Today's Top Political and Coronavirus News Compilation - Wednesday, March 3, 2021

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

Jobless aid, direct checks in play as U.S. Senate nears vote on COVID-19 aid bill
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote as early as Wednesday on whether to move forward on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, an action that would set up a final Senate vote on passage for later this week.

Official: Democrats OK tightened income limits for relief

Biden's Interior secretary pick Haaland secures Republican support

Facebook took down fake Iranian, Russian networks stoking political division around the globe

Capitol Police officials say intel on possible March 4 plot being taken 'seriously'

Pentagon: US contractor dies in rocket attack at Iraq base

108 illegal immigrants released into U.S. by Border Patrol test positive for coronavirus: officials

Biden strikes stimulus deal with Senate Democrats

Pence pushes false election fraud claims in denouncing Democratic reform bill

Watch live: Cuomo to make announcement during COVID-19 press briefing

House Democrats push to pass election reforms as GOP moves to change voting laws

Stimulus checks to phase out after $80,000 of income, according to deal

Rep. Crenshaw slams Biden's border policy: 'Prioritizing illegal immigrants over US citizens’

Biden, Senate Democrats agree to limit eligibility for $1,400 checks

Georgia Takes Center Stage in Battle Over Voting Rights - NY Times

DOD Took Hours To Approve National Guard Request During Capitol Riot, Commander Says

General details hours long delay in getting Guard to Capitol

HHS nominee Becerra vote in Senate Finance Committee ends in a tie

Rep. Ronny Jackson made sexual comments, drank alcohol and took Ambien while working as White House physician, Pentagon watchdog finds

Bipartisan senators introduce bill to strip Biden of war powers

Pence attacks Democratic voting bill, 2020 election integrity in op-ed

People more concerned about violence in cities than Capitol riot: Poll

Cuomo's liberal media backers delete tweets, backtrack as scandal grows

READ The Department of Defense inspector general's report on the conduct of Rep. Ronny Jackson

Democrats reissue subpoena to Trump's accounting firm for financial records

D.C. police, FBI on alert ahead of QAnon's 'true Inauguration Day'

Poll: Americans are more interested in getting stimulus than in seeing bipartisanship support for bill

Biden administration locks ICE Twitter account

Biden vies for party discipline at delicate moment in COVID fight: The Note

Iranian-backed militias appear to strike at Americans again
Pence breaks silence to criticize 2020 election

Senate panel deadlocks on advancing Biden's pick for health secretary

The Latest: Capitol Police say threats to Congress up 93%

White House responds to Cuomo allegations: 'Every woman coming forward should be heard'

Iraq military base used by U.S. hit by rockets year after similar attack brought U.S. and Iran close to war

High alert as new QAnon date approaches Thursday

Police: Live pipe bomb found at polling place in Iowa

Capitol Police aware of 'possible' March 4 plot

Exclusive: U.S. House Democrats urge Biden to revert to Obama-era Cuba detente

'Exit Counselors' Strain To Pull Americans Out Of A Web Of False Conspiracies

D.C. National Guard chief: Pentagon dragged its feet on Jan. 6 backup

Capitol Police warns of "possible plot to breach the Capitol" by militia group

Scathing report finds Rep. Ronny Jackson engaged in 'inappropriate conduct' as White House doctor

Reports: Myanmar security forces kill at least 33 protesters

Dr. Seuss books rocket to top of Amazon bestsellers

The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2022

Obamacare sign-ups increase during special enrollment period for COVID-19

House Democratic leaders press Biden for their budget chief pick

Biden health pick taking heat for support of abortion rights

Trump's Baseless 2020 Conspiracies Complicate Ohio Effort To Buy Voting Machines

Reversing Trump, Interior Department Moves Swiftly on Climate Change - NY Times

Major flooding continues South as new storm to bring snow to California and Southwest

Feds oppose release of Arizona man who wore horns in riot

Kremlin says Russia will respond to new Western sanctions

Biden cautious in making Trump tax returns decision

NRCC chair cautions Trump against backing primary challenges for Republicans who voted to impeach

Senate sick of FBI stonewalling

What's behind calls for Puerto Rico statehood? Here are 4 things to know.

House Democratic leaders back Shalanda Young for OMB director after Tanden nomination withdrawal

The Jan. 6 Riot Could Have Brought Lawmakers Together. It Did The Opposite

Biden’s failure to get Tanden confirmed follows other aborted presidential nominations in history

Rouse confirmed as first Black economist to head Council of Economic Advisers

US infrastructure gets C- from engineers as roads stagnate

Federal authorities launch human smuggling investigation after deadly California crash

Weeks after storms, water crisis continues in Mississippi

Germany Places Right-Wing Opposition Party Under Domestic Surveillance

Tim Allen says he 'kind of liked' it when Trump 'pissed people off'

Biden brings no relief to tensions between US and China

Biden’s post-inauguration honeymoon appears to be over, new poll suggests

Trump and the GOP made their biggest gains in these South Texas counties

Democrats worry Senate will be graveyard for Biden agenda

Google won't use other web tracking tools after phasing out cookies

MSNBC guest: 'No equivalency' between antifa and 'what’s going on on the political Right'

Plumbers in Texas are swamped. Volunteers from around the country are swooping in.

Toronto van attack: Minassian guilty of killing 10 people

Fallout from Texas energy crisis continues

Illegal deforestation is ravaging the planet and driving emissions up. A new bill in Congress seeks to change that.

Deadly California crash was on route for illegal crossings

S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as high-flying tech stocks slide

Bill Burr defends Gina Carano after firing, outcry over views

Video: Myanmar police hold journalist in chokehold

Their complaints against Chauvin were dropped. Now they wonder: Could he have been stopped?

Coronavirus News and Updates:

'When will it end?': How a changing virus is reshaping scientists’ views on COVID-19

First lady wades into school reopening debate with trip to 2 schools

Teachers, child care staff nationwide can now sign up for vaccine shots

WHO team leader: No 'hard facts or detailed data' received from Wuhan lab

South Korea investigates deaths of two who received AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Why COVID-19 "vaccine passports" could be "Pandora's box" for data privacy and ethical issues

'They just were not all in': How the White House convinced two pharmaceutical giants to collaborate on a vaccine

How The White House Got 2 Pharma Rivals To Work Together On COVID-19 Vaccine

Cuomo introduces virus passports for residents hoping to attend sports
Scientists inch closer to explaining the mysterious 'brain fog' symptom of COVID-19

Everything you need to know about getting a Covid-19 vaccination

Blast strikes Dutch COVID-19 test centre; police call it an attack

Study finds immune response strong against coronavirus variants

Tactical shift: Europe seeks vaccine ‘overdrive’ to catch up

Johnson & Johnson vaccine rekindles dilemma over morality of fetal tissue

Dolly Parton gets Covid-19 vaccination, jokes she got a 'dose of her own medicine'