US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. judge reinstates North Carolina ban on late-term abortions; FBI's sealed evidence that led to a search of Trump's home focus of court hearing and more

The Justice Department has opposed the release of the affidavit containing the evidence, which gave investigators probable cause to believe crimes were committed at Trump's Palm Beach home. U.S. prosecutors should weigh releasing more Trump search details-Bolton The U.S. Justice Department should consider releasing at least some of the evidence it used to justify searching former President Donald Trump's Florida home last week, Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. judge reinstates North Carolina ban on late-term abortions

A federal judge on Wednesday reinstated a decades-old North Carolina ban on abortions performed after 20 weeks of gestation, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision allowing states to freely regulate procedures to terminate the pregnancy. Although so-called late-term procedures are rare, abortion rights proponents said Wednesday's ruling chips away at reproductive healthcare access in one of the last Southern states where abortion has remained relatively unencumbered.

FBI's sealed evidence that led to a search of Trump's home focus of court hearing

Sealed records containing evidence the U.S. Justice Department presented to secure court approval to search Donald Trump's Florida home will be at the heart of a hearing on Thursday when news organizations will try to persuade a federal judge that the public deserves to see the details. The Justice Department has opposed the release of the affidavit containing the evidence, which gave investigators probable cause to believe crimes were committed at Trump's Palm Beach home.

Longtime Trump executive Weisselberg to plead guilty in tax fraud scheme

A longtime senior executive at former President Donald Trump's family business is expected to plead guilty on Thursday to conspiring with the company in 15-year tax fraud. Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer at the Trump Organization, is expected to enter his plea before Justice Juan Merchan in a New York state court in Manhattan.

U.S. prosecutors subpoena files given to Capitol attack committee -NYT

Federal prosecutors examining the role of former President Donald Trump and allies in events ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol have subpoenaed National Archives documents provided to a House of Representatives committee, the New York Times reported. The subpoena was issued in May, sought "all materials, in whatever form" that were given to lawmakers and was signed by the prosecutor leading the Justice Department's inquiry, according to the report.

Pence says he would consider testifying to Jan. 6 Capitol riot panel

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday he would consider testifying before the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol if he were to receive an invitation. Aides to Pence told the panel in June that former President Donald Trump pressured the then-vice president to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Florida prosecutor suspended by DeSantis over abortion stance sues to regain job

A Florida state attorney on Wednesday sued Governor Ron DeSantis after he was suspended earlier this month for saying he would not prosecute anyone who sought or provided abortions. In a lawsuit filed in Tallahassee, Florida, federal court, prosecutor Andrew Warren said his suspension by DeSantis violated his First Amendment rights as well as Florida's constitution and demanded to be reinstated.

South Carolina top court puts abortion ban on hold as it hears challenge

South Carolina's highest court on Wednesday blocked enforcement of a state law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy while it considers a challenge to the law by a Planned Parenthood affiliate and other abortion providers. In a unanimous order, the five justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court did not express any opinion on whether Planned Parenthood is ultimately likely to prevail. However, they said the ban could conflict with the state's constitution.

U.S. prosecutors should weigh releasing more Trump search details-Bolton

The U.S. Justice Department should consider releasing at least some of the evidence it used to justify searching former President Donald Trump's Florida home last week, Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday. In an interview with Reuters, Bolton said he agrees with the Justice Department's (DOJ) concerns about releasing the affidavit it used to convince a judge the FBI had probable cause to search Trump's home at his Mar-a-Lago resort for classified materials.

Missouri man charged for threatening election official in Arizona

The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it has charged a Missouri man for leaving threatening voicemails for an election official in Arizona, marking the sixth federal criminal case brought so far to combat the rising tide of threats against local election officials. Walter Lee Hoornstra, 50, of Tecumseh was charged in an indictment handed down on Tuesday with one count of communicating an interstate commerce threat and a second count of making a threatening phone call.

Literary institutions where Salman Rushdie has attacked ramps up security

Chautauqua Institution, the bucolic New York retreat where Salman Rushdie was attacked last week, has added new security measures, including requiring photo identification and passing through metal detectors prior to entering its venues. Rushdie, 75, was set to deliver a lecture on artistic freedom at the western New York venue last week when a man rushed the stage and stabbed the Indian-born writer. Rushdie has lived with a bounty on his head since his novel "The Satanic Verses" was published in 1988 and prompted Iran's then supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, to issue a fatwa urging Muslims to kill him.