Wednesday, February 5, 2020

State of the Union: Snubs, surprises and ripped up speeches

The Senate is poised for a historic vote in the impeachment trial of President Trump, the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate their Super Bowl victory and more things to know Wednesday. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
usatoday.com

Daily Briefing
 
Wednesday, February 5
President Donald Trump speaks to the crowd during a campaign rally on Jan. 30, 2020, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
Wednesday's Daily Briefing: Trump's impeachment trial ends today
The Senate is poised for a historic vote in the impeachment trial of President Trump, the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate their Super Bowl victory and more things to know Wednesday.

Good morning! The politics-heavy news cycle just doesn't stop, as President Donald Trump gave his State of the Union at 9 p.m. ET last night. That capped off a day of Iowa caucus madness (we still do not know the winner), and Senate impeachment proceedings, which will end today.

Before we dig into what to expect today, here's a catch-up on the State of the Union, according to USA TODAY's Susan Page:

The vibe was more partisan than ever before. The Republican side of the chamber greeted the president's arrival with applause and then chants of "Four More Years!" Several Democrats decided to boycott the speech, and some left during it, with at least 10 lawmakers standing and walking out.
Trump handed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a copy of the address, as it customary, but pointedly turned his back when she reached out to shake his hand. After the speech, Pelosi tore up the paper copy of his speech and waved the ripped pieces in the air.
The speech focused on the economy. The president touted what he said were the results of the "great American comeback." He discussed job growth, and also spent part of his address boasting of a revised trade deal he negotiated with Mexico and Canada and a separate new trade agreement with China.
There was audience drama when discussing guns. When Trump vowed to "always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms," the father of a Parkland high school shooting victim began shouting, and was escorted out.
And healthcare. During a part about healthcare, House Democrats cut off Trump's speech and chanted for him to take up a piece of legislation that addresses the issue.
Many Democrat women made a statement dressed in white to honor the suffrage movement. First Lady Melania Trump was dressed in a subdued navy suit.
Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Impeachment was top-of-mind, but not addressed.

1. Acquit or convict? Senate poised for historic vote on Trump impeachment

In a historic but likely anticlimactic moment, the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump concludes Wednesday as the Senate holds a final vote on whether to acquit or convict and remove him from office. The final vote, scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, will cap a months-long saga over Trump's dealings with Ukraine. A conviction requires 67 votes in the 100-member Senate. That would mean all Democrats and at least 20 Republicans would need to vote for conviction – and not a single Republican so far has said they would do so.

Making their case: Senators explain their positions in floor speeches
'I cannot vote to acquit': Senator scolds Trump but backs acquittal

A quick break from politics

A royal offer: Madonna says Harry and Meghan can sublet her place
We'll take three: Cadillac just revealed the 2021 Escalade
America's favorite pastime: Mookie Betts is in a blockbuster trade

2. Iowa caucus: And the winner is ...

We could find out Wednesday after Iowa's Democratic party officials were unable to declare a final outcome from Monday night. As of late Tuesday, former mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders were in the lead following the first round of Iowa Democratic caucus results, with results in for  71% of all precincts across Iowa's 99 counties. For decades, the winner of Iowa's caucuses has been decided by a complicated system of state delegate equivalents, which operates kind of like the Electoral College. But this year, the Iowa Democratic Party is publishing two raw vote totals and the delegate numbers from caucus night. So one candidate could win one or both of the delegate counts but lose the popular vote.  

3. Chiefs to hoist Super Bowl trophy at Kansas City celebration

The Kansas City Chiefs will hold a victory parade Wednesday to celebrate the team's first Super Bowl championship in 50 years. The parade, set for 11:30 a.m. CT, will wind through downtown Kansas City, Missouri, to Union Station, where a victory rally will begin at 1:30 p.m. The nearby National World War I Museum and Memorial will provide vantage points on its north lawn. The Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl Li, erasing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Bright future: Chiefs could be NFL's next dynasty
Ad Meter: See all the Super Bowl commercials

4. Coronavirus outbreak: Death toll, confirmed cases continue to climb

Deaths from the coronavirus climbed in mainland China Wednesday while new cases on a cruise ship off the coast of Japan showed the increasing spread of the outbreak, according to the Associated Press. As of Wednesday, the outbreak had infected over 20,000 people and killed nearly 500, most of them in China . Nearly one dozen passengers on a Diamond Princess Cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Yokohama Port in Japan tested positive for the virus and are being hospitalized. Meanwhile,  Chinese health officials acknowledged "shortcomings and difficulties" in their initial response to a fast-spreading new virus. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that failing to halt the outbreak could erode social stability in the nation of more than 1.4 billion people.

Coronavirus: 10 people hospitalized after testing positive on quarantined Princess cruise 

5. Macy's to close 125 stores and slash 2,000 jobs

Macy's is likely to reveal more details Wednesday during an investor event on its decision to close roughly a fifth of its locations and cut about 2,000 positions. The retailer announced Tuesday that it will be eliminating around 125 stores and 9% of its corporate and support positions over the next three years. Previously, Macy's said it would only close 28 locations. The job cuts and store closures come as Macy's sales continued to slide during the critical holiday season.

Bonus: We'd like to thank the Academy

The Oscars are but four nights away (ABC, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET)! USA TODAY critic Brian Truitt offers who should win – and predicts who will win. We're just hoping for over-the-top dresses and some "they said what?!?!" speeches.

click here
 
FOLLOW US
FB TW IG

Problem viewing email? View in browser

Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights Privacy Notice Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy Feedback

No comments:

Post a Comment

🍒 Best Ever Cobbler Recipes

#3 is a fun twist on a holiday classic!  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ...