2/22: The coronavirus has claimed nearly half a million lives in the U.S. Many Texans wait in line for food and water.

The number of lives lost from COVID-19 will reach 500,000 today, with the real total likely higher. But there is also reason for hope as we fight this pandemic together, with new cases and hospitalizations continuing to drop. Dozens of Boeing 777 jets are grounded this morning after an engine on a United Airlines plane broke apart and dropped debris on a Denver neighborhood. The power is back on for most of Texas, but millions of lives are still in turmoil as broken water pipes and flooding mean huge insurance claims, possibly on an unprecedented scale. After years of waiting, federal judge Merrick Garland will finally get a Senate confirmation hearing. Republicans blocked his Supreme Court nomination during the Obama administration, now he is President Biden's nominee for Attorney General.

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