Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Attorney General Letitia James and lawyers for Trump and the other defendants filed their final briefs ahead of closing arguments scheduled for next Thursday in Manhattan in a case that threatens to strip him of prized real estate assets. Trump, in Iowa, skirts Jan. 6 talk on attack's anniversary Donald Trump largely avoided speaking of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol during a campaign event on Saturday, which took place on the attack's third anniversary, reflecting the degree to which Republican voters have absolved him of responsibility for that day's events.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Michigan Republicans vote to oust embattled leader Karamo

A group of Michigan Republicans voted on Saturday to remove Kristina Karamo as state party chairperson after months of infighting and slow fundraising raised concerns her leadership would hurt the party's chances in the key swing state in 2024. Karamo, a former community college instructor and grassroots activist who was elevated to her post in February, has indicated she would not respect Saturday's vote, setting the stage for a potentially messy court battle over party leadership.

Epstein invoked 5th Amendment right to silence 600 times - court filings

The late financier Jeffrey Epstein invoked his constitutional right against incriminating himself about 600 times in testimony for a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse. Epstein's refusal to answer questions in Giuffre's lawsuit against his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was disclosed in a filing on Friday in Manhattan federal court, as part of a trove of documents being unsealed this month from the civil defamation case, which settled in 2017.

House Speaker Johnson invites Biden to give State of the Union address March 7

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson on Saturday invited President Joe Biden to give the State of the Union address on March 7. Johnson, a Republican, said in a letter to Biden, a Democrat, it was his duty to send the invite "in this moment of great challenge for our country." A copy of the letter was posted on X, the social media site.

New York City awaits winter storm that could end two-year snow drought

New York City's historic, two-year snow drought may come to an end this weekend with the arrival of a winter storm system that should begin rolling through the most populous city in the United States and across the East Coast on Saturday. The city's 8.5 million residents have not seen more than 1 inch (2.54 cm) of snow fall in Central Park since Feb. 13, 2022, a record-long streak of 692 days. The incoming low pressure system threatens to dump up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) of wet snow in parts of the city, the National Weather Service said.

Pentagon keeps Austin's hospitalization under wraps for days

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday for an unspecified medical matter, the Pentagon said late on Friday, without detailing why he was being treated or why it kept his hospital stay secret all week. Austin, who is 70, sits just below President Joe Biden at the top of the chain of command of the U.S. military and his duties require him being available at a moment's notice to respond to any manner of national security crisis.

CDC says JN.1 variant accounts for about 62% of COVID cases in US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that COVID subvariant JN.1 accounts for about 62% of cases in the U.S. as of Jan. 5, according to the agency's projections. The agency said JN.1, which is an offspring of BA.2.86, is now the most widely circulated variant in the U.S. and globally.

Trump should be banned from NY real estate for 'outrageous' fraud, attorney general says

Donald Trump should be permanently barred from New York's real estate industry for "outrageous" fraud, the state's attorney general said in a court filing on Friday ahead of closing arguments in a civil case against the former U.S. president. Attorney General Letitia James and lawyers for Trump and the other defendants filed their final briefs ahead of closing arguments scheduled for next Thursday in Manhattan in a case that threatens to strip him of prized real estate assets.

Trump, in Iowa, skirts Jan. 6 talk on attack's anniversary

Donald Trump largely avoided speaking of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol during a campaign event on Saturday, which took place on the attack's third anniversary, reflecting the degree to which Republican voters have absolved him of responsibility for that day's events. Speaking to a crowd of hundreds of supporters in the town of Newton, Iowa, the former president brought up Jan. 6 only once. He repeated previous claims that Democratic President Joe Biden, who he is likely to face in a general election rematch in November, is the true threat to democracy.

US Supreme Court to rule on Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let Idaho enforce its near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations while also agreeing to hear the fight between state officials and President Joe Biden's administration over the legality of the Republican-backed measure. The justices granted a request by Idaho officials to temporarily lift a federal judge's ruling that blocked the state's abortion measure after concluding it must yield to a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency "stabilizing care."

Harris marks Jan. 6, calls on Black South Carolina voters to defend rights

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday marked the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol with remarks in South Carolina, where the state's Democratic primary will be held on Feb. 3. Harris spoke on the anniversary of the deadly attacks after Biden offered scathing criticism of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's actions that day in a speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Friday.