US Domestic News Roundup: Biden speaks on religious faith at South Carolina church; White House AI council meets Monday as legislative action stalls and more

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, who will convene the council meeting Monday, said in a statement the federal government had made significant progress in the prior 90 days on AI, saying Biden's "directive to us is move fast and fix things." Anti-Muslim incidents jump in US amid Israel-Gaza war Complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian discrimination and hate in the U.S. rose by about 180% in the three months after Oct. 7 following Hamas' attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, an advocacy group said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump says he feels mentally sharp after Haley attacks his age, gaffes

Donald Trump on Saturday said he feels "sharper now than I did 20 years ago," reacting to recent attacks on his age and verbal gaffes by Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley. Trump also said presidential candidates should have to take a cognitive test, apparently a response to a challenge from Haley, who has advocated the same policy, citing the age of Trump, 77, and Democratic President Joe Biden, 81.

Shunned in computer age, cursive makes a comeback in California

A generation of children who learned to write on screens is now going old school. Starting this year, California grade school students are required to learn cursive handwriting, after the skill had fallen out of fashion in the computer age.

Trump White House pharmacy improperly provided drugs and misused funds, Pentagon report says

The White House Medical Unit during the Trump administration provided prescription drugs, including controlled substances, to ineligible staff and spent tens of thousands of dollars more on brand-name drugs than what generic equivalents would have cost, a Pentagon report shows. The unit, part of the White House Military Office, did not comply with federal government and Department of Defense guidelines, the report, which was released on Jan. 8, found.

White House AI council meets Monday as legislative action stalls

The White House artificial intelligence council is meeting Monday, three months after President Joe Biden signed an executive order that aims to reduce the risks AI poses. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, who will convene the council meeting Monday, said in a statement the federal government had made significant progress in the prior 90 days on AI, saying Biden's "directive to us is move fast and fix things."

Anti-Muslim incidents jump in US amid Israel-Gaza war

Complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian discrimination and hate in the U.S. rose by about 180% in the three months after Oct. 7 following Hamas' attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, an advocacy group said on Monday. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Nikki Haley suggests she'll stay in Republican race after South Carolina

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Sunday accused party leaders of not being honest brokers in her campaign against Donald Trump and said she did not have to win the nominating contest in South Carolina to stay in the race. Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told NBC's Meet the Press that the former president would become even more "unhinged" as the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination progressed.

Biden speaks on religious faith at South Carolina church

President Joe Biden spoke about his religious faith at services on Sunday at an African-American church in South Carolina, as he works to bolster Black support likely to prove crucial to his re-election chances in November. Biden, a devout Catholic, was wrapping up a two-day visit to the state, where Democrats will hold their first-in-the-nation primary on Feb. 3.

Trial begins for two men accused of rap pioneer Jam Master Jay's murder

Two men accused of killing rap pioneer Jam Master Jay in a 2002 dispute over a drug deal will face a jury in a federal court in New York City on Monday as opening statements begin in their murder trial. Ronald Washington, 59, and Karl Jordan Jr., 40, have pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder while engaged in drug trafficking for the death of Jam Master Jay in his New York recording studio, one of the most infamous killings in rap history.

US Muslim group condemns Pelosi for saying Gaza ceasefire protests have Russia link

A U.S. Muslim group criticized former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday after she suggested, without offering evidence, that some protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza could be linked to Russia and urged the FBI to investigate. Her comments were dismissed as "unsubstantiated smears" by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who said such remarks amounted to dehumanization of the Palestinian people.

Political pressure builds on Biden to strike Iran after US deaths

The killing of three U.S. troops and wounding of dozens more on Sunday by Iran-backed militants is piling political pressure on President Joe Biden to deal a blow directly against Iran, a move he's been reluctant to do out of fear of igniting a broader war. Biden's response options could range anywhere from targeting Iranian forces outside to even inside Iran, or opting for a more cautious retaliatory attack solely against the Iran-backed militants responsible, experts say.