Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Why millions of Americans pay for unfinished electricity projects

Millions of Americans are unknowingly financing electric grid projects before they get any benefit. Policy-makers, in an urgent bid to overhaul the nation's aging electric grid, are increasingly letting utilities charge customers for power plants and transmission lines long before they've been built, boosting near-term bills in exchange for promised savings decades down the road, according to a Reuters review of regulatory disclosures.

Alabama Republicans ask ​US Supreme Court to clear way for new voting map

Alabama Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for the state to pursue a congressional voting map more favorable to their party ahead of November's midterm elections in the latest fallout from the justices' recent seismic voting rights ​ruling. The state officials asked the justices to lift a lower court's order requiring Alabama to use a map that includes two majority-Black districts out of seven. Both are held by Black Democrats.

Trump agency's order against ‌ABC's 'The View' talk show is invalid, ​network says

Disney-owned ABC said on Friday the Trump administration's efforts to declare its daytime talk show "The View" subject to federal equal time rules for political candidates are invalid and threaten the network's free speech rights. In February, the Federal Communications Commission said it was investigating whether "The View" violated equal time rules for interviews with political candidates, after an appearance by Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. The FCC said daytime and late-night TV talk shows are no longer considered "bona fide" news programs exempt from the rule.

Maryland lawmakers await answers after air base jet fuel spill

Members of Maryland's congressional delegation are awaiting answers from the U.S. Air Force about its delay in informing them about a fuel leak from Andrews Air Force Base into a tributary of the Potomac River. Maryland lawmakers said they still have not gotten a response from the Defense Department after they sent a letter earlier this week seeking answers about a fuel leak into Piscataway Creek in Prince George's County that they were only notified about on March 23, two months after 32,000 gallons ‌of jet fuel were discharged.

Trump administration reaches deal with non-profit over DC golf courses

President Donald Trump's administration and a non-profit group that runs Washington, D.C.'s public golf courses reached a deal on Friday under which the organization will have a new long-term lease of two courses while federal officials will overhaul a third one. The two sides released a joint statement on Friday. Here are some details:

Frontier jet hits and kills pedestrian on runway in Denver during takeoff, airport says

A Frontier Airlines passenger jet struck and killed a pedestrian on a runway at Denver International Airport during a planned takeoff for Los Angeles late on Friday, the airport said in a statement. The Frontier flight reported striking an individual during takeoff and abandoned its departure. The pedestrian, who has not been identified, had jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway, the airport said.

Trump releases government UFO files, more expected

At the order of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Defense Department on Friday released dozens of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings to provide what it called "unprecedented transparency" to the American people, though analysts said many of the documents had already been made public. The disclosure of documents, photos and videos of "unidentified anomalous phenomena" will be followed by future releases as more materials are declassified, the Defense Department said in a statement.

New York Mayor Mamdani's 'freeze the rent' promise survives a noisy vote

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's best-known campaign promise was tentatively ‌advanced in a cacophonous college auditorium as a city housing board agreed in a provisional vote to consider freezing the rent for about a million regulated apartments. In a weeks-long annual ritual culminating in a final vote in June, the city's Rent Guidelines Board fixes how much landlords can raise the rent for tenants of rent-stabilized apartments, home to about a quarter of all New Yorkers. The board weighs tenants' wages and landlords' incomes from their buildings, inflation, taxes, shifts in housing supply and myriad other factors in closely scrutinized public calculations.

US military says its strike on vessel in Eastern Pacific kills 2, leaves 1 survivor

The U.S. military said on Friday it struck ‌a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor. It marked the latest such attack that rights groups label as "extrajudicial killings" and which Washington describes as targeting "narco-terrorists." Here are some details:

From jewelry to private letters, Marilyn Monroe's hidden world heads to auction

Memorabilia belonging to late model and movie star Marilyn Monroe is heading to the auction block, offering a rare glimpse into the private world of one of Hollywood's most enduring legends. Items up for sale include pieces from her wardrobe, jewelry, letters, handwritten notes, paintings, and poetry. "Marilyn is just an icon," said Brian Chanes, senior director of Hollywood and entertainment at Heritage Auctions, during a preview of the collection on Friday. "People love and adore Marilyn to this day."

Nike sued by consumers for not refunding tariff costs

Nike was sued on Friday by consumers who accused the athletic apparel and footwear maker of not refunding tariff-related costs it passed on in the form of higher prices. In a proposed class action, consumers said Nike should not be allowed to keep "significant" refunds it can expect after the U.S. Supreme Court in February struck down sweeping tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Palestinian American developer asks US judge to dismiss lawsuit alleging he aided Hamas

A prominent Palestinian-American developer asked a U.S. judge on Friday to throw out a lawsuit accusing him of supporting Hamas through his Gaza projects, arguing it equates participating in Gaza's economy with terrorism. Bashar Masri, who built luxury hotels in Gaza and the Palestinians' first planned city in the West Bank, was sued last year by U.S. families of victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks who alleged his Gaza properties concealed tunnels the militant group used to stage its assault.

Trump administration appeals latest ⁠court loss on tariffs

The Trump administration on ​Friday appealed a court ruling that found a 10% global tariff imposed in February was not justified under a 1970s trade law. The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled on Thursday in a ⁠2-1 decision that Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act was not meant to address trade deficits that occur when the U.S. imports more goods than it exports. The court, however, only blocked the tariffs for three importers that sued - two small businesses and the state of Washington.

Exclusive-Kennedy's health officials explored US ban of some widely used antidepressants, sources say

U.S. health department officials last week explored whether they could ban certain drugs in a widely prescribed class of antidepressants as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prepared to roll out a plan to reduce their use, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Their interest centered on specific treatments within a class known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, such as Zoloft, Prozac and Lexapro, which have been available in the U.S. for decades, one of the people said. The sources did not say ⁠which drugs were being examined for restrictions or how far the inquiries about them had advanced.

Exclusive-White House considering naming FDA food chief as acting commissioner, sources say

The White House is considering naming FDA Deputy Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, who heads up the agency's food group, as acting commissioner of the agency to replace current head Marty Makary, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Potential names being considered to be the actual nominee to run the agency include former FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn and former acting commissioner and assistant Health Secretary Brett Giroir, according to one of the sources and two other sources.

Trump plans to fire US FDA chief Makary, sources say

The White House signed off on a plan to fire U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, according to sources familiar with the ​matter, in what could be the next leadership change within the federal health department. The Wall Street Journal earlier on Friday first reported that President Donald Trump planned to fire Makary.

US judge will not rubber-stamp Elon Musk settlement with SEC

A federal judge on Friday declined to quickly approve the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's $1.5 million settlement with Elon Musk over his purchase of Twitter, saying she wants more information about whether the accord is fair and how it was reached. The settlement would resolve an SEC lawsuit accusing Musk of waiting 11 days too long to disclose he had amassed a 5% stake in Twitter, and ⁠saving $150 million by the time he revealed a 9.2% stake in April 2022. Musk, the world's richest person, bought Twitter for $44 billion six months later.

US FDA to ease crackdown on some under-review unauthorized vapes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday it would not prioritize enforcement against certain unauthorized e-cigarettes and nicotine pouch products if the companies have marketing applications under review. The new guideline applies to products with premarket applications that have been accepted for review or supplemental filings that have been pending for more than 180 days, the agency said.

Virginia court tosses Democratic map, dealing major blow to party's midterm hopes

Virginia's top court on Friday threw out a new electoral map that was crafted to flip four Republican-held U.S. congressional seats to Democrats, in a setback to Democratic hopes of retaking the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. In a 4-3 decision, the Virginia Supreme Court rejected a Democratic-backed ballot measure approved ⁠by voters ​in April that reconfigured the state's U.S. House of Representatives districts for partisan advantage.

US Senate Committee set to consider long-awaited crypto bill next week

U.S. senators are set to consider long-awaited legislation that would create a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency next week, potentially ending a deadlock over the bill that pitted crypto companies against U.S. banks. The bill, dubbed the Clarity Act, would, if signed into law, clarify financial regulators' jurisdiction over the burgeoning sector, potentially boosting digital asset adoption.

US Postal Service reports $2 billion quarterly loss as cash crunch mounts

The U.S. Postal Service on Friday reported a net quarterly loss of $2 billion as it faces a growing financial crisis and has warned it could run out of cash as soon as February. USPS said mail volumes fell another 6.3% in the three months ending March 31 as operating revenue rose 2.3% to $20.2 billion over the same quarter last year.

US nears $400 million settlement with TikTok on child-privacy violations, ABC News reports

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is nearing a $400 million settlement with TikTok to resolve an ongoing lawsuit over alleged child-privacy violations, ABC News reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The White House declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately comment. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.

US economy posts second straight month of strong job gains, but strains remain

U.S. employment increased more than expected in April, pointing to labor market stability ⁠and reinforcing expectations the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates unchanged for some time as the war with Iran fans inflation. Despite the second straight month of strong job growth reported by the Labor Department on Friday, strains remained and economists warned the labor market was not out of the woods yet.

Utah judge rejects bid to ban TV in Kirk case, delays hearing

A Utah judge on Friday rejected a request by Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to ban live TV and still photography from courtroom proceedings but accepted his motion to delay a key hearing. District Court Judge Tony Graf said TV livestreams allowed maximum public access ⁠to proceedings, held the justice system accountable for its actions and that the court had taken precautions to prevent visual coverage from tainting potential jurors, such as not showing Robinson's shackles.

Anger, confusion as Louisiana ⁠Republicans move to erase majority-Black US House district

As a child, Leona Tate was one of the "New Orleans Four," the first Black students to desegregate a public school in the deep South, enduring racial slurs and death threats as armed U.S. Marshals escorted them to class. On Friday, more than six decades later, Tate told Republican state lawmakers that their proposal to dismantle at least one majority-Black congressional district brought back harrowing memories.

Schools reach out to Canvas hackers as breach hits US classrooms, source says

Some schools and universities whose students' data was stolen by a cybercriminal hacking group as part of an April breach of the educational tool Canvas have reached out to the hackers to prevent their data from being released, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. ShinyHunters, a hacking group with a string of data theft and extortion campaigns targeting major global companies, said in a May 3 post on its website that it had stolen roughly 6.65 terabytes of Canvas data related to nearly 9,000 schools worldwide that included student names, ‌email addresses and private messages between students, teachers, and other staff.

Trump's crackdown on China-linked solar firms stalls U.S. factory boom

Top solar companies, ‌banks and insurers have stopped doing business with at least a half dozen recently built U.S. panel factories because of uncertainty over whether their ties to China could disqualify them from clean-energy subsidies, according to industry executives and documents reviewed by Reuters. The shift, driven by new Trump administration policies, jeopardizes more than a third of U.S. solar capacity in factories initially ​built by Chinese firms. Details of how the policy uncertainty is driving installers and insurers away from U.S. solar factories with China ties have not been previously reported.

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