Reuters US Domestic News Summary

A federal judge in Boston has questioned President Trump's executive order on mail-in voting, expressing concerns it may unlawfully interfere with states' administration of federal elections.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Boston judge critical of Trump's mail-in voting executive order

A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday sharply questioned U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order aiming to tighten rules for mail-in voting as she weighed whether to halt its implementation ahead of November midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. At a court hearing, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani appeared sympathetic to arguments by Democratic-led states and voting rights groups that Trump is trying to unlawfully interfere with the ​states' administration of federal elections.

US picks Louisiana, Oklahoma rare earth projects for $134 million funding

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday it has selected projects in Louisiana and Oklahoma for $134 million in funding to extract rare earth elements from waste streams. Washington has been pushing to boost domestic critical minerals output and cut dependence on China, ​which dominates the global rare earths supply chain.

Trump 2020 election denier Kurt Olsen joins Justice Department

Kurt Olsen, a White House official who aided President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, has joined the Justice Department ‌as a senior attorney reporting to ​a prosecutor seeking to build a wide-ranging criminal case against the president’s foes. Olsen joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida on Monday, a Justice Department spokesperson confirmed.

Trump appoints ally Bill Pulte as acting US intelligence director

President Donald Trump appointed federal housing regulator Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence on Tuesday, elevating a political loyalist with no national security experience to lead the sprawling U.S. intelligence community at a time of war and global tensions. Pulte, 38, has used his position as head of a low-profile mortgage regulatory agency to push for investigations of several of Trump's perceived enemies for alleged mortgage fraud. None have yet resulted in criminal charges. Pulte replaces the departing Tulsi Gabbard in the intelligence post.

US states sue Trump administration over deal to scrap offshore wind project

Seven U.S. states led by New York sued the Trump administration and a French energy firm on Tuesday for canceling a major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York in exchange for a pledge by the company to invest instead in fossil fuel projects. The lawsuit in the Washington, D.C., federal court challenges a ‌March 23 decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior to cancel a lease by a subsidiary of France's TotalEnergies, "reimburse" $795 million to the company, and extract a pledge from the company not to develop new offshore wind projects in the United States.

Fed Chair Warsh names policy veterans Winfree, Heil as interim advisers, WSJ reports

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has tapped two conservative policy veterans, Paul Winfree and Daniel Heil, to advise him while he settles into the job, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources. Winfree and Heil would work as temporary contractors to support Warsh on policy analysis and planning, the report said, adding the chair had made no final decisions about more permanent roles at the central bank.

Trump says he will attend the rescheduled White House press dinner on July 24

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has accepted an invitation to speak at the rescheduled annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner on July 24.

Adviser Oz calls Trump medical exam 'spectacular' though questions linger

A physician in Donald Trump's administration brushed off questions about the U.S. president's personal health on Tuesday, describing the 79-year-old's third physical examination in 13 months as routine and the results as "spectacular." Trump's visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week had drawn attention after he was seen at public events with swollen ankles, bruised hands and at times appearing to nod off. Details of his exam were scarce.

Fed's Hammack says rates may need to rise if rising inflation does not abate

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack said on Tuesday the U.S. central bank may ‌need to raise interest rates soon should already-high inflation pressures continue to mount. "Based on the data, I'm more concerned about the growing risks of persistently elevated inflation than the risks to full employment and also that monetary policy may not be sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation down to 2%," Hammack said in a speech to the City Club of Cleveland.

Amazon moves Prime Day to June, keeps it a four-day event

Amazon.com will host its annual Prime Day sales event from June 23 to June 26 after launching the event in July for the past five years, citing major holidays and sporting events as factors in its decision. Prime Day is one of Amazon's biggest sales events of the year, and ‌helped drive $24.1 billion in U.S. online spending in 2025 when it extended the event to four days from two, according to data from Adobe Analytics.

Trump to attend rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner on July 24

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner on July 24, he said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, nearly three months after the annual event was postponed following a shooting. The black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians in Washington was postponed after a suspect stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the event on April 25, with Trump in attendance.

Rubio grilled on Iran, says US won't swap sanctions relief for strait

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's negotiating team has not offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and insisted that any sanctions relief was tied to Tehran giving up its nuclear program. "Right now, everything that's been discussed with them (Iran) is that … any sanctions relief is condition-based, which means it has to be in return for the reason why those sanctions were put in place in the first place, which is their nuclear program," Rubio told a Senate hearing, the first of two where lawmakers closely questioned him on the Iran conflict.

SEC, Elon Musk defend 'compromise' settlement over Twitter purchases

Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission defended their settlement over his purchase of Twitter shares, saying it reflected compromises and was not tainted by collusion, after the judge overseeing the case said the accord raised "red flags." Musk called the settlement a fair, adequate and reasonable resolution where "each side gave something up and each side gained something," according to a Monday night filing in the Washington, D.C., federal court.

Greer says USTR to release more Section 301 actions soon, proposed Brazil tariffs 'nuanced'

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday that the Trump administration ⁠will release the results of several Section 301 ​trade investigations over the coming weeks, adding that proposed 25% tariffs are "quite nuanced" due to broad exclusions for beef, coffee, metals, energy and other goods. Greer, speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box program, said that the administration ⁠has had very good results from its tariff program in boosting U.S. exports. He said substantial tariffs were needed to correct persistent unfair trade practices around the world and a "giant" U.S. trade deficit.

Trump administration drops $1.8 billion 'weaponization' fund after Republican backlash

The Trump administration is abandoning the president's $1.8 billion "weaponization" fund, U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday, after a rare backlash from Republican senators. "We are not moving forward with the fund," Blanche said. "Period."

Amazon's Ring sued over facial recognition feature, latest privacy concern for doorbell maker

Amazon was sued on Monday by a Virginia resident over what he said were privacy violations after the company's Ring doorbell cameras at friends and family members' homes collected and stored images of his face using facial recognition software.

The plaintiff, Charles Sigwalt, who is seeking class-action status, sued Amazon in federal court in Seattle alleging a feature known as “Familiar Faces” retains images of passersby without their consent. He is ⁠seeking at least $5 million in damages for the class.

NBA-Knicks aim to end 53-year title drought against Wembanyama's Spurs in NBA Finals

The New York Knicks will try to deliver the city its first NBA title since 1973 when they face a Spurs team looking to launch a new dynasty behind Victor Wembanyama in a highly anticipated Finals match-up beginning on Wednesday in San Antonio. Led by versatile point guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have powered their way to their first Finals appearance since 1999, winning 11 straight games and posting a record point differential of plus-271 through 14 playoff contests.

Trump administration to ask US AI firms to voluntarily submit models for cybersecurity tests

The Trump administration will ask leading AI developers to voluntarily submit their most capable models for government cybersecurity tests before releasing them to the public, according to an executive order released on Tuesday, ​as security fears mount in Washington over powerful new AI systems such as Anthropic's Mythos. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that directs the departments of Treasury, Defense, Commerce and Homeland Security, plus other government officials and agencies, to secure agreements with AI developers to test their models. U.S. agencies would get up to 30 days to test the models before they are released to organizations outside the government, according to the order. It also directs the agencies to emphasize bolstering cyber defense across government.

Sticker shock meets gridlock: LA motorists keep driving at any price

If you thought soaring pump prices since the onset of the Iran war might help clear the notoriously ⁠clogged highways of Los Angeles, think again. Drivers in the often-gridlocked city - where regular unleaded gasoline prices are well over $6 per gallon - appear accustomed to sticker shock, according to data provided to Reuters by government officials. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in an exclusive analysis for Reuters, found that major Los Angeles-area freeways overall showed no significant declines in vehicle miles traveled since the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

US job openings rise by the most since 2021; hiring weak amid economic uncertainty

U.S. job openings increased by the most in five years in April, but the surge likely overstates the labor market's health, as hiring declined against the backdrop of economic uncertainty stemming from the Iran war. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, from the Labor Department on Tuesday also showed resignations dropped to the lowest level in nearly six years in April, a sign of lack of confidence in the jobs market.

California votes in primary to pick new ⁠governor, and ​maybe tip balance in Congress

California votes on Tuesday in a primary election that will choose two finalists for governor and Los Angeles mayor while also testing newly redrawn congressional lines that could tip the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. The marquee contest is the open race for governor, with Governor Gavin Newsom termed out and widely seen as pursuing a run for the White House in 2028. A field of 61 candidates is competing under the state’s “jungle primary," in which the two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party.

US lawmakers propose ending 12% excise tax on heavy-duty trucks

Two U.S. senators on Tuesday proposed ending the 12% federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks, saying it could boost sales of newer, cleaner models. Republican Senator Todd Young and Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks noted the tax adds $15,000 to $30,000 to the cost of a new heavy truck, trailer, semitrailer chassis or tractor and encourages continued use of older vehicles.

Exclusive-Warsh pledges to follow best of Fed's traditions, while also looking for change

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh pledged to follow "the best of the Fed's traditions" in an opening note to the central bank's more than 20,000 employees as he starts his four-year term, while also promising a broad look at what might be done differently. The memo is an early window on Warsh's efforts to pursue what he has described as an extensive reform agenda for a central bank he regards as having strayed from its mission, while also mending fences with colleagues and staff whose work he has ⁠criticized.

Flesh-eating screwworm detected 25 miles from US border in Mexico, USDA says

A parasitic fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive and could cause millions of dollars in economic damage was found in Mexico within 25 miles of the U.S. border, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday. The detection of New World Screwworm in a five-year-old goat in Mexico's Coahuila state further increases the threat facing the U.S. beef industry and cattle ranchers, who have monitored the flesh-eating fly's northward progress through Mexico for over a year. This is the closest confirmed case to the U.S. border during the most recent outbreak, Rollins told reporters on a call.

US fund management firms back 401(k) alternative assets proposal, but others ⁠worry about risks

The U.S. fund management industry has thrown its weight behind a proposal to open up retirement plans to alternative assets like private credit and cryptocurrencies to direct a slice of the estimated $14.2 trillion now ⁠in 401(k) and other mass-market products into those vehicles. More than 33,000 letters from individuals and institutions, including Wall Street and investor advocacy groups, offered a myriad of opinions on the proposed new rule by the Department of Labor by the time the comment period for the proposal drew to a close on Monday.

Schumer meets with Maine Senate candidate Platner ahead of primary

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he met with Graham Platner, the party's leading Senate candidate from Maine who has battled a string of controversies ahead of next week's primary election. "I have endorsed Graham Platner. We are going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate," Schumer said at a news conference, declining to comment further.

Exclusive-Top US spy agencies feud over turf, mission

The CIA has stopped contributing to some intelligence assessments, including those related to the Iran war, produced by the office of the nation's top spy as disputes over intelligence-sharing and areas of responsibility boil over, say people familiar with the matter. The infighting between the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has flared for more ‌than a year, disrupting collaboration on national security analyses on which presidents long have relied to navigate complex foreign challenges, said a U.S. official ‌and three people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Trump homeland secretary declines to commit to following court orders

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin declined to commit to following court orders that run against the Trump administration's immigration policies, when grilled by a top Democratic senator at a hearing on Tuesday. Reflecting partisan tensions over the Republican-driven crackdown, Senator Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on ​the U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee, pressed Mullin repeatedly to confirm that he would follow decisions by federal judges and said the administration had failed to do that in the past.