Good morning, NBC News readers.
After a day spent reliving violent and emotional scenes from the Jan. 6 riot, House Democratic impeachment managers will today continue to argue that former President Donald Trump incited the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol.
Here is what we're watching this Thursday morning.
Democrats make their case that Trump was 'inciter-in-chief'
House Democrats showed "chilling" new video and security footage Wednesday during the second day of former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
Audio of police dispatchers and video of the violence from Jan. 6, some of which had not previously been released, detailed a nearly minute-by-minute account of what happened once the Capitol was breached by a mob.
The graphic presentation was the crescendo of the House managers' presentation after they showed Trump's incendiary tweets and public statements, going as far back as July, to make their case that the former president incited the riot at the Capitol and then did nothing to stop it.
The House managers will be back at it starting at noon ET, with Trump's defense to follow in the coming days. Both sides will have a total of 16 hours each to make their opening arguments.
- Take a closer look at the police body camera videos, radio transmissions and Capitol security video revealed Wednesday. Watch the full presentation.
- See the moment when Vice President Pence and his family were rushed away from the rioters.
- Have any Republicans been swayed by the arguments? Key takeaways from Day Two.
- News Analysis: A conviction for Trump rests on Republican's instinct for self-preservation, writes NBC News' senior political analyst Jonathan Allen.
- In related news, Georgia prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the state's election results.
- Follow our live blog for all the latest updates during Day 3 of the impeachment trial.
New CDC Covid- 19 recommendations include double masking
Double-masking — specifically, wearing a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask — may provide an extremely high level of protection against the viral particles that cause Covid-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
Fully vaccinated people don't need to quarantine if they have been exposed to Covid-19, the CDC also said in updated guidance Wednesday.
The news comes as the Biden administration is set to begin enlisting retail pharmacies nationwide including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and smaller regional chains to begin in-store Covid-19 vaccinations by Friday.
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Plus
- President Joe Biden raised "fundamental concerns" with China's President Xi Jinping during their first phone call since he took office.
- "A very scary place": Men allege that years of abuse at a Missouri Christian school went undetected because of legal loopholes.
- Billions were stolen from unemployment coffers. Now, it's creating a tax headache for victims.
- Jeep has pulled its Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl ad after the musician's drunk driving arrest surfaced.
- Listen up: In honor of Black History Month, the latest episode of our "Into America" podcast tells the story of Arturo Schomburg.
- He is the Super Bowl MVP quarterback for a reason: Watch Tom Brady toss the Vince Lombardi trophy across water from boat to boat during Tampa Bay Buccaneers victory boat parade.
THINK about it
The new "Silence of the Lambs" spinoff has a (very creepy) elephant in the room, cultural critic Ani Bundel writes in an opinion piece.
Live BETTER
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A new CDC report says double masking can help block more than 90 percent of viral particles. We asked medical experts about the best ways to double mask.
Quote of the day
"I think they've done a good job connecting the dots. The president's Twitter feed is a matter of public record, and they've done, like I said, an effective job of going back several months and just showing that public record."
— Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday. He promised to "listen and draw conclusions" after the defense presents their arguments.
One fun thing
A large conch shell overlooked in a museum for decades is now thought to be the oldest known seashell instrument — and it still works, producing a deep, plaintive bleat, like a foghorn from the distant past.
The shell was found during the 1931 excavation of a cave with prehistoric wall paintings in the French Pyrenees and assumed to be a ceremonial drinking cup.
Archaeologists from the University of Toulouse recently took a fresh look and determined it had been modified thousands of years ago to serve as a wind instrument. They invited a French horn player to play it.
"Hearing it for the first time, for me it was a big emotion — and a big stress," said archaeologist Carole Fritz.
The horn produced clear C, C sharp and D notes.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
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Thanks, Petra
