Trump impeachment trial, coronavirus outbreak, 'Doomsday Clock' update: 5 things to know Thursday

Editors, USA TODAY

House Dems resume case against Trump in impeachment trial

Democratic impeachment managers will resume detailing their case against President Donald Trump on Thursday and are expected to focus on the Constitution and the legal grounds for his removal. The seven prosecutors, who are called managers, spoke for eight hours Wednesday chronicling their evidence about Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival - former Vice President Joe Biden - while withholding $391 million in military aid. Trump's defense team, led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and private lawyer Jay Sekulow, will present its own arguments after Democrats get their time. After hearing the opening arguments, senators will have up to 16 hours to pose written questions to both sides through Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding.

Coronavirus outbreak: China city halts transportation

As the World Health Organization studies the now-international threat posed by a deadly virus, China is imposing travel restrictions Thursday in the region from which it first spread. So far the coronavirus has killed at least 17 people. China has identified more than 500 cases and all the deaths, mostly in and around the central city of Wuhan. The virus has spread to other parts of China, and cases have also been confirmed in the U.S., Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The travel restrictions, imposed by the Wuhan local government, include cancellations of flights and trains from the city for Thursday and temporary closure of all public transportation — bus, subway, ferry and long-distance bus service.

Scientists set to update grim 'Doomsday Clock'

How close are we to Doomsday? Thursday morning, the folks who keep track of the "Doomsday Clock" will tell us. Each year, the non-profit Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists decides whether the events of the previous year pushed humanity closer to or farther from destruction. The closer to "midnight" we are, the more danger civilization is facing from the "existential threats" of nuclear war and climate change. Last January, the clock remained at two minutes to midnight, which is as close as it's been since 1953 during the height of the Cold War.

World leaders rally in Jerusalem against anti-Semitism

Dozens of world leaders descended upon Jerusalem on Thursday for the largest-ever gathering focused on commemorating the Holocaust and combating modern-day anti-Semitism. Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prince Charles, Vice President Mike Pence and the presidents of Germany, Italy and Austria were among the more than 40 dignitaries attending the World Holocaust Forum, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. The ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial – called “Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Antisemitism” – looks to project a united front in commemorating the genocide of European Jewry amid a global spike in anti-Jewish violence in the continent and around the world.

Fresh flicks make the scene at Sundance Film Festival

Independent film fans, A-list celebs and Hollywood dealmakers are converging on Park City, Utah, for the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs Thursday through Feb. 2. Sundance, where movies like "Get Out," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Big Sick" debuted, remains the premier factory for breakout movie hits. Opening the festival Thursday is the documentary "Taylor Swift: Miss Americana," described in a Netflix release as a "raw and emotionally revealing look" at the pop music icon.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus outbreak, 'Doomsday Clock': 5 things to know Thursday