Good morning, NBC News readers.
President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial will get underway today, two states have surprisingly come out ahead in the Covid-19 vaccine effort and saying goodbye to a "Supreme" trailblazer.
Here is what we're watching this Tuesday morning.
Trump's second impeachment trial set to begin
Former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial starts in the Senate this afternoon.
The proceedings will start at 1 p.m. ET with four hours of argument on the constitutionality of the trial by the House managers and Trump's lawyers.
House managers rebutted calls by Trump's legal team in a final pretrial brief filed Monday to dismiss the impeachment case. In response, the House managers wrote that Trump "has no valid excuse or defense for his actions" and that "his efforts to escape accountability are entirely unavailing."
After this afternoon's debate, the Senate will hold a vote on whether to proceed — a measure that only needs a simple majority and is expected to pass easily.
From there, House managers are scheduled to begin their opening arguments at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday.
- A viewer's guide: Here is everything you need to know about Trump's second impeachment trial, from who is presiding over it, to how the process is expected to play out.
- Legal analysis: The Senate is a different "court." Trump's silence during his impeachment trial can be used against him, writes NBC News' legal analyst Danny Cevallos.
North Dakota and South Dakota set global Covid records. How did they turn the tide?
Being mostly rural and far from the coasts didn't protect North Dakota and South Dakota from Covid-19.
During November, North Dakota had the highest coronavirus infection rate per capita in the world. In South Dakota, the death rate reached a global high.
But since those late fall peaks in cases, both states have emerged as leaders in the country's vaccination rollout.
Kaitlin Sullivan reports for NBC News on what's working in the two states, as well as lingering issues — such as misinformation, a false sense of security and the politicization of infection prevention measures — which could stymie their success.
In other Covid-19 developments:
- Democrats appear to have abandoned hope of getting any Republican support for the next round of Covid-19 relief and, instead of entertaining talks to shrink the president's $1.9 trillion proposal, are determined to go big.
- The World Health Organization has finally gotten into Wuhan, China, to study Covid-19's origins. They gave a report on their fact-finding mission today.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to hold its first national Covid vaccination forum to re-empower previously sidelined scientific agencies.
Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here.
Plus
- In Florida, a near-miss with a cybersecurity worst-case scenario.
- "What can we do?": Israel shines as a coronavirus success story, while neighbors in Gaza are left without vaccines.
- Months after TikTok apologized to Black creators, many say little has changed.
- The family of a Robinhood user who died by suicide has sued the company alleging that its "aggressive tactics" led to his death.
- Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., announced that he won't seek re-election in 2022. He is the fourth GOP senator to announce plans to retire at the end of the current Congress.
THINK about it
Republicans' defense of Trump over his impeachment trial may actually hurt him more in the long run, Michael Conway, former counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, writes in an opinion piece.
Live BETTER
February is a great time to get financially fit. Here's how to make minding your money feel like an act of self-care.
Shopping
Amanda Gorman has said Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Yusef Komunyakaa, Tracy Smith and other Black poets have influenced her work. See some of their books.
Goodbye to a 'trailblazer'
Mary Wilson, a founding member of The Supremes, has died. She was 76.
Wilson was an original member of the iconic Motown group known for a string of hits including "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again."
"The Supremes were always known as the 'sweethearts of Motown,'" Berry Gordy, founder of the Motown record label, said in a statement. "She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com
If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.
Thanks, Petra
