US Domestic News Roundup: Trump taps hostage negotiator O’Brien for national security adviser

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump administration bars California from requiring cleaner cars

The Trump administration said on Thursday it is revoking California's authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and to require some zero-emission vehicles - a decision that will spark a massive legal battle over the future of U.S. vehicles and the most populous state's regulatory role. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement the decision will ensure nationwide rules that provide "much-needed regulatory certainty for the automotive industry." Currently, California's more stringent vehicle emissions rules are also followed by a dozen other states that account for than 40% of U.S. vehicle sales.

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.

U.S. travel industry urges Washington to reauthorize tourism body Brand USA

Some 15 executives from companies associated with the tourism industry, such as American Express and Marriott , have urged the U.S. government to renew federal funding of Brand USA, which promotes the United States as a travel destination. The country has seen slower growth in tourism in recent years, versus global growth, and the part-public body Brand USA is "critical to the U.S. effectively competing for lucrative international tourism dollars", industry group U.S. Travel Association said in a statement on Wednesday.

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.

Trump says EPA to issue notice to San Francisco on homeless

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue a notice in less than a week to the city of San Francisco over its homelessness problem and attendant pollution. Trump and officials in San Francisco and Los Angeles have been at odds over what the president believes is their failure to tackle the growing number of people living on the streets.

Trump expresses dismay over cost of keeping Guantanamo prison open

President Donald Trump expressed unhappiness on Wednesday with the cost of keeping open a controversial prison at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and said his administration was studying the issue. Trump, a Republican who has previously argued that the prison should stay open, declined to say what he would like to happen with the facility now.

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg dines with senators in DC

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg met with a half-dozen U.S. senators on Wednesday for dinner as the company seeks to boost its reputation in Washington. The social media giant has been under fire on a number of fronts for more than a year and faces antitrust investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and a number of state attorneys general as well as numerous legislative proposals that seek to restrict how it operates.