5 things to know for March 1: Covid-19, stimulus, immigration, Middle East, Myanmar

It’s National Women’s History Month! And yes, there is a reason it’s in March: The timing coincides with several important movements and moments.

Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

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1. Coronavirus 

The US Food and Drug Administration has given emergency use authorization to the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief signed off on its advisers’ nod of approval. Now, 3.9 million doses of the third US Covid-19 vaccine are making their way across the country. The J&J vaccine is different than the other two because it only requires one dose. Which should you get? Dr. Anthony Fauci says, “I would take whatever vaccine would be available to me as quickly as possible.” Today, Mexico’s President is expected to ask President Biden about the US possibly sharing its vaccine supply. Mexico has several purchase agreements with drug makers, but many have gone unfulfilled. Meanwhile, more than 2,400 cases of the UK, Brazil and South Africa coronavirus variants have been detected in the US, and the CDC warns the actual number could be much higher.

2. Stimulus

The House passed Biden’s Covid-19 relief package this weekend with no Republican support, setting up an imminent vote in the Senate. The Senate will likely strip out that provision about the $15 minimum wage that its parliamentarian ruled against last week in order for Democrats to use a method to pass it by simple majority. Then, if it passes, it’s back to the House for another quick vote before reaching Biden’s desk. Republicans are fuming over the fact that the whole thing could pass without any GOP support, but Biden says there’s “no time to waste” in getting the aid promised to small businesses, schools and families in need.

3. Immigration

This could be a busy month for Democratic lawmakers when it comes to immigration reform. They’re hoping to resurface a series of bills that would legalize undocumented immigrants and get those bills on the House floor before April 1. If they meet that deadline, lawmakers could avoid having to go through committee again. The bills would grant legal status to thousands of undocumented farmworkers and address immigrants who came to the US illegally as children. Biden is also pursuing a sweeping bill known as the US Citizenship Act that tackles the whole US immigration system and seeks to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants already in the US.

4. Middle East

The Biden administration is facing several challenges in the Middle East. First, it’s earned criticism for deciding not to directly sanction Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the death of Jamal Khashoggi. This follows the Friday release of a declassified intelligence report that said the Crown Prince directly approved the journalist’s killing. Meanwhile, Iran has rejected an offer by the European Union to take part in nuclear talks with the US and the other signatories of the nuclear deal. Biden’s team says it’s disappointed but still open to diplomacy. The US is also sending negotiators to the Middle East to restart peace negotiations with the Taliban. A US special representative who was a top negotiator with the Taliban under the Trump administration will travel to Afghanistan and Qatar to continue talks.

5. Myanmar

At least 18 people died and more than 30 were injured as Myanmar’s security forces launched their deadliest crackdown on peaceful demonstrators since the military coup that upended the country’s government last month. The UN Human Rights Office condemned the military’s use of force and reiterated the right of the people to peacefully assemble. Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is also facing another charge amid the latest conflagration. Her lawyer reportedly says she was charged under Myanmar’s colonial-era penal code prohibiting publishing information that may “cause fear or alarm.” Suu Kyi has not been seen by the public or her lawyers since she and other civil leaders were detained at the start of the coup.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Here are your 2021 Golden Globe winners 

Update your virtual office bracket accordingly. 

Characters from the movie ‘Frozen’ could serve as hurricane names this season

A hurricane named Elsa would definitely ruin some childhood magic. 

Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs have been returned after a violent attack on her dog walker 

Hug your pets extra tight after this one. 

Peppa Pig is getting her own Orlando-area theme park 

And yes, it has muddy puddles! (Hooray, parents.) 

Pokémon turns 25 

Oh, how time flies when you’re catching them all. 

TODAY’S NUMBER

47

That’s how many opposition activists were charged yesterday with violating Hong Kong’s controversial national security legislation. It’s the biggest application of the law since it was imposed by Beijing last year.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Get rid of them all.”

Former President Trump, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference. In his first rally following his unceremonious departure from the White House, Trump told supporters to vote against the 17 Republicans who voted to impeach him in the House or to convict him in the Senate following January’s Capitol insurrection.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Rat race? No, pig race!

MLB spring training is underway, but honestly, even that isn’t as compelling as these nail-biting pig races. (Click here to view.)