Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
U.S. House panel seeks grand jury evidence to assess Trump impeachment
The Democratic-led U.S. House Judiciary Committee asked a federal court on Friday for access to grand jury evidence from the Mueller probe that lawmakers say they need to determine whether to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Democratic lawyers from the House of Representatives filed a 53-page petition in U.S. District Court seeking permission to review evidence involving interactions between Trump campaign officials and Russian agents, and Trump's alleged efforts to direct former White House Counsel Don McGahn to remove Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
U.S. judge sets July 29 hearing in Trump lawsuit over tax returns
A U.S. judge will hear arguments on July 29 in President Donald Trump's lawsuit seeking to block a House of Representatives committee from obtaining his New York state tax returns, according to a court filing issued Sunday. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington scheduled the hearing so he could resolve an "emergency" lawsuit Trump's personal lawyers filed last week against the Democrat-controlled House Ways and Means Committee
Trump rejects racism charge, throws it at black lawmaker
President Donald Trump on Sunday said disparaging comments he made about a prominent African-American lawmaker and his Baltimore district were not racist and, without citing any evidence for his claim, he called the congressman a racist. "If racist Elijah Cummings would focus more of his energy on helping the good people of his district, and Baltimore itself, perhaps progress could be made in fixing the mess that he has helped to create over many years of incompetent leadership," Trump said in a tweet.
Ratcliffe tapped to replace Coats as U.S. spy chief
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would nominate Representative John Ratcliffe, a Texas Republican who strongly defended him at a recent congressional hearing, to replace Dan Coats as the U.S. spy chief. Coats, the current U.S. director of national intelligence who has clashed with Trump over assessments involving Russia, Iran and North Korea, will step down on Aug. 15, the president said as he announced his decision on Twitter.
Alaska ferry workers, state try mediation to end strike
Alaska ferry workers and state officials were seeking a federal mediator's help on Saturday to end a strike that has disrupted travel during the peak summer tourist season as the labor dispute surfaced in the 2020 presidential campaign. The strike, which started on Wednesday, has halted traffic for the Alaska Marine Highway System, the state-operated ferry system that serves 35 coastal towns, most of them without outside road access.
U.S. Supreme Court lets Trump use disputed funds for border wall
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday handed President Donald Trump a victory by letting his administration redirect $2.5 billion in money approved by Congress for the Pentagon to help build his promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border even though lawmakers refused to provide funding. The conservative-majority court on a 5-4 vote with the court's liberals in dissent blocked in full a ruling by a federal judge in California barring the Republican president from spending the money on the basis that Congress did not specifically authorize the funds to be spent on the wall project fiercely opposed by Democrats and Mexico's government.
U.S. teen wins $3 million at video game tournament Fortnite World Cup
American teenager Kyle Giersdorf won $3 million on Sunday in New York after taking the top prize in a tournament for the popular online video game Fortnite. Geirsdorf, 16, from Pennsylvania, was one of at least 100 players competing for $30 million in total prize money, as the booming popularity of video and online games has drawn top-dollar investments and fueled the emerging professional sport.
