US Domestic News Roundup: Hunter Biden not protected from gun charges by Second Amendment, DOJ argues; Hunter Biden not protected from gun charges by Second Amendment, DOJ argues and more

Carroll, 80, will testify against Trump in federal court in Manhattan, in her second civil trial against the former U.S. president. Arctic blast ends New York snow drought, brings record cold to West Millions of Americans awoke on Tuesday to snow, freezing rain and frigid temperatures as an Arctic blast gripped much of the United States, ending a nearly two-year "snow drought" in New York City and putting much of the West into a deep freeze.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US Defense Secretary Austin's 911 call sought 'subtle' ambulance approach

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's aide asked for the ambulance picking up the Pentagon chief to keep its lights and sirens off during a New Year's Day call to 911, according to audio of call obtained by Reuters. "Can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? We're trying to remain a little subtle," the aide, whose name was redacted from the audio, told the 911 dispatcher.

Trump accuser set to tell jurors how ex-president harmed her reputation

The writer E. Jean Carroll is expected to tell her side of the story on Wednesday, at a trial to determine how much Donald Trump should pay for damaging her reputation in 2019 by denying he raped her a quarter century earlier. Carroll, 80, will testify against Trump in federal court in Manhattan, in her second civil trial against the former U.S. president.

Arctic blast ends New York snow drought, brings record cold to West

Millions of Americans awoke on Tuesday to snow, freezing rain and frigid temperatures as an Arctic blast gripped much of the United States, ending a nearly two-year "snow drought" in New York City and putting much of the West into a deep freeze. Record-breaking cold was expected across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Midwest, with wind chills below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius) reaching the mid-Mississippi Valley in the morning.

Colorado gay nightclub shooter to plead guilty to hate crime charges

A Colorado man who killed five people in a 2022 mass shooting at a gay nightclub has agreed to plead guilty to federal hate crime and gun charges, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 23, will plead guilty to 74 federal charges, according to court documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in the District of Colorado. That will result in "multiple concurrent life sentences plus additional consecutive sentences totaling 190 years imprisonment," according to the filings.

New York judge weighs dismissing charges against former marine in Jordan Neely killing

A former U.S. Marine sergeant charged with manslaughter for killing Jordan Neely, a homeless man, on the New York City subway was due back in court on Wednesday for a judge's decision on his motion to dismiss the indictment. Daniel Penny was captured in videos recorded by bystanders putting Neely in a chokehold from behind for several minutes on May 1, while they rode on a subway train in Manhattan. The killing gained widespread public attention, with some viewing Neely, who was Black, as a victim of a vigilante, and others, including some Republican politicians, treating Penny as a hero.

As Trump's rise sparks isolationist worries among US allies, Americans focus on home turf

As Donald Trump strengthens his lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, some U.S. allies are worried about an American turn toward isolationism, a shift that would reflect an electorate largely focused on domestic issues. That was shown in polling in Iowa where Trump scored an overwhelming victory on Monday, with foreign policy the top issue for just one in 10 participants in the state's caucus, according to a poll by Edison Research.

Supreme Court may reel in US agency powers in fishing dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday is due to hear arguments in a dispute involving a government-run program to monitor for overfishing of herring off New England's coast that gives its conservative majority a chance to further limit the regulatory powers of federal agencies. The justices are weighing appeals by two fishing companies of lower court rulings allowing the National Marine Fisheries Service to require commercial fishermen to help fund the program. The companies - led by New Jersey-based Loper Bright Enterprises and Rhode Island-based Relentless Inc - have argued that Congress did not authorize the agency, part of the U.S. Commerce Department, to establish the program.

Hunter Biden not protected from gun charges by Second Amendment, DOJ argues

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden posed a threat to public safety and cannot rely on his constitutional right to a firearm to avoid prosecution for federal gun charges, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a court filing on Tuesday. Hunter Biden's legal team has misinterpreted U.S. Supreme Court guidance by arguing there is no historical precedent for preventing people with a history of substance abuse from possessing guns, the DOJ said.

Trump faces tougher test in New Hampshire after blowout Iowa win

Donald Trump's commanding victory in Iowa underscores his enduring appeal to a wide swath of Republican voters, and his campaign's sophisticated, data-driven ground game. But the next nominating contest in New Hampshire will test whether he can replicate that success in a less conservative state. While Trump remains the prohibitive favorite to secure the Republican Party's presidential nomination, he needs a convincing win in New Hampshire to ensure his surviving rivals have little to no path left to outmaneuver him. He can then turn his attention to his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, President Joe Biden, earlier than usual in the primary calendar.

Bill to avert government shutdown advances in US Senate

A bill to avert a partial U.S. government shutdown beginning this weekend cleared a first procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday, as lawmakers scrambled to pass the measure through Congress before a Friday deadline. The legislation is intended to give the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-controlled House of Representatives more time to pass a $1.59 trillion spending measure for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.