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1. Impeachment
The Republican-led House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a historic vote on Tuesday. He is the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in nearly 150 years. The vote tally was 214 to 213, with three Republicans siding with Democrats. Republicans accuse Mayorkas of committing high crimes and misdemeanors in his handling of the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border, even though constitutional experts have said the evidence does not reach that high bar. Experts also say it is highly unlikely Mayorkas will be charged in the Democratic-controlled Senate, though it remains to be seen how the party plans to deal with the charges procedurally.
2. Valentine’s Day strike
Thousands of rideshare drivers in the US and UK are planning to strike today in disputes over pay and working conditions. The campaign group Justice for App Workers previously said in a blog post that drivers for Uber and Lyft, as well as delivery drivers for DoorDash, were “sick of working 80 hours/week just to make ends meet.” The group, which says it represents 130,000 drivers and delivery workers across the East Coast and Midwest, wrote that its members planned to stop giving rides to and from all airports in 10 cities, including Chicago and Miami, for two hours today. In the UK, another campaign group said that more than 3,000 food delivery drivers are expected to strike for five hours.
3. Severe weather
A strong and fast-moving winter storm dumped several inches of snow across the Northeast on Tuesday, marking the snowiest day in New York City in two years. More than 3 inches blanketed New York’s Central Park and at least 15 inches were reported in parts of Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The snow has since tapered off in many areas, but coastal flood warnings remain in effect across the region. Thousands of people are facing power outages and air travel is being hindered. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said at least 250 car accidents have been reported to police in his state.
4. Gaza hostages
Key players from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the US met in Cairo for talks on releasing Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The talks were “productive” and “serious,” but did not arrive at a breakthrough that would result in a final deal, a US official said. The negotiations will continue, the official added. A second US official said the outstanding area of disagreement among the parties is the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to hostages that would be released as part of the deal. According to Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari, the total number of hostages left in Gaza is 134. Of that number, 130 hostages are from Hamas’ October 7 attack — with 29 dead and 101 believed to be alive.
5. Covid-19
The CDC is expected to shift its Covid-19 isolation guidance this spring to say that people no longer need to isolate once they have been fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are mild or improving, according to a report from the Washington Post. Since 2021, the CDC has said people should isolate for at least five days if they tested positive for Covid-19, and then continue to mask. The updated guidance would bring Covid-19 in line with guidance for other respiratory viruses, such as the flu. Data suggests that Covid-19 is still circulating at high levels across the US, but the agency notes that “infections are causing severe disease less frequently than earlier in the pandemic.”
THIS JUST IN
Ukraine says it has destroyed another Russian warship
Ukraine’s military intelligence says it sank a prominent Russian warship in a sea drone attack earlier today. If confirmed, it would be a major blow to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine has claimed a series of attacks on Russian warships in recent months, most notably the sinking of Russia’s military flagship, the Moskva, in April 2022.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Why is Valentine’s Day candy so expensive?
Some holiday editions of popular candies are priced higher than the regular versions of the sugary treats. Here are the reasons behind the markups.
Tinder downloads are falling but the dating app era isn’t over yet
The number of Tinder users is shrinking but virtual love isn’t a dying breed yet.
Disneyland’s Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy want to join a union
Disneyland employees who perform as various Disney characters at the theme park are seeking to join the Actor’s Equity Association.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, lands new podcast deal
Here’s what we know about Meghan’s yet-to-be-announced podcast launching on Lemonada Media.
A cousin to the Mediterranean diet
Recent studies show the Atlantic diet, a cousin to the popular Mediterranean diet, may help reduce chronic disease.
TODAY’S NUMBER
3
That’s how many new airplane orders Boeing booked last month after the door plug blowout incident on an Alaska Airlines flight. However, the plane maker recently had three 737 Max orders canceled amid quality concerns, adding up to zero net orders for the period.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“It’s time to find common ground and start delivering for the people of the United States of America.”
— Democrat Tom Suozzi, in a statement Tuesday after winning the special election in New York to succeed disgraced former Republican Rep. George Santos. The victory for the Democratic Party won’t affect control of the House, but it will further shrink the GOP’s narrow majority and prove critical in upcoming legislative battles.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY …
Wedding speech leaves groom speechless
A confession by the groom’s brother during his wedding speech left guests in stitches! Watch the video here.