US Domestic News Roundup: Suburban Phoenix is cautionary tale for Democrats hoping to galvanize voters on abortion; Celebrity chef Mario Batali faces trial over woman's #MeToo-era groping claim and more

Following are notable races that could help shape the Nov. 8 midterm elections when Republicans hope to win control of the U.S. Congress. U.S. Senate to vote Wednesday on abortion rights bill, Schumer says The U.S. Senate will vote on legislation to codify abortion rights into law on Wednesday in reaction to the leaked draft decision indicating the Supreme Court is poised to overturn its landmark 1973 Roe v.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Suburban Phoenix is cautionary tale for Democrats hoping to galvanize voters on abortion

Laura Wilson is a mother of three who lives in the sprawling suburbs of north Phoenix, a hotly contested electoral area of Arizona that could decide which party controls the U.S. Senate after November's congressional elections. Wilson, 61, is pro-choice, voted for Democratic President Joe Biden, and knew all about the news last week that the U.S. Supreme Court is likely poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision giving women the right to an abortion.

Celebrity chef Mario Batali faces trial over woman's #MeToo-era groping claim

Celebrity chef Mario Batali goes on trial on Monday over allegations that he forcibly groped and kissed a woman in the only criminal case to result from multiple #MeToo-era claims of sexual harassment and assault that helped fuel his downfall. Batali will appear in Boston Municipal Court on Monday on a 2019 charge of indecent assault and battery of a woman at a bar who came forward to report her experience after other women accused the chef of sexually aggressive behavior.

Alabama ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth takes effect

An Alabama law that makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming medical treatment to transgender youth went into effect on Sunday while a federal judge weighs whether to grant a motion to put a temporary hold on it. The legislation makes it a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison to provide puberty blockers, hormones, and medical procedures to transgender youth under 19.

Fire season drives demand for July 4 drone shows to replace fireworks

When the Caldor Fire raced toward the southern shore of Lake Tahoe last year, its 100-foot (30-meter) flames spread across the tree canopy. Miles away, towns on the north shore took notice. In response, three communities on the California-Nevada border are switching from the traditional fireworks show for the U.S. Independence Day holiday this July 4 to a drone light show, a growing trend across the United States that has overwhelmed drone companies.

Factbox-Races to watch in Nebraska, West Virginia primaries on May 10

The Republican-leaning states of Nebraska and West Virginia will hold primary elections on May 10 for the U.S. House of Representatives and other offices. Following are notable races that could help shape the Nov. 8 midterm elections when Republicans hope to win control of the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Senate to vote Wednesday on abortion rights bill, Schumer says

The U.S. Senate will vote on legislation to codify abortion rights into law on Wednesday in reaction to the leaked draft decision indicating the Supreme Court is poised to overturn its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday. "Every American will see how every senator stands," Schumer said during a news conference with state leaders in New York. Republicans "can't duck it anymore. Republicans have tried to duck it."

Biden to give remarks on inflation Tuesday, contrast plan with Republicans

President Joe Biden will draw a contrast between his economic plans and those of Republicans in remarks on Tuesday focused on inflation, a White House official said. Biden, a Democrat who is suffering from low approval poll numbers ahead of the November midterm elections, has sharpened his rhetoric against Republicans in recent weeks, dismissing, for example, former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" MAGA movement as extreme.

Wisconsin anti-abortion center targeted by arson, police say

The office of a conservative Wisconsin anti-abortion group was set on fire on Sunday, police said, days after it emerged that the Supreme Court is poised to reverse a landmark decision ensuring abortion rights nationwide. A graffiti saying "if abortions aren't safe, then you aren't either" was also left behind, the Wisconsin Family Action's office said in a statement, blaming a "leftist anarchist group" for the attack.

After Roe v Wade, next U.S. abortion battle: state v state

With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to strike down the right to an abortion, the next legal fault line is already taking shape as lawmakers from anti-abortion states explore ways to take the radical step of extending bans to states where the procedure remains legal. A leaked draft opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito this week overruling the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established abortion rights has the potential to fray relationships between states on opposite sides of abortion and test Constitutional limits, according to legal experts.

New Mexico firefighters beg holdouts to evacuate village

Firefighters in New Mexico begged holdout residents of a mountain village to evacuate on Sunday, before the United States' largest active wildfire races up a valley that is their only way out. Many have ignored requests to leave as they stayed on to defend centuries-old homes and ranches in Chacon, the village about 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Santa Fe, with a population of around 200.