COVID-19 memorial, Trump pardon watch, confirmation hearings: 5 things to know Tuesday
Memorial ceremony will honor those lost to COVID-19
President-elect Joe Biden's inaugural committee on Tuesday will hold a national memorial event to remember and honor the nearly 400,000 lives lost in America to COVID-19. At 5:30 p.m. ET, a ceremony in Washington, D.C., will feature the lighting of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Cities around the country are invited to join by illuminating iconic buildings and ringing church bells. Biden has laid out ambitious goals to confront the pandemic, calling for 100 million vaccine doses to be administered in his first 100 days and an economic package to help families and small businesses.
Coronavirus updates: COVID-19 memorial will mark 400K US deaths; California reports 'possible allergic reactions' to Moderna vaccine
COVID-19 is on the agenda: Biden's first 100 days
'Blood on his hands': As US nears 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, experts blame Trump administration for a 'preventable' loss of life
Vaccine rollout: USA TODAY panel says things will get better
Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts:
Several Cabinet nominees face lawmakers for confirmation hearings
Confirmation hearings begin Tuesday for a series of President-elect Joe Biden's key Cabinet nominees. The most controversial may be Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general who Biden selected to lead the Pentagon. Austin will need not only a favorable confirmation vote in the Senate but also a waiver by both the House and the Senate because he has been out of uniform only four years. Biden confidant Antony Blinken has been nominated to lead the State Department. Blinken is a more conventional pick than either of the men who have served as America's top diplomat under President Donald Trump — Mike Pompeo and Rex Tillerson. If confirmed, Avril Haines, a former deputy director of CIA, would be the first woman to serve as director of national intelligence. Also up for confirmation are Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden's nominee for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Janet Yellen as treasury secretary, another first for a woman.
More on Biden’s Treasury pick: Janet Yellen, made more than $7 million speaking to giants like Citigroup, Google
From the USA TODAY Editorial Board: Joe Biden is putting a bunch of retreads in his Cabinet. That's a massive relief
Previous coverage: Biden's picks for top jobs include a spy chief who fixes cars, an envoy who practices 'gumbo diplomacy'
Donald Trump may pardon 100 people in final days as president
President Donald Trump will put out a final list of pardons sometime before his term expires at noon Wednesday, said two advisers who spoke on condition of anonymity because the list is not yet public. Trump is not expected to pardon himself or issue preemptive pardons for members of his family. Some of Trump's pardons are likely to be criticized, advisers said, and have been the subject of intense lobbying of the president by attorneys, political allies and other interested parties. Allies have also warned Trump not to pardon supporters who have been charged with breaking into the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6.
Can Trump pardon himself? What's a preemptive pardon? Experts explain the sweeping power
Comments from Lindsey Graham: The senator says pardoning Capitol rioters 'would destroy' Trump; warns Schumer impeachment could impede 'healing'
Trump's pardons: The list includes controversial allies and they have increased in the final days of his presidency
Senate returning from recess, will take up impeachment
The Senate is set to reconvene on Tuesday, a week after the House voted to impeach President Donald Trump – and one day before Joe Biden is sworn in as president. Democrats had been hopeful in immediately moving forward with a trial to argue that Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection, but leaders on both sides have been reluctant to begin a trial just as Biden’s term starts. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate trial would not be rushed, and that the Senate would take up Trump's impeachment once they are back in Washington and once the House officially transmits the article to the chamber. If the Senate receives the article of impeachment on Tuesday, rules dictate that the chamber would begin proceedings the following day at 1 p.m., meaning the process would begin on Jan. 20 around the same time Biden is inaugurated.
5 takeaways as President Trump is impeached a second time
How Democrats fast-tracked 'incitement of insurrection' impeachment charge against Trump
Column from Jonathan Turley: Trump's post-presidential impeachment punishment may end up before the Supreme Court
Lottery fever: Mega Millions jackpot grows to $850M
Lottery players have a chance to cash in on the third-largest U.S. jackpot ever Tuesday night - a Mega Millions prize worth an estimated $850 million. No one has won the top prize for either the Mega Millions or Powerball games in months, and it's been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown this large. The estimated cash prize for the next Mega Millions jackpot is $628.2 million; to get the full amount, winners must opt for an annuity paid over 30 years. Wednesday's Powerball drawing stands at an estimated $730 million.
'Still in some shock': North Carolina COVID-19 nurse wins $1 million second-chance lottery drawing
Previous tips still worth considering: Amid Powerball fever, lottery lawyer offers jackpot advice
Gallery from 2019: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York among states that spend most on the lottery
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 memorial, Trump pardon watch: 5 things to know Tuesday