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.

Trump signs bill approving Epstein files release

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had signed a bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

US broadcast regulator reviews network-affiliate relationships after Trump attack on ABC

The White House ratcheted up its attack on ABC News Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized an ABC News correspondent for asking Saudi Arabia's crown prince about the 2018 killing of a Washington Post columnist. The fresh critique came as the Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it was opening a review of agreements between national networks and local broadcast stations. Trump suggested the commission should move to revoke the broadcast licenses of Disney-owned ABC stations following questions about Jamal Khashoggi that he called "insubordinate."

Feud in the family: Trump break with Marjorie Taylor Greene jolts MAGA heartland

In a brightly lit, mostly packed meeting hall in LaFayette, Georgia, Jackie Harling leaned into the microphone, her voice calm and firm, "So the elephant in the room: We love President Trump and we love our congresswoman," she told the Walker County Republicans on Tuesday night, "and there seems to be a little bit of trouble brewing." Attendees, sitting at round tables evenly spaced about the room, listened attentively as Harling, the local party chair, addressed what everyone was thinking: the widening rift between Donald Trump and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. "We don't have to take a side," she said, urging unity.

Trump signs bill to release Epstein files

President Donald Trump signed legislation on Wednesday ordering the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — files eagerly sought by both his political opponents and members of his own base who have pressed for greater transparency in the case. The material could shed more light on the activities of Epstein, who socialized with Trump and other notable figures before his 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

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 HHS proposes new CDC programs, including hepatitis B screening for pregnant women, Bloomberg News reports

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed new initiatives for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including a program to increase hepatitis B screening for pregnant women, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. The proposals include 16 initiatives that have yet to be formalized, with details to be settled before they are rolled out to the CDC in January, the report said, citing internal documents.

Trump to meet NYC mayor-elect Mamdani at White House on Friday

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will meet New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday in what would be the first meeting of the Republican leader with the democratic socialist who won this month's mayoral election. Mamdani and Trump have been critical of each other, with Trump having backed Mamdani's opponent, Andrew Cuomo.

US economy likely added jobs at a moderate pace in September

U.S. job growth likely picked up moderately in September, while the unemployment rate held steady near a four-year high of 4.3%, consistent with sluggish labor market conditions that economists and policymakers have blamed on low supply and demand for workers. Though the Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Thursday would be backward-looking, it would confirm the significant loss of momentum in the labor market this year, marked by sharp downward revisions to nonfarm payroll counts.

Trump's congressional redistricting push stalls, boosting Democrats

When President Donald Trump began an extraordinary campaign this summer pressuring Republican lawmakers to redraw state congressional maps, starting with Texas, some Democrats feared it could hand a dozen new seats to Republicans in next year's midterm elections. Since then, however, a series of court rulings and aggressive moves by Democrats have dented Trump's plan, leaving the eventual winners of the nationwide redistricting war unclear.

Federal judge orders Texas schools to defy state law requiring Ten Commandment displays

A federal judge has ordered a dozen Texas public school districts to remove displays of the Ten Commandments from their classrooms by December, saying that a state law requiring such displays violates the U.S. Constitution. In a win for parents of children who attend school in the Texas districts named as defendants, U.S. District Court Judge Orlando L. Garcia wrote that the law violates a constitutional clause barring the government from passing any "law respecting an establishment of religion."

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.

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.

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