Reuters US Domestic News Summary

"He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.," Trump said in a post on his social-media site Truth Social, without saying whether "czar" was an official title. California governor promotes trade with Mexico after Trump threats California Governor Gavin Newsom stressed the importance of trade with Mexico and immigrant labor at a press conference near the border on Thursday, striking a contrast with President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs and mass deportations.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Strong quake strikes off California, tsunami warning canceled

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7 hit off the coast of a sparsely populated area of northern California on Thursday, prompting coastal towns to evacuate low-lying areas amid a tsunami warning that was later canceled. No deaths or injuries were reported. There were no reports of major damage, though authorities said they needed time to check across the impacted area.

Trump picks former Senator David Perdue as ambassador to China

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he has chosen former Senator David Perdue to be ambassador to China, tapping a former politician with business experience to help steer relations riven by deep mistrust and trade tensions. "He will be instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain Peace in the region, and a productive working relationship with China's leaders," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

US payrolls seen up in November as Boeing workers return, hurricanes over

U.S. job growth likely surged in November after being severely constrained by hurricanes and strikes, but this probably does not signal a material shift in easing labor market conditions that should allow the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again this month. Economists suggested averaging last month's nonfarm payrolls gains with October's count to get a clearer trend of job growth when the Labor Department's closely watched employment report is released on Friday. Job growth almost stalled in October as the labor market reeled from Hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as a big strike at Boeing factories in the West Coast.

US and Canadian climbers missing on New Zealand mountain believed dead, police say

Three climbers from the United States and Canada who went missing on New Zealand's highest mountain last week are believed to have died, police said on Friday. U.S. nationals Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, and a Canadian man whom police have not named, flew by helicopter on Saturday to a camp on Mount Cook, or Aoraki, with plans to summit the 3,724 metre (12,218 ft) mountain.

Obama hails 'power of pluralism' as some Democrats push to pass the torch

Former U.S. President Barack Obama, who has mostly stayed quiet in the weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris' election loss, on Thursday urged a new generation of American leaders to talk with people they disagree with. In a speech at a "Democracy Forum" sponsored by his foundation, the former president said he was convinced that a renewed commitment to pluralist principles was essential to ensure the survival of democracy.

Police scour New York for suspect two days after UnitedHealth executive gunned down

Armed with a growing file of clues, New York police on Friday were scouring surveillance videos and asking the public for help in their search for the masked assailant who gunned down a UnitedHealth executive on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk. Brian Thompson, 50, the CEO of UnitedHealth's insurance unit and a father of two, was shot from behind early on Wednesday in what police described as a brazen and targeted attack. It came just before the company's annual investor conference at the Hilton on Sixth Avenue.

Trump's NASA pick a boon for SpaceX, but will face political challenges

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick to helm NASA, a private astronaut and close ally of Elon Musk's SpaceX, is a central figure of a speedy, commercial-focused side of the space industry who would face unfamiliar political challenges as an administrator. Jared Isaacman, the CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, has made landmark visits to space on two ambitious SpaceX missions, including the first-ever privately funded spacewalk in September.

Hunter Biden's pardon sparks calls for broader clemency action

After President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, he needs to extend the same grace to thousands of people wronged by the U.S. judicial system, a growing chorus of civil rights activists and lawmakers say. Defense attorneys and civil rights groups are ramping up efforts to highlight compelling cases, working in conjunction with state legislators to draft letters to the White House and launching digital campaigns urging action to commute sentences or issue pardons for Americans they believe are wrongly convicted or serving excessive terms for nonviolent offenses.

Trump appoints former PayPal exec David Sacks as AI and crypto czar

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said he was appointing former PayPal Chief Operating Officer David Sacks as his "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar," another step towards overhauling U.S. policy. "He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.," Trump said in a post on his social-media site Truth Social, without saying whether "czar" was an official title.

California governor promotes trade with Mexico after Trump threats

California Governor Gavin Newsom stressed the importance of trade with Mexico and immigrant labor at a press conference near the border on Thursday, striking a contrast with President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs and mass deportations. Newsom, a Democrat, portrayed the Republican president-elect's planned 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada as a tax on Americans who could see increased prices if the plan moves forward when Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

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