Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Actress Rosie Perez backs up Sciorra account in Weinstein rape trial

Actress Rosie Perez took the stand in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein on Friday to bolster the account of friend and fellow actress Annabella Sciorra, who said she was raped by the former Hollywood producer in the early 1990s. Perez, whose film credits include Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," told jurors that Sciorra shared details of the alleged assault, including that Weinstein had pinned her arms above her head as he raped her. Walmart testing higher minimum wage for some staffers: Bloomberg

Walmart Inc is testing out a higher starting wage for certain jobs in about 500 stores as part of an overhaul of roles and responsibilities in the United States, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The company would hike starting hourly wage of some associates in the fresh, front-end and replenishment areas to $12 an hour from $11, the report https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-24/walmart-boosts-starting-hourly-pay-to-12-for-some-staff-in-test?sref=V7uxlNge said, citing Walmart spokeswoman Jami Lamontagne. How Joe Biden went from slumping to surging in Democratic presidential race in Iowa

Iowa resident Carolyn Miller had long harbored doubts about Joe Biden's candidacy, believing the former vice president was too old and too fumbling to beat President Donald Trump in November's election. Then she saw Biden, 77, speak at a community college in Fort Dodge this week. U.S. veteran group 'expects' Trump apology for brain injury comment

A U.S. war veteran group is "expecting" an apology from U.S. President Donald Trump for his comments that downplayed traumatic brain injuries, an official said on Friday. Speaking in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said he did not consider the brain injuries suffered by U.S. service members in Iran's recent attack on a base in Iraq as serious. Pompeo accuses radio reporter of lying about his behavior after interview

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday accused a National Public Radio reporter of lying to him and violating "the basic rules of journalism and decency" after she said Pompeo repeatedly cursed at her following a testy interview. NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly said on Friday that Pompeo cursed at her and repeatedly "used the F-word" in a shouted diatribe after she questioned him about Ukraine and the ousted American ambassador to Kiev during a nine-minute interview. U.S. to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, China: WSJ

The United States is arranging a charter flight on Sunday to bring its citizens and diplomats back from the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak of a new coronavirus, the Wall Stree Journal reported on Saturday. The plane, with around 230 people, will carry diplomats from the U.S. consulate as well as U.S. citizens and their families, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the operation. Blast at machine shop rips through Houston neighborhood, killing two

A massive explosion at a machine shop ripped through a Houston neighborhood early on Friday morning, killing at least two people and damaging homes while sending out blast waves for miles. The pre-dawn explosion devastated two working-class neighborhoods surrounding the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing facility in northwest Houston, leaving behind collapsed and smoldering wreckage on the grounds and knocking several nearby homes off their foundations. Sanders touts controversial comedian's 2020 support, sparking criticism

U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders' decision to highlight an unofficial endorsement from Joe Rogan drew criticism on Friday due to the comedian's brand of humor that some see as dismissive of issues like equal pay and transgender rights. The online flap comes as Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, has been trying to move past a weeks-long controversy over whether he told rival Elizabeth Warren, a friend and progressive ally, in a 2018 meeting that a woman could not beat Republican President Donald Trump, a charge he has denied. At anti-abortion rally, Trump assails Democrats, draws applause

Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to attend the annual March for Life in Washington on Friday, unleashing a fierce attack on his Democratic rivals during a rally in an election-year show of support for opponents of abortion rights. "Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House," the Republican president told thousands of cheering people at the rally, touting his anti-abortion policies and his appointments of conservatives to the federal judiciary including Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. Owners of solar company that caused loss for Buffett plead guilty over Ponzi scheme

The husband-and-wife owners of DC Solar, a California solar company that caused Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc to take a $377 million charge last year, pleaded guilty on Friday to involvement in an estimated $912 million Ponzi scheme. Jeff Carpoff, 49, pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while Paulette Carpoff, 46, pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.