Before Chauvin trial, poll shows stark divide on race and policing

The first week of March 2021 was riddled with lots of drama in Congress, a call for vaccines for all by May and a Dr. Suess scandal. A stark difference from a year ago. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Daily Briefing   Friday, March 5 We made it a week into March 2021 The first week of March 2021 was riddled with lots of drama in Congress, a call for vaccines for all by May and a Dr. Suess scandal. A stark difference from a year ago. Vaccines for all by the end of May. A Dr. Seuss scandal. And a whole lot of drama in Congress. We made it through the first week of March 2021, friends. Were you paying attention? (Take our weekly news quiz and find out.) Let's all read that again – it's March 2021. It's surreal to read headlines from one year ago: Maryland and Colorado had just seen their first cases of COVID-19. Cruise passengers had just begun getting tested. Tech companies began encouraging staff to work from home. It's Fatima and Lindsay, working from home, with the day's news. Top stories people are reading this morning:  • Republican Sen. Ron Johnson forced Senate to read all 628 pages of Biden's COVID bill aloud • The man photographed with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi's desk erupted at his Capitol riot hearing • Red fish, blue fish, people are still talking about this Dr. Seuss ish. (Fact check: He's not been banned in Virginia.) • 3 powerful earthquakes hit off New Zealand coast, topped by magnitude 8.1; tsunami threat canceled for Hawaii Exclusive poll: Before trial, stark divide on race and policing emerges since George Floyd's death On Monday, jury selection starts in the case of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, charged with the murder of George Floyd. Floyd's death set the stage for a summer of protests – and reckonings across the country (and world). Setting that stage: Americans' trust in the Black Lives Matter movement has fallen and their faith in local law enforcement has risen since protests demanding social justice swept the nation last year, an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll released on Friday finds. Last June, 60% in a USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll described George Floyd's death as murder; that percentage has now dropped by double digits to 36%. Uncertainty has grown about how to characterize the incident, caught on video, when Chauvin held his knee on Floyd's neck and ignored his protests that he couldn't breathe. Floyd's death was one of a series of confrontations last year in which law enforcement officials killed or assaulted unarmed Black people, prompting the historic protests.  • 'Reckless disregard for human life' or 'tragic accident'? Derek Chauvin goes on trial, charged with murder of George Floyd • Ahmaud Arbery was killed at 25. A year later, Black men who see themselves in him mourn his loss • Analysis: 12 charts show how racial disparities persist across wealth, health, education and beyond Reason for concern? All eyes on February jobs report The Labor Department is set to release its February jobs report Friday, as U.S. businesses are reining in hiring and investment as fallout from the coronavirus outbreak dampens sales and creates a cloud of uncertainty over the economy.  Most of the epidemic's effects so far revolve around companies involved in travel and tourism, trade shows, and business conferences, as well as manufacturers that haven't received vital parts from China.  Meanwhile, low inflation has helped the Fed keep interest rates at record low levels in an effort to help lift the economy out of the recession. The Fed will likely let the economy run hotter for longer to extend job creation for lower wage earners.   • Americans are more interested in getting stimulus than in seeing bipartisanship support for bill, poll says • 'I'm just worried': Coronavirus prompts companies to pull back on hiring as uncertainty grows More news for your Friday:  • Biden's relief bill isn't getting bipartisan support like previous stimulus bills. What do Republicans dislike so much? • Joe Biden campaigned as the mask candidate. Now he's facing the limits of the bully pulpit • US reports rising case numbers in 29 states amid variant surge; San Diego Zoo vaccinates 9 great apes. Latest COVID-19 updates • Cuomo administration recrafted Department of Health report on nursing homes to conceal COVID-19 death count • Attorney for former LSU football coach Les Miles wants internal investigation released Pope heads to Iraq amid security, coronavirus concerns Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday , just days after multiple rockets struck an airbase in Iraq and killed one U.S. civilian.  His Holiness will be in Iraq through Monday, in his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted last year.  Among the highlights of the three-day visit? A private meeting Saturday with the country's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a revered figure in Iraq and beyond. The Iraqi government is eager to show off the relative security it has achieved after years of wars and militant attacks that nevertheless continue even today. The Vatican defended the decision to go ahead with the trip despite rising coronavirus infections in Iraq. It said the pope's trip is an "act of love for this land, for its people and for its Christians." • Analysis: Once again, white nationalists are using Christian symbols to spread hate • 'Not a good idea': Health experts concerned about Pope Francis' trip to Iraq amid COVID spike Worth a read: • Opinion: Banning transgender girls from sports doesn't protect anyone, it promotes hate • Mock slave auctions, racist lessons: How US history class often traumatizes, dehumanizes Black students • Man's body, motorcycle found 465 feet below Grand Canyon rim, National Park Service says • 'Dark realities of our immigration struggle': Victims of deadly Calif. crash should be focus of US policy changes, leaders say Saying Goodbye to 'WandaVision' and Hello to 'Coming 2 America' Friday is packed with new offerings from the world of entertainment. First, the highly anticipated season finale of "WandaVision" hits Disney+. Several key unanswered questions from the series starring "Avengers" veterans Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch) and Paul Bettany (Vision) are expected to be addressed. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige also has confirmed that "WandaVision" will correspond with the upcoming "Doctor Strange" sequel as Olsen will star in 2022's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." On the movie side, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall make a second journey to Queens, New York, from Zamunda in the long-awaited sequel "Coming 2 America," which premieres on Amazon Prime.   • What to stream: This weekend is packed with high-profile projects • 'Coming 2 America': Arsenio Hall treads on beloved comedy ground with Eddie Murphy • Review: 'Coming 2 America' is a disappointing rehash of Eddie Murphy's 1980s comedy classic • Inspired casting: Why Awkwafina playing the awkward dragon Sisu in 'Raya and the Last Dragon' is pure Disney magic Contributing: The Associated Press   FOLLOW US 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 © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102