US Domestic News Roundup: Nikki Haley ends White House bid, clearing path for a Trump-Biden rematch; US judge in Texas rules minority business agency must serve all races and more

Both chambers of the state's Republican-controlled legislature passed the proposal protecting IVF providers from both criminal charges and civil lawsuits after brief debates on Feb. 29. Factbox-US governors races to watch in 2024 The races for governor in North Carolina and New Hampshire will be among the highest profile down-ballot campaigns in November's general election, when the U.S. presidency will also be at stake.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Father of Michigan school shooter facing manslaughter trial

A month after a Michigan woman was convicted of manslaughter in a school shooting carried out by her son, the boy's father faces trial for the same unusual charge. Opening statements were set to begin on Thursday in the trial of James Crumbley, 47, who faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly ignoring warning signs about his son's mental state and not securing the semi-automatic pistol that prosecutors say he bought as a Christmas present for his son, Ethan.

State of the Union: Biden to push wealth, company tax ideas

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday will escalate his crusade to push wealthy Americans and large companies to pay more in taxes in his State of the Union address, unveiling proposals to hike the corporate minimum tax and curb deductions for executive pay and corporate jets. White House officials said Biden would preview the steps that will be part of a proposed fiscal 2025 budget released next week that aims to cut the federal deficit by $3 trillion while cutting taxes for low-income Americans.

In State of the Union, Biden to sharpen contrast with Trump

U.S. President Joe Biden will use his fourth State of the Union address on Thursday night to sharpen distinctions between him and Republican opponent Donald Trump, tout the country's strong economy, push the rich to pay more taxes and try to ease voters' concerns about his advanced age. Biden's annual address, an event that stems from the U.S. Constitution's requirement that a president report information to Congress "from time to time" on the state of the union, will be held at 9 p.m. (1400 GMT) before a rare joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and a nationally televised audience.

Voters in California city back rightward turn of city council

Voters in California's Huntington Beach have approved two conservative ballot measures including one allowing the city to require voter identification for elections passed by an 8-point margin and another that effectively bans flying the LGBTQ pride flag at City Hall. The measures were proposed by four conservatives who took over the City Council in the November 2022 elections and have pursued an agenda aligned with the Republican Party politics of former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.

US Republican states, industry groups challenge EPA's new soot pollution rule

Republican-led states and industry groups on Wednesday filed three lawsuits challenging a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that toughens air quality standards for soot pollution. The lawsuits were filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by a variety of industry groups and 25 states including Texas, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Nikki Haley ends White House bid, clearing path for a Trump-Biden rematch

Nikki Haley ended her long-shot challenge to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on Wednesday, ensuring the former president will be the party's candidate in a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November's election. Haley, the former South Carolina governor and Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, bowed out a day after Super Tuesday, when Trump beat her soundly in 14 of 15 Republican nominating contests.

US judge in Texas rules minority business agency must serve all races

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency, founded during the Nixon administration, must avail itself to disadvantaged entrepreneurs of all races and ethnicities, including whites. The summary judgment rendered on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, appointed in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump, was the latest in a recent series of federal court decisions rolling back decades of affirmative action programs aimed at remedying racial discrimination.

State of the Union guests: IVF baby, Sweden's PM, political prisoners

U.S. President Joe Biden, his wife Jill and members of Congress carefully choose guests for the annual State of the Union speech, with an eye to political causes he will highlight in his speech. The guests sit in the upper balcony of the House chamber where Biden will give his speech on Thursday night. Often, the president will welcome some of them by name.

Republican Alabama governor signs IVF protections into law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed into law a measure aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization after the state Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos should be considered children, prompting at least three Alabama providers to halt the procedure. Both chambers of the state's Republican-controlled legislature passed the proposal protecting IVF providers from both criminal charges and civil lawsuits after brief debates on Feb. 29.

Factbox-US governors races to watch in 2024

The races for governor in North Carolina and New Hampshire will be among the highest profile down-ballot campaigns in November's general election, when the U.S. presidency will also be at stake. Those two states are among nearly a dozen holding contests for their chief executives, though most are not expected to be competitive. Here are the governorships that will be decided this fall:

(With inputs from agencies.)