US Domestic News Roundup: Ex-US Vice President Mike Pence launches 2024 election bid, challenging Trump; Biden's approval rating at 41%, Americans concerned about economy -Reuters/Ipsos poll and more

Peterson never went inside while the shooting was underway, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video. Factbox-Who are the candidates running in the 2024 US presidential election? Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to launch his campaign to run for president on Wednesday, challenging his former boss Donald Trump in a growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Ex-US Vice President Mike Pence launches 2024 election bid, challenging Trump

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served Donald Trump with unwavering loyalty but later turned on him after the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, formally challenged his former boss for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday. "I'll always be proud of the progress we made together for a stronger and more prosperous America," Pence said in his campaign video, criticizing current Democratic President Joe Biden but never citing Trump by name.

Biden's approval rating at 41%, Americans concerned about economy -Reuters/Ipsos poll

U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval was at 41% in recent days, close to the lowest level of his presidency but little changed following a tense negotiation with congressional Republicans over the federal government's debt, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. The four-day poll, which ended on Monday, showed a marginal increase in Biden's popularity from last month, when 40% of respondents said they approved of his performance since taking office in January 2021. The poll has a margin of error of three percentage points.

Christie takes aim at 'self-serving' Trump as he launches White House bid

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday launched his 2024 presidential campaign with a withering attack on the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, calling him a "self-serving mirror hog" and faulting other rivals for avoiding direct confrontation. Christie, 60, was an adviser to Trump's successful 2016 White House campaign but has since become a vocal critic over the former president's false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

Florida says migrants flown to California went voluntarily

The state of Florida on Tuesday acknowledged a role in sending two flights of migrants to California, saying all of them traveled voluntarily. California officials have reported two such flights arriving without warning in the capital Sacramento in recent days, and said the migrants carried documents indicating their transportation involved the state of Florida.

McCarthy faces sudden challenge from hardliners after US debt ceiling bill

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a revolt from hardline Republicans who accuse him of betraying an agreement that got him elected to lead the chamber, raising questions about the job security of the top Republican in Congress. About a dozen hardliners derailed a Republican effort in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to block new environmental regulations on household gas stoves, joining with Democrats to kill the measure in the Republican-controlled chamber.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joins 2024 Republican primary race

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum entered the 2024 Republican presidential campaign on Wednesday, further expanding a crowded field of candidates led by former President Donald Trump. Burgum, 66, a former software company executive, is largely unknown beyond his state, and he will begin his White House bid well behind rivals such as Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Trial opens for former Florida deputy in Parkland school shooting

Florida prosecutors and defense attorneys will make opening statements on Wednesday in the trial of a former sheriff's deputy charged with failing to protect students as the 2018 mass shooting unfolded at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Scot Peterson was on duty as a school resource officer when a gunman entered a building in Feb. 14, 2018 and opened fire, killing 17 and wounding another 17. Peterson never went inside while the shooting was underway, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video.

Factbox-Who are the candidates running in the 2024 US presidential election?

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to launch his campaign to run for president on Wednesday, challenging his former boss Donald Trump in a growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared his candidacy on Tuesday and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is set to announce his campaign on Wednesday.

Gunman shoots two dead, wounds five others at Virginia high school graduation

A man armed with four handguns killed two people and wounded five others when he fired into a crowd outside a high school graduation ceremony in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, police said. Police said they arrested one suspect, a 19-year-old man who knew one of the victims and shot at him amid the crowd that had just emerged from the Huguenot High School's commencement ceremony inside a theater on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Yellen says U.S. economy strong but some areas slowing

The U.S. economy is strong amid robust consumer spending but some areas are slowing down, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday, adding that she expects continued progress in bringing inflation down over the next two years. Yellen, in an CNBC interview, also said that, while banks may struggle with commercial real estate and face some consolidation, there is ample liquidity in the system and that banks should generally be able to withstand any strain.

(With inputs from agencies.)