US Domestic News Roundup: South Carolina veterans feel disrespected by Trump. Many will support him anyway; Biden calls Putin a 'crazy SOB' during San Francisco fundraiser and more

The six-legged robot lander, dubbed Odysseus, was due to begin the final descent from lunar orbit with a blast of its main engine about an hour before landing, with touchdown planned for 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) on Thursday at a crater named Malapert A near the moon's south pole. Judge blocks California from suing makers of 'abnormally dangerous' guns A federal judge on Wednesday blocked California's attorney general from enforcing a new law that allows residents, the state and local governments to sue members of the firearms industry that manufacture or sell "abnormally dangerous" guns.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US nears attempt at first moon landing in half century with private robot spacecraft

A spacecraft built and flown by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines sailed around the moon on Thursday headed for an attempt at the first U.S. touchdown on the lunar surface in more than half a century and the first ever entirely by the private sector. The six-legged robot lander, dubbed Odysseus, was due to begin the final descent from lunar orbit with a blast of its main engine about an hour before landing, with touchdown planned for 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) on Thursday at a crater named Malapert A near the moon's south pole.

Judge blocks California from suing makers of 'abnormally dangerous' guns

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked California's attorney general from enforcing a new law that allows residents, the state and local governments to sue members of the firearms industry that manufacture or sell "abnormally dangerous" guns. U.S. District Judge Andrew Schopler in San Diego sided with a firearms industry trade association in finding that part of a gun control measure signed into law by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022 was likely unconstitutional.

US farmers face harsh economics with record corn supplies in silos

Illinois farmer Dan Henebry regrets not selling more of his corn crop last summer, when the Midwest needed rain and prices were high. He is not alone.

US Justice Dept names first AI officer as new technology challenges law enforcement

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday named its first official focused on artificial intelligence as the department grapples with the potentially transformative affects of AI on federal law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Jonathan Mayer, a professor at Princeton University who researches technology and law, will serve as chief science and technology adviser and chief AI officer, the department said.

South Carolina veterans feel disrespected by Trump. Many will support him anyway

Bill Lyons disapproves of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's mockery of rival Nikki Haley's military husband for not joining her on the U.S. campaign trail. But it won't shake Lyons' support for the former president. "He should not be disparaging our military. I don't agree with that at all," said Lyons, 81, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran. "But other than that, he did a good job for this country when he was in there for four years."

Republican US House hardliners ask Johnson to abandon spending talks

Hardline U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday asked Speaker Mike Johnson to abandon talks with Senate Democrats on bipartisan spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown and instead implement an automatic spending cut agreed to by his predecessor. The ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, which represents about three dozen of Johnson's 219-212 Republican majority in the House of Representatives, promoted the idea in a letter as congressional leaders rushed to complete legislation to avert a possible partial government shutdown beginning early next month.

US IRS trains tax-audit sights on personal use of corporate jets

The Internal Revenue Service said on Wednesday it plans to crack down on wealthy executives who may be using company jets for personal trips but claiming the costs as business expenses for tax purposes, as part of a new audit push to boost revenue collections. The IRS announced that it will begin dozens of audits involving personal use of business aircraft, focusing on large corporations, large partnerships and high-income taxpayers.

Biden calls Putin a 'crazy SOB' during San Francisco fundraiser

President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "crazy SOB" during a fundraiser in San Francisco on Wednesday, warning there is always the threat of nuclear conflict but that the existential threat to humanity remains climate."This is the last existential threat. It is climate. We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin and others and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict, but the existential threat to humanity is climate," Biden told a small group of donors. Biden has previously cursed "son of a bitch" at others. In January 2022, he was caught on the hot mic using the same term of abuse against a Fox News White House reporter.

Lara Trump says RNC needs to raise $500 million, sees interest in paying Trump legal fees

Lara Trump, who Donald Trump has endorsed to be the new co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said on Wednesday that the organization needed to raise $500 million for the 2024 general election and did not rule out using raised funds to pay her father-in-law's mounting legal fees. Warning that the Democratic Party was flush with cash, Trump's daughter-in-law said the party needed a strong fundraising push to help Trump in his bid to return to the White House and for congressional races also up for grabs.

Republican US presidential candidate Nikki Haley says embryos are babies

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley said on Wednesday she believed frozen embryos created through in-vitro fertilization were babies, in comments seen as backing a controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court. Haley addressed the issue in a pair of TV interviews hours apart, days after Alabama's high court said that frozen embryos in test tubes should be considered children, rattling doctors and patients in reproductive medicine as well as raising legal questions.