Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Trump's statement on his social media platform Truth Social was in response to President Joe Biden's announcement on Monday that he had commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison without parole. American Airlines resumes flights after brief grounding ahead of busy Christmas travel American Airlines said on Tuesday its flights had resumed after a technical glitch forced the carrier to issue an hour-long ground stop, disrupting travel for thousands on Christmas Eve, one of the busiest periods of the year.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Starbucks strike to expand to over 300 US stores on Christmas Eve, union says

A strike at Starbucks will expand to over 300 U.S. stores on Tuesday, with more than 5,000 workers expected to walk off the job before the five-day work stoppage ends later on Christmas Eve, the workers' union said. Starbucks, which operates more than 10,000 company-operated stores across the United States, said 98% of its stores remained open, with around 170 stores closed on Tuesday.

Biden signs 50 bills into law, makes bald eagle the country's official bird

President Joe Biden signed 50 bills into law on Tuesday that include making the bald eagle the country's official bird and one that stops members of Congress from collecting their pensions if convicted of crimes. Biden also established the first federal anti-hazing standard to address violence and deaths occurring on higher education campuses around the country. He also signed a bill supported by reality-TV star and heiress Paris Hilton, which holds treatment centers and care facilities serving the youth accountable.

Trump says he'll seek the death penalty for 'rapists, murderers, and monsters'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will direct his Justice Department to "vigorously pursue" the death penalty to protect Americans from "violent rapists, murderers, and monsters" when he takes power on Jan. 20. Trump's statement on his social media platform Truth Social was in response to President Joe Biden's announcement on Monday that he had commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison without parole.

American Airlines resumes flights after brief grounding ahead of busy Christmas travel

American Airlines said on Tuesday its flights had resumed after a technical glitch forced the carrier to issue an hour-long ground stop, disrupting travel for thousands on Christmas Eve, one of the busiest periods of the year. The issue that briefly affected the carrier's ability to get its planes in the air involved network hardware and was caused by DXC Technology, an operating system vendor responsible for maintaining its flight operations, the airline said.

New York taxi jumps sidewalk outside Macy's on Christmas Day, injuring 7

Seven people were injured in New York City on Christmas Day when a taxi jumped a sidewalk and hit pedestrians outside a Macy's department store after the cab driver suffered a medical episode, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Midtown Manhattan near Macy's flagship store in Herald Square near the corner of West 34th Street and Avenue of the Americas, or Sixth Avenue. The store, with its elaborately decorated display windows, is a magnet for tourists and native New Yorkers around the holidays.

Big banks, business groups sue US Fed over annual stress tests

Major banks and business groups sued the Federal Reserve on Tuesday, alleging the U.S. central bank's annual "stress tests" of Wall Street firms violate the law. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio, claims the Fed's practice of determining how big banks perform against hypothetical economic turmoil, and assigning capital requirements accordingly, do not follow proper administrative procedure. Plaintiffs included the Bank Policy Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Bank Association.

Former US President Clinton discharged from hospital

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was discharged from a Washington hospital on Tuesday after being treated for the flu, his deputy chief of staff said in a post on X. Clinton, 78, was hospitalized on Monday at Georgetown University Medical Center with a fever, his deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said.

Target's holiday advertising push will only take it so far, investors say

In the most competitive holiday season in years, major U.S. retailers Target and Walmart are spending more on ads to reach shoppers on short-video app TikTok and streaming platforms. But while recent U.S. credit- and debit-card data point to a small gain for Target, with its shoppers spending slightly more in early December than a year ago, there's little that the Minneapolis-based chain can do this year to reverse the trends that have put it at a disadvantage, investors told Reuters.

Biden, Trump send different Christmas messages

The outgoing and incoming U.S. presidents had different messages for the Christmas holiday on Wednesday, with Democrat Joe Biden urging Americans to reflect and unite, while Republican Donald Trump offered a holiday greeting and then took aim at his political opponents. Biden narrated a video tour of the White House Christmas decorations that was published on YouTube late on Christmas Eve, in which he urges Americans to set aside "all the noise and everything that divides us."

Trump nominates Miami-Dade official as ambassador to Panama

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera to serve as ambassador to Panama. Trump described Cabrera as "a fierce fighter for America First principles" who he said has been instrumental in driving economic growth and fostering international partnerships.

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