US Domestic News Roundup: Abortion rights at stake as Florida court weighs DeSantis-backed ban; Nikki Haley's 2024 White House bid charts hazardous path in isolationist Republican Party and more

The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is stubbornly bucking traditional political wisdom that foreign policy does not influence American voters in elections. Georgia grand jury report on Trump election interference to be released Friday The final report from a special grand jury that investigated Donald Trump's attempts to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election is due to be released on Friday, weeks after the former U.S. president and 18 associates were indicted. The report, which has remained sealed for nine months, includes the grand jury's recommendations to prosecutors on whom to charge.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Abortion rights at stake as Florida court weighs DeSantis-backed ban

The future of abortion rights in Florida will be at stake on Friday when the state's highest court hears arguments over whether the Florida constitution protects the right to end pregnancies. The case before the conservative Florida Supreme Court concerns the state's current ban on most abortions after 15 weeks, which took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned a national right to abortion.

Nikki Haley's 2024 White House bid charts hazardous path in isolationist Republican Party

U.S. 2024 Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley wants to send special forces to Mexico to wipe out drug cartels, double down on sending weapons to Ukraine and make sure China understands "there will be hell to pay" if it attacks Taiwan. The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is stubbornly bucking traditional political wisdom that foreign policy does not influence American voters in elections.

Georgia grand jury report on Trump election interference to be released Friday

The final report from a special grand jury that investigated Donald Trump's attempts to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election is due to be released on Friday, weeks after the former U.S. president and 18 associates were indicted.

The report, which has remained sealed for nine months, includes the grand jury's recommendations to prosecutors on whom to charge. The document could show whether the jurors felt any additional Trump allies should have been indicted beyond those who face charges.

'That 70's Show' actor Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rapes

"That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women who on Thursday said that the Church of Scientology sought to protect the actor and intimidate them into silence. The 47-year-old actor and prominent Scientologist, who starred in the retro TV comedy for eight seasons until 2006, was convicted in May in a second trial. A jury deadlocked on a charge that he raped a third woman.

Florida state colleges may allow entrance exam favored by many conservatives

Florida's public university system is poised to authorize a new entrance exam that emphasizes classical Western thought and has been used mostly by private and religious colleges, the latest move by the state to make education more conservative. The Board of Governors of the 12-campus State University System of Florida will consider the adoption of the Classic Learning Test (CLT) on Friday. The test, which would be accepted along with the more traditional SAT and ACT exams, is already authorized for use in the state's public elementary and secondary schools as a way to assess learning.

Massachusetts top court allows electric shock therapy for disabled patients

A Massachusetts institution for the developmentally disabled can continue to use controversial electric shock devices to address aggressive or self-harming behavior in residents, the state's highest court ruled Thursday, though it left the door open to future challenges. In a unanimous ruling Thursday, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts upheld a 2018 lower court ruling that the state acted in bad faith in regulating the Canton-based Judge Rotenberg Educational Center. JRC, which provides education and treatment to people with development disabilities and behavioral disorders, is the only institution in the country to use the treatment.

Former Trump adviser Navarro convicted of contempt of Congress

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro was found guilty on Thursday of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House of Representatives committee that investigated the 2021 attack on the Capitol. A 12-member jury convicted Navarro on two counts of contempt after he refused to testify or turn over documents to the Democratic-led House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 riot by Trump supporters and broader attempts by Trump, a Republican, to reverse his 2020 election defeat.

Factbox-US government shutdown: what does it mean?

Large swaths of the U.S. government could temporarily close on Oct. 1 if Congress does not approve spending bills due to a dispute between far-right Republicans and other lawmakers.

Here are some facts about U.S. government shutdowns:

Factbox-Nikki Haley: Who is the Republican 2024 presidential hopeful?

Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, has received a bump in opinion polls since a well-received debate performance in late August, though she remains in the single digits nationally. She stands out on the campaign trail for talking frequently about foreign policy issues, and she is the highest polling Republican who supports further involvement in the Ukraine war.

Donald Trump may seek to move Georgia election case to federal court

Donald Trump may seek to move the Georgia criminal case in which he is accused of conspiring to overturn his 2020 U.S. election loss from state to federal court - a potentially more favorable venue for the former president, his lawyer said in a court filing on Thursday. Several of Trump's 18 co-defendants, including his former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have filed petitions to move their cases to federal court since being charged last month following an investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.