McCarthy to meet Trump, Challenger tragedy, GLAAD nominations: 5 things you need to know Thursday

Editors, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., walks to the chamber at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.
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House Minority Leader McCarthy to meet Trump in Florida

Former President Donald Trump is expected to meet privately Thursday with prominent congressional lawmaker, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. An aide to Trump, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss his schedule, confirmed the meeting will take place in South Florida. The meeting will come as Trump and his attorneys prepare his defense at a Senate impeachment trial next month. McCarthy criticized Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol – "the president bears responsibility," he said a week after the insurrection. Last week on Inauguration Day, McCarthy congratulated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as he presented them with framed photographs of the moment each was sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. However, McCarthy also voted against the second impeachment of the former president and he has taken a softer tone toward Trump in more recent days.

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Remembering space shuttle Challenger tragedy, 35 years later

On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members and leaving the nation in shock. The crew that included Ronald McNair, the second Black American in space, and Christa McAuliffe, the first school teacher to fly in space, received much publicity before the launch which made the explosion much more personal for the country.After a lengthy investigation, it was determined that an O-ring seal in the joint of the right solid rocket booster failed which resulted in the catastrophic destruction of the spacecraft. But as USA TODAY Network journalist Tim Walters pointed out, he "still can envision that day as clear as when it happened" and that his "heart still aches for the families of those astronauts 35 years later."

Messages of acceptance: GLAAD Media Awards nominees to be revealed

GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, on Thursday will announce the nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Since 1990, the awards have honored media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Actress Josie Totah ("Saved by the Bell"), actor D.J. "Shangela" Pierce ("We’re Here"), and actor Jonathan Bennett ("The Christmas House") will reveal the nominees in a livestream on GLAAD's TikTok page at noon ET. Winners of the awards will be announced later this year.

Wisconsin could join states without mask mandate, as health officials urge lawmakers to reconsider

Wisconsin will become one of only 10 states without statewide mask mandates if the Assembly votes as scheduled Thursday to overturn an order by Gov. Tony Evers. However, masks will still be required in some of its largest cities thanks to local ordinances. More than two dozen public health organizations, as well as state and local health officials, have urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to reconsider the vote. The plan to eliminate the mask requirement will likely cut off nearly $50 million in food assistance to low-income people and those thrown out of work during the pandemic, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The move comes as Wisconsin lags in distribution of coronavirus vaccines and health officials warn about the spread of contagious new variants. Republican lawmakers contend that Evers exceeded his authority by issuing multiple health emergencies, and mask orders, rather than coming to the Legislature for approval every 60 days. The issue is also being argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court

  • Coronavirus updates: Herd immunity will 'take awhile,' CDC director says; California to switch up vaccine distribution; US deaths near 430K

  • Republican plan to end the mask requirement could cost Wisconsinites $49 million in food benefits

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Game or no game, NBA All-Star voting starts

Once again, NBA fans will have the chance to vote for who should start in this year’s All-Star Game. But will the game actually take place? As USA TODAY Sports and other outlets reported, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have discussed having an All-Star Game in March with Atlanta, a possible site in hopes to provide COVID-19 relief and funding for historically Black colleges and universities. But the NBA had scrapped its original plan for All-Star weekend in Indianapolis (Feb. 12-14) because of the pandemic. Either way, fans can begin voting for starters beginning Thursday at noon ET through Feb. 16. Throughout that time, fans can submit one ballot each day through either the NBA app or the NBA’s website. Fans can also vote for up to 10 unique players per day on Twitter.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McCarthy-Trump meeting, Challenger, GLAAD: 5 things to know Thursday