US Domestic News Roundup: Democrat Steyer looking for Iowa boost; Weinstein rape accuser weeps uncontrollably and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

After massive spending blitz, Democrat Steyer looking for Iowa boost

Democratic presidential contender Tom Steyer on Monday said he expected to leave Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses "with momentum" that carries him later this month to Nevada and South Carolina, where he has shown more strength in opinion polls. In an interview with Reuters hours ahead of the first votes of the 2020 presidential campaign, the billionaire-turned-activist also said fellow billionaire Michael Bloomberg's unorthodox decision to skip the first four voting states meant he had forgone a crucial element for a White House candidate: listening to voters.

Weinstein rape accuser weeps uncontrollably during cross-examination

A woman who says Harvey Weinstein raped her broke down in sobs at the former Hollywood producer's sexual assault trial on Monday, as she read an email in which she described Weinstein as a "pseudo father" figure after the alleged attack. Jessica Mann, 34, began weeping uncontrollably as she read the May 2014 email aloud under cross-examination by one of Weinstein's lawyers, Donna Rotunno. She was still crying after a brief break, prompting Justice James Burke to end testimony for the day.

After controversial trial, U.S. Senate poised to acquit Trump

Donald Trump was on the brink of ending the darkest chapter of his tumultuous presidency on Monday as the U.S. Senate began the final phase of his impeachment trial that will almost certainly conclude on Wednesday with his acquittal. The 100 senators will hear four hours of closing arguments split equally between Trump's legal team and prosecutors from the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which charged him with abusing power by pressuring Ukraine to probe political rival Joe Biden and then obstructing their inquiry.

Trump says U.S. has 'shut down' coronavirus threat; China shuns U.S. help

The United States has taken decisive action to protect Americans from the threat of a fast-moving coronavirus while offering help to China, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, but a key adviser said Beijing had not accepted the offers of assistance. Trump appeared to downplay concerns about the impact in the United States of the flu-like virus that has killed 350 people in China and spread to more than two dozen countries, telling Fox television in an interview, "We're gonna see what happens, but we did shut it down, yes."

Democratic White House contenders face first test in Iowa

Iowa Democrats kick off what could be a bruising nominating process when they gather at caucus sites around the state on Monday to begin choosing a challenger to President Donald Trump. At more than 1,600 schools, community centers and other public locations, voters will render judgment on a field of 11 Democratic contenders led by front-runners Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden, who have battled for the top in recent Iowa polls.

U.S. announces more coronavirus cases, details quarantine plans for returning travelers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday announced a second case of transmission of the new coronavirus within the United States and provided more detailed plans on how it will handle travelers returning from China as the country works to limit the outbreak. "We expect to see more cases of person-to-person spread," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a conference call that included confirmation of a handful of new cases, bringing the U.S. total to 11.

On Iowa caucus day, YouTube details how it will tackle misleading election content

On the day of the Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest of the U.S. presidential election, Alphabet's YouTube detailed how it will tackle false or misleading election-related content. The video-streaming service said in a blog https://youtube.googleblog.com post on Monday that it would remove any content that has been technically manipulated or doctored and may pose a "serious risk of egregious harm."

Two dead, one wounded in shooting at Texas university campus

Two women were killed and a toddler was wounded on Monday in a shooting at a residence hall on the Texas A&M University campus in Commerce, authorities said. The wounded toddler, a boy about 2 years old, was in stable condition at a local hospital, Texas A&M-Commerce Police Chief Bryan Vaughn said in a briefing. He provided no more information about the women or the child.

After leading Chiefs to Super Bowl win, the future belongs to Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs ended a 50-year Super Bowl drought with a dramatic 31-20 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a breathtaking finish to the NFL's 100th season that may have also revealed a new star to kick off the next century. The Chiefs' young quarterback Patrick Mahomes stepped onto America's biggest sporting stage and produced an enthralling fourth-quarter rally that even the 49ers grudgingly applauded.

Giuliani associates Parnas, Fruman face Oct. 5 trial, before U.S. election

A U.S. federal judge set an Oct. 5 trial date for Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two associates of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, setting the stage for more information to emerge about their alleged campaign finance violations before November's presidential election. The Ukraine-born Parnas and Belarus-born Fruman were charged last October over their alleged use of a shell company to make an illegal $325,000 donation to a committee supporting the Republican president's re-election.