Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US on high alert for Iran threat in region after Israeli strike in Syria

The United States is on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region in response to Israel's strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria, a U.S. official said on Friday. "We're definitely at a high state of vigilance," the official said in confirming a CNN report that said an attack could come in the next week.

P&G recalls 8.2 million defective laundry pod bags in US amid safety concerns

Procter & Gamble is recalling 8.2 million defective bags of some of its laundry detergent pods in the U.S. due to a packaging flaw that could pose a risk of injury to children, the Tide maker said on Friday. The voluntary recall was for Tide Pods, Gain Flings, Ace Pods and Ariel Pods liquid laundry detergent packaged in flexible film bags and manufactured between September 2023 and February 2024.

New York City to pay $17.5 million for forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots

New York City agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit by two Muslim-American women who said the police violated their rights after arresting them by forcing them to remove their hijabs before being photographed. The preliminary class action settlement covers men and women required to remove religious attire before being photographed. It was filed on Friday in Manhattan federal court, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres.

Schumer says US Senate can make progress on TikTok bill

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday outlined a busy agenda for lawmakers returning to Washington, saying they can make progress "on a path forward on TikTok legislation." The Senate is returning to work next week after a two-week recess. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 352-65 on March 13 to give TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, about six months to divest the U.S. assets of the short-video app, or face a ban.

Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hits New York City region

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck near New York City on Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, shaking buildings up and down the East Coast and surprising residents in an area that rarely experiences notable seismic activity. The quake's epicenter was in Tewksbury in central New Jersey, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of New York City. It occurred just after 10:20 a.m. ET (1420 GMT) at a depth of 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles), the USGS said.

US House Republican infighting threatens to further delay Ukraine aid package

Infighting among Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives, and a threat to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership role, have put him under pressure to further delay action on a long-sought aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and other key allies. With Kyiv running short of munitions as it fights off a Russian invasion, its Republican allies in Washington hope to see Johnson unveil an aid package that can move swiftly through the House and the Democratic-led Senate, and onto Democratic President Joe Biden's desk soon after lawmakers reconvene on Tuesday following a two-week break.

Forecasts for cloudy skies cast shadow over North American solar eclipse

Cloudy skies forecast for Monday could spell disappointment for many of the millions of North Americans hoping to glimpse the continent's first total solar eclipse since 2017, possibly turning this spellbinding celestial phenomenon into a dud. Some regions that more typically experience fair skies in April within the "path of totality" - the narrow corridor where the moon can be seen obscuring the entire face of the sun - appear to have the gloomiest weather outlook for Monday.

Judge slashes Bayer $1.56 billion Roundup verdict to $611 million

A Missouri judge slashed a $1.56 billion verdict against Bayer to $611 million for three people who claimed its Roundup weed killer caused their cancer, by reducing punitive damages. Bayer said on Friday it is appealing. The German company's Monsanto unit had been found liable in November by a Cole County, Missouri, jury to Valorie Gunther of New York, Jimmy Draeger of Missouri and Daniel Anderson of California, who blamed their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on their exposure to Roundup.

Biden surveys collapsed Baltimore bridge, pledges help

President Joe Biden took an aerial tour on Friday of the collapsed Baltimore bridge that is blocking a key East Coast shipping lane, and he pledged federal help in rebuilding the span, an idea some Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have resisted. A cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it splashing into the harbor. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state's shipping channel is ongoing.

Businessman behind Trump's NY bond says he charged him a 'low fee'

Don Hankey, the billionaire businessman whose company Knight Specialty Insurance provided the $175 million bond that Donald Trump posted in his New York civil fraud case, told Reuters that the fee his firm charged the former U.S. President was low. Hankey, who backed Trump as a presidential candidate in 2016 and has said he supports his re-election, has maintained that providing the bond was a business decision. He declined to disclose the fee, but said it was low because Knight did not think there was much risk involved.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)