Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend
Trump acquitted, again
The Senate on Saturday voted to acquit former President Donald Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, 57-43. Now what? Lawmakers hope to move forward, concentrating on the plethora of competing crises in the country. Still, the Jan. 6 riot revealed a festering, violent anger over national politics. In a statement responding to the acquittal, President Joe Biden said all Americans have a duty and responsibility “to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.” In doing so, he said, “that is how we end this uncivil war and heal the very soul of our nation. That is the task ahead. And it’s a task we must undertake together.”
And Donald Trump, in a written statement, thanked Senate Republicans (most of them) for his impeachment acquittal and proclaimed that the political movement he began with his 2016 election has "only just begun."
In addition:
- Senators are calling for a bipartisan commission to investigate and issue a report on the Capitol riot, similar to the one drafted in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
- Impeachment managers defended their decision not to call witnesses, saying it could have cost the support of one or more of the seven Republicans who voted to convict.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s speech blasting Trump will haunt the Republican party: "That speech you will see in 2022 campaigns."
COVID-19: Fauci sees 'sobering' data on South Africa variant
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said data on the South Africa variant of the coronavirus is "sobering," confirming that current vaccines are less effective against it than the original virus or U.K. variant. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Fauci also said less is known about the South African variant than the U.K. version, which has proved to be more transmissible than the original version of the virus. He added that, in South Africa, there were people who became infected with the original virus, recovered, and then got reinfected with the South Africa variant. That indicates that prior infection does not protect someone from reinfection with the South Africa variant.
In addition: The U.S. is reporting an average of fewer than 100,000 new cases per day now. That's still more than one new case every second, but it's less than half the rate the country was reporting in January.
Real quick
- Royal baby on the way: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are expecting their second child.
- Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar defy orders, march to protest the military takeover that ousted the elected government.
- Republican strategist Steve Schmidt resigns from anti-Trump Lincoln Project amid scandals.
- 'We can’t get that childhood we deserve': Parkland seniors have high school years bookended by tragedy, disarray.
- 'Stop killing us': A series of violent crimes against Asians and Asian Americans highlight a rise in hate incidents amid COVID-19.
- Radical self-love is an important part of Valentine's Day. On today's 5 Things podcast, Black journalist Lokela Blanc of USA TODAY shares her original poem, "blak and (h)wīt," about personal empowerment and racial identity in America.
- Man charged with murder in knife attacks that killed 2 homeless people in New York City subway system.
- Fidgeting, gasps, pats on the back: What happened in the Senate chamber as 7 Republicans broke with Trump.
Snow, ice and freezing temps mean weather havoc for much of nation
A wave of harsh winter weather and bitter cold temperatures left a swath of the Pacific Northwest and parts of the East blanketed in ice, snow and power outages as more foul weather took aim at the nation's southern tier. The storm that blasted the West left more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power in Oregon on Sunday. And parts of the East were covered with a sheet of ice, with more than 270,000 homes and businesses in Virginia in the dark. The near-record cold temperatures could be blamed in part on the polar vortex, a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth's poles that has sagged down into the U.S. The result has been brutal conditions for hundreds of millions of Americans this week. The South was not exempt, either. Winter storm warnings are in effect through Monday as a string of Southern cities braced for a blast snow, ice and bitterly cold conditions.
Daytona 500: Big wreck derails 16 cars; weather causes pause
Drivers took to the track Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway for the "Great American Race," with Denny Hamlin looking for a historic third consecutive victory in the Daytona 500. A huge 16-car wreck derailed multiple contenders after 15 laps, and a weather delay soon followed, pausing the race before 4 p.m. EST. On Lap 3, fans and crews saluted Dale Earnhardt by holding up three fingers, recognizing the 20th anniversary of his death, which came on the final lap of NASCAR's signature event. Among the field in this year's race is Bubba Wallace, whose car failed inspection twice, forcing him to the back of the field.
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This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: The Associated Press.