US Domestic News Roundup: Biden vs Trump would be a close rematch, with RFK Jr a threat to Biden -Reuters/Ipsos poll; Meet Ashley, the world's first AI-powered political campaign caller and more

Trump leads his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination by nearly 50 percentage points in national opinion polls, a remarkable comeback for a one-term president who three years ago appeared vanquished and humiliated. US seeks speedy Supreme Court review of Trump claim he is immune from prosecution The U.S. special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump on federal charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat asked the Supreme Court on Monday to launch a fast-track review of the former president's claim he cannot be tried on those charges.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Biden vs Trump would be a close rematch, with RFK Jr a threat to Biden -Reuters/Ipsos poll

A looming election rematch next year between U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump would be closely fought, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, with both candidates saddled with profound vulnerabilities that could cost them the White House. Biden, an 81-year-old Democrat, continues to be plagued by voters' doubts about the strength of the economy, as well as concerns about the security of the U.S.-Mexico border and worries about crime.

Meet Ashley, the world's first AI-powered political campaign caller

Democrat Shamaine Daniels is running for Congress, eyeing a seat held by Trump-aligned Republican Representative Scott Perry, who played a key role challenging the 2020 election results. Daniels, who lost to Perry by less than 10 points last year, hopes a new weapon will help her underdog candidacy: Ashley, an artificial intelligence campaign volunteer.

Harvard University president to remain in office -student media

Harvard University's governing board will publicly declare support for the Ivy League school's president on Tuesday, a day after meeting to weigh the public backlash following remarks she made last week at a congressional hearing on antisemitism. The Harvard Corporation, the university's governing body, was expected to announce the decision to back Harvard President Claudine Gay in a statement, the Harvard Crimson reported, citing an unidentified source familiar with the decision.

Yes, Trump can win the 2024 election. Here are four reasons why

He has been impeached twice, tried to thwart the peaceful transfer of power after losing the 2020 presidential election, faces scores of charges in multiple criminal cases, and his critics warn he is plotting to rule as an autocrat. Yet, Donald Trump could still return to the White House. Trump leads his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination by nearly 50 percentage points in national opinion polls, a remarkable comeback for a one-term president who three years ago appeared vanquished and humiliated.

US seeks speedy Supreme Court review of Trump claim he is immune from prosecution

The U.S. special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump on federal charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat asked the Supreme Court on Monday to launch a fast-track review of the former president's claim he cannot be tried on those charges. The Supreme Court said it would quickly review Special Counsel Jack Smith's request, ordering Trump's lawyers to respond to the request by Dec. 20.

Trump holds wide lead in Republican 2024 nominating contest - Reuters/Ipsos poll

Donald Trump maintains his dominant position in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, drawing the support of more than half of the party's voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Monday. The poll found that 61% of self-identified Republicans said they would vote for the former U.S. president in the state-by-state nominating contest to pick a challenger to Democratic President Joe Biden.

US House expects Wednesday vote on formalizing Biden impeachment inquiry - aide

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on Wednesday to formalize its impeachment inquiry of Democratic President Joe Biden, a Republican leadership aide said on Monday. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because official plans for floor action remained fluid. Earlier on Monday, a Republican lawmaker said House Speaker Mike Johnson disclosed plans for a Thursday vote at a closed-door meeting, a time frame that had also been echoed by other Republicans.

Texas top court rules against woman who sought abortion for medical emergency

The Texas Supreme Court on Monday overturned a lower court's ruling that would have allowed a pregnant woman to get an emergency abortion under the medical exception for the state's near-total abortion ban, granting a petition by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The unanimous ruling from the Texas Supreme Court came hours after lawyers for the woman, Kate Cox, said in a court filing that she had left the state to obtain the abortion, but nonetheless wanted to pursue the case. Cox has said her fetus had a fatal diagnosis and that her health was at risk if she continued the pregnancy to term, including her ability to have more children in the future.

Trump increases polling lead in Iowa ahead of first Republican contest

Donald Trump has a huge and expanded lead over his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in a new poll in Iowa, the state that kicks off the party's nominating contest on Jan. 15. The former president has 51% first-choice support from people likely to take part in the Iowa caucuses next month, according to a NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released on Monday, up from 43% in the same poll conducted in October.

Harvard faculty rally around beleaguered university president Claudine Gay

Several hundred faculty members at Harvard University on Sunday signed a petition asking school administrators to not bend to political pressure to fire the school's president over her Congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. A concisely worded petition was signed by at least 570 professors and was delivered Sunday evening to the 13-member Harvard Corporation, which has the power to fire university president Claudine Gay. More professors indicated they also wanted to sign, according to a co-author of the petition.