US Domestic News Roundup: US House committee chair signs subpoena for State Dept Afghanistan documents; US regulators to face sharp questions from Congress over bank collapses and more

The justices heard arguments in the administration's appeal of a lower court's decision in a case from California to strike down the decades-old provision, part of a larger immigration statute, as overly broad because it may criminalize legitimate speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Trump N.Y. grand jury hears from former National Enquirer publisher again -source A former National Enquirer publisher testified on Monday before a Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence about former President Donald Trump's role in a hush-money payment to a porn star, said a person familiar with the matter.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US House committee chair signs subpoena for State Dept Afghanistan documents

The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee said on Monday he signed a subpoena to be delivered to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for documents related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Michael McCaul has launched an investigation into the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan under Democratic President Joe Biden and events in the country since.

US regulators to face sharp questions from Congress over bank collapses

Lawmakers are expected to put top U.S. bank regulators on the defensive over the unexpected failures of regional lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank when they testify before Congress on Tuesday. Top regulatory officials for the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Treasury Department are testifying before congressional committees on the swift collapse of the two banks earlier this month, which set off a broader loss of investor confidence in the banking sector.

US Senate advances bill to repeal decades-old Iraq war authorizations

The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Monday to advance legislation to repeal two decades-old authorizations for past wars in Iraq, as Congress pushed to reassert its role over deciding whether to send troops into combat. The vote was 65 to 28 to limit debate on the measure, more than the 60 votes required in the 100-member Senate, paving the way for a vote on passage later this week. All 28 "no" votes were from Republicans.

US lawmakers make new push to bar convicted violent passengers from flights

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday will make a new push for legislation to bar passengers fined or convicted of serious physical violence from commercial flights after a series of recent high-profile incidents. Three lawmakers said on Monday they plan to reintroduce the "Protection from Abusive Passengers Act," saying the enhanced penalty is a strong deterrent and needed to improve aviation worker and passenger safety and "minimize disruptions to the national aviation system and restore confidence in air travel."

US colleges face loss of racial diversity if race-conscious admissions banned -study

If the U.S. Supreme Court bans the consideration of race in college admissions, enrollment of minority groups at selective colleges will likely stall or decline - even if the schools give more weight to factors such as class, a new study found. The conservative-leaning court will issue rulings this spring in cases questioning the legality of race-conscious admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

US Supreme Court inclined to allow law against encouraging illegal immigration

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday appeared inclined to uphold a federal law that made it a crime to encourage illegal immigration, signaling agreement with President Joe Biden's administration that the measure does not violate constitutional free speech protections. The justices heard arguments in the administration's appeal of a lower court's decision in a case from California to strike down the decades-old provision, part of a larger immigration statute, as overly broad because it may criminalize legitimate speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

Trump N.Y. grand jury hears from former National Enquirer publisher again -source

A former National Enquirer publisher testified on Monday before a Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence about former President Donald Trump's role in a hush-money payment to a porn star, said a person familiar with the matter. David Pecker, who testified in January, came back for about 45 minutes on Monday, the person said. Pecker could not immediately be reached for comment.

St. Louis sues Hyundai, Kia over car thefts, joining other US cities

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, said on Monday it was joining a number of major U.S. cities that are suing Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp for failing to install anti-theft technology in millions of their vehicles. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Missouri follows similar actions taken by several U.S. cities to address increasing Hyundai and Kia thefts that use a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. Other cities suing Kia and Hyundai include Cleveland, Ohio; San Diego, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle.

Ohio building fire damages historic Wright Brothers factory

A fire that erupted at an industrial complex in Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend badly damaged an airplane factory built by the Wright Brothers in the years after their historic first successful flight in 1903, officials said. The blaze broke out in the early morning hours on Sunday and ripped through the property before firefighters could extinguish the flames.

Former Christian school student kills 3 children, 3 staff in Nashville shooting

Investigators seeking clues to the latest bout of mass gun violence in the U.S. pored over a "manifesto" and other writings uncovered after three children and three adults were shot dead at a Christian school by a 28-year-old former student.

Police killed the perpetrator of Monday's shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, identified by authorities as local resident Audrey Elizabeth Hale, when they stormed the Covenant School within minutes of gunfire erupting in the private church-based academy.