US Domestic News Roundup: FBI concerned about possible coordinated attack in US after Russia massacre; Arizona ruling puts abortion at center of 2024 presidential election and more

During an earlier hearing, Trump lawyer Emil Bove said the trial should be delayed because Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has not yet ruled on their request for him to recuse himself. Arizona ruling puts abortion at center of 2024 presidential election Democrats wasted little time capitalizing on Tuesday's ruling from Arizona's high court upholding a 160-year-old abortion ban, organizing press conferences in swing states across the country and blaming former Republican President Donald Trump for eliminating a nationwide right to abortion.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Bird flu pushes US dairy farmers to ban visitors, chop trees

Dairy farmers in the United States are raising their defenses to try to contain the spread of bird flu: banning visitors, cutting down trees to discourage wild birds from landing, and disinfecting vehicles coming onto their land. North Carolina on Wednesday became the seventh state to report an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed infections in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, Idaho and New Mexico.

FBI concerned about possible coordinated attack in US after Russia massacre

The FBI is concerned about the possibility of an organized attack in the United States similar to the one that killed scores at a Russian concert hall last month, the bureau's director plans to tell a House of Representatives panel on Thursday. “Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Christopher Wray is set to tell lawmakers during a budget hearing. “But that is the case as I sit here today.”

Stormy Daniels: Woman at center of Trump hush money trial is porn star-turned-ghostbuster

Adult film star Stormy Daniels has built a lucrative business empire around her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Donald Trump and earned legions of fans for her breezy retorts to those who cast her as an immoral woman. The alleged encounter is now at the center of the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president, scheduled to start on Monday at New York state court in Manhattan.

US to close 'gun show loophole' and require more background checks

A rule requiring gun dealers to obtain federal licenses and conduct background checks regardless of where they sell guns has been finalized and will soon go into effect, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Surveillance bill stumbles again in US House on privacy concerns

A modest overhaul of a controversial U.S. surveillance program foundered in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after Democratic and Republican critics, including Donald Trump, said it gave the government too much power to spy on its citizens. By a vote of 228-193, the Republican-controlled House prevented the bill from coming up for debate on the floor. That leaves the program in limbo shortly before it is due to expire on April 19.

Virginia panel documents history of violence by 6-year-old who shot teacher

A 6-year-old boy who shot and wounded his teacher last year in Virginia had a history of violent outbursts in school, including the choking of another teacher that led to his expulsion from kindergarten, according to an investigative report released on Wednesday. The boy's record of disruptive behavior and physical abuse of fellow students and staff at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, were documented in the 30-page report from a special grand jury empaneled by the city's chief prosecutor.

Trump loses third bid this week to delay hush money trial

A New York appeals judge on Wednesday denied Donald Trump's third last-ditch attempt this week to delay his April 15 criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, paving the way for the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. During an earlier hearing, Trump lawyer Emil Bove said the trial should be delayed because Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has not yet ruled on their request for him to recuse himself.

Arizona ruling puts abortion at center of 2024 presidential election

Democrats wasted little time capitalizing on Tuesday's ruling from Arizona's high court upholding a 160-year-old abortion ban, organizing press conferences in swing states across the country and blaming former Republican President Donald Trump for eliminating a nationwide right to abortion. The decision from the conservative Arizona Supreme Court sent a shockwave through the battleground state, which is poised to play a pivotal role in November's presidential election while also hosting one of the country's most high-profile Senate races.

Explainer-Trump focuses on migrants and crime. Here is what the research shows

Donald Trump is highlighting crimes committed by migrants in the U.S. illegally as part of his campaign to win back the White House, repeating rhetoric used during his previous run for the presidency. But studies show immigrants are not more likely to engage in criminality. WHAT IS TRUMP SAYING ABOUT IMMIGRANTS AND CRIME?

US, Japan signal support for Texas high-speed rail plan

The governments of the United States and Japan signalled support for a plan to build the first high-speed rail in the U.S. using Japanese bullet trains after their leaders met in Washington on Wednesday. Reuters exclusively reported this week that President Joe Biden is seeking to revive interest in the project linking the Texas cities of Dallas and Houston and was likely to raise the issue during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit.

(With inputs from agencies.)