Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Weinstein jury to keep deliberating after deadlock on most serious charges

Jurors in the sexual assault trial of former movie producer Harvey Weinstein are expected to begin their fifth day of deliberations on Monday, after suggesting last week they were deadlocked on the most serious charges in the case. The seven men and five women on the jury began deliberating in criminal court in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Sanders' big Nevada win narrows rivals' path to Democratic nomination

Bernie Sanders' convincing win in the Nevada caucuses signaled his campaign is gathering strength and reaching voters who had previously eluded him, putting him on a path – for now – toward the Democratic presidential nomination. The self-described democratic socialist's triumph on Saturday left all of his rivals contending they were best positioned to curb his momentum. With the South Carolina primary a week away and the big Super Tuesday nominating contests days later, here is what the Nevada results mean for the top candidates:

U.S. judge rejects Roger Stone's request she be kicked off his case

A U.S. federal judge on Sunday denied a request by Roger Stone's lawyers that she be removed from the case in which she last week sentenced the long-time adviser to President Donald Trump to three years and four months in prison. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson had been accused of bias by Stone's attorneys in a filing on Friday that called for her recusal. Stone, 67, was convicted on Nov. 15 of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

Sanders' Democratic rivals seek to slow his momentum after his big win in Nevada caucuses

As Bernie Sanders looked to cement his front-runner status in the U.S. Democratic presidential race after his dominant win in Nevada, his rivals sought in rallies on Sunday to blunt his momentum ahead of 15 nominating contests in the next 10 days. Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont and self-avowed democratic socialist, rode a wave of support across age, race and ideology to capture 47% of the county convention delegates in the Nevada caucuses, with 88% of precincts reporting.

Actor Jussie Smollett due for arraignment in Chicago on hoax charges

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was due in court on Monday for arraignment on renewed felony charges that he made false reports to Chicago police about being attacked in a hate crime he is accused of staging in a bid to advance his career. Smollett was indicted on Feb. 11 on six counts of disorderly conduct, capping a five-month investigation by a court-appointed special prosecutor who overruled a decision by the state's attorney's office last year to dismiss the original case. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. (1400 GMT) in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago.

Seven wounded in shooting at flea market in Houston

A gunman opened fire at a flea market in Houston on Sunday, wounding seven people in an area known for its Hispanic community, with a suspect being taken into custody at the scene. "No one is critically wounded," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said, adding that the victims were being taken to hospitals and that some injuries may have been a result of a bullet ricochet.

Trump administration backs off sending coronavirus patients to Alabama -governor

The Trump administration has backed off plans to quarantine patients from the Diamond Princess cruise ship stricken with coronavirus at a federal facility in Alabama, the state's governor and a U.S. senator said on Sunday. The news came as worry grew over the spread outside China of the sometimes fatal virus, with a spike in the number of cases found in South Korea, Iran and Italy. Experts were baffled over outbreaks with no clear link to China.

Buffett says coronavirus doesn't dampen his long-term support for stocks

Warren Buffett said on Monday that negative headlines, including on the coronavirus outbreak, do not dampen his view that stocks are a good place for many people to invest for the long-term. Speaking on CNBC, Buffett said he had no special expertise about coronavirus, but that investors with a 10- to 20-year time horizon and focused on companies' earnings power will find they have "made a good investment" by investing in stocks.

Former 2020 Democratic candidate Williamson endorses Sanders' presidential bid

Marianne Williamson, who made an unsuccessful bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has thrown her support behind former rival Bernie Sanders, appearing at a rally in Texas with the progressive senator. “Bernie Sanders has been taking a stand for a very long time,” she told the Sanders rally in Austin. “We’re here and we’re with Bernie.”

Buttigieg courts South Carolina black voters with his veteran status

Pete Buttigieg, the only veteran in the top tier of candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, is turning to South Carolina's large military community to help shore up his nagging lack of support among black voters. The primary on Saturday in the diverse southern state is seen as an important durability test for the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who has yet to prove he can motivate minority voters and dispel criticism that the economic revitalization in his city bypassed residents of color.