Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump to formally launch 2020 campaign on June 18 in Orlando, Florida

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday he will be formally launching his 2020 re-election campaign on June 18 in Florida, beginning what may prove to be a difficult bid for another four years at the White House. In a tweet, Trump said he would hold a rally with his wife, Melania, Vice President Mike Pence and Pence's wife Karen at the 20,000-seat Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. "Join us for this historic rally!" he wrote.

Government watchdog finds 'dangerous overcrowding' at U.S. border facility

The internal watchdog for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has urged officials to take immediate steps to alleviate "dangerous overcrowding" after it found some adult detainees being held in "standing-room-only conditions" for days or weeks at a border patrol facility in Texas. U.S. officials say they have been overwhelmed by tens of thousands of mostly Central Americans crossing into the United States and turning themselves over to border agents. President Donald Trump has threatened Mexico with tariffs to do more to stop the flow.

Shooting at Virginia Beach municipal center leaves 12 dead, including suspect

A disgruntled city employee opened fire at the municipal center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday afternoon, killing 11 people and wounding at least six others before he was killed himself, the city's police chief said. Chief James Cervera said the precise circumstances of the shooting in the coastal resort city remained under investigation. He gave few details of what was known, but said a police officer was among those who were struck by gunfire but survived.

Missouri abortion clinic to stay open for now after court order

Missouri's only abortion clinic will stay open at least a few more days after a judge on Friday granted a request by Planned Parenthood for a temporary restraining order, allowing the facility to keep operating until a hearing on Tuesday. Planned Parenthood sued Missouri this week after state health officials said the license for Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood in St. Louis was in jeopardy, meaning the clinic could have closed at midnight unless the judge granted the request for a temporary restraining order.

Illinois bill to legalize recreational marijuana wins legislative approval

Illinois will become the 11th U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults under a bill that won final passage in the state legislature on Friday. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the measure in a 66-47 vote, following Senate approval on Wednesday.

Asylum seekers say U.S. officials returned them to Mexico but kept their IDs

Virginia, an 18-year-old from Guatemala who is seeking asylum in the United States, had just one form of identification on her long journey north: her birth certificate. Now, the teenager waits in a shelter in a Mexican border town while her U.S. asylum case is decided - minus the birth certificate.

Trump to award Presidential Medal of Freedom to economist Arthur Laffer

U.S. President Donald Trump will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor, to influential economist Arthur Laffer on June 19, the White House said on Friday. Widely considered "the father of supply-side economics," Laffer may be best known for the "Laffer Curve," a theory that he used to argue that tax cuts could actually increase tax revenue by spurring economic growth.

Attorney General Barr says Mueller 'could've reached a decision' on obstruction

U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, could have reached a decision on whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, but chose not to. Mueller said this week that he could not indict Trump because of a Justice Department policy that prohibits indicting a sitting president, and was not even willing to conclude if a crime was committed out of fairness to the president.

Accountant in U.S. college admissions scandal to plead guilty

An accountant who once worked for the mastermind behind the U.S. college admissions cheating and bribery scandal has agreed to plead guilty and cooperate in the ongoing investigation, federal prosecutors said on Friday. Steven Masera, who served as the financial officer for the business operated by California college admissions consultant William "Rick" Singer, will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering, federal prosecutors in Boston said.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez returns to bartending to promote fair wages

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took lunch orders, served pizza and rocked the cocktail shaker on Friday to promote increased wages for restaurant servers and other tipped workers. The New York Democrat and media sensation, who famously worked as a bartender before getting elected to Congress last year, brought first-hand experience to the debate over the proposed "Raise the Wage Act," which would raise the U.S. minimum wage to $15 an hour and guarantee that minimum for tipped employees.