Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The former U.S. president's lawyers argued at a hearing in a mid-level state appeals court that the trial should be delayed to give him a chance to challenge a gag order in the case. Trump hush money charges seen as serious by most voters, Reuters/Ipsos finds The New York criminal charges against Donald Trump for allegedly covering up hush-money payments to a porn star are serious in the eyes of a firm majority of U.S. voters, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found ahead of the former president's trial starting next week.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump loses bid to delay hush money trial pending gag order appeal

Donald Trump on Tuesday lost his second last-ditch bid in as many days to delay his April 15 trial on criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star. The former U.S. president's lawyers argued at a hearing in a mid-level state appeals court that the trial should be delayed to give him a chance to challenge a gag order in the case.

Trump hush money charges seen as serious by most voters, Reuters/Ipsos finds

The New York criminal charges against Donald Trump for allegedly covering up hush-money payments to a porn star are serious in the eyes of a firm majority of U.S. voters, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found ahead of the former president's trial starting next week. Some 64% of registered voters in the five-day poll, which closed on Monday, described the charges as at least "somewhat serious," compared to 34% who said the charges lacked seriousness. The rest were unsure or didn't answer.

Arizona's top court revives 19th century abortion ban

Arizona's top court on Tuesday revived a ban on nearly all abortions under a law from 1864, a half century before statehood and women's suffrage, further restricting reproductive rights in a state where terminating a pregnancy was already barred at 15 weeks of gestation. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled 4-2 in favor of an anti-abortion obstetrician and a county prosecutor who pressed to implement the Civil War-era statute after the Democratic attorney general of the key presidential battleground state declined to do so.

Biden holds 4 point lead over Trump, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows

U.S. President Joe Biden has marginally widened his lead over Donald Trump ahead of the November presidential election as the Republican candidate prepares for the start of the first of four upcoming criminal trials, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Some 41% of registered voters in the five-day poll, which closed on Monday, said they would vote for Biden, a Democrat, if the election were held today, compared with 37% who picked former President Trump. That 4 point lead was up from a 1 point lead Biden held in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in March.

Biden welcomes 'global partner,' Japan's Kishida, at White House summit

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will showcase a strong and growing partnership during a White House state visit on Wednesday focused on joint defense cooperation to deter an aggressive China. The summit kicks off with an official arrival ceremony on the White House South Lawn, followed by a closed-door meeting, a joint news conference planned for the Rose Garden, a state dinner and a performance by musician Paul Simon.

Parents of Michigan school shooter sentenced to 10-15 years in prison

The mother and father of a Michigan teen who shot and killed four classmates were each sentenced to between 10 and 15 years in prison on Tuesday after a jury convicted them of manslaughter in a rare case of parents being held responsible in a school shooting. Jennifer and James Crumbley, Ethan Crumbley's parents, were sentenced immediately after several parents of the victims gave emotional statements in an Oakland County courtroom in Pontiac, Michigan.

US sets first standard to curb 'forever chemicals' from drinking water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced its first-ever drinking water standard to protect people against toxic "forever chemicals" found in many household and everyday items, and offered $1 billion to states for public water system testing, the agency's first major move to curb the cancer-causing chemicals. The final rule will affect 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems in the United States and is projected reduce exposure to the group of 15,000 chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for approximately 100 million people. It would avoid tens of thousands of deaths that have been linked to PFAS, according to the agency.

Trump ex-deputy Weisselberg to be sentenced over perjury plea

Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty last month to perjury charges for lying to investigators and a judge about Donald Trump's finances. Judge Laurie Peterson said at Weisselberg's March 4 plea hearing that she would sentence him to five months in jail.

US NTSB chair vows to be 'fierce advocate' for safety in new term

National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy will tell lawmakers she is committed to winning approval of safety recommendations and scrutinizing federal agencies. The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday on President Joe Biden's nomination of Homendy to serve a new term heading the board that investigates air, rail, marine, pipeline and highway accidents.

Witnesses in Trump documents case can remain private, judge rules

A federal judge decided on Tuesday to allow the special counsel prosecuting former President Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents to shield the identities of possible witnesses in the case for now. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed to reconsider a prior ruling that prosecutors argued would have revealed the names of certain witnesses who spoke to investigators, and subjected them to intimidation and harassment from Trump and his supporters.

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