US Domestic News Roundup: All American adults to be eligible for COVDI-19 vaccine; Ohio businessman announces run for Portman's US Senate and more

Republicans have blasted Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure package as riddled with liberal spending priorities, and want to strip out funding for home- and community-based jobs taking care of kids and seniors. White House aims to create legal ways for Central Americans to migrate, U.S. envoy says The White House is looking to create legal ways for Central American migrants to reach the United States, U.S. President Joe Biden's special envoy Ricardo Zuñiga said on Tuesday, amid a sharp rise in illegal crossings over the past few months.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

All American adults to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine by April 19: Biden

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday moved up the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility target for all American adults to April 19, but warned that with new virus variants spreading "we're still in a life-and-death race" with the coronavirus. Biden directed states to widen the vaccine eligibility to people 18 or older by April 19, two weeks earlier than the May 1 deadline he announced previously. No COVID-19 vaccine is authorized yet for children under 16, although testing is underway.

Ohio businessman announces run for Portman's U.S. Senate seat

Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, casting himself as a Republican outsider who would protect the "victories" of former President Donald Trump if elected to the seat of retiring Senator Rob Portman. Moreno, 54, is the fifth Republican Senate hopeful to join an increasingly crowded field for 2022 that includes former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken and former state Treasurer Josh Mandel. Several other Republicans are considering runs.

Prosecution witnesses say Chauvin disregarded training in deadly encounter with George Floyd

Prosecutors in Derek Chauvin's murder trial presented a series of witnesses on Tuesday in a bid to show that the former Minneapolis police officer disregarded his training when he knelt on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. Lieutenant Johnny Mercil, who teaches the proper use of force for the department, told jurors the neck restraint applied by Chauvin during the deadly arrest of Floyd was unauthorized. Officers are trained to use the least amount of force necessary to subdue a suspect, he said.

Top White House economist defends 'care economy' as infrastructure

Top White House economist Cecilia Rouse on Tuesday defended President Joe Biden's plan to spend $400 billion on the "care economy" as a legitimate infrastructure investment and key part of his drive to address persistent economic inequities. Republicans have blasted Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure package as riddled with liberal spending priorities, and want to strip out funding for home- and community-based jobs taking care of kids and seniors.

White House aims to create legal ways for Central Americans to migrate, U.S. envoy says

The White House is looking to create legal ways for Central American migrants to reach the United States, U.S. President Joe Biden's special envoy Ricardo Zuñiga said on Tuesday, amid a sharp rise in illegal crossings over the past few months. Zuñiga, Biden's envoy to the so-called Northern Triangle countries in Central America, said on a visit to Guatemala that the White House was looking to offer protections to migrants amid a push by Biden to reshape the U.S. border policy.

Democratic U.S. congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida dies at 84

Democratic U.S. Representative Alcee Hastings has died at the age of 84, his office said on Tuesday, further narrowing the party's majority in the lower chamber of Congress. His office did not provide details on the cause of death. In January 2019, Hastings said he was diagnosed with and receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Arkansas becomes first U.S. state to ban treatments for transgender youth

(Reuters) - Arkansas on Tuesday became the first U.S. state to ban certain types of treatment to transgender youth, overriding a veto by Governor Asa Hutchinson and inviting lawsuits from civil rights groups that have vowed to stop it. The law threatens any healthcare professional who provides puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgery to minors with losing their medical license and opens them up to lawsuits from patients who later regret their procedures.

Florida evacuations order lifted as danger from leaky wastewater reservoir fades

Evacuation orders were lifted on Tuesday for hundreds of residents near Tampa Bay in Florida as crews relieved pressure on the containment wall surrounding a leaky wastewater reservoir, reducing the threat of a toxic flash flood. Residents and local businesses were permitted to return after data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showed a diminished risk of a catastrophic collapse at the site of the former Piney Point phosphate plant.

U.S. says Ghislaine Maxwell has received COVID-19 vaccine, is in good health

U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday said Ghislaine Maxwell is "fully vaccinated" against COVID-19 and in good physical health, as Jeffrey Epstein's former associate and girlfriend prepares for trial on charges she helped enable his sexual abuse of girls. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan, prosecutors disputed claims that the 59-year-old British socialite has suffered from hair and weight loss while been subjected to restrictive conditions and invasive searches at the Brooklyn jail that has housed her since last July.

Biden administration disburses 25 million more stimulus payments to Americans

The Biden administration said on Wednesday that 25 million more stimulus payments worth a total of $36 billion had been sent out to Americans from the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief legislation. The announcement of a fourth batch of checks was made by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service. It brings to 156 million payments the amount disbursed, with a total value of $372 billion.

(With inputs from agencies.)