Reuters US Domestic News Summary

RNC members meeting in Houston voted to appoint North Carolina Republican Party head Michael Whatley and Lara Trump as chair and co-chair of the organization, which will play a key role in marshaling voters and funds for the Nov. 5 general election. Donald Trump posts $91.6 million bond for E.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Schumer says Senate will pass spending bill and avert shutdown

The U.S. Senate will pass spending legislation to fund several federal agencies through September and avert a partial government shutdown that would otherwise begin at midnight, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday. The $467.5 billion spending package would fund agriculture, transportation, housing, energy, veterans and other programs through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

US judge rejects state challenge to Biden migrant sponsorship program

A U.S. judge in Texas on Friday rejected a challenge by Republican-led states to a Biden administration program that allows hundreds of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to apply for emergency entry into the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, said the 21 states led by Texas lacked standing to pursue the 2023 lawsuit because they could not show that the program, which allows up to 30,000 people per month to enter the U.S., caused them any injury.

Biden says he would sign TikTok crackdown; Trump raises concerns

President Joe Biden said on Friday he would sign legislation that gives China's ByteDance about six months to divest the popular TikTok short video app as his rival Donald Trump raised concerns about a ban of the service used by 170 million Americans. The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote next week on the TikTok crackdown bill after a committee on Thursday unanimously approved the measure.

After speech, Biden launches major tour plus $30 million ad buy

President Joe Biden visited Pennsylvania on Friday to kick off a tour of battleground states and his reelection team will spend $30 million on an ad buy as he moves quickly into the U.S. general election campaign after his feisty State of the Union speech. Campaign officials who briefed reporters said Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in March will rally Democrats in many of the states where the Nov. 5 election against Republican opponent Donald Trump is likely to be decided.

US Coast Guard investigating oil spill off California coast

The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday was trying to identify the source of an oil spill off the coast of Huntington beach, California, the agency said. The sheen, estimated at 2.5 miles (4 km) in length and 0.5 miles (800 meters) in width, was discovered after a Coast Guard helicopter flew over the site at sunrise.

Biden does not rule out debate with Trump

President Joe Biden on Friday appeared open to debating Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after Trump challenged the Democrat to debates "anytime, anywhere, anyplace." "It depends on his behavior," Biden said.

Trump tightens grip on US Republican Party as daughter-in-law takes key post

Donald Trump cemented his grip on the Republican National Committee on Friday after his daughter-in-law and another ally assumed top leadership posts amid a debate among members over whether the organization should help pay his legal bills. RNC members meeting in Houston voted to appoint North Carolina Republican Party head Michael Whatley and Lara Trump as chair and co-chair of the organization, which will play a key role in marshaling voters and funds for the Nov. 5 general election.

Donald Trump posts $91.6 million bond for E. Jean Carroll's defamation verdict

Donald Trump on Friday posted a $91.6 million bond to cover the defamation verdict in favor of writer E. Jean Carroll, and began his appeal of the case that arose from his branding her a liar after she accused him of raping her decades ago. The bond from Federal Insurance Co, part of the insurer Chubb, would cover Carroll's $83.3 million judgment if Trump were to lose his appeal of the Jan. 26 verdict and refuse to pay.

US labor market cooling; unemployment rate rises to two-year high of 3.9%

U.S. job growth accelerated in February, but that likely masks underlying softening labor market conditions as the unemployment rate increased to a two-year high of 3.9%. The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday also showed wages rising moderately last month. The jump in the unemployment rate after holding at 3.7% for three straight months reflected a further decline in household employment. The mixed report boosted the odds of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by June.

US court upholds Texas law mandating age verification for online porn

A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law mandating that pornography websites verify that their users are adults, though it struck down a part of the law requiring them to display health warnings about their content. The 2-1 decision from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late on Thursday overturned a lower court ruling blocking the law, which had been challenged in court by pornography producers.

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