US News Roundup: Migrant caravan gathers on Guatemala; Democrats mark King's birthday and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Migrant caravan gathers on Guatemala border to enter Mexico en masse

Hundreds of Central Americans gathered on the Guatemala-Mexico border on Sunday, aiming to cross en masse early on Monday in what could prove a stiff test of the Mexican government's pledge to satisfy U.S. demands to curb migrant flows. President Donald Trump has threatened to hurt Mexico and Central American countries economically if they allow large numbers to reach the U.S. border. U.S. border agents have tracked the latest exodus from Honduras this week.

Democrat Bloomberg vows to narrow wealth gap for black Americans

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg on Sunday pledged to narrow the wealth gap between black and white Americans by boosting black ownership of homes and businesses and investing in poor neighborhoods. Bloomberg, a late entry to the Democratic nomination contest, is rising in public opinion polls as he uses his vast personal fortune to spend heavily on advertising nationwide.

Alaska volcano spews thick ash cloud, triggering aviation warning

An Alaska volcano that has been rumbling since midsummer shot ash about 5 miles (8 km) into the sky on Sunday, triggering a warning to aviators and dusting one small fishing village, officials reported. Shishaldin Volcano, one of the most active in Alaska, kicked out a plume of ash that satellite imagery detected as high as 28,000 feet (8,535 m) above sea level, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the joint federal-state-university office that tracks the state's many volcanoes.

Democrats mark King's birthday on the presidential campaign trail

Democrats locked in a tight race for their party's presidential nomination will mark the holiday that celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. by seeking the support of black voters. U.S. presidential candidates, including Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg, will spend Monday in Iowa and South Carolina, which are among the first states to hold nominating contests in the race.

Large migrant caravan prepares to enter Mexico from Guatemala

A large caravan of Central Americans was preparing to cross the Guatemalan border into Mexico on Monday, posing a potential challenge to the Mexican government's pledge to help the United States contain mass movements of migrants. U.s. President Donald Trump has threatened to punish Mexico and Central American countries economically if they fail to curb migrant flows, resulting in a series of agreements aimed at taking pressure off the United States in absorbing the numbers.

Militia leaders warn Virginia gun rally could get violent

A pro-gun rally expected to draw thousands around Virginia's capitol building on Monday has authorities bracing for violence, but it also marks shifting battle lines in the U.S. gun debate. Those backing tougher curbs see Democrats taking control of the Virginia legislature for the first time in a generation on campaign promises of tougher access to arms as offering a model for other traditionally gun-friendly states.

Supreme Court religious rights case has big implications for U.S. schools

Despite wondering every autumn whether she can afford it, Kendra Espinoza has worked hard to keep her two daughters in a small private Christian school in Kalispell, Montana, costing about $15,000 annually for them to attend. Even with some financial support from the school Espinoza, a single mother still has a sizable tuition bill to pay. She decided against sending the girls, ages 14 and 11, to local public schools that would be free to attend. On top of her full-time office manager job, Espinoza has worked nights as a janitor in an office building to help pay for tuition, taking her daughters along to instill in them a strong work ethic.

Trump to offer the first detailed impeachment defense as the pivotal week begins

After refusing to cooperate with the Democratic Party-led impeachment probe in the House of Representatives, President Donald Trump will on Monday offer his first comprehensive defense, before his trial begins in earnest in the Senate. Trump, only the fourth of 45 American presidents to face the possibility of being ousted by impeachment, has to meet a noon (1700 GMT) deadline to submit his written defense. He is charged with abusing the powers of his office by asking Ukraine to investigate a Democratic political rival, Joe Biden, and obstructing a congressional inquiry into his conduct.

Vows of peace, fears of violence at Virginia gun rally

The top Republican in Virginia's lower house said that any group planning to incite violence at a large gun rights rally on Monday in Richmond should stay home, while far-right leaders of militias planning to attend swore they were coming in peace. Richmond was braced on Sunday for the rally, aimed at showing gun enthusiasts' disdain for swift moves the newly Democrat-controlled legislature is making to pass stiffer gun laws - and many residents feared a repeat of the violence seen at a white supremacist rally in nearby Charlottesville in 2017.

Trump promises farmers that China trade deal will be good for them

President Donald Trump sought on Sunday to assure American farmers and ranchers hit by a protracted tariff war with China that a trade agreement he signed with Beijing will lead to major purchases of U.S. agricultural products. Trump's remarks in Texas, a state he won in 2016 and will need again in November's election, had all the hallmarks of a political stump speech, with a slam at Democrats trying to remove him through impeachment and a wish he could wear a cowboy hat in Washington.