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On day two of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, NPR has a detailed timeline of events, showing the groundwork that led to the Capitol insurrection was laid far in advance. A dysfunctional sense of smell is common for people with COVID-19. Many are still struggling with it months after first getting sick. The L.A. Times spoke with patients who are suffering and the doctors and scientists who are trying to help. The internet might be able to predict breakups months in advance. The Times of London wrote about a study analyzing online posts and how the language people used subtly changed just before their relationships ended.

Former president Donald Trump’s lawyers will argue the Senate cannot constitutionally try him now that he is out of office. J. Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge, agrees with this impeachment argument in a Washington Post piece. Chuck Cooper, a top conservative lawyer, offers a counterargument in the Wall Street Journal. Patricia Mason got sick with COVID-19 in March last year. She is now out of the hospital and dealing with the aftermath, including part of a medical bill that topped $1 million. The L.A. Times brings us Mason’s story. Several states are allowing more people to gather indoors. ProPublica spoke with scientists who explain why they think this is a bad idea. A series of class-action lawsuits is focusing on whether products use real vanilla flavoring. The Wall Street Journal has the story of vanilla getting its day in court.

The impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump starts tomorrow. CNN has a preview of arguments each side will make. In the New Yorker, Harvard law professor Jeannie Suk Gersen lays out the trial’s risks for Democrats. President Biden says pandemic school-closures are a “national emergency.” The Houston Chronicle looks at how Texas schools are considering extra weeks of class to help students catch up. HuffPost explains how parents of children with disabilities are especially concerned about their children falling behind. Democrats are proposing expanded childhood tax credits. The Washington Post breaks down their plan. Tom Brady led Tampa Bay to a win over Kansas City, the quarterback’s seventh Super Bowl win. USA Today football columnist Mike Jones examines Brady’s impact.

Democratic Senators moved ahead on a COVID-relief bill without Republicans in an overnight session. The Washington Post has key details. House Democrats voted to strip Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments. Politico explains how each political party is navigating this moment. Vox and USA Today look at current data and guidance related to COVID-19 vaccinations and pregnancy. Russia’s announcement that its COVID-19 vaccine, called Sputnik V, is highly effective, was met with some skepticism in the international community. The New Yorker’s Joshua Yaffa reports on the vaccine’s development and impact. The Super Bowl is Sunday and the stadium will be mostly empty because of pandemic concerns. Adweek explains why the situation is a camera crew’s dream, and says it could mean one of the best at-home viewing experiences ever.

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 is a key measure in Democrats’ pandemic-stimulus package, which they are aiming to pass through budget reconciliation. Politico breaks down why that may or may not be possible. More information is coming out about the people who participated in the Capitol insurrection and the forces that influenced them. In his latest piece for the New Yorker, Ronan Farrow profiles rioter Rachel Powell and how she became radicalized over a short period of time. The Washington Post spoke with ordinary investors who lost money following investment tips from Reddit on GameStop and other stocks. And in the Atlantic, Derek Thompson says that while individual traders may have thought they were sticking it to Wall Street, that’s not what really happened. Danielle Cohen writes for GQ about a recent trend of including pictures of COVID-19 vaccination cards in dating-app profiles. And CNN explains why the Better Business Bureau advises against posting pictures of these cards online.

Democrats are moving forward to pass a COVID-19 relief bill through a process known as “budget reconciliation.” NPR explains how it works.  On the campaign trail, Biden promised a major overhaul of Trump’s immigration policies. But L.A. Times reporter Molly O’Toole writes that Biden’s early actions on immigration focus on reviewing Trump policies, and don’t yet undo all of them. A new analysis by counterterror experts in the Atlantic finds the Capitol riot was the product of a new kind of American extremism. Nobel Peace Prize nominations are in the news. CNN explains why it’s surprisingly easy to get nominated.

Republicans say Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus proposal will add too much to the national debt. Politico explains how the debate over debt is shifting. Many Wall Street investors and economists now say big spending is needed to help the economy and national debt concerns can wait.  Politico reports on the challenges Republicans face in figuring out the best way to deal with congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and her history of making racist comments and promoting conspiracy theories. COVID-19 deaths are creating a generation of orphans. NBC News looks at the struggles of young people who have lost parents. The Super Bowl is marking the pandemic by paying tribute to heroes. NPR reports on Amanda Gorman, who will celebrate people who have made a difference by reciting a poem. And People Magazine reports that the NFL is also giving 7,500 tickets to health-care workers who’ve been vaccinated.

Ten Republican senators are proposing a $600 million plan as an alternative to President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The Wall Street Journal explains the debate over stimulus checks. And the Washington Post cites research that says wealthier families barely spent the money they got from the earlier stimulus. The Biden administration is running into early obstacles as it pursues its vaccine-rollout goals. Politico breaks down how those challenges may set back the pandemic response. Myanmar’s military has seized power and detained the country’s democratically elected leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Bloomberg News reports on the first foreign-policy crisis of the new Biden administration. Scientists are tracking the synchronized rotation of a group of faraway planets. And it turns out their movements make interesting music. Forbes explains.

By the end of this week, President Biden will have signed more than three dozen executive actions. Reuters analyzes growth in the use of presidential executive orders and assesses their impact. COVID-19 vaccine appointments are in short supply and high demand — and glitchy sign-up procedures in some areas are making them hard to get. The Wall Street Journal has a guide to how to get a vaccine in every state. The Guardian details how signing up is proving especially challenging for older Americans. The Washington Post spoke with a legendary vaccinologist who has been shocked at how hard it’s been to get himself vaccinated. The Wall Street Journal highlights 15 personal-finance lessons to take away from the pandemic.  Groundbreaking Black actor Cicely Tyson has died at 96. The Hollywood Reporter looks at her award-winning career. NPR recently interviewed Tyson about her memoir.

The Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration’s signature accomplishment, has survived four years of attempts to gut it. CNN reports on how President Biden, now president, is moving to bolster the law. And Quartz breaks down what Democrats could get done on health care with a slim majority in Congress. GameStop stock rose 1,555% in a month. That is definitely not normal. Vox explains how it happened. Protests in India are escalating as farmers rally against a recent change to agriculture laws. The Wall Street Journal looks at what’s behind these protests and their potential political impact.  Soon it won’t just be astronauts in space. NPR covers the first private mission to the International Space Station, which carries a $55 million per person price tag.