Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Jimmy Carter makes rare public appearance at his wife's memorial

Jimmy Carter, the 99-year-old former U.S. president who entered hospice care in February, made a rare public appearance on Tuesday, looking frail as he attended a memorial service in Atlanta for his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19. Using a wheelchair and dressed in a dark suit and tie, he entered the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church and was helped to the front row near his wife's flowered-covered casket, where he sat flanked by his children.

Jewish groups sue UC Berkeley over 'unchecked' antisemitism

The University of California, Berkeley was sued on Tuesday by Jewish groups who said it has become a hotbed of "unchecked" antisemitism, including at its elite law school. According to a complaint by the nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley's leadership turns a blind eye to the long-festering problem of antisemitism on campus, even after displays of harassment and physical violence against Jews following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Home Depot billionaire to fund Trump even if former president is convicted

Republican mega-donor Bernie Marcus said on Tuesday he would likely still give money to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid if the former president was convicted of a crime - but the billionaire does not plan to be one of his biggest financial backers. Marcus, a co-founder of home improvement retailer the Home Depot, announced earlier this month that he was supporting Trump, the runaway frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination contest that kicks off on Jan. 15 in Iowa.

US House panel seeks records on firearms export pause

The chair of the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Tuesday asked the Commerce Department to turn over records about its Oct. 27 decision to temporarily stop issuing export licenses for most civilian firearms and ammunition for non-governmental users. Representative James Comer, a Republican, asked Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for documents and communications saying the committee wants "a full accounting of this action and how it will impact U.S. firearms manufacturers and the jobs that industry provides."

Influential Koch group endorses Haley's 2024 Republican presidential bid

The conservative U.S. political network led by billionaire Charles Koch on Tuesday endorsed Nikki Haley for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, giving the former South Carolina governor a boost among party rivals struggling to make a dent against frontrunner Donald Trump. The influential group, which pushes for tax cuts and less government regulation, has made clear that beating former President Trump in the Republican nominating contest is a top priority, arguing that he would lose the November election to President Joe Biden. The Democrat beat incumbent Trump in the 2020 White House race.

Texas top court weighs scope of abortion ban exception for risky pregnancies

A group of patients and doctors on Tuesday urged Texas' highest court to ensure that doctors cannot be prosecuted if they perform abortions that, in their good faith medical judgment, are necessary to safeguard the mother's life or health. Molly Duane, a lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told the Texas Supreme Court in Austin that the exception in the state's near-total abortion ban for saving the mother's life was so unclear it left doctors too "terrified" to deliver needed care because they face the prospect of life in prison if they break the law.

Indicted Republican lawmaker George Santos faces new US House move to oust him

Two U.S. House Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday moved to force a vote to expel Republican Representative George Santos, who has been engulfed in scandal since his 2022 election and charged with corruption. The move, what is known as a "privileged resolution," requires a vote on the matter within two legislative days. The motion requires a two-thirds majority in the House, which Republicans control by a narrow 221-213 majority.

US funding for Ukraine arms has poured into Pennsylvania, Arizona and Texas

The Biden administration has been circulating on Capitol Hill the first breakdown of which U.S. states have benefited from the billions of dollars spent on arming Ukraine, in a move to gather more support from Republicans who have voted against aid for Kyiv. While three of the eight Republican members of Congress from Pennsylvania have been voting against funding to help stop Russia's invasion, the data shows the Keystone State has received $2.364 billion - the most of any state - in spending and investments to build arms and ammunition, according to documents seen by Reuters.

South Carolina lawyer convicted of murder gets 27 years for financial crimes

Richard "Alex" Murdaugh, a disgraced former powerhouse lawyer in South Carolina already serving life in prison for the murder of his wife and son, received a 27-year sentence on Tuesday for his guilty plea to nearly two dozen financial crimes. The sentence handed down in a Charleston courtroom, part of the plea deal Murdaugh reached earlier this month, will be served concurrently with the two life terms imposed eight months ago following his murder trial, said a spokesman for the state attorney general's office.

Mourners honor former US first lady Rosalynn Carter's humanitarian work

Rosalynn Carter was remembered on Tuesday for her humanitarian work and compassion as President Joe Biden and other dignitaries joined 99-year-old former President Jimmy Carter at an Atlanta memorial service for the former U.S. first lady, who played a prominent role during her husband's 1977-1981 presidency. The former president, who has been in hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, arrived at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church using a wheelchair. He sat before his wife's flower-bedecked casket with a blue and white blanket, embroidered with a portrait of Rosalynn, folded on his lap.