential contender and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will debate California counterpart Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, for 90 minutes on Nov. 30 on Fox News Channel, the network said in a statement on Monday. Earlier this year, the two men clashed after Florida acknowledged a role in sending two flights of migrants to California. Newsom, 55, described the 45-year-old DeSantis as a "small, pathetic man" and called for criminal and civil investigations.

US senators pressure Treasury to get more aggressive on climate crisis risks

Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and four other U.S. senators are pressuring the U.S. Treasury Department to step up oversight and offer more guidance to financial institutions on addressing climate change risks threatening the U.S. financial system. In a letter sent to the Treasury last week, Democratic senators Warren, Martin Heinrich, Edward Markey, Sheldon Whitehouse and Jeffrey Merkley, as well as Sanders, an independent, welcomed the department's work on the issue so far but called for "added urgency" given increasing risks.

How DeSantis' early missteps hobbled his U.S. presidential bid

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had a chance in April to address Donald Trump's growing momentum toward the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Like several such opportunities, he let it pass him by. DeSantis was in Japan at the time on an international tour – a step often taken by presidential hopefuls to burnish their foreign policy credentials. Trump had launched his own candidacy five months earlier and had spent much of that time attacking the governor, who was considered his most formidable potential challenger but had yet to declare.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)