US Domestic News Roundup: Tethered together, Biden and Harris move toward 2024 re-election run; TikTok CEO to face tough questions amid calls for U.S. ban and more

Of the various potential rulings possible in the case involving the abortion pill mifepristone, either of those outcomes would be unprecedented judicial intervention in the agency's regulatory process. TikTok CEO to face tough questions amid calls for U.S. ban TikTok's chief executive will face tough questions from lawmakers on Thursday who are convinced the Chinese-owned short video app should be barred for being a potential national security threat to the United States.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Tethered together, Biden and Harris move toward 2024 re-election run

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris may not have won over America in her first two years in office, but she's staying put at President Joe Biden's side. The first woman vice president is gearing up for another national campaign despite low poll ratings, a failure to win over the Washington establishment and concern among fellow Democrats about an underwhelming start in the job.

TikTok CEO to face tough questions amid calls for U.S. ban

TikTok's chief executive will face tough questions from lawmakers on Thursday who are convinced the Chinese-owned short video app should be barred for being a potential national security threat to the United States. CEO Shou Zi Chew's testimony before Congress will also cap a week of actions by the Chinese company aimed at convincing Americans and their lawmakers that the app creates economic value and supports free speech.

Florida moves to expand ban on sexual orientation, gender identity teaching

Florida is looking to expand its ban on teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender identity issues to include all students in its public schools under a new rule set for a vote by the state Board of Education next month. The proposed rule is the latest move by the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to seek his party's 2024 nomination for president, to limit or prohibit instruction on topics conservatives consider inappropriate for the state's classrooms.

DeSantis agenda wins in Florida but could cost him in 2024 -Reuters/Ipsos poll

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' policy agenda includes new restrictions on abortion and further loosening gun laws, stances that may help him in his expected run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but could hurt his chances of actually being elected, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The results of the March 14-20 survey, which gauged national opinion around policies DeSantis backs, underscore the challenges - as well as some opportunities - that await him should he challenge former President Donald Trump for the nomination.

TikTok creators, some U.S. Democratic lawmakers oppose ban on app

TikTok creators and three U.S. Democratic Party lawmakers on Wednesday said they opposed any potential ban on the Chinese-owned short video sharing app that is used by more than 150 million Americans. On Thursday TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee amid growing calls for a ban over national security concerns at a time when relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated.

Student accused of shooting two faculty members in Denver found dead

The student who was accused of shooting and wounding two faculty members at his Denver high school has been found dead near his vehicle in Park County. The Park County Coroners Office confirmed in a Facebook post that the body belonged to 17-year-old Austin Lyle, who shot faculty members as they were patting him down for weapons as part of a "safety plan" devised for the youth based on previous behavioral issues.

Latest California storm leaves 5 dead from fallen trees in Bay area

The latest bout of harsh, wintry weather to lash California drifted into neighboring states of the Desert Southwest on Wednesday as authorities reported at least five storm-related deaths in and around San Francisco, all from fallen trees. As California's onslaught of rain, wind and mountain snow subsided, downed power lines from Tuesday's storm left more than 92,000 homes and businesses without electricity as of Wednesday afternoon, while lingering floods kept 14,000 people under evacuation orders.

U.S. House panel on China to highlight abuse of Uyghurs in second hearing

A new U.S. congressional committee on China will hold its second hearing on Thursday, seeking to highlight what Washington says is an ongoing genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China's Xinjiang region. Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses, including forced labor, mass surveillance and the placement of 1 million or more Uyghurs - a mainly Muslim ethnic group - in a network of internment camps in Xinjiang.

California lawmaker introduces bill to ban caste discrimination in state

A bill to ban caste discrimination was introduced in the California Senate on Wednesday by a Democratic lawmaker, which, if passed, could make California the first U.S. state to outlaw the practice, a problem for the state's substantial South Asian diaspora. The bill was introduced and authored by state Senator Aisha Wahab, an Afghan American Democrat, and comes weeks after Seattle became the first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination after a city council vote and Toronto's school board became the first in Canada to recognize that caste discrimination existed in the city's schools.

Analysis-In US abortion pill case, FDA could soften blow of court-ordered restrictions

A conservative federal judge in Texas could soon order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its 22-year-old approval for a pill used in the most common form of abortion in the United States, or order the approval revoked outright. Of the various potential rulings possible in the case involving the abortion pill mifepristone, either of those outcomes would be unprecedented judicial intervention in the agency's regulatory process.