US Domestic News Roundup: US lawmaker says FBI briefed him on Trump's rhetoric over New York probe; Trump casts 2024 contest in apocalyptic terms, slams prosecutors and more

The justices are due to hear arguments in an appeal by President Joe Biden's administration of a lower court's decision to strike down the decades-old provision, part of a larger immigration statute, as overly broad because it may criminalize legitimate speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. US House speaker says lawmakers to move forward with TikTok bill U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday lawmakers will move forward with legislation to address national security worries about TikTok, alleging China's government had access to the short video app's user data.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 27-03-2023 18:53 IST | Created: 27-03-2023 18:29 IST
US Domestic News Roundup: US lawmaker says FBI briefed him on Trump's rhetoric over New York probe; Trump casts 2024 contest in apocalyptic terms, slams prosecutors and more
Former US President Donald Trump Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US lawmaker says FBI briefed him on Trump's rhetoric over New York probe

U.S. Senator Mark Warner said on Sunday he was briefed by the FBI on Donald Trump's rhetoric after the former president verbally lashed out at a New York prosecutor overseeing a grand jury investigation into alleged hush-money payments. "I have been briefed by the FBI. They say they are fully prepared," Warner, a Democrat and the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN on Sunday. "They have seen no specific threats but the level of rhetoric on some of these right-wing sites has increased."

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.

Explainer-How did live rounds get onto the set of Alec Baldwin's 'Rust'?

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the New Mexico set of Western movie "Rust" in 2021 after live ammunition was mixed with dummy rounds. Actor Alec Baldwin fired the bullet that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he is not responsible for Hutchins' death and pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in February.

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.

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.

Actor Jonathan Majors arrested in New York on assault charges

Actor Jonathan Majors was arrested in New York City over the weekend on assault and harassment charges, leading to the U.S. Army pulling new advertisements featuring the "Creed III" star. Majors, who recently presented an award at the Oscars alongside his "Creed III" co-star Michael B. Jordan, was arrested on Saturday morning in Manhattan following a domestic dispute, according to police and his defense lawyer.

US Supreme Court examines law against encouraging illegal immigration

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will consider whether a federal law that made it a crime for a person to encourage illegal immigration violates constitutional free speech protections in a case involving a California man who deceived immigrants through a phony "adult adoption" program. The justices are due to hear arguments in an appeal by President Joe Biden's administration of a lower court's decision to strike down the decades-old provision, part of a larger immigration statute, as overly broad because it may criminalize legitimate speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

US House speaker says lawmakers to move forward with TikTok bill

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday lawmakers will move forward with legislation to address national security worries about TikTok, alleging China's government had access to the short video app's user data. In the United States, there are growing calls to ban TikTok, owned by China-based company ByteDance, or to pass bipartisan legislation to give President Joe Biden's administration legal authority to seek a ban. Devices owned by the U.S. government were recently banned from having the app installed.

Death toll in Pennsylvania chocolate factory blast rises to seven

The death toll from an explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania has risen to seven people, with authorities ending a search for those believed to be missing following Friday's blast. The number of people who were killed slowly rose throughout the weekend as rescue crews sifted through the rubble of the building that was home to the R.M. Palmer Co in West Reading, a town of 4,500 about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

Explainer-What happens if the US Supreme Court bans affirmative action?

The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether colleges can continue to consider race as part of their admissions decisions, a practice commonly known as affirmative action. Here is what to know about the policy, its history and the possible consequences of the court's decision.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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