Up Firs‪t‬ NPR

In this bonus episode of Up First, we bring you Episode one of a new series from NPR's Embedded podcast, which follows the survivors of the 2018 shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.

By a slim majority, the House approved Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package, but its passage in the Senate is questionable. A panel of experts endorsed the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine by a 22-to-0 vote. The U.S. released its findings that blame Saudi's Crown Prince for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder.

The U.S. launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday targeting Iranian-backed militia groups in the first known offensive military operation carried out by the Biden administration. Also, a COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is on the brink of being authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. And, a former U.S. gymnastics coach died by suicide just hours after being charged with multiple felonies including sexual assault and human trafficking.

The Centers for Disease Control has launched a website to help Americans find locations of COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to increase the pace of vaccinations. Also, the Biden administration is set to release a U.S. intelligence assessment on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. And, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy faced heavy criticism in a House committee hearing about ongoing mail delays at the U.S. Postal Service.

In a Senate hearing, former U.S. Capitol security officials said that they did not have sufficient information ahead of Jan. 6 to accurately predict the scale of the attack. Also, a grand jury voted that no charges will be filed against Rochester police officers in connection with the March 2020 death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who was in the midst of a mental health crisis during his encounter with the police. And, a national health care provider has administered COVID-19 vaccinations to people deemed ineligible for the scarce vaccine by local health departments, including people with connections to company leaders.

The Biden administration has prioritized vaccinating the country quickly and equitably. But making sure vaccines reach communities of color has been a challenge. Also, the Senate holds the first hearing into the Capitol riot on January 6. And, we go to the recovery efforts in Houston, Texas in the wake of the disastrous winter storm and power outages that struck the state last week.