US News Roundup: Plan to relocate asylum seekers; Duncan Hunter to resign and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Americans increasingly critical of Trump's record on Iran, most expect war: Reuters/Ipsos poll

The American public is increasingly critical of President Donald Trump's handling of Iran after he ordered the U.S. military to kill a powerful Iranian military commander, and a majority of U.S. adults now expect the countries to be at war in the near future, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling released on Tuesday. The national opinion poll found that 53% of adults in the U.S. disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran, which is an increase of about 9 percentage points from a similar poll that ran in the middle of December.

U.S. implements plan to send Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala

Mexicans seeking asylum in the United States could be sent to Guatemala under a bilateral agreement signed by the Central American nation last year, according to documents sent to U.S. asylum officers in recent days and seen by Reuters. In a Jan. 4 email, field office staff at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) were told Mexican nationals will be included in the populations "amenable" to the agreement with Guatemala.

California congressman convicted in corruption case to resign next week

U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, a leading California Republican who pleaded guilty last month to a federal corruption charge of conspiracy to misuse campaign funds, announced on Tuesday that he would resign from office effective Jan. 13. Hunter, 43, whose conviction set off a scramble within the Republican Party to succeed him while seemingly boosting Democrats' chances to gain his seat, notified Governor Gavin Newsom and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by letter of his departure date.

Ex-con who claimed to be missing boy to plead guilty in Ohio: documents

A former convict who drew national attention last year when he claimed to be an Illinois teen who went missing in 2011 after his mother killed herself has agreed to plead guilty, court papers showed. Brian Rini, 24, of Medina, Ohio, was charged in federal court in Cincinnati in April with lying to federal agents after he told authorities in Newport, Kentucky, that he was missing teen Timmothy Pitzen and that he had escaped from an eight-year ordeal at the hands of sex traffickers.

CNN settles defamation lawsuit with Kentucky teen in Lincoln Memorial case

CNN has settled with a Kentucky teenager who sued the network for defamation over its coverage of his encounter with a Native American at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington a year ago. The amount of the settlement between Nick Sandmann and CNN was not disclosed. A CNN spokesperson on Tuesday confirmed the settlement in a statement emailed to Reuters, but declined to comment on the details.

'Apprentice' contestant's lawsuit against Trump goes to top New York court

New York state's highest court will consider whether U.S. President Donald Trump must face a defamation lawsuit by a former contestant on "The Apprentice," in a showdown that could help determine whether Trump can be sued while in the White House. The Appellate Division in Manhattan, an intermediate-level court, on Tuesday granted Trump permission to ask the state Court of Appeals to review whether its 3-2 decision last March allowing Summer Zervos to sue him was correct.

Alaska volcano's sustained eruption grounds flights, prompts safety alert

An Alaska volcano shot an ash cloud about 5 miles (8 km) into the sky on Tuesday, prompting flight delays and cancellations and raining volcanic particles onto at least one nearby community, officials said. The ash-producing explosion at Shishaldin Volcano, about 680 miles (1,094 km) southwest of Anchorage, marked the biggest event in about six months of on-and-off eruption activity at the mountain, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported.

Judge threatens Harvey Weinstein with jail for texting in court

Harvey Weinstein's rape trial took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as the judge threatened to revoke his bail and jail the former film producer after catching him using his cellphone just as jury selection got underway. "Is this really the way you want to end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting and violating a court order?" state Judge James Burke asked the 67-year-old defendant, visibly angry.

Senate Republicans close ranks on rules for Trump impeachment trial

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he had enough support from his fellow Republicans to set the rules for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, dealing a blow to Democrats' efforts to call new witnesses against the president. Democrats responded by saying they still want more details on the trial process before any further action is taken although they have little leverage if Republicans, who control the Senate, remain united.

Mexican migrants removed from border camp after family separation threat

Mexican authorities on Tuesday removed almost 100 Mexican migrants seeking asylum in the United States from a camp in downtown Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, according to a Reuters witness, after state police threatened to separate parents from their children. Ciudad Juarez has been received growing numbers of Mexicans seeking to apply for asylum in the United States, leading to a backlog in the city as U.S. border officials limit the number of asylum cases they receive at the port of entry each day.