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1. Coronavirus
January was by far the deadliest pandemic month in the U.S., with more than 95,000 deaths from Covid-19 reported. Now there is growing concern that the country is in an “absolute race against time,” an expert said, to contain international variants of the virus, in part because current vaccines may be less effective against them. Still, there are some glimpses of hope: more than 30 million vaccines have been administered in the United States and hospitalizations are at a minimum not seen in two months. In China, a team of researchers from the World Health Organization now has months of Chinese flu data that may contain vital clues about the early spread of the virus.
2. Stimulus
President Biden will meet today with ten Republican senators to discuss a Republican Party counter-proposal to his $ 1.9 trillion Covid-19 bailout plan. While the $ 600 billion GOP proposal could be seen as an attempt to find common ground for a stimulus plan after months of splitting on the issue, it contains less than a third of the economic relief. that the Biden administration says it needs the country. The Biden team says it is willing to commit to a few things, such as reducing stimulus checks for families earning more than $ 150,000 a year. But overall, the White House has said it will not accept any plan that is far from Biden’s 13-figure promise.
3. Repetition
Five members left former President Trump’s legal team over the weekend, effectively collapsing his defense of impeachment with just over a week to go before the trial. Trump and his team did not agree on what arguments were presented at trial, and Trump urged lawyers to focus on their election fraud claims rather than the constitutionality of convicting a former president. Trump has brought in two more attorneys to direct his defense. Despite the shocks, Trump still benefits from widespread loyalty among GOP senators, while for others, the threat of reaction from his colleagues and components who support Trump will likely be enough to prevent him from cross the aisle to make dismissal decisions.
4. Myanmar
Myanmar’s powerful army has taken control of the country in a coup and declared a state of emergency. The country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other senior government leaders have been arrested today during the early morning raids, and citizens have been woken up due to the widespread blackout on the Internet and communications. A military media outlet announced that power has been handed over to Army Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who has been under U.S. sanctions designated for human rights abuses related to atrocities against the Rohingya Muslim community. The coup comes in response to alleged voting irregularities in the November elections, in which Suu Kyi’s party won an overwhelming victory and the military-backed party performed poorly. Political tensions have been swirling for weeks, as have rumors that the military would soon take over.
5. Russia
Thousands of protesters flooded streets in Moscow and all of Russia this weekend in support of jailed opposition leader and Putin critic Alexey Navalny, who has been detained by Russian authorities for weeks. More than 5,000 people were detained in at least 85 cities; among them was Navalny’s wife, Yulia, who was later released. This was the second weekend of protests against Navalny’s arrest, and the police response was the harshest the country has seen in years. President Vladimir Putin’s popularity was already waning when Navalny was arrested last month, due to public complaints about declining personal incomes, declining personal liberties and the government’s management of the coronavirus pandemic.
EXPLORE BREAKFAST
The Idaho man wins the lottery for the sixth time
The phrase “Some people are all lucky” was created for this man.
Grubhub has partnered with Girl Scouts to help sell cookies securely and teach entrepreneurship
Nothing, not even a pandemic, will take us away from these delicious and delicious cookies.
Toys ‘R’ closes its only 2 stores about a year after a long-awaited relaunch
All right, Toys ‘R’ Us. The world is too cruel.
A Canadian sets his fourth world record for eating hot peppers
Three Carolina Reaper peppers in less than 10 seconds? It’s a wonder this guy still has a tongue.
Put a name on a cockroach after your ex and watch them eat for Valentine’s Day
These cockroaches were made to do that, and that’s what … they’ll get.
PERSEVERANCE PROFILES
February is the month of black history and every day we highlight the pioneers of black in American history. More information here.
Garrett Morgan, inventor, 1877-1963
Morgan’s invention made the world a safer place. It is best known for developing a traffic “traffic light”, a precursor to today’s yellow light. He also invented a new type of sewing machine, an iron for black hair and a personal bell to protect miners and firefighters.
TODAY’S ISSUE
53%
This is what Melvin Capital, a Wall Street hedge fund, lost in January due to the frenzy of GameStop shares. The firm began the year with assets of about $ 12.5 billion. It ended the month with more than $ 8 billion, but only after a $ 2 billion bailout of another hedge fund and current investor commitments in the last days of the month.
TODAY’S BUDGET
“The current promises of countries through the Paris Agreement are insufficient to get the job done.”
John Kerry, Presidential Special Envoy for Climate, who says the current provisions of the Paris Climate Pact are not enough to achieve international goals of limiting Earth’s temperature.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check out the local forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY
You are growing in me
Enjoy the science and art behind the growing portraits on the lawn. (Click here to see it.)