Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The indictment marked the third time in recent weeks the Justice Department has secured criminal charges against one of Trump's critics. US outlines growth, deregulation, energy as priorities for G20 presidency, sources say The U.S. will focus on economic growth, deregulation and energy as key priorities for its G20 presidency next year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a meeting of the world's major economies on Thursday, two sources familiar with the remarks said.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Military spending bill blocked in US Senate as shutdown grinds on

U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a bill that would have funded the Pentagon for a full year, thwarting an effort by Republicans to restart some federal funding as the government shutdown stretched into its 16th day. The tally was 50-44, falling short of the 60 needed to advance the measure in the 100-member Senate. The vote was largely along party lines, with President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans voting in favor and all but three Democrats objecting.

Trump, Merck KGaA announce deal to cut some IVF drug prices

U.S. President Donald Trump and Germany's Merck KGaA on Thursday said they had struck a deal that would cut the cost of some drugs needed for in-vitro fertilization in exchange for protection from future tariffs. Trump also said Merck would offer all new drugs launched in the U.S. at the prices it charges in other developed countries.

US FDA announces recipients of national priority vouchers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced the names of nine products, under a new fast-track review process, which could potentially get approval within one to two months of filing a complete application. The regulator said it has selected Merck KGaA's fertility drug Pergoveris, Sanofi's Type 1 diabetes drug teplizumab, Regeneron's DB-OTO for deafness and ketamine for domestic manufacturing of a general anesthetic.

Trump says price of Ozempic will be lowered

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the price of Novo Nordisk's best-selling weight-loss drug would be lowered and that negotiations over price changes would be swift.

Trump made the comments during a White House event on fertility treatments and drug pricing. He was asked by reporters to identify the name of a drug that he earlier in the event said would be made less expensive.

US prosecutors charge voting tech company Smartmatic in alleged bribery scheme

Voting technology company Smartmatic was charged in U.S. federal court in Florida on Thursday with money laundering and other crimes, in an alleged foreign bribery conspiracy involving three of its former executives to secure business in the Philippines. Federal prosecutors named Smartmatic parent SGO Corp as a defendant in the ongoing criminal prosecution filed in 2024 against three former executives for their alleged roles in the scheme.

United Airlines sees US shutdown as risk to travel confidence

United Airlines Scott Kirby warned on Thursday that an extended government shutdown risks taking a toll on airline bookings as well as flight operations. The shutdown has entered its third week due to a political stalemate over government funding, amplifying a long-standing shortage of air traffic controllers. It has slowed air traffic at times in some cities.

John Bolton, former Trump adviser, charged with sharing classified information

John Bolton, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, was charged on Thursday in a sweeping indictment that accuses him of sharing sensitive government information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing. The indictment marked the third time in recent weeks the Justice Department has secured criminal charges against one of Trump's critics.

US outlines growth, deregulation, energy as priorities for G20 presidency, sources say

The U.S. will focus on economic growth, deregulation and energy as key priorities for its G20 presidency next year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a meeting of the world's major economies on Thursday, two sources familiar with the remarks said. The upcoming U.S. presidency of the G20 has stirred curiosity and uncertainty, given U.S. President Donald Trump's moves to quit multilateral treaties and organizations and slash development aid, while eliminating any focus on climate change, an issue that has preoccupied the G20 in recent years.

Analysis-Critical mineral firms boost Washington lobbying as US expands investments

Critical mineral companies are boosting lobbying efforts in Washington, hoping to share in the ambitious investments that U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to firms deemed essential to national security, a Reuters review of public records and interviews with executives and officials showed. At least a dozen companies — including lithium, copper, rare earths, and geothermal firms — have signed with major Washington lobbying firms since January, the review found.

Oklahoma abandons requirement for Bibles in every classroom

The Oklahoma Department of Education is rescinding a 2024 directive that required teachers to have the Christian Bible in every classroom and incorporate it into their lessons, which had been challenged as unconstitutional. The directive was the brainchild of Ryan Walters, who resigned as the U.S. state's superintendent of public instruction last month. The Oklahoma Supreme Court had halted the effort while teachers and parents from various religious backgrounds challenged it in a lawsuit against Walters that argued the Bible mandate violated the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on state sponsorship of religion.

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