Monday morning news, February 3, 2020

Impeachment trial resumes with closing arguments » The Senate impeachment trial resumes at 11 a.m. this morning with four hours of closing arguments. And Senators are slated to vote on a final verdict Wednesday. 

That after the Senate voted on Friday to proceed to closing arguments without calling new witnesses. That had Democrats charging once again that the entire trial is a sham. House impeachment manager Val Demings… 

DEMINGS: Is this a fair trial? Without the ability to call witnesses and produce documents, the answer is clearly and unequivocally no. 

But Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said he’s seen enough. He added that even if all the Democrats allege is true, it still does not meet the lofty constitutional standard for removing a sitting president. 

ALEXANDER: I think what he did is a long way from treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors. I don’t think it’s the kind of inappropriate action that the framers would expect the Senate to substitute its judgement for the people in picking a president.  

Senators will get an opportunity to explain how they’re voting and why in speeches today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. 

Democrats prepare for first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses » Meanwhile, in the Hawkeye State, Democratic voters will make their voices heard today. Democrats officially begin the process of picking a presidential nominee with today’s Iowa caucuses. 

Candidates spent the weekend making last-minute appeals. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders held a 4-point lead over Joe Biden in the final Real Clear Politics average of Iowa polls, roughly 25 to 21 percent. He told voters in Cedar Rapids that his campaign is about more than just defeating President Trump.   

SANDERS: It is a campaign that says if you work in American and in Iowa 40 hours a week, you should not be living in poverty. 

Only two other candidates are polling in double digits heading into the caucuses. They are South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttegieg and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. She told supporters in the town of Indianola that she’s running to beat back the influence of big money in Washington.   

WARREN: We want to save our democracy. We want to save our country. It’s gonna take big structural change.

At stake in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses are 41 delegates, and important early momentum. Caucuses begin at 7 p.m. Central Time at most locations. 

Coronavirus spreads as health officials race to find treatments » The new coronavirus continues to spread. The number of infections has risen to nearly 15,000. Most of those within China, but new cases continue to emerge around the world. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci with the National Institutes of Health said the agency is “looking at some experimental drugs.” And he told the Fox Business Network… 

FAUCI: We and a number of other organizations have already started developing a vaccine, and we hope to get ours into early testing for safety within the next three months. 

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency. President Trump signed a temporary order aimed at reducing the risk of importing the virus. As of yesterday, foreign nationals who have traveled to China within the last 14 days cannot enter the United States. The only exceptions being immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. And in those cases, travelers must remain in quarantine for two weeks.

More than 300 people have died of the coronavirus in China. And for the first time, someone has died of the virus in another nation. A 44-year-old died Sunday in the Philippines after traveling there from Wuhan, China.

Chiefs complete late comeback for first NFL title in 50 years » For the first time in 50 years, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions!

They beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-to-20 last night thanks to a dramatic 4th quarter comeback. 

AUDIO: [Sound of game]

The Chiefs were trailing 20-10 before that touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. He led Kansas City to three touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game. The go-ahead score was a 5-yard touchdown pass to Damien Williams with just under 3 minutes left. 

Mahomes earned MVP honors. He told Fox Sports…

MAHOMES: Yeah, I mean we never lost faith. I think that’s the biggest thing. Everybody on this team, no one had their head down, and we believed in each other, and that’s what we preached all year long. 

For the Chiefs, it was just the second championship in franchise history. They won their only previous NFL title in 1970.

(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara) Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, right, hands the trophy to head coach Andy Reid after the chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. 

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