While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!
1. Schedule released for impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump’s second Senate impeachment trial begins today.
Today, House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team will each be given four hours to lay out the constitutionality of the trial. Following the legal teams’ arguments, the Senate will conduct a vote on whether the Senate has the jurisdiction to convict a former president. You can find the full schedule at the link above.
Separate from the impeachment trial, Georgia’s secretary of state’s office has opened an investigation into a phone call between Trump and the state’s top elections official. During the Jan. 2 call, Trump told Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger he wanted to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss in the state.
2. Florida expands COVID-19 vaccination program to Bay of Pigs veterans
DeSantis announced at the Bay of Pigs Museum and Library in Miami that the state is expanding the COVID-19 vaccination of homebound seniors program to people who participated in the Bay of Pigs invasion..
Three veterans of the 1961 attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution received their shot at the announcement. All three of the veterans on hand Monday were captured by Castro's forces and spent 20 months as prisoners of war.
The governor said the expansion of the program will also be available to spouses of the veterans.
3. Families can soon apply for coronavirus-related funeral expenses through FEMA
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday that families of coronavirus victims can soon apply to have funeral expenses paid for through a fund through FEMA.
In the last stimulus bill signed into law in December, $2 billion were earmarked to pay for funeral expenses. The money was placed in the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, said that up to $7,000 in funeral expenditures will be covered. The funding is retroactive to March 2020, she said.
4. Sheriff: Hacker tried to taint Florida city's water with lye
Authorities say a hacker gained access to a Florida city’s water treatment plant in an unsuccessful attempt to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Monday that someone was able to breach a computer system for the city of Oldsmar’s water treatment plant on Friday. The hacker briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide by a factor of more than 100.
The sheriff said a supervisor saw the chemical being tampered with and was able to intervene and reverse it.
Contact 5 Investigation: Delray Beach Housing Authority pleads for help in vaccinating 600 homebound seniors
Members of a municipal housing authority are asking Palm Beach County's top health official for help in getting nearly 600 residents vaccinated, as many are homebound and without internet access or reliable transportation.
Shirley Erazo, president and CEO of the Delray Beach Housing Authority, told Contact 5 their residents have "been advised to contact Publix. They've been advised to reach out online to make appointments," adding many "do not have computers."
"We're going to be working with them as soon as we have more vaccine," said Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County. "We cannot take on large groups like that until we have vaccine."
Today's Forecast
Highs stay warmer than normal through next 7 days:
Get your complete hour-by-hour forecast here.
On This Day In History
On Feb. 9, 1825, the Presidential election was decided in the House of Representatives.
As no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the U.S. House of Representatives votes to elect John Quincy Adams, who won fewer votes than Andrew Jackson in the popular election, as president of the United States. Adams was the son of John Adams, the second president of the United States.
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