US Domestic News Roundup: Jury deliberates fate of man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband; US House Speaker Johnson's 'honeymoon' ends as hardline Republicans rebel and more

The 87-11 vote marked the end of this year's third fiscal standoff in Congress that saw lawmakers bring Washington to the brink of defaulting on its more than $31 trillion in debt this spring and twice within days of a partial shutdown that would have interrupted pay for about 4 million federal workers. New Hampshire sets primary date for Jan. 23, defying Biden's order New Hampshire on Wednesday officially set the date of its presidential primary for Jan. 23, defying a plan pushed by U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to have the state give up its first-in-the-nation primary.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Jury deliberates fate of man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband

A federal court jury will resume deliberations on Thursday in the trial of a right-wing conspiracy theorist who attacked the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hammer. David Wayne DePape, 43, broke into the Pelosis' San Francisco home and struck Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2022, while Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was still speaker and away in Washington.

US House Speaker Johnson's 'honeymoon' ends as hardline Republicans rebel

A group of hardline Republicans has put new U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on notice that he can no longer count on their support for legislation, signaling a possible early end to his "honeymoon" period. Three weeks after the Louisiana lawmaker won the gavel of the House of Representatives, 19 House Republicans - including 15 hardliners - voted to block debate on their party's bill to fund federal programs on commerce, justice and science for fiscal 2024, which began on Oct 1.

Two former NBA players are convicted over roles in health care fraud

A federal jury in Manhattan on Wednesday convicted two former National Basketball Association players over their roles in a scheme to defraud a league healthcare plan into paying millions of dollars for bogus medical procedures. Glen Davis, 37, who played for three NBA teams and won a championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, was convicted on four counts including wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiring to commit fraud, and conspiring to make false statements.

US Senate passes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown

The U.S. Senate took the risk of an impending partial government shutdown off the table on Wednesday as it passed a stopgap spending bill and sent it to President Joe Biden to sign into law before a weekend deadline. The 87-11 vote marked the end of this year's third fiscal standoff in Congress that saw lawmakers bring Washington to the brink of defaulting on its more than $31 trillion in debt this spring and twice within days of a partial shutdown that would have interrupted pay for about 4 million federal workers.

New Hampshire sets primary date for Jan. 23, defying Biden's order

New Hampshire on Wednesday officially set the date of its presidential primary for Jan. 23, defying a plan pushed by U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to have the state give up its first-in-the-nation primary. New Hampshire will remain first on the primary calendar, but faces punishment from the Democratic National Committee, including the loss of delegates to the Democratic convention.

Mother of 6-year-old who shot Virginia teacher gets 21 months in prison

A Virginia mother was sentenced to 21 months in prison on Wednesday after her 6-year-old son shot his school teacher with a gun that she had bought illegally. The first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, survived the wound from a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and was hailed as a hero for evacuating students from her classroom after she was shot at a Richneck Elementary School in Newport News last January.

US lawmakers question Apple over Jon Stewart's China content

U.S. lawmakers asked Apple Inc to explain the abrupt end of political comedian Jon Stewart's television show on its streaming service, according to a letter made public on Wednesday, citing concerns that content related to China was behind the cancellation. The New York Times reported last month that Stewart's show on Apple's streaming service was ending, the result of creative differences. The newspaper said Stewart told members of his staff that potential show topics related to China and artificial intelligence were causing concern to Apple executives.

US Capitol police clash with protesters demanding Gaza ceasefire

U.S. Capitol Police officers in riot gear clashed with dozens of demonstrators who gathered outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington on Wednesday evening to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. The protest was organized by three advocacy groups and held in an area near the U.S. Capitol. Lawmakers who were inside the DNC building said police had evacuated them from the area.

On sidelines of APEC, 'Gaypec' shows off San Francisco's LGBTQ pride

Drag performers in pink frills and red frocks took to the stage in San Francisco at an event local organisers hoped would be the perfect party for Asia Economic Cooperation Summit delegates in the city this week - "Gaypec". "It seemed to me that if an event like this is happening in San Francisco, there has to be some part of it that's gay," city Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told Reuters on Wednesday.

Advocates argue to disqualify Trump from Colorado ballot over Jan. 6 attack

Lawyers representing a group of Colorado voters delivered closing arguments on Wednesday in a lawsuit seeking to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state's ballot next year over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. The voters are seeking to use the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which bars officials who have engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding public office, to argue that Trump is ineligible to run for president in 2024. The provision was ratified in 1868 following the U.S. Civil War.