“DAY 1 IN THE BOOKS — Trump’s second impeachment trial began today. In case you were a bit busy watching America’s foremost feline jurist, here’s a rundown of what happened:
— Opening with video: Democratic impeachment managers opened their case with an approximately 13-minute video graphically depicting the Jan. 6 insurrection that overtook the U.S. Capitol. The video stitched together footage from an array of sources inside and outside of the building during the deadly assault, and featured some of the most notorious images captured that day, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer with blood streaming down his face pleading for backup as he was being crushed inside a doorway.
— An emotional leadoff: Rep. Jamie Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, gave an emotional speech, remembering his late son, whom he buried the day before the Jan. 6 attack, and breaking down while talking about being separated from his daughter during the deadly siege.
— The defense’s opening: Bruce Castor, Trump’s defense lawyer, opened his remarks by condemning the Capitol riot as ‘repugnant’ while also praising senators as ‘extraordinary people.’ His comments included a wide range of philosophical musings: He evoked democracy’s origins in Ancient Greece and claimed an impeachment conviction would lead to a ‘slippery slope.’ Castor said only the Senate could stop the ‘bitter infighting’ from decaying the country’s republic and denounced the trial as an ‘attack on the Constitution.’
— Witness, juror, judge: Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chamber’s president pro tempore, pledged fairness and an equal say for Senate lawmakers as he presides over the trial. ‘My intention and solemn obligation is to conduct this trial with fairness to all,’ Leahy wrote in a letter to his Senate colleagues.
— The trial continues: In a 56-44 vote, the Senate declared it is constitutionally permitted to try Trump on the House’s charge that he incited the Jan. 6 insurrection, sidelining the former president’s primary defense in the impeachment case against him. Six Republicans voted with Democrats to support the ability to try a former president, a case that has won support from legal scholars of all ideologies but that Trump’s team said was unconstitutional.
— GOP unhappy with Day 1: For Trump, the opening day of his second impeachment trial did not go as planned or to his liking . Cocooned at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump watched as his defense attorneys responded to an emotional presentation by House impeachment managers with a series of dry, technical and at times meandering arguments about due process and the constitutionality of the proceedings. And the jurors weren’t happy either: ‘President Trump’s team was disorganized. They did everything they could but to talk about the question at hand,’ Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said. ‘And when they talked about it, they kind of glided over, almost as if they were embarrassed of their arguments.’” Read more at POLITICO
— Today in 180 seconds: Watch.
“Media Decisions: The opening of the trial featured some explicit language not normally seen on daytime television or broadcast TV at all. But ABC, CBS, NBC and the cable news networks all aired unedited the 13-minute film prepared by House impeachment managers that showed disturbing details of the attack on the Capitol.The language included obscene chants by demonstrators surging toward the Capitol, David Bauder reports.” Read more at AP
“A foreign policy history lesson. Although this trial lacks the international basis of last year’s impeachment proceedings, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Joe Neguse did find time on Tuesday to educate Senators on historical precedents for the trial. Both representatives mentioned the case of Warren Hastings, the de facto first Governor-General of India who was impeached by the British House of Commons in 1786 for crimes committed in India, facing trial four years after he had left his position.
Despite that trial being of interest to at least one U.S. Founding Father, Trump’s lawyer Bruce Castor dismissed the reference. ‘We left the British system,’ Castor said.
Castor will be hoping his client faces the same fate as Hastings: He was eventually acquitted—albeit after a seven-year trial.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“The U.S. has entered a precarious phase of the COVID-19 vaccination effort as providers try to ramp up the number of people getting first shots while also ensuring a growing number of others get the required second doses.
The shift is happening just when millions more Americans are becoming eligible to receive vaccines, Candice Choi and Marion Renault report.
The need to give each person two doses a few weeks apart vastly complicates the country’s biggest-ever vaccination campaign. And persistent uncertainty about future vaccine supplies fuels worries that some people will not be able to get their second shots in time.
Some providers have curbed or canceled appointments for first doses to ensure there are enough second doses.” Read more at AP
“Covid-19 vaccine efforts get a boost from Black communities’ pastors. Clergy are working to counter the hesitancy toward the vaccine among Black adults, one-third of whom say they plan to avoid the shots.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Uber and Walgreens will join forces to offer communities of color free rides to vaccination sites.” Read more at Axios
“The F.D.A. approved a Covid-19 therapy by the drug maker Eli Lilly, giving doctors another option for patients who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill.” Read more at New York Times
“People with dementia have been twice as likely to get the virus, and much more likely to be hospitalized, than people the same age without dementia, a study found.” Read more at New York Times
“Biden’s push to reopen U.S. schools is clashing with his pledge to support teachers, who are demanding more coronavirus testing, vaccinations and other safety measures before returning to classrooms.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Japan’s vaccines. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced today that the country would begin coronavirus vaccinations by the middle of next week, making it the final G-7 nation to start inoculating its citizens. The program already faces its first hurdle, as a shortage of specially-designed syringes means medical workers will only be able to extract five doses from each vial, rather than the standard six.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“South Africa Vaccines:The country will begin administering the unapproved Johnson & Johnson vaccine to its front-line health care workers next week. It will also study them to see what protection the J&J shot provides from COVID-19, particularly against the variant dominant in the country. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said South Africa has scrapped its plans to use the AstraZeneca vaccine because it ‘does not prevent mild to moderate disease’ of the variant dominant in the nation. Mkhize said the J&J vaccine, which is still being tested internationally, is safe. Andrew Meldrum reports from Johannesburg.” Read more at AP
“WHO in Wuhan: A team of international and Chinese scientists looking for the origins of the virus have said it most likely first appeared in humans after jumping from an animal. The team dismissed as unlikely a theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab. The mission leader of the closely watched visit by the World Health Organization to Wuhan said the probe did not dramatically change the current understanding of the early days of the pandemic, But it did offer more details. The pandemic has now killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide. Emily Wang Fujiyama reports from Wuhan.” Read more at AP
“Congress and the Biden administration have a lot on their plates besides the impeachment trial. A key House committee has proposed a bill for the stimulus package that would make more people eligible for Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years, fulfilling President Biden's campaign promise to expand health care options. Biden’s Cabinet picks are also progressing, with attorney general nominee Merrick Garland set for a confirmation hearing February 22. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who came under fire for monthslong mail delays before the 2020 election, says he’d like to stay in his post, though Biden faces pressure from Democrats to remove him. Finally, the Senate Intelligence Committee wants the Biden administration to designate a leader to address the US government response to the massive SolarWinds hack that targeted public agencies and private companies.” Read more at CNN
“U.S. Relief Bill: House Democrats muscled past Republicans on major portions of President Biden’s pandemic plan, including a proposed $130 billion in school relief and a gradual increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. It's part of a $1.9 trillion relief package of Biden’s plan reopening plan. Democrats say schools won’t be able to reopen safely until they get funding to repair ventilation systems, buy protective equipment and take other steps recommended by health officials. Republicans oppose the legislation. Colin Binkley reports.” Read more at AP
“A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling on President Biden to let more physicians prescribe an opioid treatment drug, in what has emerged as an early test of his administration’s opioid strategy.
The effort centers on the ’'X-waiver,’' a two-decade-old requirement, first mandated by Congress, that physicians undergo a day’s training before being allowed to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid-use disorder. Biden had criticized the prescribing rules as unnecessary last year and vowed to lift them if elected. But his administration instead preserved the rules last month by halting a last-minute Trump administration plan intended as a workaround, frustrating doctors and public health groups that say the rules are slowing the response to the nation’s worsening opioid crisis. The administration said the Trump plan was premature.” Read more at Boston Globe
“India is cracking down on dissent amid unrest over the government’s farm laws. As a result, big tech companies like Twitter are finding themselves in a difficult position. In the last 10 days, the Indian government has asked Twitter to suspend hundreds of accounts. Initially, the company did suspend some but reversed its decision after public outcry and claims of suppression. Now, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has hit the company with a noncompliance notice. India has previously clashed with platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp and has proposed regulations that would expand its ability to police content online. The Modi government has also resorted to shutting down the internet altogether in parts of the country to curb protests.” Read more at CNN
“More than 8 million people around the world die each year as a result of breathing polluted air that contains particles from fossil fuels, a new study published in the journal Environmental Research has found. That means about 1 in 5 global deaths is due to this kind of pollution. Fossil fuels don’t just cause climate change, researchers explained. They also release tiny poisonous particles that can aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma and can lead to lung cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and early death. This link has been known, but the toll, as calculated by the study, is much higher than previously thought. Research has also found a link between higher levels of long-term pollution and more deaths from Covid-19.” Read more at CNN
“Huawei disputes security threat in lawsuit. The Chinese tech giant filed a lawsuit in the U.S. disputing its designation as a national security threat by the Federal Communications Commission, stepping up legal challenges in the country despite a change of administration in Washington.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Myanmar protesters back on streets despite police violence
Crowds demonstrating against the military takeover in Myanmar have again defied a ban on protests even after security forces ratcheted up the use of force against them and raided the headquarters of the political party of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Fresh protests were reported in Yangon and Mandalay, the country’s two biggest cities, as well as the capital Naypyitaw and elsewhere. The protesters are demanding that power be restored to Suu Kyi. They’re also seeking freedom for her and other governing party members since the military detained them after blocking the new session of Parliament on Feb. 1. The growing rallies and the junta’s latest raid suggest there is little room for reconciliation.” Read more at AP
“Hack exposes vulnerability of cash-strapped US water plants
A hacker’s botched attempt to poison the water of a small Florida city is raising alarms about just how vulnerable such systems may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders. Treatment plants are typically cash-strapped and lack the cybersecurity depth of the power grid and nuclear plants. Suspicious incidents are usually chalked up to mechanical or procedural errors. But experts say they occur more often than the public is told and many go unreported to protect reputations, customer trust — and revenues. Officials say the Florida town of Oldsmar was only briefly in jeopardy last week, with safety features likely to have triggered alarms had the hack gone undetected.” Read more at AP
“Fear and love surround Escobar's hippos thriving in Colombia
The offspring of hippos illegally imported to Colombia by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s are flourishing in the lush area and experts are warning about the dangers of the growing numbers. One group of scientists is now urging that some of the animals be killed. They say the hippos pose a major threat to the area’s biodiversity and could lead to deadly encounters with humans. The scientists concluded that Colombia’s current sterilization program is not enough to control hippo numbers. The population has increased in the last eight years from 35 to somewhere between 65 and 80. The scientists' forecast published last month says there could be roughly 1,500 by 2035 if some aren't killed.” Read more at AP
“A Chinese spacecraft appears poised to enter orbit around Mars, one day after an orbiter from the United Arab Emirates did so and about a week ahead of an American attempt to put down another spacecraft on the surface of the red planet.
Chinese authorities, always cautious about possible failure, have not announced a planned arrival time. The official Xinhua News Agency reported last week that the spacecraft was expected to slow down around Wednesday before entering orbit and preparing for a Mars landing.
The challenging attempt to touch down on Mars isn't expected for about three months. If all goes as planned, China would become only the second nation to do so successfully.” Read more at Boston Globe
“Singer Mary Wilson, who as a founding member of the Supremes was part of one of the most influential and successful acts in music history, died on Monday night at the age of 76.” Read more at Boston Globe
“KAWS-mania: In 2019, a painting featuring the cast of ‘The Simpsons’ with X’s for eyes sold for $14.8 million. The sale marked the street artist KAWS’s ascent to studios and galleries.” Read more at New York Times
“Paris Hilton testified in front of the Utah State Senate Monday about the abuses she suffered at a troubled-teen center in the state before the body unanimously passed restrictions on restraint and sedation of minors at such facilities.” [Vox] Read more at [The Salt Lake Tribune / Jessica Miller
AP PHOTO/CHRIS CARLSON
The pilot of the helicopter that crashed last year in South California, killing Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers, made a key error by flying through thick clouds that ended up disorienting him, U.S. safety officials said during a hearing aimed at pinpointing probable causes of the crash.
Pilot Ara Zobayan violated federal standards that required him to be able to see where he was going before the helicopter crashed during a roughly 40-minute flight, according to members of the National Transportation Safety Board, Stefanie Dazio, Brian Melley and David Koenig report.
Zobayan was among the nine people killed, including Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
The pilot went against his training by becoming spatially disoriented in thick clouds, a condition that can happen to pilots in low visibility, when they cannot tell up from down or discern which way an aircraft is banking, board members said.
The others killed in the crash were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter’s basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.
The crash has generated lawsuits and countersuits.
On the day that a massive memorial service was held at the Staples Center, where Bryant played most of his career for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, Vanessa Bryant sued Zobayan and the companies that owned and operated the helicopter for alleged negligence and the wrongful deaths of her husband and daughter. Families of other victims sued the helicopter companies but not the pilot.” Read more at AP
The new packaging will retain much of the current colors and design.
PHOTO: PEPSICO
“Aunt Jemima is now Pearl Milling Co.
The PepsiCo Inc. unit that sells Aunt Jemima pancake products unveiled the new name on Tuesday, officially retiring a brand that had come under criticism for its origins in racist imagery of Black people.
Pearl Milling Co. was the creator of the original self-rising pancake mix, first marketed as ‘Self-Rising Pancake Flour’ before it was trademarked in 1890 under the Aunt Jemima brand.
The new packaging, which will appear in June, will retain much of the current colors and design. The company had already dropped the image of a Black woman from its bottles and boxes.
‘Our changes are in line with PepsiCo’s journey toward racial equality, and the evolution will help carry the 130-year-old brand into the future,’ PepsiCo said.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The U.S. Air Force F-35 jet team that performs at air shows around the world has been forced to scale back appearances this year. The problem: a growing shortage of engines because of longer repair periods, some due to previously unreported shortcomings with engine blade coatings. Tony Capaccio reports the engine issue is just the latest complication with the $398 billion F-35 program that the Pentagon must contend with.” Read more at Bloomberg
Four F-35A Lightning IIs fly over Denali National Park, Alaska, last August.
Photographer: Tech. Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla