US Domestic News Roundup: DeSantis allies urge him to defend Trump at Republican debate; So far, victims of Maui wildfires are skewing toward the elderly and more

Republican presidential contenders are gathering in Milwaukee next Wednesday for their first debate of the 2024 campaign season, even though front-runner and former President Donald Trump says he will skip the Fox News broadcast. Georgia law enforcement probe threats after Trump grand jury identified online Law enforcement officials are investigating threats related to former President Donald Trump's election interference investigation in Georgia, after names and addresses of grand jury members were posted online, a sheriff's office said.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

DeSantis allies urge him to defend Trump at Republican debate

Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis should defend former President Donald Trump at the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday and go on the attack against campaign rival Vivek Ramaswamy, the main outside spending group supporting his candidacy wrote in a series of memos. The memos, commissioned by pro-DeSantis group Never Back Down, were posted on the website of Axiom Strategies, a major political consultancy, over the last several days. Their existence was first reported by The New York Times.

So far, victims of Maui wildfires are skewing toward the elderly

As the first victims of the fires that scorched Maui are identified by authorities and family members, an early pattern has emerged: Many who perished were over the age of 70. Scores more victims will be identified in the weeks and months to come. While the final list of fatalities will almost surely represent a broader cross section of ages, the deaths underscore that the elderly are at greater risk in fast-moving blazes.

US judge won't block Florida law barring Chinese citizens from owning homes

A U.S. judge in Florida on Thursday declined to block the state's law barring citizens of China and other "countries of concern" from owning homes or land in the state. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida, said that because the ban is based on citizenship and not race or national origin, it likely does not violate the U.S. Constitution or a law banning housing discrimination.

Biden campaign plans first big push - skewer the Republican debate

U.S. President Joe Biden's re-election campaign will use next week's Republican debate in the battleground state of Wisconsin to engage thousands of social media volunteers and launch their first advertising campaign aimed at Black and Latino voters, according to a Democratic official. Republican presidential contenders are gathering in Milwaukee next Wednesday for their first debate of the 2024 campaign season, even though front-runner and former President Donald Trump says he will skip the Fox News broadcast.

Georgia law enforcement probe threats after Trump grand jury identified online

Law enforcement officials are investigating threats related to former President Donald Trump's election interference investigation in Georgia, after names and addresses of grand jury members were posted online, a sheriff's office said. "Our investigators are working closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to track down the origin of threats in Fulton County and other jurisdictions," the Fulton County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Thursday.

Conservative think tank emerges as force behind DeSantis campaign

In mid-March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the Ukraine war as a "territorial dispute" that was not of vital strategic interest to the United States, in a written reply to a questionnaire from Fox News host Tucker Carlson. His comment dismayed allies and drew fierce rebukes from many Republicans who favor a more active role for the U.S. in Ukraine, including some who are challenging him for the 2024 presidential nomination.

Trump's lawyers propose 2026 trial date in federal election case

Lawyers for Donald Trump on Thursday asked a federal judge in Washington to schedule an April 2026 trial for the former president, on federal charges that he allegedly sought to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. That requested date would place the trial after the November 2024 U.S. election, in which Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination.

Ex-Trump administration officials target corporate diversity efforts

Activision Blizzard Inc and Kellogg Co have joined a growing list of major U.S. companies to face claims from a group founded by former Trump administration officials that efforts to diversify their workforces amount to illegal discrimination. America First Legal this week urged the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate Activision's alleged use of gender and racial preferences in hiring and internship programs, after lodging a similar complaint against Kellogg last week.

US CDC tracks new lineage of virus that causes COVID

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that it was tracking a new, highly mutated lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. The lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel, the CDC said in a post on messaging platform X.

Maui's chief of emergency management resigns amid criticism

Maui County Emergency Management administrator Herman Andaya, criticized by local residents and media over the island's response to the deadly wildfires that killed at least 111 people, resigned on Thursday, officials said. A statement from Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen cited health reasons.