Games' closing ceremony 📷 Olympics highlights Perseid meteor shower 🚗 Car, truck recalls: List
NEWSLETTER
Coronavirus COVID-19

$1,400 checks closer as COVID-19 bill poised to pass 💸

Editors
USA TODAY

Happy Hump Day, Daily Briefing readers. Apology for the delay in your inbox – we were experiencing some technical difficulties. Thankfully, we've got lots of news for you!

It looks like today will be the day that President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan passes in the House of Representatives. Merrick Garland couldn't get a hearing to become a Supreme Court justice, but he appears poised to take over as Biden's attorney general. And, like it or not, Texas is ending its mask mandate and easing its previous COVID-19 restrictions.

In other major news, nearly a year since her death, Breonna Taylor remains an enigma. This is why so many saw themselves in her story.

And, in trending news, the Notorious B.I.G.'s childhood friend, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, tells USA TODAY why he trusted a Netflix documentary filmmaker with never-before-seen footage.

Steve and Jane are here with Wednesday's news.

But first, here is some news from late last night, in case you missed it:

🙏 Bible teacher Beth Moore, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump and advocate for sex abuse victims, says she is no longer a Southern Baptist.

☀ Los Angeles and other large California counties are set to roll out looser COVID-19 rules.

🏀 No. 1 Gonzaga faced its biggest halftime deficit in three years and trailed well into the second half to BYU in the West Coast Conference title game, but rallied to win the conference tournament championship game 88-78. The Bulldogs moved to 26-0 ahead of next week's NCAA tournament. 

🎶 Tuesday's blind audition episode of "The Voice" featured coach Blake Shelton (playfully) taking a shot at "American Idol," the show where fellow coach Kelly Clarkson achieved her notoriety. Yikes! 

If you'd prefer to listen, check out the 5 Things podcast. 🎧

Here's what's happening today:

Biden's COVID-19 stimulus bill on the brink of passage

The House of Representatives is poised Wednesday to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, which includes $1,400 checks, billions for vaccines, and money to reopen schools. (Follow here for live updates.) House Democratic leadership has voiced confidence in their ability to pass the bill even if no Republicans vote for it, though some progressives have complained about spending reductions made by the Senate. Once the House has passed the legislation, it will go to the president, who said Monday he would sign it "as soon as I get it." The $1,400 stimulus checks could start going out in a number of weeks if they follow the same timeline as previous rounds.

What else people are reading:

🏀 The NBA is investigating a video of injured Miami Heat Meyers Leonard using an anti-Semitic slur while playing a video game online. Leonard, who will remain away from the team indefinitely, apologized in a post on Instagram.

🎶 The Daily Briefing's very own Fatima got a chance to chat with the Grammy-nominated K-pop group BTS ahead of Sunday's big show.

🏈 The NFL's deadline to dispense franchise tags in 2021 expired at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. Here are the winners and losers.

⚖ Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri took the stand in her own defense Tuesday, saying she was a reporter doing her job as historic unrest overtook the city.

🚀 China, Russia to build lunar outpost: International cooperation or 'authoritarian alliance in space'?

Mask mandate lifted and COVID-19 restrictions eased in Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order that rescinded most of his earlier orders, including restrictions on business occupancy and the statewide mask mandate, will go into effect Wednesday. Saying it was time to "open Texas 100%," Abbott announced the order March 2 at a restaurant in Lubbock, citing declining hospitalizations across the state as more people are vaccinated against the coronavirus. "To be clear, COVID has not suddenly disappeared," Abbott said. But he added that "state mandates are no longer needed." Three out of four of Texas' medical advisers said they weren't consulted before Abbott lifted the mask mandate. Federal health officials, including Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the move comes too early and the coronavirus still poses a grave danger. President Joe Biden said it's a "big mistake" to lift restrictions, calling it a result of "Neanderthal thinking."

Senate expected to confirm Garland for attorney general

When President Joe Biden assembled his list of Cabinet picks, he was aiming to select the most diverse and representative cabinet in America's history, but while some of his picks have sailed through their confirmation hearings, others have seen a rocky reception from the GOP. The final Senate confirmation of Merrick Garland for attorney general is poised for Wednesday. Garland, a longtime federal judge and former federal prosecutor, is expected to win substantial bipartisan support. Marcia Fudge, who is nominated for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is also expected to receive full Senate votes Wednesday.

Jury selection to continue in Derek Chauvin's murder trial

Jury selection is scheduled to continue Wednesday in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, where lawyers are set to vet more potential jurors about a case that rocked the country and spurred worldwide protests after George Floyd's death. The court heard from nine prospective jurors on Tuesday and seated three. For hours, lawyers questioned potential jurors about their knowledge of the high-profile case, the protests and Floyd's death, questioning whether they could set aside any existing opinions to serve impartially. The prospective jurors thus far ranged from eager to fearful, some expressing safety concerns about serving on such a high-profile and divisive case, especially if their identity became public. Three weeks have been set aside to choose the jury.  

Piers Morgan moves on from British talk show

"Good Morning Britain" will have a different look beginning Wednesday after ITV, which produces the news show, announced host Piers Morgan "has decided now is the time to leave" the program. The move comes after Morgan ignited controversy for two consecutive days reacting to Oprah Winfrey's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. During the CBS show, Meghan spoke about how she "didn't want to be alive anymore" and faced racist attitudes from Buckingham Palace and the British media. On Monday, Morgan said he "(doesn't) believe a word she says," which drew major criticism. Morgan stormed off the set Tuesday as another presenter was criticizing his attitude toward Meghan. American consumers may know Morgan as a former judge on "America's Got Talent." In 2011, he replaced Larry King on CNN with his own talk show, which was canceled in 2014. 

ICYMI: Our top stories from Tuesday 

Contributing: The Associated Press

Featured Weekly Ad