US Domestic News Roundup: Arson determined as cause of Los Angeles freeway fire; Factbox-How Trump would crack down on immigration in a second term and more

It was adopted after a series of media reports detailing ethics questions surrounding some Supreme Court members, in particular conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, even as Senate Democrats pursued long-shot legislation to mandate an ethics code for the nation's top judicial body. Factbox-Court fights could tip control of US House in 2024 Legal battles over redistricting could lead to new congressional maps in nearly a dozen U.S. states for the 2024 election, potentially flipping control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which currently has a 221-213 Republican majority.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Arson determined as cause of Los Angeles freeway fire

Investigators have determined arson caused the weekend fire that heavily damaged an elevated stretch of a downtown Los Angeles freeway, forcing its indefinite closure and setting the stage for prolonged traffic turmoil, state officials said on Monday. The arson finding came as California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that the state had recently sued to evict the company that was leasing storage space on state property beneath the Santa Monica Freeway where the fire began early on Saturday.

Factbox-How Trump would crack down on immigration in a second term

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and restrict legal immigration if elected to a second term in office. Here are some of the policies under consideration:

Donald Trump Jr. testifies about 'sexiness' of father's real estate

Donald Trump Jr. testified on Monday about what he called the "sexiness" of his father's real estate portfolio, in his second time taking the stand in the former U.S. president's civil fraud trial. Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is accused along with his two adult sons and 10 of his companies of inflating his net worth by as much as $2.2 billion to secure better financing.

A century later, U.S. Army overturns convictions of 110 Black soldiers

The U.S. Army on Monday set aside the court-martial convictions from a century ago of 110 African American soldiers, including 19 who were executed, saying they were denied fair trials in a landmark acknowledgement of official racism in America. The Army Board for Correction of Military Records overturned the convictions, restoring their service records as having concluded honorably and making their descendants eligible for military benefits, the Army said in a statement.

US Congress tries to overcome partisan logjam to avert government shutdown

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avert a government shutdown faces a key test on Tuesday, as he tries to overcome hardline opposition from his own Republican conference, even as some Democrats signal tentative support for the measure.

Johnson, who had little senior congressional leadership experience before being elected speaker less than three weeks ago, is trying to muster Republican support for a "clean" two-step continuing resolution, or "CR," that would keep federal funding levels unchanged into early next year.

FBI struggled to disrupt dangerous casino hacking gang, cyber responders say

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has struggled to stop a hyper-aggressive cybercrime gang that's been tormenting corporate America over the last two years, according to nine cybersecurity responders, digital crime experts and victims. For more than six months, the FBI has known the identities of at least a dozen members tied to the hacking group responsible for the devastating September break-ins at casino operators MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, according to four people familiar with the investigation.

Under fire, US Supreme Court unveils ethics code for justices

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday announced its first formal code of conduct governing the ethical behavior of its nine justices, bowing to months of outside pressure over revelations of undisclosed luxury trips and hobnobbing with wealthy benefactors. The new code drew mixed reviews, with some critics noting the apparent absence of any enforcement mechanism. It was adopted after a series of media reports detailing ethics questions surrounding some Supreme Court members, in particular conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, even as Senate Democrats pursued long-shot legislation to mandate an ethics code for the nation's top judicial body.

Factbox-Court fights could tip control of US House in 2024

Legal battles over redistricting could lead to new congressional maps in nearly a dozen U.S. states for the 2024 election, potentially flipping control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which currently has a 221-213 Republican majority. The two parties are fighting over maps that were redrawn after the 2020 U.S. Census. Democrats have already picked up one likely seat, in Alabama, and could gain about a dozen more if all the cases are decided in their favor, while Republicans could pick up some four seats if all the rulings went their way. Meanwhile, Democrats face a significant risk of losing their 51-49 Senate majority.

US House speaker's plan to avoid shutdown gains some Democratic support

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avoid a partial government shutdown secured tentative support from top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer on Monday, even as some of Johnson's hardline Republican colleagues pushed back against it. Senate Majority Leader Schumer, whose support would be critical to pass the measure to head off a government shutdown beginning on Saturday, said he was "pleased" that Johnson's proposal did not include sharp spending cuts.

US bank regulators to be grilled by Congress on capital hike plan

The Federal Reserve's top Wall Street cop Michael Barr and other bank regulators will defend plans to hike U.S. bank capital requirements when they appear before Congress this week as they come under increasing pressure from many lawmakers to rein in their efforts. Barr, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Martin Gruenberg and acting Comptroller of the Currency Mike Hsu will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET (1500 GMT) and the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT).