Trump impeachment trial, Day 2

Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. Welcome to the second day of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. It’s Jane, with Wednesday’s news.

Trump takes the political spotlight again as the Senate begins hearing evidence in his historic second impeachment trial. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will celebrate their Super Bowl win Sunday with a boat parade on the Hillsborough River. And in other sporting news, Serena Williams marches onward in her bid to win a 24th Grand Slam singles title.

Here’s today’s news:

Trump impeachment trial: Senate to begin hearing evidence

The Senate is set to begin hearing evidence Wednesday in former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. Nine impeachment managers from the House of Representatives, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will present their case as to why the president deserves to be convicted by the Senate. It’s expected to be the first opportunity for impeachment managers, the House Democrats prosecuting the case, to present what they say is new evidence to convict the former president on a single article that he incited a pro-Trump mob to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6. The hearing follows Tuesday’s 56-44 vote that the impeachment trial is constitutional, despite arguments that Trump cannot be tried as a current private citizen. 

• Impeachment trial puts Trump back in the spotlight. That might not be a good thing for him
• Top takeaways from Day 1 of Trump's impeachment trial
• They rioted at the Capitol for Trump. Now, many of those arrested say it’s his fault
• 'They could have killed us all': House Democrats open Trump impeachment trial with chilling video of Capitol riot
• 'Dad, I don't want to come back': Rep. Jamie Raskin, in tears at trial, recounts daughter's fear during Capitol riot

California close to becoming state with most COVID-19 deaths

California will soon overtake New York as the state with the most coronavirus-related deaths. The most populous state in the nation's COVID-19 death toll was at 44,494 late Tuesday, closing in on New York’s 44,969 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The grim news comes as California health officials lift regional stay-at-home orders across the state, even as most counties have a widespread risk of infection and transmission. It also comes as the Golden State struggles with its vaccine plan and contends with a new variant that appears to have originated in the San Francisco Bay area.

• WHO team says virus likely jumped to humans from animals. Latest COVID-19 updates
• Biden hosts CEOs at the White House to try to build support for COVID-19 relief bill
• WHO will end research into 'extremely unlikely' theory that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan lab

Buccaneers to celebrate Super Bowl win with boat parade

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will celebrate their victory in Super Bowl 55 with a boat parade on the Hillsborough River on Wednesday, starting at around 1 p.m. ET. The Buccaneers' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs was the franchise's second Super Bowl title. For quarterback Tom Brady — the game MVP — it represented his seventh Super Bowl win, one more than the franchises with the most-ever wins, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. 

• Photos: Best from Super Bowl 55
• Super Bowl rankings: Where does SB55 rate all-time?
• Ad Meter: Watch all of the Super Bowl commercials

Arctic weather on its way for much of the US

A full dose of winter is in store for much of the U.S. this week as the polar vortex oozes its way across the nation and a nasty winter storm develops, sending frigid weather down for an extended stay starting early Wednesday. The north-central U.S. has been enduring dangerous, bitter cold for several days now because of a shift in the vortex from the Arctic into the U.S., AccuWeather said, and no letup in the frigid weather is in sight. People should limit their time outside, but if you need to, those who do head outdoors should take precautions to cover their skin, weather.com advised. In the south, it won't be as intensely cold, but it will still be plenty chilly — as much as 15 to 25 degrees below average for this time of year.

More news you need to know:

• Gunman kills one, injures four at Minnesota clinic; cops say suspect 'unhappy with medical care'
• 'You don't have a second chance': Muslim Americans lament lost time with loved ones after lifting of travel ban
• Neera Tanden apologizes for GOP Twitter attacks, pledges to be bipartisan as White House budget chief
• Kobe Bryant crash caused by pilot's poor decision-making, disorientation, NTSB says
• Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast 🎧
• Aunt Jemima brand to be renamed Pearl Milling Company with new syrup, pancake boxes coming in June
• Dallas Mavericks won't play national anthem before home games this season
• Black History Month TV guide: 10 shows that'll teach you a thing or two about the Black experience

Serena Williams continues quest for Australian Open trophy

American tennis legend Serena Williams' quest for a record 24th Grand Slam singles title continues Wednesday after beating Serbia's Nina Stojanovic in the second round of the Australian Open. Williams grabbed the last seven games to beat 99th-ranked Stojanovic 6-3, 6-0 in a little more than an hour. Williams, a seven-time champion in Melbourne, is returning from an Achilles tendon issue that hampered her last year in a loss at the U.S. Open and forced her to withdraw from the French Open. On the men's side, eight-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic beat American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3 in an early test for the Serbian defending champion.

• Upset Down Under: American Jessica Pegula beats two-time champion
• 'Don't limit yourself': Player born without one finger on each hand makes Australian Open debut

And finally: Judge issues 'important Zoom tip' after lawyer's kitten filter mishap

Another day, another example of a Zoom call gone wrong. This time, a Texas judge issued an "important Zoom tip" after a lawyer used a cat filter during a virtual hearing, and couldn't switch it off. Judge Roy Ferguson tweeted about the recent incident when lawyer Rod Ponton showed up to present a case in Texas' 394th District Court with the filter of a cute kitten on. "I don't know how to remove it," Ponton said in a clip of the live stream. "I'm here live, I'm not a cat." Ferguson tried to walk Ponton through how to fix his settings. He later tweeted:  "If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom Video Options to be sure filters are off."