Today's Top Political and Coronavirus News Compilation - Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Below are some of the top political news stories of the day:


(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Senate gives Biden a big tool to work around GOP filibuster
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a powerful new tool, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has fresh options for potentially advancing President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package and other priorities past Republican obstruction in the 50-50 split Senate.

Updated today at 6:41 PM CDT

Schumer gets his game changer

House to vote on admitting Washington, D.C., as a state

Senators press for more on SolarWinds hack after AP report

Arkansas legislature overrides veto on transgender health care bill

Honoré says Jan. 6 stemmed from 'propaganda' that gave people 'a little BS'

McConnell warns "stupid" business leaders off political speech: "Republicans drink Coca-Cola, too"

McConnell warns biz off political speech, says it’s ‘stupid’

U.S. must invest heavily to stay No. 1 economy: White House economist

Texas, Louisiana sue Biden administration for ‘refusing’ to take criminal illegal immigrants

Facebook removes over 1,100 accounts spreading deceptive content

Biden: It's 'reassuring' businesses are voicing opposition to Georgia's new voting law

Georgia voting fight sets the stage for Kemp’s 2022 run

Man whom Gaetz accused of $25M request confirms bizarre docs but says it wasn't extortion

Man in car with George Floyd the day he died doesn't want to testify in Chauvin trial

Atlanta mayor directs Chief Equity Officer to take action to ‘mitigate’ effects of Georgia’s voting law

U.S. considering joining boycott of 2022 Beijing Olympics, State Department says

Here's the cynical political reality behind Mitch McConnell bashing big business

Five ways an obscure Senate ruling could change Washington

Ex-national security officials call for commission to investigate Capitol attack

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans government-mandated 'vaccine passports'

Eating our lunch: Biden points to China in development push

Democratic U.S. congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida dies at 84

Cotton: US has 'major under-incarceration problem'

Colorado voting laws are similar to Georgia's despite decision to move Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Capitol riot defendant alleges beating by jail guards

As Biden Pushes Major Rail Investments, Amtrak's 2035 Map Has People Talking

Biden still considering cancellation of as much as $50k per person in student debt

Former Trump HUD official fined and barred from federal work over Hatch Act violation

Ohio businessman announces run for Portman's U.S. Senate seat

Biden tells Georgia to ‘smarten up’ to avoid losing business over new election law

What we know about the "unprecedented" Capitol riot arrests

'Millionaires tax' threat has some NY bankers, managers eyeing exits

Michael Flynn endorses pro-Trump Virginia GOP candidate

GOP mandating negative test for entry to spring donor retreat in FL

Piers Morgan to Tucker: Trusting Markle 'like believing Pinocchio;' She's 'spinning' future Kings of England

Fears of White People Losing Out Permeate Capitol Rioters' Towns, Study Finds - NY Times

House to vote on DC statehood, gender pay gap

Biden's infrastructure plan gets boost from Senate 'reconciliation' ruling

State Department considering joint boycott of 2022 Beijing Olympics

Myanmar forces arrest comedian, break up doctors’ protest

A Person Speaking 'Does Not Mean They Are Breathing Adequately,' Officer Says

Sen. John Kennedy: MLB moving All-Star Game from Atlanta 'has nothing to do with race'

Education Department reviewing campus sex assault rules

Gaetz slated to speak at summit in Trump-owned resort

Poll shows partisan divide on acknowledging human effect on climate change

House Democrats to target 22 districts in next year's midterms

Study: Drought-breaking rains more rare, erratic in US West

Carnival threatens to remove ships from U.S. as cruising shutdown continues

Google AI scientist Bengio resigns after colleagues' firings - email

Hastings’ death narrows Dem majority, sets off race for his seat

'Unacceptable': Latino groups push Biden to nominate more Hispanic federal judges

Cuomo uses vaccine presser to cite year from 'hell' over personal scandals

Bezos: Amazon backs Biden plan to hike corporate tax rate

Russian Police Arrest Physicians Seeking To Treat Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny

EU diplomat: First meetings on Iran nuclear deal 'constructive'

Former Trump official sanctioned over video

Fact-checking GOP criticism Biden's infrastructure plan will kill jobs, and isn't really infrastructure

Capitol Police officer killed in ramming attack to lie in honor in Rotunda

White House says 'limited' wall construction is funded, despite overall pause

Shareholders target ‘white man’s world’ with record demands for diversity data

Biden: Up to the Masters if it dumps state over voting laws

In departure from Trump, State affirms editorial freedom of Voice of America

Floyd's family takes its seat in ex-officer's murder trial

Petty officer shoots 2 sailors; is stopped, killed on base

Biden admin announces next steps in overhauling Betsy DeVos' Title IX rules

Businesses and philanthropy unite to fight racial wealth gap

After A Major Hack, U.S. Looks To Fix A Cyber 'Blind Spot'

GOP lawmakers urge clampdown on Confucius Institutes at American colleges and universities

Rockies to host MLB's All-Star Game amid controversy over Georgia voting law

George Floyd death: Chauvin 'trained to stay away from neck'

Doctor who tried to save Floyd testifies to cause of death

Koch-backed group joins marijuana push after Zoom with Snoop Dogg

During pandemic, the world added a record amount of new renewable energy capacity

CNN, Washington Post slammed for casting doubt on Trump vaccine timeline claim

Netanyahu asked to form new government, but faces long odds

Ben Carson asks Dems to explain what's racist about Georgia voting law (video)

GOP proposals attempt to change how local officials conduct elections

Joe Biden's Joe Manchin problem slows agenda again: The Note

GM to start making Silverado electric pickups late next year in Detroit: source

Families are 'self-separating' in Mexico after being expelled from the US, Border Patrol says

How Gaetzgate is seen in the Florida Panhandle — More fallout and finger-pointing over vaccine story — State to spend $200M to end toxic water threat?

Refugee families urge Biden to keep promise to up admissions

How to find out if your Facebook info was offered to hackers

Biden gives McConnell credit for urging vaccine-skeptical young conservative men to take shot

Fla. lawmakers plan $200M to close leaky reservoir

Texas Rangers rescue baby thrown into Rio Grande by smugglers (video)

Police trainer testifies Chauvin used unauthorized neck restraint on Floyd

The Border Patrol's New Migrant Child Care Cadre

POLITICO Playbook: Matt Gaetz matters little to Liz Cheney

Dollar slips as profit-taking, falling yields bite

Lawmakers call YouTube Kids a 'wasteland of vapid' content

Oil gains over 1% on strong U.S., China economic data
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Posted today at 4:34 AM CDT

U.S. Senate parliamentarian says Democrats can use reconciliation to pass more bills

'Vaccine passports' are a hot-button issue for the GOP. Some experts worry it may fuel hesitancy.

Border agents stop, arrest two Yemeni men on FBI terror watch list (video)

Biden boosted by Senate rules as GOP bucks infrastructure

Man tied to Matt Gaetz's extortion allegation says lawmaker is 'trying to direct attention from himself'

Key takeaways from Day 6 of Derek Chauvin's trial in George Floyd's death

Group-Chat App Discord Says It Banned More Than 2,000 Extremist Communities

GOP lawmakers call for boycotts, chastise companies that criticize Georgia voting law

Can-cel culture: GOP lawmakers in Georgia kicking Coke to the curb over voting law criticism

Rep. Crenshaw tells United Airlines to just 'shut up' after airline follows same route as Delta

Wisconsin cities: Trump should pay legal bills for challenge

Senate parliamentarian to let Democrats bypass GOP filibuster on two more bills

Police: Suspect in Capitol attack 'intentionally struck' officers

Trumpworld has no lifelines it wants to throw Matt Gaetz

Senators unveil tax proposal as infrastructure plan faces hurdles in Congress

McConnell downplays need for aid to home state’s government

Filmmaker says he potentially uncovered man behind QAnon (video)

Crews Drain Florida Wastewater Pond As Leak Threatens To Unleash 'Catastrophic Flood'

U.S. state officials urge Garland to reverse Trump positions on climate deception cases

War over voting laws further corrodes trust in elections

Democrats who downplayed suspected terrorists at border remain silent as agents keep catching more

How America’s migrant policies have changed in the Trump and Biden years

Republicans want to make 'woke' corporations pay — literally

Piers Morgan: 'I was under attack' to 'conform' to Meghan Markle's story

An Extraordinary Winning Streak for Religion at the Supreme Court - NY Times

Manchin warns Biden's infrastructure bill is in trouble over corporate tax hikes

5 US colleges to require students be vaccinated before returning in fall

Former Training Commander On Chauvin Neck Restraint: 'That's Not What We Train'

Capitol Police in crisis: Mental health fears rise following deadly attacks

US, Iran expected to begin indirect nuclear talks in Vienna

Rand Paul on MLB-Georgia controversy: 'If they want to boycott us, let's boycott them'

'That was their decision:' White House walks fine line on MLB moving All-Star Game out of Atlanta

Crisis in Guatemala drives migrants to U.S. border

Spirit Airlines: Adults, not young child in viral video, refused to comply with mask mandate

6 dead in Texas in apparent murder-suicide after brothers made pact, police say

Customers unable to book online flights with American, Delta and United airlines

They’re obsessed with trains. Will Biden bring them Nirvana?

George Floyd death leads states to require cops to intervene

Ron DeSantis blasts CBS' '60 Minutes' for 'deceptively edited' Publix-COVID clip: A 'political narrative'

What to know about the Matt Gaetz controversy

Hawley, a critic of Biden picks' support for wars in Middle East, previously blogged in support of Iraq War

Myanmar protesters paint Yangon red, defying bloody army crackdown

Former staffer for Matt Gaetz describes FBI encounter

MLB's All-Star Game reportedly moved to Denver in wake of Georgia restricting voter access

The wage gap that threatens Biden's climate plan

Tammy Duckworth pressures postal service board on firing DeJoy

Biden WH 'tension' to blame for Major getting agitated, dog expert says

Senate parliamentarian ruling clears way for Democrats to use reconciliation for infrastructure bill

'60 Minutes' faces backlash from Democrats and Publix for critical story

In Israel, twin dramas point to difficult path for Netanyahu

Senate Dems can pass Biden infrastructure package on party-line basis

Justice Clarence Thomas Takes Aim At Tech And Its Power 'To Cut Off Speech'

Capitol officer remembered for humor, paying ultimate price

Drones that swarmed U.S. warships are still unidentified, Navy chief says

How a battery plant dispute in Georgia pits Biden's climate goals against U.S. trade policy

Netanyahu trial: Editor 'told to drop negative stories about Israel PM'

Georgia voting law changes are OK with Americans, 42% to 36%: poll

What to expect as Iran and world powers head for nuclear talks

Washington Teachers' Union president killed in Easter Sunday car crash

VP Harris is the latest White House official to appear with California Gov. Newsom amid recall effort

Credit Suisse overhauls management as it takes $4.7 billion hit on Archegos

Piers Morgan takes to Tucker Carlson to make case on Meghan

North Korea says it won’t participate in Tokyo Olympics

Former USAID chief tapped to lead vaccine diplomacy efforts

Hunter Biden on addiction: My life is not a tabloid

New Utah law requires dads to pay prenatal child support

Hunter claims no memory of dropping off laptop

Stocks scale fresh peak as U.S. and China lead recover

Myanmar junta charges celebrities with promoting protests

Prosecutors indicate they’re nearing cooperation with Oath Keeper charged in Capitol assault

More than 1,800 prisoners escape in Nigeria

Derek Chauvin 'absolutely' violated policy, Minneapolis police chief testifies

Airline stocks in Asia-Pacific boosted by Australia-New Zealand travel bubble

Jordan bans publishing information on royal rift

Coronavirus News and Updates:
Updated today at 6:41 PM CDT

Biden makes all adults eligible for a vaccine on April 19

Clear link between AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots in brain, EMA official tells paper

Nearly half of new US virus infections are in just 5 states

White House rules out involvement in 'vaccine passports'

Research exec: Far-right groups pushing vaccine as 'mark of the beast'

Oxford pauses COVID-19 vaccine study in kids, awaits more data on blood clot issues

'A biological Fukushima': Brazil COVID deaths on track to pass worst of U.S. wave

Biden: US still in 'life and death race' with coronavirus

Full coverage: Coroanvirus Crisis

AstraZeneca seeks a new manufacturing partner

Scientists Race To Develop Next Generation Of COVID Vaccines

Vaccination pace picks up steam; normality appears closer

Biden ramps up vaccine diplomacy efforts as hopes rise that he'll share surplus doses

California plans to fully reopen economy on June 15

Most kids with serious inflammatory illness had mild COVID

CDC: Almost 80 percent of teachers, childcare workers have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose

Eligible For The COVID Vaccine? Here's How To Book It In Your State

Analysis: Why vaccine passports are so politically complicated

As states expand vaccines, prisoners still lack access

New York plans to build memorial to COVID-19 essential workers

Covid: Trust regulator on AstraZeneca vaccine safety, Boris Johnson says

Tanzania's new president to review COVID-19 stance, lifts media ban
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Posted today at 4:34 AM CDT

Another US Covid-19 surge may look different, experts say, particularly for younger people. Here's how

CDC shifts guidance on using disinfectants, soap to clean home surfaces

White House thanks McConnell for leadership on vaccinations

'Love Your Neighbor' And Get the Shot: White Evangelical Leaders Push COVID Vaccines

A dangerous Covid-19 variant has spread to all 50 US states. Experts worry it could send cases surging

The Latest: Montana governor tests positive for COVID-19

How Biden, Republicans and public health leaders are trying to persuade GOP skeptics to get their Covid vaccinations

Walgreens changing vaccine schedule after giving customers extra week between doses

Bar reopening linked to 46 COVID-19 cases, school closure: CDC

Blinken: Public can't 'start traveling again' before worldwide vaccination

UK COVID certificate scheme would not be discriminatory, minister says

In Michigan's latest coronavirus surge, there's a new kind of patient

Vaccinating adults appears to protect children around them; bar opening event linked to 46 COVID-19 cases

Michigan becomes newest COVID-19 epicenter

Washington, D.C. to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to those ages 16 and older

Australia-NZ 'travel bubble' to begin April 19 in pandemic milestone

The Latest: S. Korea not ruling out curbing vaccine exports

Study: Around 40,000 US children lost a parent to COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands to 16 and over in NY

It's 2 a.m., and 'vaccine fairies' are up booking shots for vulnerable Americans

Norwegian Cruises asks CDC to allow trips from US in July

Get your COVID relief exit plan ready, regulator tells the G20

Undercover Video Of Clandestine Luxury Dinner In Paris Prompts Police Inquiry