Daily Briefing: What happened in Prince Harry and Meghan's 'car ...

A celebration of women's empowerment turned into a harrowing moment after Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry left a charity event in New York City and faced a paparazzi "car chase." Also in the news: President Joe Biden is in Japan Thursday but won't stay abroad long before returning to debt ceiling negotiations in Washington. Montana is the first state in the United States to ban the Chinese-owned app TikTok.

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Now, here we gowith Thursday's news.

Questions surround Prince Harry and Meghan's 'car chase'

In a statement to USA TODAY Wednesday, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's team described a "near catastrophic" chase that ensued after the royal couple left a charity event in New York City. The pair and Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, were followed for more than two hours by half a dozen vehicles, according to their spokespeople. The pursuit "resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers." The couple and Ragland eventually switched to a taxi cab and whisked away, photos show. The cab driver, Sukhcharn Singh, told The Associated Press he wouldn't call the incident a "chase." Read more

Biden in Japan amid debt ceiling talks

President Joe Biden will meet privately with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Thursday before joining the Group of Seven gathering of major industrialized nations. The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen security and economic cooperation.

The summit in Hiroshima takes place as a dispute in Washington over the debt ceiling is inching toward a resolution.

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Note found on body of teenage New Mexico shooter

The New Mexico teenager who killed three people earlier this week in a neighborhood shooting spree before police fatally shot him was carrying a note in which he warned people to leave his little sister alone, authorities said Wednesday. The note was just one of several additional details authorities brought up about their investigation into the Monday shooting in Farmington. Policy say the gunman was armed with a "AR-style rifle" legally purchased, and investigators said they believe the two other weapons were taken from family members. Read more

Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure Wednesday banning TikTok in Montana, making it the first state in the United States to completely ban the Chinese-owned social media app amid skepticism from lawmakers. Lawmakers from both political parties have raised concerns over TikTok's potential threat to national security, including if the app could be used by the Chinese government to spy on U.S. citizens. There has also been a growing number of red states that have issued TikTok bans on government-issued devices. Read more

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Grand jury indicts man in stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students

A Ph.D. criminology student accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in November has been indicted by a grand jury and will appear for arraignment on Monday to enter a plea. Bryan Kohberger, 28, has already been charged by prosecutors, but a grand jury indictment allows the case to be transferred directly to a higher-level court in Moscow, Idaho. It also allows prosecutors to keep more of their evidence secret until a trial. Read more

Quick hits Photo of the day:  Marble artifacts from 1,800 years ago unearthed after recent storms

Recent storms in Israel have led to the discovery of rare marble artifacts that sank with a ship more than 1,800 years ago. The Israel Antiquities Authority said in an online post this week that an experienced sea swimmer spotted ancient columns in waters off the Beit Yanai beach near the Mediterranean resort city of Netanya. Read more

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.