>> it will be like spring this week. we're back at 6:00. breaking news . breaking news tonight, the united states now closed to almost all foreigners coming from china in an unprecedented move to stop the spread of the coronavirus. >> we pretty much shut it down coming in from china. >> americans will be under mandatory quarantine and many trying to get out as it rises inside the u.s. terror attack in london. why they were already tracking him. the final frenzy in iowa. who's at the top.

now, this, overhearing john kerry discussing getting into the race himself. what he's saying now. secrets revealed, the new accusations the man who led victoria's secret secretly harassed employees and models including this supermodel. college athletes even though they didn't step on a field. good evening. we begin with more breaking news about the deadly coronavirus. as of this evening, most foreigners who have been in china recently will no longer be allowed to enter the united states. today the number of cases of coronavirus here in this country grew, and globally, the death toll is rising with at least 350 deaths in china and now the first death outside of china this weekend in the philippines. we're hearing desperate stories of americans caught up in it all, stuck in china. sarah harman has details. >> reporter: tonight the u.s. is

closed to most foreigners who have traveled recently to china as a ninth case is confirmed in the u.s., the president telling fox -- >> we've offered china help, but we can't have thousands of people coming in who may have this problem, the coronavirus. >> reporter: any remaining flights from china with u.s. citizens will be routed to 11 airports with advanced screening capability. and americans who visited hubei, the epicenter of the virus, will face a mandatory two-week quarantine as the state department works to evacuate the roughly one thousand americans still stuck in wuhan. sam roth's wife and two daughters are still in wuhan waiting to be evacuated. >> i just hope everybody is kind and compassionate to all the people that are coming back on these flights. i can imagine abigail being frightened of people in hazmat suits. >> reporter: china completing its first hospital to house those infected in just ten days. as concern grows over the initial handling of the virus, now a global health emergency.

how big of a role did the chinese government's slow response play in the rapid spread of this virus? >> the chinese reported 27 cases on december 31st, but in reality it was spread from human to human in the very first week in december. so you're talking about a few weeks in which the citizens thought that there really was no danger. >> reporter: health officials right now say the mortality rate appears to be higher than the flu, but will likely decrease as more people are diagnosed. >> what concerns me the most is that it's still in the realm of the unknown. there is a lot that we do not know about this. and sarah joins me from l.a.x. sarah, what are you seeing there tonight? >> kate, we're seeing a number of passengers wearing face masks. there are still flights arriving from both shanghai and beijing, but all three major u.s. airlines are set to suspend their china flights in the coming days. kate?

>> sarah harman in los angeles for us. we're also following breaking news out of the uk tonight. what authorities there are calling a terror attack. police say a man wearing a fake explosive device started stabbing people today on a busy street in a mostly residential part of south london, leaving three injured. molly hunter is there. >> reporter: guns drawn, police closing in on a male suspect they say stabbed two people. but seconds later, backing away. >> very quickly. >> reporter: according to police, the attacker had a device strapped to his body on a busy road in south london. >> a terrorist has been shot dead down in there. >> reporter: minutes later, it was established as a hoax device. police shooting the suspect. he was pronounced dead on the scene. you hear that chopper overhead? a really heavy police presence. here it's cordoned off. a couple vehicles right there. one armed policeman right there. the attack happened just around the corner. according to police, the islamist-related terrorist

incident was over in minutes. armed plainclothes police officers were already tracking sudesh amman. law enforcement sources telling nbc news he was known to mi-5 and had recently spent time in prison for terrorism offense. >> some people might be afraid, but it's important to note it was an isolated incident. >> reporter: the aftermath a terrifying sight, but for londoners, not unfamiliar. last november, another stabbing attack by a recent ex-convict. he killed two people before being beaten and detained by civilians. he was also wearing a fake explosive vest and was shot dead by police. molly joins us from south london. what do we know about the three victims tonight? >> kate, that's right. three people were actually hospitalized. only two of those people were stabbed. one person is in critical condition tonight, and that third person was injured in the chaos of the police takedown. kate. >> molly hunter, thank you. to politics now.

we are just hours away from what will be the nation's first democratic contest of this year 2020. the candidates are in iowa fighting for last-minute support. and one man whose not on the ballot is generating headlines tonight. vaughn hilliard is there. >> reporter: in 24 hours, the iowa caucus, the first opportunity democrats will have to determine who will take on president trump this september. this november. >> i ask you to caucus for me. >> ready for tomorrow? >> hell yeah! >> reporter: in what is still very much of a toss-up race. have you made up your mind? >> i have not. >> reporter: who do you think is going to win? the candidates making their final pitches. >> sometimes you may get the message that we've got to choose between either a revolution or the status quo. i think there is another way. >> join us, caucus with us. we're going to do this, and we're going to win! >> reporter: and the former vice president telling nbc's mike

memoli he is the best candidate to overcome feuding in the democratic party. >> the nominee has to be able to unite the party and then the country. if you can't unite the party, you've got a real problem. >> reporter: just this afternoon, an nbc reporter overhearing biden's top surrogate john kerry on a phone call discussing a run. just two hours later, kerry originally tweeting he is absolutely not running. any report otherwise is f'ing or categorically false." nbc news starts by its reporting. sharing a top polling position in iowa with biden, bernie sanders, drawing thousands at a rally saturday night in cedar rapids, rallying his campaign organizers today. >> we're going to win. if we win here, we have a path toward victory, and together we will defeat the most dangerous president in modern american history. thank you all so much. american. thank you >> and vaughn is with us from iowa now.al there is a new statement from john kerry trying to clarify things further. >> that's right.

he is continuing his denial, saying he was answering a friend who asked whether he'd ever jump into the race, and that he was listing the reasons he would not. kate? >> thank you. president trump's impeachment trial resumes tomorrow. democrats not backing down from their fight to remove him from office, even though the outcome is all but a done deal this week. and now the president is talking about the toll it has taken on him and his family. kelly o'donnell reports. >> reporter: as traditions go, super bowl sunday brings a party and a national platform for the president. like years past, the color and pomp is celebrated at one of the trump branded private clubs. and the platform is the broad reach of the super bowl audience, playing offense himself, the trump campaign buying pricey ad time during the big game. >> under president trump, america is stronger. >> reporter: and in an interview with trump ally sean hannity, the president lamented impeachment.

>> mostly, it was unfair to my family. i mean, my family suffered because of all of this. >> reporter: and said he did not consider pushing tuesday's state of the union until after the trial. >> no. i'm going have it. it's going to be done. we're going to talk about the achievements that we've made. >> reporter: president trump will be back in washington before tomorrow's impeachment closing arguments. house manager, adam schiff, says although conviction is not expected, he won't back off urging senators to remove the president. kate? >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. on football's biggest night, the ads in between super bowl plays often takes certainty stage. this year the nfl is using that platform to take on a social justice issue, telling the story of one family's heartache after a police shooting. here is morgan chesky. >> botham jean is my son. >> reporter: the story begins with family describing botham jean in the present. >> he is the kindest, sweetest person you could ever know. >> reporter: every word driving home the painful past from the

night in dallas, 2018. >> botham was in his apartment, watching football, eating ice cream. and the officer came in and killed him. >> reporter: the psa part of the nfl's inspired change initiative, taking on social justice. >> it still brings back the grief that i face. >> i'll never forget that night. >> reporter: this ad featuring former nfl star anquan boldin will air during the super bowl. his cousin shot and killed by a police officer. the issue-driven psas more than two years after colin kaepernick took a knee to protest police brutality. online lead critics say too little too late. but jean's mother says kaepernick's message, once mired in controversy is now clear. >> that should really cause america and the world to think first before pulling a trigger on a human being. >> reporter: the nfl saying "we are aware of the challenges we faced over the last few years."

adding "we have the opportunity to help create change. ." for jean's mother, a signed football from the nfl commissioner, a reminder of the game her son never got to finish watching. >> i really would like some way of keeping that football, but i can't. >> reporter: a mother now using her pain to push for change. morgan chesky, nbc news, miami. still ahead tonight, victoria's secret under fire. the company's former leader accused of sexually harassing the models. also, spies among us? the government warning about who might be stealing secrets at colleges across the country. free shipping. you get everything you need for your home at a great price, the way it works best for you, i'll take that. wait honey, no. when you want it. you get a delivery experience you can always count on. you get your perfect find at a price to match, on your own schedule.

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even renters can bundle and save! where did that come from? the kitchen. it was halftime. victoria's secret is doing damage control tonight, fighting back again victoria's secret is doing damage control tonight, fighting back against accusations of sexual harassment by a top executive. a new bombshell report detailed what some employees, including those famous runway models say was inappropriate behavior. erin mclaughlin has the story. >> reporter: tonight victoria's secret under fire, accused of an entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment for years. allegations reported by "the new york times." "the times" interviewing more than 30 current and former executives, employees, contractors and models. many of the accusations were made against former top executive ed razek, allegations reported by "the times" ahead of the 2018 victoria's secret show. razek tried to kiss models and asked them to sit on his lap, that he touched a model's

crotch. times journalist said bella hadid was at that same fitting, trying on underwear that would meet broadcast standards. razek was watching. >> at one point he said forget the panties and he went on to say that what every girl was going to need to be more concerned about is how the network was going to feel when she, quote, walked down the runway with those perfect end quote. >> reporter: nbc reached out to hadid for comment. the "times" reports razek was the subject of repeated complaints about inappropriate conduct, and that the founder of l brand leslie wexner was alerted to those complaints. in a statement to nbc news, razek denying the claims, saying in part the accusations in "the times" story are categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context. wexner's spokesman declined to comment. l brands, the parent company of victoria's secret, addressing

the "times" reporting, saying we have made significant strides in ensuring the company provides a safe, welcoming and empowering workplace for every associate. we regret any instance where we did not achieve this objective. a statement of regret as the industry braces for what might happen next. erin mclaughlin, nbc news, new york. every year, american colleges open their doors to hundreds of thousands of students and researchers from china. the vast majority of them, of course, are here to get a good education. but tonight we take a closer look at why u.s. intelligence officials are warning some may have sinister motives, acting as spies for their government, and how that charge is being received on campus. ken dilanian has the story. >> reporter: the chairman of harvard university's chemistry department arrested by fbi agents, charged with lying about more than a million dollars in payments from the chinese government. a boston university researcher accused of being a secret operative of the chinese military. another harvard researcher caught at the airport allegedly

trying to smuggle biological materials to china. all three incidents were this week, and they're not alone. u.s. intelligence officials say america's world class university system has become a soft target in the global espionage war with china. >> all the research, development, cutting edge technology, all the ideas emanates on university campus. and our adversaries know that. >> reporter: over the last year, the fbi and other agencies have demanded that universities do a better job protecting their sensitive research, an effort to make sure their foreign scholars don't have hidden relationships with foreign companies and universities. >> we're estimating about $500 billion a year in economic loss, just from the company of china. that is theft of intellectual property and trade secrets. >> reporter: some chinese students say they feel unfairly targeted. jason zhou is a math and computer science major at the university of rochester. he says he was taken aback one day when a student in a driving course asked him an odd question. >> you're from china?

i said, yes. are you working for the government? >> reporter: zhou says what he wants most is to work in tech in america, but he worries he won't be welcome. >> i think the question is do we want to make policy for everyone on the basis of a few bad actors. >> reporter: academic leaders like thomas rosenbaum fears if universities shut the doors on foreign students, america loses more than it gains. >> our greatest strength is our openness. and if we wind up thwarting the ability of people to exchange ideas, we will not be the leaders. >> reporter: the fbi says there are about a thousand still open investigations in thousands of allegations of theft. ken dilanian, nbc news, washington. still ahead tonight, free money for families. how more states are helping new families save for their kid's college. plus, are these the new athletes on campus? why schools are taking video

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the amount of student loan debt in this country is staggering, as you know. and as families struggle to save for their kids' education, more states are now trying to help make it a little easier. rehema ellis explains. >> reporter: 1-year-old cheston mccoy has a good reason to smile. he is one of the first babies signed up for pennsylvania's new college savings program at a time when student loan debt is soaring. >> yes, sir. >> because it's free money. >> right. >> reporter: last year alone, at least 11,000 families registered for a $100 starter gift to a pennsylvania 529 account for every child born or adopted in the state, a jump-start to college savings. it's at no cost to state

residents. instead, the funding comes from private donations and state investment earnings. >> this is the fire i needed lit. >> reporter: it means a lot to the mccoys, college graduates deep in student loan debt of their own. >> somewhere between 100 and 120 at this point. >> reporter: $120,000? >> i don't want to have him go through that. >> reporter: how to avoid that? parents simply open a state savings account and claim their $100 by the child's first birthday, putting an even $25 a month of their own money, state officials say the funds can grow to $10,000 by the time the child turns 18. the money must be used for tuition at college, vocational or technical schools or for school-related expenses. that message that you're sending is start at birth, not wait until the child begins at school. >> what we're saying to every family is you're all part of a pennsylvania community, and in some way, we have your back, and we are all expecting big and important things from you.

>> reporter: nationwide, at least nine other states have similar programs. >> if we move the needle on the number of families who are saving early for their son or daughter's future education, then we've made a real difference. >> reporter: the mccoys determined to give cheston a head start on his college savings. >> he'll have a cushion to do something with. and that's the idea. >> reporter: a state investment helping kids grab hold of a brighter future. rehema ellis, nbc news, philadelphia. >> chester is going places. if you're counting on scholarships, by the way, to pay for your kids' college, stay with us. video gamers are the new in demand athletes at some schools. i di dn't know. you didn't see the sign? that... that wasn't there when i was here earlier. (whimper) really? you know, in italy, they let you park anywhere. have a good day, sir. with geico, the savings keep on going. just like this sequel.

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when you think of as steve patterson tells us, when you think of college sports, you probably think of football, baseball, basketball, but now there is a new kind of athlete on campus, video gamers. as steve patterson tells us, some schools are giving scholarships for e sports players. >> who are your 2018 collegiate champions? >> reporter: this is one of the proudest moments in the competitive history of uc irvine. a division i college national championship, hard fought without any pads or cleats. >> we just showed them how dominant we were in the tournament. >> reporter: just a few sharp minds, dexterous fingers, and killer instincts. these are elite student athletes from across the country, provided scholarships and top tier facilities to play video games at the highest level. you heard that right. >> my style is more cerebral, more controlled. >> reporter: jeffrey du is the captain for skill-based strategy

game, "league of legends" like many growing up in the digital age, jeff played a lot of video games, and he got really good. now he's balancing a degree in computer engineering with the rigorous practice necessary to stay at the top of the game, and one day go pro. >> there are a lot of similarities between traditional sports and e-sports such as being able to work with a team, conflict resolution, work ethic. >> reporter: today nearly 200 universities are collectively offering about $15 million in scholarships and investing in top tier facilities, creating programs that rival college athletics departments. >> i really do believe competing in a digital environment is how we will compete in the future. >> reporter: program director mark debby brought e-sports to uc irvine in 2016. he has brought equipment, even physical therapists. >> i definitely think e-sports will look and feel like a traditional sport on college campuses with students wearing jerseys. >> stop, stop! >> reporter: college e-sports is

still in its infancy, but it's growing exponentially. >> i'm really glad i came to uci because this environment is like no other. >> reporter: a once totally virtual battlefield now bleeding into real life. with big money and young futures at stake, it's game on. steve patterson, nbc news, irvine, california. news, irvine, california before we go, last week we brought you the story of jon bon jovi and his wife dorothea opening a new restaurant to help college students who can't afford food. there is a lot more to that interview, including how he got to the top. you can find it at nbcnews.com/thedrink and also as a podcast. that is "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. lester holt is with you tomorrow. i'm kate snow. for all of us at nbc news, have a great night. i'm kate snow. for all of us at nbc news, have a great night. xxxx

right now at 6:00, coronavirus in the bay area tonight. officials are on high alert. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening everyone, i am terry mcsweeney. it is a race to stop the deadly vir virus. two new cases, one in santa clara. china confirmed 57 more people have died from the virus. that brings the death toll to more than 361. yesterday one person died in the philippines and that's the first death outside of china. more than 17,000 people worldwide have been infected and the spread co