US Domestic News Roundup: Biden names U.S. monkeypox coordinators as more states cite emergencies; Abortion rights face voter test in Kansas after Roe v. Wade reversal and more

Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Factbox-Key races in Arizona, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington primary elections Voters in Arizona, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington will choose candidates for the U.S. Congress, governor and other offices, as former President Donald Trump's effort to maintain dominance over the Republican Party is tested anew.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US panel subpoenas Smith & Wesson over assault rifle data -report

The U.S. House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Smith & Wesson Brands Inc for information on its AR-15 style firearms sales and marketing after the gunmaker's chief executive refused to appear before lawmakers last month, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The panel, led by Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, cited incomplete data and gaps in the company's metrics in seeking documents from the firearms manufacturer, the Post said, citing a copy of the letter notifying CEO Mark Smith of the congressional summons.

Biden names U.S. monkeypox coordinators as more states cite emergencies

President Joe Biden has appointed two top federal officials to coordinate his administration's response to monkeypox, the White House said on Tuesday, as more states declared emergencies to help boost vaccines and other resources to combat the virus. The top officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will coordinate the U.S. response across the federal government even as Biden's administration has stopped short of declaring a national emergency.

Abortion rights face voter test in Kansas after Roe v. Wade reversal

Voters in Kansas will decide on Tuesday whether the state constitution should go on protecting abortion rights in a closely watched referendum that could lead to abortion access being curtailed or banned in America's heartland. The vote is the first statewide electoral test of abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Factbox-Key races in Arizona, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington primary elections

Voters in Arizona, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington will choose candidates for the U.S. Congress, governor and other offices, as former President Donald Trump's effort to maintain dominance over the Republican Party is tested anew. Here are the key races to watch:

Militia member given longest prison sentence for U.S. Capitol attack

An associate of the far-right Three Percenters militia was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Monday for joining a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and later threatened to harm his children if they informed on him to the FBI. Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, was convicted by a jury in March of five felony charges, including bringing a gun onto the Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding.

Michigan court blocks enforcement of 1931 abortion ban by county prosecutors

A Michigan judge on Monday blocked local prosecutors from enforcing a 1931 abortion ban, just hours after an appeals court ruled that they could do so, state Attorney General Dana Nessel said. But in Kentucky the latest ruling from a judge reinstates two abortion bans for now, while the underlying challenge to the laws is litigated.

Alex Jones expected to testify in defamation case over Sandy Hook shooting

U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is expected to take the stand on Tuesday to defend against claims that he must pay the parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook massacre for falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax. Jones, founder of the Infowars radio show and webcast, is on trial in a Texas court to determine how much he must pay for spreading falsehoods about the killing of 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012.

Kentucky floods kill at least 37 as more storms forecast

Floods unleashed by torrential rains in eastern Kentucky have killed at least 37 people, including four children, Governor Andy Beshear said on Monday while warning that more dangerous weather is approaching the region. Beshear on Monday morning confirmed 30 deaths, followed by five more in an afternoon briefing, when he said there would be yet more to come. Hours later he confirmed on Twitter there had been two more deaths.

Trump looms large as voters in five states choose candidates for Congress, governor

Donald Trump's ongoing effort to play Republican kingmaker faces fresh tests on Tuesday as voters in five states choose candidates in high-profile races for U.S. Congress, governor, and other offices ahead of November's midterm elections. In Arizona and Michigan, candidates who have embraced the former president's false claims of voter fraud could win the Republican nominations for governor, even as some in their party worry they could be too extreme to win on Nov. 8.

U.S. Senate Democrats hope for green light on $430 billion climate, drug bill

U.S. Senate Democrats on Monday were awaiting a ruling from a chamber referee this week on whether they can override the legislature's normal rules to pass a $430 billion drugs, energy, and tax bill despite Republican objections. The decision by the referee, officially known as the "parliamentarian," will have a profound impact on President Joe Biden's domestic agenda heading into the Nov. 8 midterm elections, when Republicans are favored to win back control of the House of Representatives and perhaps the Senate amid voter discontent over inflation.

(With inputs from agencies.)