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1. Stimulus
The Senate passed the $ 1.9 trillion emergency relief bill on Saturday, but it has yet to go to Parliament for one more vote before it reaches President Biden’s office and is put into action. That vote in the House is scheduled for tomorrow, and it is expected to move along party lines again. Biden would sign it shortly after, and people could get stimulus checks in a matter of days. If all goes to plan, it would be a big win for Biden, especially as the president has had to quell the partisan drama on the hill and convince moderate Democrats like Senator Joe Manchin to stay on the line. More importantly, lawmakers are hoping it will be a major victory for the American people. When it comes to those $ 1,400 stimulus checks, recipients with information on the IRS file will likely see payments first. Others could get paper checks or prepaid debit cards by mail.
2. Coronavirus
According to one expert, the US could be in the ‘eye of the hurricane’ instead of weathering a steady decline in the pandemic. The number of cases has stopped declining and is now leveling off at very high numbers, with the country receiving an average of around 60,000 new cases per day over the past week. Loose restrictions and massive spring break events around the corner can pose serious danger. In addition, the B.1.1.7 variant, first found in the UK, could cause more infections in the next six to 14 weeks. It is also important to note that the pandemic is still difficult in many places. Brazil has just recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in two months, with 80,000 new infections in one day.
3. Russia
Online platforms led by Russian intelligence services are spreading disinformation about two coronavirus vaccines used in the US, a State Department spokesman confirmed. The agency’s Global Engagement Center identified three Russian outlets that play risk and doubt, including one that shares exaggerated reports that the Pfizer and Moderna shots carry a high risk of a rare side effect. The GEC also found that the outlets spread more disinformation about military conflict, protests and “any divisive issue they can exploit.” Experts say the reason for the misinformation about the vaccine is to promote Russia’s rival Sputnik V vaccine. The Kremlin denied that its intelligence services were in charge of the disinformation campaign.
4. South Korea
The US and South Korea have agreed on a cost-sharing agreement for US troops in South Korea. Negotiations on this deal had severely strained the alliance during the Trump administration after then-President Trump demanded that Seoul pay up to 400% more for the presence of the 28,500 troops on the peninsula. The new benchmark is in line with President Biden’s goal of returning to “normal order,” which is to restore alliances and work with them through established structures. One of the next agenda items with South Korea is deciding on a joint strategy to deal with North Korea – not an easy task. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make his first international trip next week as the best American diplomat to South Korea and Japan.
5. Royal interview
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry sat down with Oprah for a highly anticipated interview that now threatens to open a racism scandal around Buckingham Palace. Meghan, who is half black, told Oprah that “concerns” were raised by an unnamed relative while pregnant about how dark their baby’s skin would be. Harry confirmed the conversation, saying he was “a little shocked” about it. Meghan also said her life as a British Royal Family was so isolating that at one point she “didn’t want to be alive”. The allegations come at a delicate time for the royal family, with Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip recovering after a heart procedure. How to Get Help: In the US, call it National suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has remarried
Wedding bells are just as sweet on repeat.
Team LeBron won the NBA All-Star game, but the real winner was HBCUs
The competition generated a cool $ 3 million for historically black colleges and universities.
Here’s a full list of the Critics Choice Award winners
Did the critics get it right? Judge away.
The 2021 Grammys will include Taylor Swift, BTS and Billie Eilish
The full list basically includes every artist you’ve ever heard of (and certainly some you haven’t).
You can buy the very first tweet. Current offer: $ 2.5 million
Hmmm, we’re sticking to making it free.
HAPPENS LATER
A groundbreaking case is moving forward
Jury selection begins today in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, one of the officers charged with the murder of George Floyd last May.
TODAY’S NUMBER
$ 27 billion
That’s how much money Elon Musk lost last week as tech stocks were hammered and Tesla stock’s astonishing surge quickly unraveled. Musk has teamed up with Jeff Bezos atop Bloomberg’s list of the world’s richest people since January and is now a distant second to Bezos’ fortune.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“(Hope is) more powerful than hate and peace more powerful than war.”
Pope Francis, as he led the prayer amid the rubble of the Iraqi city of Mosul. The Pope’s journey marks the very first papal visit to Iraq and the Pope’s first visit outside of Italy since the start of the pandemic.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local weather forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY
Meet the world’s smallest owl
Let’s all be as diligent as this little elf owl this week. (Click here to view.)