US Domestic News Roundup: US Supreme Court to rule on Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies; NTSB says no passengers seated near Boeing 737 MAX 9 fuselage that failed and more

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told a press conference late on Saturday the two seats next to the portion of fuselage that blew out were unoccupied. US Supreme Court to rule on Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let Idaho enforce its near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations while also agreeing to hear the fight between state officials and President Joe Biden's administration over the legality of the Republican-backed measure.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Michigan Republicans vote to oust embattled leader Karamo

A group of Michigan Republicans voted on Saturday to remove Kristina Karamo as state party chairperson after months of infighting and slow fundraising raised concerns her leadership would hurt the party's chances in the key swing state in 2024. Karamo, a former community college instructor and grassroots activist who was elevated to her post in February, has indicated she would not respect Saturday's vote, setting the stage for a potentially messy court battle over party leadership.

Epstein invoked 5th Amendment right to silence 600 times - court filings

The late financier Jeffrey Epstein invoked his constitutional right against incriminating himself about 600 times in testimony for a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse. Epstein's refusal to answer questions in Giuffre's lawsuit against his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was disclosed in a filing on Friday in Manhattan federal court, as part of a trove of documents being unsealed this month from the civil defamation case, which settled in 2017.

House Speaker Johnson invites Biden to give State of the Union address March 7

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson on Saturday invited President Joe Biden to give the State of the Union address on March 7. Johnson, a Republican, said in a letter to Biden, a Democrat, it was his duty to send the invite "in this moment of great challenge for our country." A copy of the letter was posted on X, the social media site.

Storm may not be wintry enough to end New York City's snow drought

New York City's historic, two-year snow drought may not come to an end this weekend, despite the arrival of a winter storm system that began passing through the most populous U.S. city and across the East Coast on Saturday. The city's 8.5 million residents have not seen more than 1 inch (2.54 cm) of snow fall in Manhattan's Central Park since Feb. 13, 2022, a record-long streak of 692 days.

US appeals court prevents California from banning guns in most public places

A federal appeals court on Saturday allowed a judge's ruling that barred California from enforcing a new law that bans the carrying of guns in most public places on the grounds that it was unconstitutional to take effect. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved an order by a different 9th Circuit panel from a week earlier that suspended an injunction issued by a judge who concluded the Democratic-led state's law violated the right of citizens to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

US defense secretary says he takes responsibility for secret hospitalization

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Saturday that he took "full responsibility" for secrecy surrounding an ongoing, week-long hospitalization for a still unspecified medical condition. Austin, who is 70, was admitted on New Year's Day to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the Pentagon has said were "complications following a recent elective medical procedure," a fact the Defense Department kept under wraps for five days.

Trump, in Iowa, demands release of those jailed for 2021 Capitol attack

Donald Trump on Saturday downplayed his role in the siege of the U.S. Capitol on the third anniversary of the attack, arguing that those prosecuted for storming the building should be freed. Speaking at a campaign event in Clinton, Iowa with the first Republican nominating contest little more than a week away, Trump called those jailed in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack "hostages" and said they had been mistreated by the Biden administration.

NTSB says no passengers seated near Boeing 737 MAX 9 fuselage that failed

The head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said no passengers were seated next to a cabin panel that blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9, forcing an emergency landing Friday in a potentially "tragic" incident. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told a press conference late on Saturday the two seats next to the portion of fuselage that blew out were unoccupied.

US Supreme Court to rule on Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let Idaho enforce its near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations while also agreeing to hear the fight between state officials and President Joe Biden's administration over the legality of the Republican-backed measure. The justices granted a request by Idaho officials to temporarily lift a federal judge's ruling that blocked the state's abortion measure after concluding it must yield to a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency "stabilizing care."

Harris marks Jan. 6, calls on Black South Carolina voters to defend rights

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday marked the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol with remarks in South Carolina, where the state's Democratic primary will be held on Feb. 3. Harris spoke on the anniversary of the deadly attacks after Biden offered scathing criticism of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's actions that day in a speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Friday.