| Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the U.S. nears 400,000 COVID-19 deaths and more news you need to know Monday. |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Good morning Daily Briefing readers. Today, we remember Martin Luther King Jr. It's Jane, with this special Monday's news. | | Many events to celebrate MLK Day will go virtual this year, as King's message resonates louder than ever. The United States is fast approaching 400,000 deaths from COVID-19 – nearly the number of American lives lost in World War II. And, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will resign from the Senate today, ahead of her moving on to bigger things. Is anything important happening on Wednesday? 🤔 | | Check out USA TODAY's special edition for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the nation's 46th president. | | Here's today's news: | Martin Luther King Jr.'s words resonate, decades later | | Across the nation, scores of marches, parades and other events to mark the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has especially devastated Black Americans. Many events have moved online, offered virtually through Zoom or other apps, but organizers hope public enthusiasm will remain high given the extra resonance that his message to end racial discrimination carries in a time of social unrest. Organizations in some cities, meanwhile, are moving forward with plans for in-person events – including a pair of annual marches in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. The gatherings come after the FBI warned last week of possible armed protests in all 50 states, and experts have worried that domestic terrorists might turn their attention to state capitols. | | | US nears another somber, unthinkable threshold in COVID-19 battle | | The United States is expected to cross 400,000 deaths from COVID-19, likely by Monday, yet another reminder of how poorly the nation has fared during the pandemic . The current COVID-19 death toll is about 398,000. That total is fast approaching the 405,000 U.S. fatalities from World War II. The USA, the undisputed global leader in coronavirus infections and fatalities, has averaged more than 230,000 new infections and 3,000 deaths per day in January — part of a powerful winter surge that has overwhelmed hospitals in many regions and is likely to last through the rest of the month despite the arrival of vaccines. | | | New Yorker reporter's video shows disorganized but destructive US Capitol rioters | | Chilling video captured by a New Yorker reporter circulating online shows a complicated mix of preparation and spontaneous violence during a riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, political violence expert Robert Pape said Sunday. Luke Mogelson, a veteran war correspondent and contributing writer for the outlet, followed rioters inside the building and documented the chaos. The insurrection was triggered by supporters of President Donald Trump who believe his false claim that he won the election. Trump spoke at a rally earlier in the day and encouraged his followers to flock to the Capitol. The video captures rioters hunting for lawmakers and, finding none, photographing documents as "evidence," said Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Pape said some individuals, particularly those giving orders, may have had military, law enforcement or "quasi paramilitary" training. | | | UK to require all incoming travelers to have negative COVID-19 test, quarantine | | Beginning Monday, the United Kingdom for at least the next month will require all incoming travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test and quarantine . Children under 11 and people traveling for urgent medical treatment are exempt from the testing requirement, as well as certain essential workers. This means that any existing travel corridors or "bubbles" – agreements between the U.K. and other countries that allowed travelers moving between certain airports to skip quarantine as long as they have a negative test – are temporarily revoked. England itself entered a new, nationwide lockdown on Jan. 6. Under the measure, people living in England cannot leave their residences without a "reasonable excuse." | More news you need to know: | | | Kamala Harris will resign her Senate seat | | On Monday, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will resign from the Senate, trading in her seat for a higher role : When she's inaugurated with President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday, she will also take over as president of the Senate. California's secretary of state, Alex Padilla, will be appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve the remainder of Harris' term, which was set to end in 2022. As a senator, Harris served on several Senate committees, including Budget, Judiciary, Intelligence and Homeland Security. On Wednesday, she will be sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor — the nation's first Latina justice. According to a source, Harris chose Sotomayor to administer the oath because both of them represent "firsts." Harris will not only be the first female vice president, but also the first Black and South Asian woman to hold the job. | | | And finally: Little girl overcomes all odds to walk | | Doctors told Ava Reyes' parents she'd either be paralyzed or never walk after she was diagnosed with spina bifida while still in the womb. Now, as you can see in this inspirational Humankind video, she's unstoppable. | | Contributing: The Associated Press | | | | | | | |
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