US Domestic News Roundup: Safety Incidents, Storms, and Legal Battles

The latest US domestic news covers multiple incidents, including a feared mid-air blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight, and barrages in coastal Georgia and South Carolina from Storm Debby. Other highlights include legal charges against individuals linked to Iran and China, a lawsuit against Harvard University, and a Republican-backed ban on gender-affirming care in Ohio.

A new testimony revealed Tuesday that Alaska Airlines flight attendants feared passengers were lost following a mid-air panel blowout on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet. Harrowing accounts from unnamed crew members detail their efforts to assist passengers amid the chaos. The incident, now under scrutiny by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, occurred shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.

Storm Debby has inundated coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina with torrential rains, causing catastrophic floods. The storm has resulted in six deaths and continues to hover over southeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts. Cities like Charleston and Savannah face severe threats from ongoing deluges.

In legal news, a Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran has been charged in the U.S. in connection with a foiled assassination plot. The man, Asif Merchant, aimed to recruit people to carry out retaliatory assassinations following the U.S. killing of Iran's top commander in 2020. Meanwhile, a Chinese academic was convicted on charges of acting illegally as a foreign agent in the U.S.

Harvard University faces allegations of antisemitism after claims surfaced that Jewish students were subjected to severe harassment. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns ruled on Tuesday that there is enough plausible evidence to move forward with the lawsuit. In other political news, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz kicked off their first campaign together as they toured battleground states.

Furthermore, an Arizona grand jury sought to indict Trump in a fake electors case, although prosecutors have advised against it. An Ohio judge upheld a controversial law banning gender-affirming care for minors, and a former Kansas police chief faces charges following a raid on a local newspaper. Finally, New York's Nassau County has banned the wearing of masks to hide identities during protests, aiming to prevent violent and antisemitic activities.

(With inputs from agencies.)