US Domestic News Roundup: Biden announces new sanctions vs Russia two years into Ukraine war; Nikki Haley makes her case to a Republican Party that no longer exists and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Nikki Haley makes her case to a Republican Party that no longer exists

Nikki Haley is pledging on the campaign trail to stand up to Russian aggression in eastern Europe, reform social security, keep trade barriers low and slash the deficit if she pulls off an upset win in the Republican presidential nominating contest. She persists despite repeated public opinion polls showing that many of today's Republican voters aren't interested in the policies she is advocating for.

Biden's tougher border stance tests Latino vote in Nevada

Talking to Latino voters in Nevada about President Joe Biden, immigration activist Rico Ocampo says one issue keeps coming up: they are disappointed at what they see as his failure to expand protections for immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Ocampo, who works for the pro-immigrant group Make the Road Nevada, cites the example of a young Latina voter he met whose parents lacked legal immigration status. Unsure about voting for Biden, she gave the impression she might not vote at all, Ocampo said.

US achieves first moon landing in half century with private spacecraft

A spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based company Intuitive Machines landed near the moon's south pole on Thursday, the first U.S. touchdown on the lunar surface in more than half a century and the first ever achieved by the private sector. NASA, with several research instruments aboard the vehicle, hailed the landing as a major achievement in its goal of sending a squad of commercially flown spacecraft on scientific scouting missions to the moon ahead of a planned return of astronauts there later this decade.

'Rust' armorer called 'sloppy,' defense says she's a scapegoat

A New Mexico prosecutor on Thursday held the chief weapons handler for "Rust" Hannah Gutierrez responsible for the 2021 fatal shooting of the Western film's cinematographer while her lawyer said she was being scapegoated for a tragedy. Gutierrez, 27, listened calmly to the prosecution's opening statements in her involuntary manslaughter trial. She is accused of bringing live rounds on set - an act strictly forbidden for nearly a century.

Trump moves to dismiss charges accusing him of mishandling classified documents

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges accusing him of illegally holding onto sensitive U.S. national security documents when he left office, arguing the prosecution is legally flawed. Lawyers for Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, challenged the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith, argued the charges conflict with another U.S. law on the use of presidential records, and claimed the central charge in the case is improperly vague.

Three Alabama providers halt IVF after high court rules embryos are children

At least three Alabama providers of in vitro fertilization have halted treatments since the state Supreme Court on Friday said frozen embryos in test tubes should be considered children, casting doubt on future access to the procedure in the state. The ruling by the court, whose elected judges are all Republican, has left doctors and patients wondering how to legally store, transport, and use embryos in Alabama.

Trump portrays 2024 race as a Christian battle, akin to D-Day

Donald Trump urged Christians on Thursday to support him in the 2024 presidential election, a contest he depicted in religious terms and likened to the great battles of World War Two. Speaking at a forum for Christian broadcasters in Nashville, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination compared the stakes for the election to D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge and said God's involvement was needed to rescue the country.

Biden says Alabama IVF ruling is 'outrageous' -statement

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said a controversial Alabama court ruling over frozen embryos created through in-vitro fertilization was "outrageous and unacceptable." "The disregard for women's ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable," Biden said in a statement. "Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade."

Texas judge rules school district can discipline Black teen over hairstyle

A Texas judge ruled on Thursday that a Houston-area school district did not violate a newly enacted state law when it punished a Black student for refusing to change his hairstyle, local media reported. The case involved Darryl George, who wears his dreadlocks braided on top of his head, and Barbers Hill Independent School District, which had claimed the 18-year-old's hairstyle violated its dress code, Houston Public Media reported. It suspended him in August and sent him to an off-site disciplinary program for the entire school year.

Biden announces new sanctions vs Russia two years into Ukraine war

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday announced Washington would issue more than 500 new sanctions targeting Russia as the United States seeks to increase pressure on Moscow to mark the second anniversary of its war in Ukraine. The United States will also impose new export restrictions on nearly 100 entities for providing support to Russia and take action to further reduce Russia's energy revenues, Biden said in a statement.