Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Slain security guard of California mosque engaged gunmen in shootout, hailed as hero

The security guard slain at the Islamic Center of San Diego was hailed on Tuesday as a fallen hero who sacrificed his life to keep 140 school children inside the mosque safe by engaging two gunmen in a shootout that deterred the teenage suspects and helped thwart their attack. Authorities also disclosed that the 17- and 18-year-old assailants, who took their own lives shortly after Monday's shooting, were believed to have met online ​and were apparently "radicalized" in hate-related ideology on the internet.

Barney Frank, architect of landmark Wall Street reforms, dies at 86

Former U.S. Representative Barney Frank, a quick-witted Democrat who gave his name to a landmark financial reform bill after the economic crisis of 2007-2009, has died, his sister Ann Lewis said on Wednesday. He was 86. One of the best-known gay politicians of his ​time, Frank served for over 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member from Massachusetts and a liberal who gladly worked with Republicans.

US watchdog urged to probe Roblox over child safety and marketing

Two children's advocacy groups ‌asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on ​Wednesday to investigate gaming platform Roblox, according to a letter shared with Reuters saying its design features and marketing techniques are "unfair and deceptive." The groups Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation asked the FTC to investigate whether Roblox violated the Federal Trade Act's section 5, according to the letter. The law prohibits unfair or deceptive practices affecting commerce.

More gasoline price shocks might hit US drivers this summer travel season

As millions of travelers hit the road for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, high gasoline prices fueled by ongoing supply disruptions from the war with Iran are set to add financial strain for motorists, kicking off what is set to become a pricier summer travel season. U.S. retail gasoline prices have jumped more than $1.50 per gallon, or about 45%, since late February, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Prices for crude oil used to make gasoline have also surged, along with prices for many goods, as the conflict has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade conduit through which roughly 20% of the world's oil consumption flows.

How Trump's revenge tour against Republicans could cost the party in November

Sixteen months into his second presidency, Donald Trump ‌may be as unpopular as he's ever been among the American electorate – but his grip on his core base of MAGA voters remains unshaken.

That power was on full display over the last two weeks, as Trump ousted a string of fellow Republicans he considered apostates for not showing him enough personal fealty. The president's revenge tour continued on Tuesday, when a hand-picked loyalist defeated U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a frequent critic, in a Kentucky nominating contest.

Vance or Rubio for 2028? The White House briefing room edition

The White House press briefing room has emerged as an informal audition stage this month in the intensifying race of who will succeed President Donald Trump in 2028. Taking the podium on Tuesday, two weeks after a similar appearance by possible rival Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance used the historic venue primarily to impress an audience of one.

Analysis-Trump's $1.776 billion 'weaponization' fund sparks outrage, but court challenges will be tough

Opponents of President Donald Trump's sweeping legal settlement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service will face high hurdles in challenging its $1.776 billion fund for victims of alleged political "weaponization" and its provision barring audits of his taxes, according to legal experts. Congressional Democrats derided the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund as a slush fund to steer taxpayer dollars to Trump's political allies, while watchdog groups called the tax immunity agreement illegal. Even some Republicans expressed qualms. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, for instance, said he was "not a big fan" of the plan.

Sons laud security guard dad in San Diego who saved children from mosque attackers

The sons of a security guard killed while protecting children at the Islamic Center of San Diego remembered their father as a hero who died as he lived - putting others ‌first. Police say Amin Abdullah, 51, a security guard at the largest mosque in San Diego County, sacrificed his life to keep 140 children inside the mosque school safe by engaging two gunmen in a shootout and transmitting the radio call that activated a security lockdown. Mosque elder Mansour Kaziha, 78, and Uber driver Nadir Awad, 57, a neighbor whose wife is a teacher at the mosque school, were also shot and killed in what is being investigated as a hate crime.

Sinkhole shuts down runway at New York LaGuardia airport

A sinkhole on Wednesday forced the closure of one of the runways at New York's LaGuardia airport, prompting cancellations and delays and ongoing emergency repairs. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages New York City area airports, said at ‌11 a.m. officials were conducting a daily morning inspection of LaGuardia's airfield when crews identified a sinkhole.

'I'm not greedy': January 6 rioters and Trump allies eye $1.8 billion 'weaponization' fund

Since President Donald Trump's administration announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund for Americans deemed to be victims of political "weaponization," January 6 Capitol riot defendants and other Trump allies have scrambled to figure out how to get their share. Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy over the January 6, 2021 riot, said he planned to apply to the fund, assuming he could get between $2 and $5 million.

Trump to sign order on AI oversight as security fears mount among supporters

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on AI and cybersecurity as soon as Thursday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as pressure grows from parts of his political base to increase oversight of new AI models, such as Anthropic's Mythos. The White House was working to get AI company CEOs to a signing ceremony with President Donald Trump, another source familiar with the planning said.

American Ebola patient evacuated from DRC to Germany is in stable condition, CDC says

A U.S. citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak of a rare strain of the virus has killed over 130 people, is being treated in Germany and is in stable condition, the U.S. CDC said on Wednesday. Six other high-risk U.S. citizens were currently being moved from the DRC to Germany and the Czech Republic, Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ebola response, said in a briefing.

Fishing boats worldwide tuck dockside as diesel prices surge on Iran war

Captain Chris Welch of Kennebunk, Maine, is catching fewer lobsters this spring because spiking diesel prices have made it too costly to take out his fishing boat as often as he normally would. Instead of checking and re-baiting his traps every four or five days to collect the valuable crustaceans, he's doing so every seven to 10 days ⁠to conserve fuel.

US Supreme Court's uneven approach to ​election-map rulings boosts Republicans

The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court last December permitted Texas to move ahead with a new voting map beneficial to Republicans, as the justices faulted a lower court for issuing an order blocking it "on the eve ⁠of an election." At the time, the Texas party primary elections were four months away and the general election was 11 months off. The top U.S. judicial body's action in the case followed a legal concept known as the Purcell principle it established two decades ago that courts should strive to avoid changing voting rules too close to an election due to the risk of voter confusion.

US group says Starbucks plastic cups marked recyclable end up in trash

Starbucks' plastic single-use cups it often serves in U.S. cafes are not as recyclable as the company claims, an environmental nonprofit group said on Wednesday. Vermont-based Beyond Plastics attached location trackers to 36 single-use polypropylene cups earlier this year and placed them in recycling bins inside Starbucks' cafes across the country. None of the cups were tracked to a recycling facility, the group said. Instead, 33 ended up in landfills, incinerators, or on their way to either. Three were last seen in sorting facilities.

Supreme Court rulings loom in four major Trump-related cases

President ⁠Donald Trump was incensed on February 20 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his sweeping global tariffs, an integral part of his economic and foreign policy strategy. That may not be the last disappointment for Trump during the court's current term. Four more major cases involving Trump are due to be decided by the top U.S. judicial body by around the end of next month. They involve his effort to restrict birthright citizenship, fire a member of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors, oust a Federal Trade Commission member and end protected status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Haiti and Syria.

US weekly jobless claims fall amid labor market resilience

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to labor market resilience and giving the Federal Reserve room to focus on rising inflation. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 209,000 for the week ended ​May 16, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 210,000 claims for the latest week.

US Health Secretary Kennedy fires heads of key preventive health panel

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the chair and vice chair of the influential task force that decides what preventive medical care should be provided at no cost to patients, according to letters sent earlier this month and seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The Preventive Services Task Force, which typically has 16 members, last met over a year ago after Kennedy canceled its regularly scheduled meetings. New members have not been named to replace the five volunteers whose terms expired in December.

Former DOJ lawyer charged with theft of unreleased report on Trump ⁠documents case

A former U.S. Department of Justice attorney has been charged with emailing herself copies of an unreleased volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report concerning the now-dismissed criminal case accusing President Trump of retaining classified documents after his first term. Carmen Lineberger, who had worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, pleaded not guilty to charges related to the theft and concealment of government records during a Wednesday hearing in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida.

South Carolina lawmakers advance US House map targeting powerful Democrat Clyburn

South Carolina's Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a new congressional map early on Wednesday aimed at ousting longtime Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn in November's midterm elections. The map still needs approval from the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 34-12 advantage. The legislation would also postpone the state's primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives from June 9 to August 18 to allow time for candidates to file again and run campaigns in the redrawn districts.

Democratic senators raise alarm over foreign investment in Paramount, Warner Bros merger

A ⁠group of six ​Democratic senators have expressed serious concerns about planned foreign ownership interests, including from Gulf sovereign wealth funds, in the proposed $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger. Last month, Paramount Skydance asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve foreign investments backing its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. The senators raised concerns about Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Chinese companies taking part.

US Democrats push to rein in Trump on Cuba as White House steps up pressure

A group of Democratic U.S. senators introduced a resolution to stop President Donald Trump from using the military against Cuba on Wednesday, as his administration escalated pressure on the island's government by indicting former President Raul Castro. Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia, Adam Schiff of California and Ruben Gallego of Arizona introduced a War Powers Resolution to block the use of the U.S. armed forces against the Communist-ruled island.

US provides another $200 million for plan to rebuild New York Penn Station

The U.S. Transportation Department said on Wednesday it will provide another $200 million to begin construction by the end of next year on an $8 billion plan to rebuild New York Penn Station, a key transit artery. U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak and President Donald Trump's administration said the plan includes expanding track capacity, building a grand entrance on Eighth Avenue to a new train hall and replacing aging walkways with open modern concourses. Penn Station is the busiest transit hub in the U.S., serving 10 million Amtrak passengers annually and 100 million total when regional train systems are included.

Police officers who guarded Capitol sue to block Trump's $1.8 billion 'slush fund'

Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters on January 6, 2021, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to halt ⁠President Donald Trump's nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political "weaponization." In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges alleged Trump has "created a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name."

Families weigh moves with gender-affirming care access under assault in US

Confronted with Trump Administration threats to gender-affirming care for young transgender people, American families are weighing moves out of their states to gain access to needed healthcare, according to doctors, patients, policy experts and advocacy groups. Upon taking office for the second time, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at limiting access to gender-affirming care for patients under age 19, building on legislation or rules in 27 mostly Republican-led states ⁠that restrict such care. The order has been temporarily blocked by a judge but the administration continues to push new bans.

US Senator Durbin urges RFK Jr. to resist easing vape rules

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin urged Health Secretary Robert ⁠F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday to resist an easing of rules on flavoured vapes, saying the moves were short-sighted and driven by lobbying and donations from big tobacco companies. Under pressure from the White House, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has in recent weeks softened its stance on flavoured vapes, a shift that contributed to the resignation of Commissioner Marty Makary, raised concerns about political influence at the agency and reignited debate over vaping.

New York City hotels reach labor deal before World Cup

New York City hotel operators and unions have reached an eight-year labor deal covering about 25,000 workers, averting a strike over wages, workloads and staffing levels that had threatened to disrupt the city ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the head of the Hotel Association of New York City said on Tuesday.

Vijay Dandapani, the association's president and chief executive, said the mood among owners was "overall positive" after weeks of negotiations, though the industry made significant concessions.

US Republican senator says Trump ballroom funding removed from spending bill

U.S. Republican Senator John Kennedy on Wednesday said there was insufficient support in the Senate to spend $1 billion on a planned White House ballroom and related security measures, and that the proposal would not ‌be included in a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill. Speaking to reporters after leaving a meeting of Republican senators, Kennedy, of Louisiana, said: "We were told that, and again, ‌I haven't looked at the text, but we're told that the ballroom money is out."

Harvard faculty take aim at grade inflation by capping 'A' grades for students

Harvard University faculty have imposed a limit on the number of "A" grades that can be given to undergraduate students in an effort to end a growing trend of grade inflation at the elite U.S. university. In hundreds of votes cast over the past week, more ​than two-thirds of the voting faculty supported a measure allowing them to award A's to no more than one-fifth of the students enrolled in a course, plus up to four more students.

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