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Infrastructure bill vote, Western wildfires, 'Hard Knocks': 5 things to know Tuesday

Editors  |  Paste BN

Senate to hold final vote on infrastructure bill

The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is poised for a final vote in the Senate Tuesday, after it was pushed closer to passage late Sunday. Final Senate votes are expected around 11 a.m. ET. All told, some 70 senators appear poised to carry the bipartisan package to passage, the Associated Press notes. The Senate cleared several hurdles towards passage during a second consecutive weekend session, including a 60-vote threshold to end debate on the bill. If the bill passes — as expected — it will move onto the House, where a bipartisan group of lawmakers has already pledged its own support. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would provide what Biden has called a "historic investment" in public works programs, and promises to distribute billions of dollars to upgrade roads, bridges, broadband internet, water pipes and other public works systems supporting the nation. 

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Massive infrastructure bill passed by Senate, now must pass the House
The new infrastructure deal has passed the Senate, with billions in new spending on roads, bridges, rail, broadband and electric vehicles.
Staff video, Paste BN

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Bigger blazes feared as high winds and heat return to West

Scores of wildfires racing across much of the Northwest could be energized this week by a resurgence of high winds and heat, forecasters warn. That's especially bad news for the more than 20,000 firefighters battling the blazes in 15 Western states, and the thousands of structures threatened by the wildfires. California’s fire season is on pace to surpass last year's, which was the worst in recent recorded state history. Since the start of 2021, more than 6,000 blazes have destroyed more than 1,260 square miles of land. The Dixie Fire, the largest blaze in California history, has grown more than 750 square miles — an area larger than the city of Los Angeles. 

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Dixie Fire becomes largest single blaze in California history
Thousands of homes were threatened as the largest single blaze wildfire in California history raced through miles of dry woodland and brush.
Paste BN, Storyful

Paste BN Sports college football preseason poll to be unveiled

With the college football season set to kick off in less than a month, the Paste BN Sports AFCA Coaches Preseason Poll will be released Tuesday afternoon. In the lead up to the poll's release, much of the discussion at the top begins with the team that finished there last season: Alabama. Fresh off of another national championship, the Crimson Tide are tasked with replacing Heisman Trophy finalists Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith, with the latter winning the award. And a favorite for this year's Heisman, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler leads a team that is expected to join Alabama towards the top of the preseason poll. Other teams that could be in the mix for a spot in the top 5 are Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State.

Judge to continue screening for potential jurors in R. Kelly trial

United States District Judge Ann Donnelly will continue screening potential jurors for the sex trafficking trial of R&B artist R. Kelly Tuesday. Donnelly asked candidates Monday whether they can keep an open mind about Kelly two years after he was charged with abusing women and girls for nearly two decades. It is unclear how long the screening process will take. Kelly's trial has already been pushed to nearly two years after charges were levied against him, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shakeup of his defense team. The 54-year-old singer has been in prison since he was indicted, mostly in a federal jail in Chicago. He was moved last month to the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to face trial. 

HBO's 'Hard Knocks' set to feature Dallas Cowboys in its return

The Dallas Cowboys will be featured for the third time on the NFL training camp documentary series "Hard Knocks" when it premieres Tuesday on HBO (10 p.m. ET) and HBO Max (streaming). The Cowboys are the first team to make three appearances and will feature in five hour-long episodes leading up to the opening week of the NFL season. They also appeared in 2002 and in 2008. As Paste BN's Nate Davis writes, the selection of "America's Team" by HBO and NFL Films was unsurprising, but also "wholly justifiable." For starters, plenty of metrics suggest the Cowboys are America's most popular – and maybe least popular – sports team. Also, they have many intriguing storylines and personalities worth following, including the return of quarterback Dak Prescott who suffered a gruesome ankle injury in 2020. Viewers can also expect a prominent role from owner and general manager Jerry Jones, as he rarely shies away from the spotlight.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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