Reuters US Domestic News Summary

The court also said a ballot measure legalizing abortion until viability could be voted on this November, which could benefit Democrats at the polls. Most Americans see TikTok as a Chinese influence tool, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds A majority of Americans believe that China uses TikTok to shape U.S. public opinion, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted as Washington moves closer to potentially banning the Chinese-owned short-video app.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US State Dept reduces arms licensing burden for UK, Australia

The U.S. State Department and Australia's Department of Defence on Tuesday unveiled a plan to reduce licensing requirements for transferring military gear and sensitive technology among the United States, Australia and Britain under the AUKUS pact. AUKUS, formed in 2021 to address shared worries about China's growing power, was designed to allow Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines and other advanced weapons such as hypersonic missiles from the United States.

Harvey Weinstein expected in New York court after rape conviction overturned

Harvey Weinstein is due to appear in state court in Manhattan on Wednesday for the first time since New York's highest court threw out his 2020 rape conviction last week. The hearing before Judge Curtis Farber will give prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers a chance to address the next steps for the former film mogul, which could include a new trial.

VP Harris visits Florida as abortion ban limits southern women's options

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Florida on Wednesday to denounce the state's six-week abortion ban that takes effect on May 1, and will accuse Republican opponent Donald Trump of being responsible for it. Florida's Supreme Court cleared the way for a six-week abortion ban, a time-frame before many women realize they are pregnant, in early April. The court also said a ballot measure legalizing abortion until viability could be voted on this November, which could benefit Democrats at the polls.

Most Americans see TikTok as a Chinese influence tool, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

A majority of Americans believe that China uses TikTok to shape U.S. public opinion, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted as Washington moves closer to potentially banning the Chinese-owned short-video app. Some 58% of respondents to the two-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, agreed with a statement that the Chinese government uses TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, to "influence American public opinion." Some 13% disagreed, and the rest were unsure or didn't answer the question. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to see China as using the app to affect U.S. opinions.

Biden approves $6.1 billion in student loan debt relief for Art Institute enrollees

President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the approval of more than $6.1 billion in student loan debt relief for nearly 317,000 borrowers who were enrolled at any Art Institute campus from January 2004 until October 2017. The Art Institutes was a private-for-profit system of art schools in the United States that faced a host of legal issues and closed last September.

Paul Auster, US author of The New York Trilogy, dies aged 77

U.S. novelist and screenwriter Paul Auster died of complications from lung cancer at his home in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening aged 77, the New York Times reported, citing friend and author Jacki Lyden. The New Jersey-born writer was known for a string of acclaimed works including "The New York Trilogy" and "The Book of Illusions".

Police arrest dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University

New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed-up in an academic building on Columbia University campus late on Tuesday and removed a protest encampment the Ivy League school had sought to dismantle for nearly two weeks. Shortly after police moved in, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a letter in which she requested police stay on campus until at least May 17 - two days after graduation - "to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established."

Arizona Senate expected to vote on 1864 abortion ban repeal

The Arizona Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday on a measure to repeal the state's 1864 ban on abortion, which could go into effect within weeks if not struck down. The Arizona House last week passed the measure after a handful of Republicans broke party ranks and voted with Democrats to send it to the Senate. The bill appears to have enough support to pass the upper chamber, even with Republicans holding a slim 16-14 majority.

Trump heads to Wisconsin, Michigan after being hit with gag order fine

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will hold rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, a day after the judge in his New York criminal trial fined him for violating a gag order and warned he could be jailed for further infractions.

Trump's visit to the two battleground states will mark his first major campaign events since the April 15 start of the New York trial, in which he is accused of falsifying business records concerning a hush money payment to a porn star.

Police move in after pro-Israel supporters attack pro-Palestinian camp at UCLA

Police deployed in force on the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) campus on Wednesday morning after Israel supporters attacked a camp set up by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Witness footage from the scene, verified by Reuters, showed people wielding sticks or poles to attack wooden boards being held up as a makeshift barricade to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters, some of whom held placards or umbrellas.

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