Current U.S. Domestic News: From Gun Trafficking to Presidential Debates

This summary covers various major news events in the U.S., including an Arizona man's indictment for gun trafficking aimed at inciting a race war, Biden's endorsements from senior groups, Oklahoma court dismissing Tulsa race massacre reparations case, and updates on Biden-Trump presidential debates. Various legal and social issues, including immigration and gun possession, are discussed.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Arizona man charged with trafficking guns to kill Black people, start race war

An Arizona man has been indicted on four counts of gun-trafficking crimes after federal prosecutors said an undercover sting operation revealed that he planned to kill Black people in a mass shooting to "incite a race war," according to the indictment. A grand jury indicted Mark Adams Prieto, 58, on Tuesday on charges of gun trafficking, transferring a gun for use in a hate crime and possession of an unregistered gun.

Oklahoma top court rejects case by 'Black Wall Street' race massacre survivors

Oklahoma's highest court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by the last two known living survivors of the Tulsa race massacre in 1921 seeking reparations for the violence and destruction that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Black people. The Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld a judge's decision last year to dismiss the case, saying the state's public nuisance law could not be relied upon to address the lingering consequences of "unjust, violent, and tragic moments of our history."

Biden wins endorsements from three seniors groups

Three groups representing older Americans on Wednesday endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for a second term as president as his campaign works to expand existing support among seniors, a bloc that could help offset softer backing among other voters. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare (NCPSSM), which defied a 38-year tradition of avoiding endorsements to back Biden in 2020, Social Security Works PAC and the bipartisan National United Committee to Protect Pensions all said they would back Biden in 2024.

Trump's lawyers say hush money gag order stifles campaign speech

Donald Trump's lawyers urged the judge who oversaw his hush money trial to lift a gag order now that he has been convicted, arguing his opponents were using the restrictions on the former U.S. president's speech as a "political sword." In a court filing earlier this week, defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove noted that Democratic President Joe Biden's campaign had referred to Trump, the Republican candidate, as a "convicted felon" in a May 30 statement.

What to watch for in the Biden-Trump presidential debate

The two oldest candidates ever to run for U.S. president meet on June 27 for a televised debate unlike any other. One accuses his rival of being unhinged and a danger to democracy, while the other accuses his opponent of being senile and corrupt. President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, who turns 78 on Friday, are essentially tied in national opinion polls with fewer than five months until the Nov. 5 election.

Biden administration touts quick Baltimore channel reopening

This week's reopening of Baltimore's main shipping channel - less than three months after the Key Bridge collapse - was due to expertise gained from a COVID-era task force, a highway overpass collapse and the 2021 infrastructure law, government officials said. The deadly March 26 collision of the cargo ship Dali into the Francis Scott Key Bridge had paralyzed a major transportation artery for the U.S. Northeast.

Immigrant rights groups sue to block Biden asylum ban at US-Mexico border

U.S. immigrant rights groups sued the Biden administration on Wednesday over a new policy that bars most migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally from claiming asylum. The groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, argued restrictions implemented last week violated U.S. asylum law and that Biden failed to follow proper regulatory procedure. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.

Republican-controlled US House votes to hold attorney general in contempt

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to turn over audio recordings of a special counsel interview with Democratic President Joe Biden. The measure passed 216-207 on a party-line basis with one Republican joining Democrats in voting no.

US consumer prices unchanged in May; bolster rate cut expectations

U.S. consumer prices were unexpectedly unchanged in May as cheaper gasoline and other goods offset higher costs for rental housing, but inflation remains too high for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates before September. The report from the Labor Department on Wednesday also showed underlying inflation pressures abated significantly last month, with the cost of motor vehicle insurance declining on a monthly basis for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2021. The data prompted financial markets to boost the probability that the U.S. central bank would cut rates in September as well as in December.

Democrat Sarah McBride could become first transgender member of US House

Democrat Sarah McBride could be elected the first transgender member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Nov. 5 election, after her primary rival in deeply Democratic Delaware dropped out of the race on Wednesday. A member of the Delaware state assembly, McBride now faces a clear field in the Sept. 10 primary after Eugene Young, former director of the Delaware State Housing Authority, ended his candidacy. Other candidates have until July 8 to enter the race.

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