US Domestic News Roundup: Donald Trump could be charged any day - what happens next?; Five young people killed in New York state car crash and more

But a standoff has since ensued between Republicans who want to use the debt ceiling to exact spending cuts from the White House, and Biden, who wants the debt ceiling raised without strings attached. Witness may challenge Michael Cohen claims in Trump case - source A lawyer called to testify behind closed-doors in New York on Monday may challenge the claims of a key witness before a grand jury decides whether to charge former President Donald Trump over hush money paid to a porn star, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Donald Trump could be charged any day - what happens next?

Donald Trump could be charged in New York as soon as this week for allegedly covering up hush money payments to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign, nearly seven years after the money changed hands. But any trial of the former U.S. president would still be more than a year away, legal experts said, and could coincide with the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign as Trump seeks a return to the White House.

Five young people killed in New York state car crash

A car veered off a highway into a tree and caught fire early on Sunday outside of New York City in suburban Scarsdale, killing five of the six young people who were in the vehicle, police said. The dead - four males and a female - ranged in age from 8 to 17 and included a 16-year-old boy who was believed to be driving when the crash occurred at about 12:20 a.m. on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester County, according to police.

US House Speaker McCarthy says he told Biden lack of debt talks jeopardizes economy

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday that he confronted President Joe Biden about a lack of negotiations on the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling last week and told the president he is putting the economy at risk. McCarthy, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, first met with Biden on Feb. 1. But a standoff has since ensued between Republicans who want to use the debt ceiling to exact spending cuts from the White House, and Biden, who wants the debt ceiling raised without strings attached.

Witness may challenge Michael Cohen claims in Trump case - source

A lawyer called to testify behind closed-doors in New York on Monday may challenge the claims of a key witness before a grand jury decides whether to charge former President Donald Trump over hush money paid to a porn star, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday. Robert Costello has been asked to appear before the grand jury at the request of Trump's lawyers because he may have information that calls into question events as described by Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, the source said.

US asks Supreme Court to uphold domestic violence gun law

The U.S. Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to allow a federal law stand that makes it a crime for people under domestic violence restraining orders to own firearms. In February, a three judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans declared that the ban was unconstitutional, saying it violated the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms. It was the latest victory for gun rights advocates since a Supreme Court ruling last June granting a broad right for people to carry firearms outside the home.

Pence, New Hampshire's Sununu rebuke DeSantis, back aid for Ukraine

The U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said on Saturday, a position that puts them at odds with the top two contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Foreign policy has emerged as the main ideological fissure within the Republican Party as the 2024 nominating contest heats up.

Lieutenant in Tyre Nichols' death retired before termination hearing -reports

A lieutenant with the Memphis Police Department involved in the traffic stop that led to the killing of Tyre Nichols in January filed for retirement before a disciplinary hearing to fire him, according to media reports. Documents obtained by several news outlets identified DeWayne Smith, a 25-year veteran of the city's police force, as the on-scene supervisor on the night of Jan. 7, when officers kicked and punched Nichols while he was handcuffed.

Former US Marine may have been 'lured' from China before arrest -lawyer

A former U.S. Marine Corps pilot may have been "lured" from China to Australia by security agencies before his arrest, his lawyer said outside court on Monday after an extradition hearing in Sydney. Daniel Duggan, 54, is facing extradition to the United States on charges of breaking U.S. law by training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers.

U.S. Senate Democrat Durbin tests positive for COVID, will quarantine

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, said on Sunday that he will quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, adding to a number of lawmakers from both parties who have been absent from the Senate. "Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and boosted and only experiencing minor symptoms," Durbin said in a tweet.

In US Supreme Court Jack Daniel's case, a free speech fight over a dog toy

A trademark dispute over a poop-themed dog toy shaped like a Jack Daniel's whiskey bottle coming before the U.S. Supreme Court could redefine how the judiciary applies constitutional free speech rights to trademark law. In a case to be argued on Wednesday, the nine justices are expected to use this legal dogfight to clarify the line between a parody protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and a trademark-infringing ripoff, with repercussions extending beyond booze and pet accessories. A ruling is due by the end of June.

(With inputs from agencies.)