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| Happy Hump Day, Daily Briefing readers! The Federal Reserve is poised to signal a plan to begin raising interest rates in March as inflation punishes Americans. Rescuers are searching for 39 people who've been missing for days after the boat they were in capsized off the coast of Florida. And free N95 masks will be available to pick up at hundreds of Hy-Vee pharmacies in the Midwest. |
| It's Jane, with Wednesday's news. |
| 🦠 Omicron's new variant cousin, BA.2, has arrived in the U.S. But don't panic yet, experts say. For the latest COVID-19 updates, tap here. |
| 🌨 A storm that could become a powerful nor'easter is forecast to strike this weekend, bringing with it the possibility of heavy snow, strong winds and flooding. |
| 😷 The Biden administration is formally withdrawing its requirement that most workers be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 – the controversial rule the Supreme Court blocked from enforcement earlier this month. |
| ⚾️ Big Papi enters baseball's Hall of Fame: David Ortiz was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame, on the same night voters denied Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens for the 10th and final time. |
 | | David Ortiz needed just one swing to power his way into baseball's Hall of Fame. | | USA TODAY | |
| 💻 Put down the pencils and grab your laptop: The SAT, one of the nation's most commonly used college-entrance exams, is going digital. |
| 🕷 Unhappy Meal: A woman in England said she will never eat at McDonald's again after she bit into "something hard" while eating food from the fast-food chain – a huge spider. 😱 |
| 🦍 Ozzie, the world's oldest male gorilla and the third-oldest gorilla in the world, has died at the age of 61, Zoo Atlanta said. |
 | | Ozzie, the world's oldest male gorilla, was found dead at Zoo Atlanta on Jan. 25, 2022. He was 61. | | Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta | |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear about a possible vaccine against omicron. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Fed walks economic tightrope as it weighs raising interest rates |
| Amid a surge inflation that threatens to damage the economy, the Federal Reserve is expected to signal Wednesday that it is ready to raise interest rates as soon as March. The Fed's short-term rate has been locked near zero since the pandemic began in 2020, which has fueled borrowing and spending by consumers and businesses – but also inflation, now rising at the fastest pace in nearly four decades. In the hope of curbing inflation, the Fed last month signaled a turnabout on rates, forecasting three increases for 2022. The Fed now faces a delicate balancing act as it aims to curtail inflation without stalling the recovery. |
Rescuers search for 39 missing after boat capsizes off Florida coast |
| Rescue crews are continuing to search Wednesday for 39 people missing for several days after the boat they were in capsized off the Florida coast. The Coast Guard got a call from a "good Samaritan" early Tuesday who rescued a man clinging to the capsized vessel about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce, the agency tweeted. The survivor said he left Bimini, Bahamas, with 39 other people Saturday night. The survivor said the group ran into severe weather, causing the boat to capsize, according to a Coast Guard statement. The Coast Guard is calling it a suspected human smuggling case. Officials said on Twitter that they are searching by both air and sea over a roughly 135-mile area extending from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet. |
Just for subscribers: |
| 🔴 "Fringe ideas" are going mainstream in U.S. politics. That's a danger to democracy, extremism experts say. |
| 🧳 "Traveling with disabilities": Many fear they're being left behind as the world tries to establish a sense of normalcy amid omicron. |
| ⚖️ A Texas law that relies on private citizens to enforce a ban on most abortions is inspiring copycat proposals across the country. |
| 🔵 How the U.S. and its allies could respond to a Russian invasion of Ukraine: Severe economic sanctions could be coming, along with U.S. weapons for a resistance force. |
| ⚾️ Opinion: After arguing for 10 years over whether baseball's Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens deserve to be elected into the Hall of Fame, leave it to David Ortiz to muddle the argument. |
| These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Here is all of our subscriber content. |
Hy-Vee pharmacies in Midwest will have free N95 masks |
| On Wednesday, all 275 Hy-Vee pharmacies in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin will have free N95 masks to distribute , according to Christina Gayman, a spokesperson for the company. Mask distribution has also started at Meijer stores and is expected at Walgreens later in the week. Four hundred million free N95 masks will be available to pick up at "tens of thousands" of pharmacies and community health centers that have partnered with the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Specific dates for all stores and locations are not yet available. White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday it was the "largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history." |
Two years after Kobe Bryant's death, Vanessa Bryant wages court battle over photos |
| Two years ago, nine people perished in a helicopter crash in the hills northwest of Los Angeles, including the NBA legend Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna. His widow, Vanessa Bryant and her three other daughters are among those who have been trying to cope ever since. Vanessa Bryant is suing Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy and negligence, accusing county fire and sheriff's department employees of improperly taking and sharing photos of her dead husband and daughter. Her trial against Los Angeles County is scheduled for Feb. 22. "Would you say you've been getting better or getting worse, you know?" an attorney asked her. "Grief isn't linear," Vanessa Bryant replied, according a partial transcript. "It's – every day is different, and I try to my best to put a smile on my face for my little girls. I want them to live in the love and not in the loss." |
| 🔴 For subscribers: Two years after Kobe's death, Vanessa Bryant's pain remains at issue in court. |
 | | Fans gather at a mural of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna painted on the wall of Hardcore Fitness Bootcamp gym in downtown Los Angeles on Jan 26, 2021. Bryant, his daughter and 7 others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. on Jan. 26, 2020. | | Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports | |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday |
| 🙊 "Stupid son of a b----": President Joe Biden used an epithet to describe a reporter who shouted a question about inflation during a White House meeting. |
| 🎸 Rock legend Neil Young wants Spotify to remove his music in response to the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on the platform. |
| 🏈 The NFL's coaching carousel will have one more opening. Sean Payton announced he is stepping away from the New Orleans Saints. |
| 🦠 COVID-19 map: Track coronavirus outbreaks across the U.S. and in your state with daily updated maps, total cases and deaths. |
Firefighters make progress in controlling wildfire along Big Sur coastline |
| Fire crews were making progress against a wildfire along California's picturesque Big Sur coastline. The fire, which erupted Friday evening as strong, dry, offshore winds raked California with damaging gusts, was 50% contained as of Tuesday night, officials said. Investigators determined that the blaze, named the Colorado Fire for its starting point in Palo Colorado Canyon, was caused by the winds blowing hot embers from a pile burning operation into nearby vegetation, Cal Fire said Tuesday. The operation, which involved burning a pile of brush or debris, apparently began on a homeowner's property, authorities said. Highway 1 from Palo Colorado Road to the Bixby Creek Bridge remains closed. An evacuation order that prompted 500 residents to leave also remains in effect. |
📸 NBA photo of the day: Best of the 2021-22 season 📸 |
 | | Jan. 25: Luke Kennard celebrates after his late 4-point play capped the Clippers' rally from 35 down to beat the Wizards in Washington. | | Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports | |
| NBA trade season is upon us once again. Teams have just a couple short weeks to solidify their playoff prospects and championship hopes by the trade deadline on Feb. 10. |
| This year could see as much trade activity as any. The championship race is wide open. |
| Check out our gallery of the best photos from the NBA season. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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