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A week for reopenings: Wisconsin free-for-all, parts of New York state

Editors  |  Paste BN

TGIF, Daily Briefing readers! We made it through another week without being attacked by murder hornets.

It's Lindsay with today's news to know: 

House to vote on new coronavirus stimulus package?

A Democrat-led $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus proposal could be brought to the House floor for a full vote as early as Friday. The more than $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or HEROES Act, would expand unemployment assistance, boost food stamps and increase emergency grants to small businesses trying to weather the COVID-19 pandemic that has slammed the economy and upended daily life in the U.S. But the bill is likely to get a cool reception in the GOP-controlled Senate, where leaders have said they want to let the first $2.4 trillion of stimulus spending take full effect before moving on another measure that would pile on to the nation’s soaring debt. It would also include another round of direct payments.

Epicenter of US COVID-19 outbreak, New York state, to begin reopening

Parts of New York state, which has been the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, will begin reopening Friday — including a wide range of businesses, from construction and manufacturing to tennis courts and drive-in theaters. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions of western and Upstate New York have met seven crucial criteria, including declining hospitalizations and ramped-up testing capacity. Yet, New York City is not among areas ready to reopen. "It's been a crisis and a painful one, but we are coming out the other side," Cuomo said. "This is the next big step in this historic journey." 

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Sen. Richard Burr to give up committee chair amid FBI probe

Sen. Richard Burr on Friday will officially step down as chairman of the Intelligence Committee amid an FBI investigation into possible insider trading by Burr and three other senators. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Wednesday that Burr was stepping down after the FBI seized Burr's cellphone as part of its investigation into his sale of stocks ahead of the market crash prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Sens. Burr, R-N.C.; Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.; Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.; and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; their spouses or advisers sold stocks around the time lawmakers received briefings about the severity of the coronavirus, financial disclosure forms showed. The senators have denied any wrongdoing.

Officials to present Trump with new Space Force flag

President Donald Trump will be presented with the United States Space Force Flag and sign an Armed Forces Day Proclamation in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon, according to his official schedule. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the Space Force's chief of space operations, Gen. John Raymond, will present the flag to Trump, which is derived from the seal unveiled earlier this year, a senior administration official told Fox News. The flag's debut comes as the new military branch has begun accepting applications for eligible active-duty personnel to transfer into the service. A Space Force spokesperson told Military.com on Wednesday the service has received over 2,000 applications to join.  

More of today's headlines

Oprah, Jennifer Garner and more stars team up for virtual graduations

As graduation ceremonies across the country have been nixed or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, celebrities are coming together to give the Class of 2020 star-studded sendoffs. A multi-hour graduation ceremony hosted by Facebook and Instagram and featuring a commencement address by Oprah Winfrey will be live-streamed on Friday. Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X, Simone Biles and other stars will also join in to offer words of inspiration, and Miley Cyrus will give a performance of her hit "The Climb." Meanwhile, Her Campus, an online magazine dedicated to college women, is also throwing a virtual commencement ceremony on Friday that will feature appearances from Eva Longoria, Liam Payne, Jesse McCartney and more. 

In better news

Life is all about enjoying the little things. Paste BN entertainment reporter Carly Mallenbaum reflects on her newfound joy of bird-watching during quarantine – and offers expert recommendations on how to optimize your birding experience. Tips like this also appear in the Staying Apart, Together newsletter, a note on mental health, coping, and staying entertained during this stressful time. It comes out Tuesdays and Saturdays, and you can sign up here to receive tomorrow's edition.

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