5TYNK
1. President Joe Biden told House Democrats on Wednesday he’s “not married” to an absolute number on his $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan but Congress needs to “act fast.” Biden did say he doesn’t want to budge from his proposed $1,400 in direct payments. He said, “I’m not going to start my administration by breaking a promise to the American people.” (NEWS CENTER)
2. Canada on Wednesday formally declared the Proud Boys a terrorist group. This comes weeks after Proud Boys members were involved in the deadly riot at the Capitol. Canada’s department of public safety describes the Proud Boys as a “neo-fascist organization” that espouses “misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, and/or white supremacist ideologies.” (IG)
3. The U.S. tops 26.5 million covid-19 cases with over 450,000 deaths. The Maine CDC reported 9 new deaths and 273 new cases on Wednesday bringing Maine’s death toll to 627. Mass vaccination sites are now open at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor and Scarborough Downs. A potential third large-scale clinic could be coming to Sanford at the former Marshalls store on Main Street. (WMTW)
4. The Cinemagic movie theater chain announced Wednesday that it would be closing all its locations, including three in Maine, until sometime in the spring. The release described the temporary closing as an “intermission” until spring. (PRESS HERALD)
5. New York CIty’s Troop 6000, a Girl Scout troop for girls living in the city’s homeless shelter system, has sold nearly a million boxes of cookies. The Troop went viral after New Yorkers began spreading the word about their online Girl Scout Cookie sale on social media. (IG)
