US Domestic News Roundup: Trump casts 2024 contest in apocalyptic terms, slams prosecutors; How drag was pushed back into the shadows in Tennessee and more

At least 15 immigrants needed immediate medical attention, police said. Trump warns of 'death & destruction' if charged with a crime Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential "death & destruction" if he faces criminal charges, hours after New York prosecutors probing his hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels said they would not be intimidated.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Trump casts 2024 contest in apocalyptic terms, slams prosecutors

Donald Trump used his first election rally in Waco, Texas, to cast the 2024 presidential vote in apocalyptic terms, slam his leading Republican rival Ron DeSantis and rail against prosecutors pursuing him with criminal investigations he likened to a "Stalinist Russia horror show." Speaking to several thousand of his diehard supporters, some flashing signs saying "WITCH HUNT", Trump spent much of his nearly two-hour speech attacking the multiple investigations that have put him in legal peril as politically motivated.

How drag was pushed back into the shadows in Tennessee

Last April, when drag could still be performed in Tennessee without noticeable complaint, the curtains parted at Tennessee Tech University's Backdoor Playhouse to reveal Joshua Lancaster wearing a black cowl, white face paint, black lipstick and white contact lenses. He was excited for the debut of his new drag persona, Witchcrafted. But the four-minute video of Lancaster lip-syncing and sashaying across the stage, recorded by his boyfriend, would sit on his Facebook page largely unseen for months until it was found by Landon Starbuck, a conservative activist.

Roxham Road, asylum-seeker destination, busy after Biden-Trudeau pact

Asylum seekers warned by police they could be sent back continued to walk into Canada through the unofficial United States border crossing into Quebec at Roxham Road a day after the two countries amended a 20-year-old asylum pact trying to stem the influx. On Saturday afternoon, as snow began to fall at Roxham Road, a Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson said officials had just begun to process asylum seekers apprehended under the new protocol and had sent one back to the U.S.

Chocolate factory blast in Pennsylvania kills two; five missing

An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania has killed two people with five others missing as rescue workers search through debris for survivors, emergency services said on Saturday. The blast occurred on Friday at the R.M. Palmer Company plant in West Reading, a town about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) said.

Top U.S. Republican McConnell back home after suffering concussion

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he was back at home on Saturday and had completed inpatient physical therapy after suffering a concussion when he tripped and fell at a Washington, D.C., hotel this month. "I'm going to follow the advice of my physical therapists and spend the next few days working for Kentuckians and (Republicans) from home," McConnell, 81, said in a statement.

Death toll at 26 after powerful tornado tears across Mississippi

Rescuers combed through rubble on Saturday after a powerful storm tore across Mississippi late on Friday, killing at least 25 people there and one person in Alabama as it leveled hundreds of buildings and spawned at least one devastating tornado. The tornado stayed on the ground for about an hour and cut a path of destruction some 170 miles (274 km) long, according to Nicholas Price, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi.

Biden nominee to head FAA withdraws after Republican criticism

U.S. President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is withdrawing his nomination after Republican criticism that he was not qualified to serve as the top aviation regulator. Last year, Biden nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington to serve as FAA administrator. A spokesperson for Washington at the airport did not immediately comment.

Biden declares emergency for Mississippi due to storm damage

U.S. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Mississippi on Sunday after a powerful storm tore across the state, killing at least 25 people there and one in Alabama. Biden ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the affected areas, a White House Statement said. The funding will be available to affected people in the counties of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey, the statement said.

Two migrants suffocate to death aboard Texas train, 10 hospitalized

Two suspected undocumented immigrants suffocated to death aboard a freight train and 10 others in need of medical care were taken by helicopter or ambulance to hospital on Friday in south Texas, police said. Officials in Uvlade, Texas, received an anonymous emergency 911 call advising them that numerous immigrants were suffocating inside a train, Uvalde police said in a statement. At least 15 immigrants needed immediate medical attention, police said.

Trump warns of 'death & destruction' if charged with a crime

Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential "death & destruction" if he faces criminal charges, hours after New York prosecutors probing his hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels said they would not be intimidated. The early Friday post on Trump's Truth Social media site was the latest in a string of verbal attacks on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg since last Saturday when Trump wrongly predicted he would be arrested three days later.

(With inputs from agencies.)