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The deadly winter storm isn't letting up

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Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. This year, it’ll be a Mardi Gras with a difference. It’s Jane, with Tuesday’s news. 

More winter misery is in store, as an early morning tornado wreaks havoc in North Carolina, killing at least three people. With his predecessor Donald Trump’s impeachment trial out of the way, Joe Biden will make one of his first official stops as president, fielding questions from the public at a CNN town hall in Wisconsin. And, Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans will look very different, as the city aims to avoid a repeat of last year’s revelries which were blamed for spreading the coronavirus. 

Here’s today’s news:

More severe weather on the heels of 'unprecedented' winter storm

More severe weather is expected, on the heels of an "unprecedented" winter storm that assaulted much of the nation Monday. A tornado hit Brunswick County, North Carolina, just after midnight Tuesday, killing at least three people. At least four people died in the winter storm Monday, millions were left without power in Texas and travel havoc occurred across a wide swath of the nation. More than 150 million people were under a winter storm warning, winter weather advisory or ice storm warning in 25 states, stretching over 2,000 miles from southern Texas to northern Maine, the National Weather Service said. Bitter, record-smashing cold accompanied the storm. Another storm is forecast to blanket the Plains with snow Tuesday before pelting eastern Texas to southwestern Tennessee with freezing rain Tuesday night, the NWS said. More than 50 million people could see temperatures dip below zero during the next several days, according to the Capital Weather Gang. Outages were widespread Monday, and over 5 million have been left in the dark and cold.

Biden departs DC for Milwaukee to make case for coronavirus relief plan

President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Wisconsin on Tuesday, one of the first official stops of his presidency, where he'll participate in a CNN Town Hall at 9 p.m. ET. The White House said Biden will use the trip to make the case for passage of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan. The town hall will be held at Pabst Theater, which hasn't hosted a big event since March 2020 due to the pandemic. The event will be socially distanced, with the president fielding questions from a small, invitation-only audience of Democrats, Republicans and independents. Anderson Cooper will serve as moderator. It's scheduled to run for an hour. 

New Orleans mutes Mardi Gras amid pandemic

New Orleans is tamping down its annual Mardi Gras celebrations this week and health officials in other cities are warning would-be revelers to do the same amid a spike in coronavirus variant cases across the nation. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell ordered bars closed during the Mardi Gras weekend that started Friday and runs through Tuesday. Parades are canceled and there are limits on gatherings. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the annual pre-Lenten bash celebrated along much of the Gulf Coast. Last year’s revelry is believed to have contributed to an early surge that made Louisiana a coronavirus hot spot. 

Bill Gates confronts climate change in new book

Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and global health philanthropist, said the past four years have been a wasted opportunity to combat the threat of a warming planet. But he said achieving President Joe Biden's ambitious goals of decarbonizing the energy sector by 2035 and attaining net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is within reach. In his new book, "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need," Gates details his ideas for addressing the climate crisis. Publishers Weekly says, “those looking for an accessible review of how global warming can be countered will find this a handy – and maybe even hope-inspiring – guide.” The book goes on sale Tuesday. 

More news you need to know:

Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka advance to Australian Open semifinals

Serena Williams stayed on track for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, advancing to the Australian Open semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Simona Halep on Tuesday. Next up for Williams is Naomi Osaka. Earlier Tuesday, Osaka, ranked No. 3 in the world, rode a big first serve to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Hsieh Su-wei who became the oldest woman at 35 to make her Grand Slam quarterfinal debut. Williams seeks her 24th Grand Slam singles title, which would tie the all-time record held by Margaret Court. No. 23 came at the Australian Open in 2017, where Williams prevailed in a 6-4, 6-4 final against big sister Venus. She is a seven-time Australian Open champion, with her first title in Melbourne coming in 2003.

And finally: Little girl surprised with two new best friends

Ten-year-old Jennavesia stepped up in a big way to help her mom during quarantine. So her parents surprised her with not one, but two furry best friends named Pepper and Chewy. See all the cuteness in this Humankind video.

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