Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The younger Biden's lawyers in a filing in U.S. District Court in Delaware cited public reporting suggesting "incessant, improper, and partisan pressure" applied by Trump to then-Attorney General William Barr and senior Justice Department officials Richard Donoghue and Jeffrey Rosen to investigate Biden. US Senate works to avoid shutdown with vote possible on Wednesday Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate said on Wednesday they could possibly vote later in the day on legislation that would keep the government funded and prevent a partial shutdown.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump asks for mistrial in civil fraud case but faces high bar

Donald Trump's lawyers on Wednesday urged a New York judge to declare a mistrial in a civil fraud case over his family real estate company's business practices, but the former U.S. president faces long odds of getting a new trial. Lawyers for Trump and his family company argued in court filings that the conduct of Justice Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the case, and his law clerk showed they were biased against the defendants.

Hunter Biden seeks to subpoena Trump, former Attorney General Barr -court filing

U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden on Wednesday sought a federal court's permission to subpoena documents from former President Donald Trump and top Justice Department officials in his administration as part of his defense against federal gun charges. The younger Biden's lawyers in a filing in U.S. District Court in Delaware cited public reporting suggesting "incessant, improper, and partisan pressure" applied by Trump to then-Attorney General William Barr and senior Justice Department officials Richard Donoghue and Jeffrey Rosen to investigate Biden.

US Senate works to avoid shutdown with vote possible on Wednesday

Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate said on Wednesday they could possibly vote later in the day on legislation that would keep the government funded and prevent a partial shutdown. "No drama, no delay, no government shutdown. That's our goal and we hope to have an agreement very soon," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said on the Senate floor.

Staffing shortages, outdated facilities threaten US air safety -- report

An independent U.S. aviation review team called on Wednesday for "urgent action" to prevent plane crashes, and made a series of recommendations to boost safety after a series of close calls involving passenger jets. The panel, named by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), released a 52-page report citing problems that included shortages of air traffic controllers, technology issues, outdated systems and dramatic funding needs. Since January, the National Transportation Safety Board has opened seven investigations into near-miss incidents, including some that could have been catastrophic.

Biden voters say more motivated to stop Trump than to support president-Reuters/Ipsos

Americans inclined to vote for Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 election say they are more motivated by stopping Donald Trump from returning to the Oval Office than they are by supporting the incumbent, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The two-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, showed Biden and Trump locked in a tight race, with Republican Trump leading Biden 51% to 49% when respondents were asked to pick between the two, within the poll's credibility interval of about four percentage points.

New Hampshire sets primary date for Jan. 23, defying Biden's order

New Hampshire on Wednesday officially set the date of its presidential primary for Jan. 23, defying a plan pushed by U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to have the state give up its first-in-the-nation primary. New Hampshire will remain first on the primary calendar, but faces punishment from the Democratic National Committee, including the loss of delegates to the Democratic convention.

US to brief senators on foreign online influence focused on Israel, Ukraine

President Joe Biden's administration is holding a joint classified briefing for members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence and Commerce committees Wednesday on recent foreign online influence focused on Israel/Gaza and the Ukraine conflict. The closed-door briefing organized by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will also look at Chinese, Russian, and Iranian actors "working to undermine U.S. interests through online activity," according to a notice sent to senators. Some lawmakers have in recent weeks accused TikTok of boosting pro-Palestinian videos, a charge the Chinese-owned social media site vigorously denies.

US lawmakers question Apple over Jon Stewart's China content

U.S. lawmakers asked Apple Inc to explain the abrupt end of political comedian Jon Stewart's television show on its streaming service, according to a letter made public on Wednesday, citing concerns that content related to China was behind the cancellation. The New York Times reported last month that Stewart's show on Apple's streaming service was ending, the result of creative differences. The newspaper said Stewart told members of his staff that potential show topics related to China and artificial intelligence were causing concern to Apple executives.

New York sues PepsiCo over plastics it says pollute, hurt health

New York state sued PepsiCo on Wednesday, accusing the beverage and snack food giant of polluting the environment and endangering public health through its single-use plastic bottles, caps and wrappers. The lawsuit filed in state court in upstate Erie County is among the first by a U.S. state to target a major plastics producer.

Advocates argue to disqualify Trump from Colorado ballot over Jan. 6 attack

Lawyers representing a group of Colorado voters delivered closing arguments on Wednesday in a lawsuit seeking to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state's ballot next year over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. The voters are seeking to use the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which bars officials who have engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding public office, to argue that Trump is ineligible to run for president in 2024. The provision was ratified in 1868 following the U.S. Civil War.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)