5 things you need to know Wednesday
Amid budget concerns, Trump plans to unveil his tax cut 'principles'
Ahead of his 100th day in office, President Trump is expected to outline his tax cut plan Wednesday in the face of congressional headwinds that range from worries about health care to how it will affect the budget deficit. White House officials declined to discuss the plan's details, though they confirmed that Trump would seek to cut the corporate tax rate and simplify the tax codes. The proposals would be in keeping with Trump’s campaign promises. After their plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act failed last month, Republican lawmakers said they are in no rush to pass a tax bill.
Entire Senate to be briefed on North Korea
Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, the entire U.S. Senate has been invited to the White House on Wednesdayfor a briefing on threats from Kim Jong Un's government. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., organized the briefing, which will be conducted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford. North Korea on Tuesday celebrated the 85th anniversary of the founding of its army with an enormous live-fire drill – but not a nuclear test, which some experts had predicted.
Showtime for Net neutrality
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is expected to unveil his game plan for revamping net neutrality on Wednesday. Republican Ajit Pai, who voted against the Democrat-led FCC Open Internet rules preventing Internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking content online in 2015, has made no secret of his desire to replace those regulations. The Internet Association, which counts Amazon, Google and Facebook in its ranks, have urged the FCC to uphold the current rules, stressing the importance of provisions that prevent ISPs from slowing traffic and favoring their own content — especially as ISPs and mobile broadband providers expand their own libraries of Web sites and streaming channels.
NHL starts second round of Stanley Cup Playoffs
The quest for Lord Stanley's Cup rolls along Wednesday with the start of the second round of the NHL playoffs. If the upcoming round is anything like the first, prepare to lose some sleep. A record 18 first-round games went into overtime, including five of the six games in the thrilling battle between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Nashville Predators, fresh off an upset sweep of the Western Conference's top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks, start things off when they face the St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network). To get you ready for Round 2, Paste BN Sports highlighted eight under-the-radar players who could make a difference.
'Call of Duty' goes back to its roots
Get ready for more video game war. The next installment of the popular Call of Duty video game will be revealed Wednesday, and, in a move that will surely please longtime fans, is set to go back to its original World War II roots. After putting the focus on modern and futuristic virtual warfare for recent games, the top-selling PC and console game in the U.S. for the past seven years is heading back to the era that made it great. Not much else is currently known about the newest iteration, but Paste BN will have full details on the reveal.
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