US News Roundup: U.S. flies 338 Americans home; Weinstein's rape trial to begin and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Mississippi floods appear to hit the peak with parts of Jackson underwater

Floodwaters in central Mississippi appeared to hit their peak on Monday, potentially allowing the area around the state capital Jackson to avoid any casualties after the Pearl River reached its highest level in 37 years, officials said. The Pearl River rose to its third-highest point in recorded history after heavy rains last week filled the Ross Barnett Reservoir to capacity, forcing managers on Saturday to begin releasing water into the river just upstream from Jackson.

The U.S. flies 338 Americans home from a cruise ship, including 14 with coronavirus

More than 300 Americans who had been stuck on a cruise ship affected by the coronavirus were back in the United States on Monday, flown to U.S. military bases for two more weeks of quarantine after spending the previous 14 days docked in Japan. Among those repatriated on a pair of U.S.-chartered jets were 14 people who tested positive for the fast-spreading virus, seven on each plane. The Diamond Princess cruise ship held by far the largest cluster of cases outside China, with more than 400 people infected out of some 3,700 on board.

Jurors in Weinstein's rape trial to begin deciding former producer's fate

New York jurors on Tuesday will begin deliberating the fate of former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who is on trial for rape in a case that has become a milestone for the #MeToo movement. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress, in 2013.

Sex and taxes: A Seattle tax preparer is intimate with both

Two things in life are certain for Lori St. Kitts: sex and taxes. St. Kitts is one of the few U.S. tax preparers who specialize in helping people report income from sex work, a sprawling industry that straddles the above-board and underground economies.

Boy Scouts of America files bankruptcy in wake of abuse lawsuits

The Boy Scouts of America said on Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid a flood of lawsuits over allegations of child sexual abuse stretching back decades. The bankruptcy is not expected to affect the organization's programs, which promote self-reliance through outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. The group was already struggling with declining membership and controversy over admitting gay and female members.

Harvey Weinstein rape case may turn on the history of prior 'bad acts'

A Manhattan jury's verdict in the sexual assault trial of former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein may well hang on the testimony of three women whose accusations were not part of the underlying criminal case. Deliberations were expected to begin on Tuesday in the case of Weinstein, 67, who pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress.

Bloomberg has barbs at the ready for his first 2020 debate

When Michael Bloomberg steps onto the Democratic debate stage for the first time on Wednesday, he will be ready to dismiss rivals like Joe Biden, who as the vice president made "speeches that somebody writes for him," and Pete Buttigieg, "mayor of a town." Bloomberg told Reuters in an interview earlier this month he would contrast their experience to his success as billionaire chief executive of global financial information and media company Bloomberg LP and three-time mayor of New York City.

A nervous wait at Louisiana abortion clinic at the center of U.S. Supreme Court fight

A 27-year-old woman from southern Arkansas waited nervously at the Hope Medical Group for Women after traveling two hours for a medical procedure that is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in certain parts of the United States: an abortion. Four weeks pregnant, the woman felt she had no option but to seek an abortion because she suffered serious medical complications during her last pregnancy, which ended in stillbirth.

Bolton says he hopes the book is not 'suppressed' by White House

John Bolton, the former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, raised concern on Monday about his unpublished book being "suppressed" by the White House and suggested he should be able to respond to the president's tweets about him. “I hope, ultimately, I can get the book published,” Bolton told a Duke University event in North Carolina during his first public remarks since Trump's acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial.

“I hope it’s not suppressed.” 'True Grit' author Charles Portis dies at 86

Charles Portis, the reclusive Arkansas writer known for the classic Western novel "True Grit" and the wry humor that filled his works, died on Monday at the age of 86 after battling a long illness, the New York Times reported. Portis wrote five novels, numerous magazine articles, and short stories and one stage play.

(With inputs from agencies.)