US News Roundup: Trump and California go to war over clean cars; U.S. trade groups urge Congress to rein in 'Tariff Man' Trump

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump taps hostage negotiator O’Brien for national security adviser

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday named U.S. hostage negotiator Robert O'Brien as his choice to replace John Bolton as his White House national security adviser. O'Brien, currently a presidential envoy for hostage affairs at the U.S. Department of State, has a long history in Republican foreign policy circles.

Democrats seek details on U.S. military use of Trump resort hotel

Documents from the Pentagon show that "far more taxpayer funds" were spent by the U.S. military on overnight stays at a Trump resort in Scotland than previously known, two Democratic lawmakers said on Wednesday, as they demanded more evidence from the Defense Department as part of their investigation. In a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the heads of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee and one of it subcommittees said that while initial reports indicated that only one U.S. military crew had stayed at President Donald Trump's Turnberry resort southeast of Glasgow, the Pentagon had now turned over data indicating "more than three dozen separate stays" since Trump moved into the White House.

Trump says there is still a national emergency over border security

U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting a wall on the border with Mexico in California, said on Wednesday there was still a national emergency with regard to border security. Trump said U.S. troops could be taken away from the border as the wall was built, and that if Mexico stopped helping stem the flow of immigrants, imposing tariffs on Mexican imports would be considered.

American Airlines mechanic accused of sabotage will remain behind bars

A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday ordered that an American Airlines mechanic charged with purposely damaging an aircraft that was due to take off from Miami with 150 aboard remain behind bars before a trial, court papers showed. Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani, who is no longer employed by American, is a flight risk and a danger to the community, the court said. The incident occurred in July.

Trump fight on California auto emissions could outlast presidency

The expected legal battle over President Donald Trump's plan to revoke California's authority to set stiff vehicle emissions standards separate from those established by the U.S. government appears unlikely to be resolved before next year's presidential election. Democratic-led states and environmental groups have announced they will challenge the move by the Republican president, his latest salvo against the most populous U.S. state, and legal experts expect complex and lengthy litigation that ultimately makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. House Democrats introduce bill to fund government until November 21

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a stopgap government funding bill on Wednesday that would maintain current spending levels until Nov. 21 and avoid a government shutdown when funding expires at the end of this month. A vote is expected in the House on Thursday, Democratic aides said.

Trump and California go to war over clean cars

U.S. President Donald Trump and the state of California went to war on Wednesday over who should set the standards in the United States for vehicle emissions and electric cars, foreshadowing a legal battle over environmental policy issues that will affect the auto industry and consumers. In a morning flurry of tweets, Trump confirmed he will revoke California's authority to require automakers to build cleaner vehicles than federal requirements demand.

California governor signs gig economy labor bill into law

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed into law a controversial labor bill, AB 5, which spells out when companies must treat "gig economy" contract workers as employees. The new law has been opposed by companies that depend heavily on independent workers, including ride hailing and delivery services.

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg to meet with U.S. senators this week

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is on Capitol Hill this week to meet with senators as the social media giant faces scrutiny from both the Federal Trade Commission and members of Congress, the company confirmed on Wednesday. Zuckerberg will be in Washington to "talk about future internet regulation" with policymakers but has no public events planned, Facebook said in a statement.

U.S. trade groups urge Congress to rein in 'Tariff Man' Trump

Nearly two dozen U.S. lobbying groups have joined forces to try to rein in U.S. President Donald Trump's power to unilaterally impose tariffs amid growing concern about the negative economic impact of his trade policies. Led by the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), the groups on Wednesday said they had formed the Tariff Reform Coalition to urge Congress to wrestle back greater control over trade policy and increase its oversight of the president's use of tariffs.

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