Apple News Today

Biden’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthy

<p>The $1.9 trillion coronavirus-relief bill is just one of many big plans the Biden administration is hoping to push through. <a href="https://apple.news/AsCJ7GYTSR5alLt9ADVCGoQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg News</a> reports that, in order to help fund the president&rsquo;s agenda, his administration is planning the first major federal tax increase since 1993. And the <a href="https://apple.news/Am6vkXv01SRC9az2xg3NYgQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> breaks down how corporate taxes might change.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ArS5ArWCVRL-yX3G3lJV0kA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New York</a> magazine takes a deeply reported look into the behavior of New York governor Andrew Cuomo.</p> <p>The Biden administration is planning a new advertising blitz to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. <a href="https://apple.news/Akwgb6LfKS9arEXtkKC9vLQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Stat</a> reports on the $1.5 billion campaign. And the <a href="https://apple.news/AGn4V34xZQDOsDbZ5uZK8Qw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> sat in on a focus group of vaccine-hesitant Trump voters to understand what could convince them to get a COVID-19 shot.</p> <p>Spring break is here, which means Florida is filling up with college students, despite warnings to stay away due to the coronavirus. <a href="https://apple.news/A_PuN9RJOQim-QebwGDqPCg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CBS News</a> looks at how one community is trying to shut down the party.</p>

Stimulus checks arrive in America’s bank accounts

<p>Millions of Americans are starting to receive money from the COVID-relief bill. <a href="https://apple.news/AcKy4zrR6RdGfTNmzWTEtDQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> and New York Magazine&rsquo;s the <a href="https://apple.news/A_vwaOnrdQFuBmvLtmaQazA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Cut</a> spoke with people about how they are spending the money.</p> <p>The Biden administration has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with the growing number of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. <a href="https://apple.news/A7mq7ssoGRRK_5s0TAz4QJA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CBS News</a> looks at what&rsquo;s happening and the <a href="https://apple.news/AetbELE7XRamokYGRRV1uqA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains who the minors are.</p> <p>As March Madness returns following its cancellation last year, <a href="https://apple.news/AWhk0duhFQ16lmR_7-TVA6g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CBS Sports</a> breaks down the technology the NCAA is using to track basketball players and control the spread of the coronavirus.</p> <p>There are new developments in the long-running debate over daylight saving time. <a href="https://apple.news/AitFy311CQLmTp-jcLYA4_g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNET</a> reports on a bipartisan group of U.S. senators who want an end to the biannual clock change. An op-ed in the <a href="https://apple.news/Aan4XayswTRCQtoyhD0wtJw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Chicago Tribune</a> argues for keeping the custom, while an <a href="https://apple.news/AG9AVFb-KQ0eNhB0_ALIMbg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> editorial says, &ldquo;Dump the clock-changing foolishness.&rdquo;</p>

A year into the pandemic, when will life return to normal?

<p>Apple News Today talks to Alexis Madrigal, co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project at the <em>Atlantic</em>. Madrigal explains how data failures deeply hindered the U.S. government&rsquo;s pandemic response. Plus, when we can expect life to return to normal.</p>

“This is going to be so bad.” The journalist who saw the pandemic coming.

<p>The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic one year ago. But Stat reporter Helen Branswell saw the global health crisis coming months in advance. Branswell sits down with Duarte Geraldino to discuss the early signs of the pandemic and why world leaders didn&rsquo;t take action sooner.</p>

For women promised more, a year that “shattered our reality”

<p>Since the start of the pandemic, more than 2.3 million women have left the workforce. In January, women&rsquo;s participation in the labor force hit its lowest level since 1988. In the latest episode of a special series, Shumita Basu talks with Jen Gann, features editor at <em>New York Magazine</em>&rsquo;s the<em> Cut</em>, about the toll the pandemic has taken on women.</p>

Black Americans &amp; COVID-19: The impact of racism on the body

<p>Duarte Geraldino talks with journalist Akilah Johnson about her reporting on COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on Black Americans. Johnson spent much of the pandemic covering health care at ProPublica and is now at the <em>Washington Post</em>. To understand why the disease hit Black Americans so hard, she says, you have to start with the tale of John Henry.</p> <p>It&rsquo;s part of our special series marking one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.</p>

The Pandemic Year: “I want this virus to die inside me”

<p>March 11 marks one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. In a special series, Apple News Today is speaking with journalists who&rsquo;ve done exceptional work covering the subject over the past 12 months.</p> <p>In the first episode, Shumita Basu talks with Eli Saslow, the <em>Washington Post</em> reporter behind the series <em>Voices From the Pandemic</em>. Saslow shares stories of lives that have been impacted by COVID-19, and discusses how much more interconnected we are as a result of this public-health crisis.</p>

The Pandemic Year: Special Series Preview

It’s Amazon vs. unions. These workers will decide who wins.

<p>Following a string of high-profile attacks on Asian Americans, two writers go beyond the headlines to look at the long history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States. Connie Wun writes for <a href="https://apple.news/A38h7o_kMTb6LaiackYjLHA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Elle</a> and Harmeet Kaur for <a href="https://apple.news/Ad12zPVltQzqYrRU5_ngYlw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Employees at an Amazon fulfillment center in Alabama are deciding whether to form a union. <a href="https://apple.news/AKTH-9bf4QF-sub3FdCBkOw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg News</a> went to the town and spoke with workers on all sides of the debate.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ACSYGGvpiTEe5Y-NGJpd96g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Elle</a> looks at a wedding in Maine that became a COVID-19 superspreader event linked with nearly 200 infections and seven deaths.</p>

Is Biden letting the world’s dictators off the hook?

<p>The House canceled Thursday&rsquo;s session after the U.S. Capitol Police warned of a possible plot by a militant group to attack the building. The <a href="https://apple.news/Aqt7WO_Y3QOON_APkVuAStQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has more.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Critics say President Biden isn&rsquo;t being tough enough with the world&rsquo;s authoritarian regimes. In the <a href="https://apple.news/AeMgJfikaSsKpXNrzd9nbdg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a>, Robin Wright argues that Biden&rsquo;s actions against Saudi Arabia fall short. Her colleague Masha Gessen <a href="https://apple.news/AVU2DhJbrSti8wn0ueujARQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">writes</a> that U.S. measures taken against Russia are also lacking.</p> <p>COVID-19 vaccines may be a major scientific breakthrough, but they rely on a technology invented over 170 years ago: the hypodermic needle. The <a href="https://apple.news/A3geHqW_VTXmbAXL-LyO3Ug?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on high-tech efforts to develop new ways of administering vaccines.</p> <p>Mars has captured the human imagination for centuries. In <a href="https://apple.news/AVJ5BsQS0Qd2Qft1w4-7stg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">National Geographic</a>, Nadia Drake asks: Why are people so obsessed with the red planet?</p>

Two developments are transforming the U.S. pandemic debate

<p>As COVID-19 vaccine production ramps up in America, some state governors are lifting pandemic restrictions even as the CDC warns against reopening too fast. <a href="https://apple.news/A2TVapwsAQcWibOPgOuUw4Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> looks at the tension between state and federal leaders.</p> <p>After the deep freeze, <a href="https://apple.news/Af75iJFk-Sva9QTlCzTWAoA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> explains how many Texans, and people in nearby states, are still dealing with damage done to water supplies.</p> <p>Shipping companies are using James Bond&ndash;like measures to protect COVID-19 vaccine shipments, including armed guards, panic buttons, and kill switches. <a href="https://apple.news/A8-A2NgZcQ2OK3OZQw74zrA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg Businessweek</a> has the story.</p> <p>Germans have coined more than 1,200 new words to describe living in the pandemic. The <a href="https://apple.news/Aqm9la6U-TyidxQh85sKB1g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reviews this jawbreaking lexicon.</p>

Maybe America’s love for pro sports is wildly exaggerated

<p>Today, the Supreme Court will hear two election-law cases that may decide the fate of the landmark Voting Rights Act. <a href="https://apple.news/ARo6_f2UlSxivBHNPjPYZ6w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a>&rsquo;s legal expert Ian Millhiser breaks it all down.</p> <p>Some of the the biggest pro sporting events have seen big drops in ratings during the pandemic. In the <a href="https://apple.news/Ar1WVML9mQ46sadB0ZsmS0Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a>, Jemele Hill argues that Americans aren&rsquo;t as crazy about sports as we&rsquo;ve been led to believe.</p> <p>Should Washington, D.C., become the 51st state? The <a href="https://apple.news/AQTRjQwZcTUqgt9WJdNls6w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reports that lawmakers in at least nine states have taken formal steps to either support or oppose D.C. statehood. The <a href="https://apple.news/AlMrpotOvQt2hzuYuNbotUg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Post</a> also answers key questions about this debate.</p> <p>It&rsquo;s time to get to work on your taxes. Like so many other things, the pandemic has made the process even more complicated. <a href="https://apple.news/AWJRWhAj5QqD0bi_vSKbPIg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Apple News</a> has a guide to this very unusual tax season.</p>

The sexual-harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo

<p>Two former aides have accused New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. <a href="https://apple.news/AxzqPTaELSLS7va64jzSxng?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NBC News</a> has the latest on the allegations, his response, and the coming investigation.</p> <p>More and more civilians are taking part in tactical-training courses in which they learn how to shoot to kill. Rachel Monroe recently took some of these courses, typically taken by law enforcement and military personnel, and wrote about her experience for <a href="https://apple.news/A4_BywWIfQ_64vuyPuZmYNQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wired</a>.</p> <p>On top of treating people with COVID-19, doctors and nurses are also working day and night to stop misinformation spreading online. The <a href="https://apple.news/A0F1MfqycRrGjyDlk38-w6g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has the story.</p> <p>In his new book, <em>A World Without Email</em>, computer scientist Cal Newport looks at what scientific research says about why email makes us miserable and how to change for the better. The <a href="https://apple.news/A9kH-U6Q_SBSmuI_WV9iArw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a> has an excerpt<em>.</em></p>

Trump speech to kick off fight for the GOP’s soul

<p>The Conservative Political Action Conference&nbsp;features the biggest stars in the GOP &mdash; the people who might lead the party in the future. <a href="https://apple.news/AVI6tMbCgTfy7R8SHotMzwA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> reports that this year, it&rsquo;s still all about Donald Trump. A <a href="https://apple.news/AjEA2UWQWRqerNKZ7lJrKWw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> analysis says potential Republican presidential candidates will have to decide whether to run as Trump Ultra, Trump Lite, or Trump Zero.</p> <p>President Biden is making important new moves in the Middle East, launching airstrikes against Iran-backed militias and shifting to a new diplomatic approach with Saudi Arabia. <a href="https://apple.news/AJvg2JTXKSIul8FixEuTl7A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> looks at the state of play in Iran, while the <a href="https://apple.news/A6HZd9eK8T8qJ61Y-CA7WaA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> covers the Saudi developments.</p> <p>The Philippines is offering nurses to European countries in exchange for vaccines. <a href="https://apple.news/Aq9YCVRYGQoKiUHNiPy7dmg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vice</a> reports that many nurses don&rsquo;t appreciate being treated as tradable commodities.</p> <p>The Golden Globes are Sunday night, and this year there&rsquo;s controversy involving race, power, and ethics. The L.A. Times reports on how the organization that gives out the awards is under scrutiny for its <a href="https://apple.news/ADqnJaYBaTsC4hpJlhejWPQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">lack of diversity</a> and <a href="https://apple.news/ATiP85hAVQUunDt9aX8bymg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">accusations of bad conduct</a>.</p>

South Dakota AG refuses to step down after deadly crash

<p>Tomorrow, an FDA advisory committee meets to review the Johnson &amp; Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and decide whether to grant it emergency authorization. Brown University School of Public Health dean Dr. Ashish Jha explains to <a href="https://apple.news/AoI4_K2-oTlWeHYQQxFy52w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> why he&rsquo;s telling his family to take it if that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s offered.</p> <p>The pressure is rising for South Dakota&rsquo;s top law-enforcement officer to step down after he hit and killed a man while driving last September. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said he thought he struck a deer. The <a href="https://apple.news/AMztFv-PaS2iIiApeJ2XzbA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Sioux Falls Argus Leader</a> lays out the facts and the unanswered questions.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>There&rsquo;s a huge difference between the generational wealth of white Americans versus people of color, with significant implications for retirements. The <a href="https://apple.news/AmvsJ5hBFSOamdZNS0WWRpQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> analyzes a quarter century of data and finds the gap is getting wider and wider.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AqurvbkaeTDu0lX04yUj2pQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Athletic</a> explores the growing popularity of virtual sports-cards and why some are selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece.</p>

How Capitol security failed to stop the insurrection

<p>For the first time since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, key officials who were in charge of security that day have testified before Congress. The <a href="https://apple.news/Anb2rImDcS5mfBIhH7Bpfxw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reports that one big question raised at the hearing was whether domestic terror is taken as seriously as foreign threats.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AueB5Yp45QJKspmix75akPA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports on Democratic claims of a double standard for Biden cabinet nominees that affects women and people of color.</p> <p>Online coaches are pushing the idea that positive thinking can help people &ldquo;manifest&rdquo; their way into making more money. <a href="https://apple.news/A6z-DCmWLSzyvHsgik73t7g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Cosmopolitan</a> reports that women, who&rsquo;ve been hit especially hard by the pandemic, are the main target.</p> <p>Fast-food companies are cutting less-popular items to streamline their menus during the pandemic. The <a href="https://apple.news/AVqBmMOIJRpKMDWVTJNEpiA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> highlights the elaborate campaigns people are mounting online to bring back personal favorites.</p>

Rich countries corner global vaccine supply

<p>International agreements are to make sure all countries have equitable access to vaccines. But <a href="https://apple.news/AB29m54cdQ2aEIvEiIMbxFQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> argues that the U.S. and other wealthy countries need to do more. One obstacle to fair distribution is price transparency: <a href="https://apple.news/AKzg1KT0YTue03OPbVHpYvA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> looks at why many developing countries are paying much higher prices for doses.</p> <p>Since Election Day, at least six Facebook employees have resigned while calling out the company&rsquo;s leaders for failing to address the spread of misinformation and hate speech on the platform. <a href="https://apple.news/AquBlVvlVSQe9iIXX5MM63A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">BuzzFeed News</a> reports on former employees who say Facebook&rsquo;s leadership is working against its own content-moderation policies.</p> <p>In 1955, Black teen Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, 10 months before Rosa Parks got national attention for a similar act of civil disobedience. Colvin spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/AhSesZkUsTiurP1xYl80Qkw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> for a new series called &ldquo;History Refocused.&rdquo;</p> <p>Yesterday, electronic-music duo Daft Punk announced they&rsquo;re calling it quits. <a href="https://apple.news/AgbwzcLdTRYaXl2jb4MsgyA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">GQ</a> takes a look at the iconic group&rsquo;s influence on music and culture. And the <a href="https://apple.news/AMWcFDcKgSWugk2pnc63I3w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> looks at their 10 greatest moments.</p>

How America can learn from its pandemic mistakes

<p>The United States is near half a million deaths from COVID-19, the most in the world. <a href="https://apple.news/AaPqdeO3gQZ2Vt-Rh_WI9qA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> writes that while this crisis has exposed some of the deepest flaws in our public-health system, it has also revealed possibilities for improvements going forward.</p> <p>Merrick Garland, who was previously snubbed for a Supreme Court seat, has been tapped by President Biden for the role of attorney general. <a href="https://apple.news/ADiVU9N2lSEqhR-5KXWG2dg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> breaks down Garland&rsquo;s legal background. And the <a href="https://apple.news/AkubN5nQQQt2whtFiiQulnA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Guardian</a> explains that he will be taking over the Department of Justice during a difficult moment.</p> <p>The freezing conditions that left millions of Texans without electricity and safe drinking water also impacted migrants on the border. The <a href="https://apple.news/A6ochrxDZSVi6IvlhL6XDYA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Guardian</a> reports on the dangers for those seeking to enter the U.S. And the <a href="https://apple.news/Aj1r4k0MURAi21pQ--3xO6A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> looks at Biden&rsquo;s immigration moves so far.</p> <p>Online learning means college students have new opportunities to cheat while taking tests from home. <a href="https://apple.news/A3sO0uxoORpSh62cZIxUg_g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Forbes</a> reveals how some are using an online service called Chegg to access answers on demand.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p>

The political fallout from the winter energy crisis in Texas

<p>The blackouts in Texas have led to significant political fallout. <a href="https://apple.news/AT9eNXPc_Rg6k0U-oHDJ8uQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNBC</a> looks at the claims politicians are making and the facts about the outage.</p> <p>Many Republicans are working to make upcoming elections a referendum on reopening schools. Political reporter Dave Weigel writes for the <a href="https://apple.news/AE9nC7WLiS5iafahBh7k8Mg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> on why the GOP sees this issue as a key way to speak to suburban voters.</p> <p>In one small Brazilian city, an unusual experiment is taking place that may provide key insights about how to bring the pandemic to an end. The <a href="https://apple.news/AszvXbtjLQh6dDdvDKIRrqQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> has the story about this first-of-its-kind study.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A6jR9OhNFSNOjNEKXVFH20A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New York Magazine</a> is out with a profile of rising-star director Chlo&eacute; Zhao, whose film <em>Nomadland</em> comes out today.</p>

U.S. life expectancy falls by entire year as pandemic rages

<p>The crisis is not over in Texas, as power outages and brutal weather continue to have a broad impact. The Texas Tribune looks at how people are suffering from <a href="https://apple.news/AteAcmQzsT7arBEDD1ZM3XQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">food shortages</a> and the <a href="https://apple.news/A4JNa5FSQS36Qb3DnPVkcLw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">loss of clean drinking water</a>.</p> <p>Life expectancy in America dropped by an entire year over the first six months of 2020. <a href="https://apple.news/A6aiXgU3KRFiuKpZmTWl9OA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg News</a> looks at new CDC data that captures some the realities of the pandemic in hard numbers, including large racial disparities.</p> <p>Even after the economic crisis has ended, certain jobs will probably be gone for good. The <a href="https://apple.news/AIVsGgcEgTM6BNP0lbO6iyw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains why this is happening and what it means for the future of the U.S. economy.</p> <p>NASA is preparing to land a rover on Mars. <a href="https://apple.news/AMNAar5ExSyGMfFMysgTDRg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> explains how this high-stakes, complex mission is supposed to work.</p>

Are New York and California turning on their governors?

<p>New York governor Andrew Cuomo and California governor Gavin Newsom drew praise early in the pandemic but have recently come under criticism. <a href="https://apple.news/AqFZOyTKPRiONgdrmHcUq6Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg News</a> looks at why their popularity has taken a turn for the worse. And the <a href="https://apple.news/A0JIArGApSPCpDMThx26HNg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> looks at the impact on Cuomo&rsquo;s approval ratings.</p> <p>Conservative organizations raised hundreds of millions of dollars to support baseless challenges to the presidential election results. The <a href="https://apple.news/AJfZR1jfZS2uAQZCKYc4zUQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has the story of one major donor who wants his money back.</p> <p>Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures are gripping many parts of the United States. Texas is having a particularly hard time, in part because of its strained power grid. <a href="https://apple.news/ASzNbT9iIThu7S-tdb7dcjg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> explains what&rsquo;s gone wrong with the grid and why the state wasn&rsquo;t more prepared.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Researchers are increasingly convinced of the therapeutic effects of spending time outside. The <a href="https://apple.news/AJBdt7-U9Q6KzSrw1hxnjwA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> explains why some believe two hours a week in nature could be the new 10,000 steps per day.</p>

Have we turned a corner on COVID-19? Not yet.

<p>For the first time in months, average new daily coronavirus infections have fallen below 100,000 in the United States. The <a href="https://apple.news/AQ8wHqlSDTgmDMYltbB2NlA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> looks at possible reasons for this decline. And <a href="https://apple.news/A-XiWwB6gQA6vCYNCfGhlkA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> speaks with an epidemiologist who warns that the country still has a long road ahead.</p> <p>A <a href="https://apple.news/AZWZBsoiCRQ-Seybr-FQCIQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Marshall Project</a> investigation into the use of police dogs finds a city where they are regularly unleashed against Black teens.</p> <p>A record-breaking wave of extreme cold has turned deadly and is threatening COVID-19 vaccination progress. <a href="https://apple.news/A-k6ywA1iSvCcNI6TZp8OZw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> looks at the impact.</p> <p>Even with bars closed and no parade, folks in New Orleans are finding ways to celebrate Mardi Gras. The <a href="https://apple.news/ALfYeEBi9RfivyhattTxluQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> describes how some residents are decorating their homes as parade floats, in the first &ldquo;Yardi Gras.&rdquo;</p>

Trump’s legal challenges are just getting started

<p>Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate for a second time this weekend, but his legal troubles may just be beginning. <a href="https://apple.news/AhIxpcQekTi-1b1IOyBwFmQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> has a roundup of his post-impeachment legal challenges. And <a href="https://apple.news/ARiUP9jDDRQ-hDGCWsbBkow?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> looks at recent developments in Trump investigations in Georgia and New York.</p> <p>Today, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala becomes the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization. <a href="https://apple.news/AN1KVMwDWTLe-bI4198i-SA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> breaks down the challenges she is facing during a tumultuous period of global trade. And Okonjo-Iweala tells <a href="https://apple.news/AIArFAKREQJijKhEnmnSZZw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Time</a> that among her biggest priorities will be the role of the WTO in combating climate change and addressing the coronavirus pandemic.</p> <p>Attacks against Asian Americans are on the rise, including in the San Francisco Bay Area. <a href="https://apple.news/AByIoR-35TumXATVvfTsTTg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> spoke with the executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, which has documented nearly 3,000 incidents of attacks against anti-Asian from across the country since the pandemic began last March. And <a href="https://apple.news/Aq8CkRA1DSt60KsBPCOKk_Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NBC News</a> reports on recent actions by the Biden administration to tackle this issue.</p> <p>In 2019, Taylor Swift announced that she would rerecord and rerelease her back catalog. On Friday, she dropped her new version of &ldquo;Love Story,&rdquo; and the song has already topped the U.S. iTunes chart. The <a href="https://apple.news/AHESw3gKPREuofwohTpohOQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> explains why this enterprise is such a savvy business move.</p>

Trump’s team makes his case

<p>Today, Donald Trump&rsquo;s defense team make their case in the Senate impeachment trial. <a href="https://apple.news/AXIb8a79kQ4i-HNOLdiz9FQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Axios</a> breaks down the arguments we can expect to hear. The <a href="https://apple.news/A7d30bsGaTcyQGeZ4rNDIaA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explores the history behind Trump&rsquo;s First Amendment defense. And the <a href="https://apple.news/A14gbnnp7Q1m_Yr7FcmmLDQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Hill</a> says many Republicans have already signaled that their minds are made up.</p> <p>Two companies that make voting machines have filed multimillion-dollar antidefamation lawsuits against the likes of Fox News and Rudy Giuliani. The <a href="https://apple.news/A8FLbaXoJQYyu7ppPt0B3oQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains how repeated falsehoods about voting irregularities have damaged trust in these companies.</p> <p>Indian prime minister Narendra Modi wants to give 300 million people a COVID-19 vaccine by mid-summer. <a href="https://apple.news/AZ4Isz7HuRmCGx0C_oQIw1Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> reports that the plan is being called the biggest and most ambitious vaccination drive in the world.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Today, Donald Trump&rsquo;s defense team make their case in the Senate impeachment trial. <a href="https://apple.news/AXIb8a79kQ4i-HNOLdiz9FQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Axios</a> breaks down the arguments we can expect to hear. The <a href="https://apple.news/A7d30bsGaTcyQGeZ4rNDIaA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explores the history behind Trump&rsquo;s First Amendment defense. And the <a href="https://apple.news/A3MAHjAfoQMS_J9_EU_Uyqw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Hill</a> says many Republicans have already signaled that their minds are made up.</p> <p>Two companies that make voting machines have filed multimillion-dollar antidefamation lawsuits against the likes of Fox News and Rudy Giuliani. The <a href="https://apple.news/A8FLbaXoJQYyu7ppPt0B3oQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains how repeated falsehoods about voting irregularities have damaged trust in these companies.</p> <p>Indian prime minister Narendra Modi wants to give 300 million people a COVID-19 vaccine by mid-summer. <a href="https://apple.news/AZ4Isz7HuRmCGx0C_oQIw1Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> reports that the plan is being called the biggest and most ambitious vaccination drive in the world.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>The pandemic has been a huge motivator for people to declutter their homes and give away old household items on free-stuff forums. The <a href="https://apple.news/AzwRu4nmwQcifzESt5uNn0w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> writes about the wide variety of items posted on these pages.</p>

“They would’ve killed Mike Pence”: impeachment day 2

<p>Yesterday, House impeachment managers revealed new information about the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The <a href="https://apple.news/AMPfuyOxITxeH59zdevUhkw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has key takeaways, including previously unseen footage of the attack.</p> <p>Can businesses pay their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine? <a href="https://apple.news/AZ8ZVnmeYRCKktig8B4Y2Hg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg Law</a> spoke with employment attorneys who explain why this is a legal grey-area.</p> <p>Several state lawmakers across the country have introduced legislation to stop schools from referencing the New York Times&rsquo; 1619 Project. <a href="https://apple.news/Al9G8z1DOTE-KYJiYffC7-A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> and the 19th break down what&rsquo;s in these bills and the debate about teaching American history.</p> <p>Players and fans of Major League Baseball have wondered for years if changes in the way the balls are constructed were leading to more home runs. <a href="https://apple.news/ArBPVEXH2QPGnaGfgdJ5HBA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Sports Illustrated</a> speaks to a scientist who acquired balls from a clandestine network inside MLB, sliced them open, and found some interesting tweaks to their design.</p>

To understand Trump’s impeachment trial, start with April 7

<p>On day two of Donald Trump&rsquo;s impeachment trial, <a href="https://apple.news/Au2QaV5OxQbi6PvJAUvneMA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> has a detailed timeline of events, showing the groundwork that led to the Capitol insurrection was laid far in advance.</p> <p>A dysfunctional sense of smell is common for people with COVID-19. Many are still struggling with it months after first getting sick. The <a href="https://apple.news/AMI0m792xS--CU0h13z-wuQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> spoke with patients who are suffering and the doctors and scientists who are trying to help.</p> <p>The internet might be able to predict breakups months in advance. The <a href="https://apple.news/AGN88Wv_iTcOfCsf-SoK50Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Times of London</a> wrote about a study analyzing online posts and how the language people used subtly changed just before their relationships ended.</p>

What it’s like to face a $1 million COVID hospital bill

<p>Former president Donald Trump&rsquo;s lawyers will argue the Senate cannot constitutionally try him now that he is out of office. J. Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge, agrees with this impeachment argument in a <a href="https://apple.news/A2HUS1IStRPyKS0RgmY9czA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> piece. Chuck Cooper, a top conservative lawyer, offers a counterargument in the <a href="https://apple.news/Aje41x5uJQKq5IVi11yHIlQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a>.</p> <p>Patricia Mason got sick with COVID-19 in March last year. She is now out of the hospital and dealing with the aftermath, including part of a medical bill that topped $1 million. The <a href="https://apple.news/AFd6dU-KoTrOxfOdx7HHIpw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> brings us Mason&rsquo;s story.</p> <p>Several states are allowing more people to gather indoors. <a href="https://apple.news/Ak83Oqpd1RlC0pZqHxhF-AA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">ProPublica</a> spoke with scientists who explain why they think this is a bad idea.</p> <p>A series of class-action lawsuits is focusing on whether products use real vanilla flavoring. The <a href="https://apple.news/ACAyy8x80QOiJ4T_QLiE8wg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> has the story of vanilla getting its day in court.</p>

The arguments for and against convicting Trump

<p>The impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump starts tomorrow. <a href="https://apple.news/A1MSA2P2eQR2H2bWToSjQ6A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> has a preview of arguments each side will make. In the <a href="https://apple.news/A3Ayh8X8lRWGcioFEiXBtBw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a>, Harvard law professor Jeannie Suk Gersen lays out the trial&rsquo;s risks for Democrats.</p> <p>President Biden says pandemic school-closures are a &ldquo;national emergency.&rdquo; The <a href="https://apple.news/AjDMT6hmwSzGD2mu4VRlFSQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Houston Chronicle</a> looks at how Texas schools are considering extra weeks of class to help students catch up. <a href="https://apple.news/AC-0RoO_iQhuHxagY90w7hg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">HuffPost</a> explains how parents of children with disabilities are especially concerned about their children falling behind.</p> <p>Democrats are proposing expanded childhood tax credits. The <a href="https://apple.news/Aun0FWuZ-TZuwBgG1XSdqQw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> breaks down their plan.</p> <p>Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to a win over Kansas City, the quarterback&rsquo;s seventh Super Bowl win. <a href="https://apple.news/ABw0YKayEQguAIRwAylZpKw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> football columnist Mike Jones examines Brady&rsquo;s impact.</p>

Democrats strip Marjorie Taylor Greene from committees

<p>Democratic Senators moved ahead on a COVID-relief bill without Republicans in an overnight session. The <a href="https://apple.news/AKql2MbVWTWq4UwQ2sAnHUA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has key details.</p> <p>House Democrats voted to strip Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments. <a href="https://apple.news/ArbQkryh6Rl24dEk1g_S6MQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> explains how each political party is navigating this moment.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A1qYHUFzMSlmrKr75wQrzjw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> and <a href="https://apple.news/AbMs0zkakSey832zjaMTnUg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> look at current data and guidance related to COVID-19 vaccinations and pregnancy.</p> <p>Russia&rsquo;s announcement that its COVID-19 vaccine, called Sputnik V, is highly effective, was met with some skepticism in the international community. The <a href="https://apple.news/AcHZq-xF9Qv-Uu1Xi0hujrA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a>&rsquo;s Joshua Yaffa reports on the vaccine&rsquo;s development and impact.</p> <p>The Super Bowl is Sunday and the stadium will be mostly empty because of pandemic concerns. <a href="https://apple.news/AFq2nVXHDQueD2jxE2qA7iA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Adweek</a> explains why the situation is a camera crew&rsquo;s dream, and says it could mean one of the best at-home viewing experiences ever.</p>

Roadblocks emerge in Democratic drive for $15 minimum wage

<p>Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 is a key measure in Democrats&rsquo; pandemic-stimulus package, which they are aiming to pass through budget reconciliation. <a href="https://apple.news/AFxGNb4hVRjqnNZZUGAwhtA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> breaks down why that may or may not be possible.</p> <p>More information is coming out about the people who participated in the Capitol insurrection and the forces that influenced them. In his latest piece for the <a href="https://apple.news/AlAX3w1UjT-yNTnXyTa_Q7A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a>, Ronan Farrow profiles rioter Rachel Powell and how she became radicalized over a short period of time.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AgJgo3xb3SyGciHT6WvdZtw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> spoke with ordinary investors who lost money following investment tips from Reddit on GameStop and other stocks. And in the <a href="https://apple.news/AQnqpv4BSRb6MSx602pXXoQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a>, Derek Thompson says that while individual traders may have thought they were sticking it to Wall Street, that&rsquo;s not what really happened.</p> <p>Danielle Cohen writes for <a href="https://apple.news/AoC9-WgE7SlGwaUQP6HC_KA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">GQ</a> about a recent trend of including pictures of COVID-19 vaccination cards in dating-app profiles. And <a href="https://apple.news/AZfhn2uwvRdaZ3IXNlyXJ8A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> explains why the Better Business Bureau advises against posting pictures of these cards online.</p>