Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump considering executive order to preempt state AI laws

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering an executive order that would seek to preempt state laws on artificial intelligence through lawsuits and by withholding federal funding, according to a draft of the order seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The move, which is likely to face pushback from states, shows how far Trump is willing to go to help AI companies overcome a patchwork of laws they say stifle innovation.

Buffett-owned utility reaches $150 million Oregon wildfire settlement

PacifiCorp, owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, said on Wednesday it reached a $150 million settlement with 1,434 plaintiffs who blamed the utility for starting the 2020 Labor Day weekend wildfires in Oregon. The payout boosts the amount PacifiCorp has agreed to pay wildfire claimants to close to $1.7 billion, including a $125 million settlement last month with 93 Oregon wineries and vineyards.

US will soon announce details of farmer payments, says agriculture secretary

The administration of President Donald Trump will soon announce details of payments to farmers hurt by low crop prices and trade disputes, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Wednesday. U.S. farmers have been saddled this year with record harvests and lost billions of dollars in soybean sales to China when the nation turned to South American suppliers this fall during stalled trade talks.

US FCC reviewing TV network-affiliate relationship, chairman says

The U.S. FCC has started reviewing the relationship between TV networks and affiliates to examine how local broadcasters can meet their "public interest obligations," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on Wednesday. Carr, in a post on X, said the FCC had initiated the review because national programmers are "reportedly preventing those broadcasters from serving their local communities - including by punishing them for exercising their right to preempt national programming."

US lawmakers say any civil nuclear deal with Saudi must not create arms race

U.S. lawmakers cautioned against ushering in a nuclear arms race in the Middle East after the United States and Saudi Arabia said they signed an initial agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed an initial civil nuclear cooperation agreement on Tuesday as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, made his first White House visit in more than seven years.

US canceling October's employment report after shutdown prevented data collection

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Wednesday it would not be publishing the closely watched employment report for October, but will combine nonfarm payrolls for that month with November's report after the recently ended government shutdown prevented the collection of data for the household survey. That means October's unemployment rate will never be known, something that the White House had warned would happen.

White House move gives budget director more time to eliminate consumer finance agency

The White House has nominated a director to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a legal maneuver that buys Acting Director Russell Vought more time to close the agency, an administration spokesperson said. Vought, who heads the Office of Management and Budget, has accused the consumer finance watchdog of politicized enforcement and advancing a left-wing agenda at the expense of free enterprise.

Trump says his approval ratings are down, except with 'smart people'

U.S. President Donald Trump did something on Wednesday he has rarely done: He admitted his poll numbers had gone down. Trump, under pressure over his handling of the high cost of living and the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alluded to difficulties with his political base in an otherwise exuberant speech to business leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia.

US Social Security scraps plan to limit disability benefits, WaPo reports

The Social Security Administration has scrapped a plan that would have stopped thousands of Americans from qualifying for disability benefits, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the decision. The policy would have changed eligibility for two federal disability programs by either eliminating or limiting the age of the claimant as a factor for consideration, the report said.

AI-focused developers help fuel New York City life, city agency chief says

New York City companies focused on artificial intelligence, which rely on human interaction to grow, are boosting office leasing and inspiring the return of workers to the city, said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation. The industry-wide trend started in the San Francisco Bay Area, where major AI developers are based, following the launch of ChatGPT three years ago.

Senate grills Trump's pick for CFTC head on crypto regulation

U.S. senators on Wednesday pressed Michael Selig, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, about his plans to overhaul cryptocurrency regulations and election betting, among other hot-button issues.

Selig is currently chief counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission's crypto task force and an adviser to Trump's Republican SEC Chair Paul Atkins.

US shoppers find Thanksgiving relief on turkey, but feel the pinch on pricier side dishes

Deep discounting by U.S. retailers on turkeys pushed the cost of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner lower for a third straight year, while costs for side dishes highlighted the country's nagging debate over the cost of living. The overall decline put the price of the meal at $55.18, 5% down from 2024, the lowest since 2021, driven lower by a 16.3% decline that shoppers found in what retailers were charging for a 16-pound turkey, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported in its annual survey of holiday meal prices.

Trump again criticizes Fed's Powell, says 'I'd love to fire his ass'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled down on his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates more quickly, saying: "I'll be honest, I'd love to fire his ass." Trump, speaking at a Saudi Arabia-backed investment forum in Washington, urged Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to accelerate the hunt for a successor for Powell, whose term as Fed chair ends in May. His term as Fed governor ends in 2028.

Court blocks new Texas congressional map drawn by Republicans

A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a new congressional map intended to flip several Democratic-held U.S. House of Representatives seats to Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, faulting Governor Greg Abbott for directing the legislature to draw it based on race. The 2-1 ruling by a three-judge panel dealt a major blow to Texas Republicans who had been urged by President Donald Trump to redraw the boundaries of state congressional districts to maximize the number of Republicans who could be elected and protect his party's narrow U.S. House majority.

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