First Thing: boost for Biden as Covid aid bill passes

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Congress passed a landmark $1.9tn coronavirus aid bill on Wednesday, marking the first major legislative victory for Biden and his administration, and breathing life into one of the largest emergency packages in US history. Falling along party lines, the House of Representatives voted 220 to 211 for the bill, with Democrats erupting into applause as the result was announced. As news broke, Biden tweeted that “help is here”; he will sign the bill into law on Friday.

The bill promises to support millions of Americans as they cope with the economic fallout of the pandemic, which has caused mass job losses and pushed many into poverty. It was the result of an aggressive campaign by the White House to push through the bill at its current price tag, amid continued efforts from Republicans to water it down. However, it isn’t all good news for Biden; despite his pledges of unity, the president failing to win over a single Republican.

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‘Help is on the way’: Democrats cheer as US House passes $1.9tn Covid relief plan – video

• So what’s in the bill? As many as 85% of US households will be eligible for direct payments of $1,400 a person, unemployment benefits will be extended and child tax credit expanded, alongside a number of measures around vaccines, local government and health insurance subsidies to target the pandemic. Read our explainer about what the bill contains.

• The bill could cut the number of Americans living in poverty by a third, and reduce child poverty in the US by nearly half, writes Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, in his analysis of today’s big story. The bill marks an end to Reagan-style economic policies and embraces the projects of Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, championing investment and reform, he writes.

Andrew Cuomo is facing his most serious allegation yet

An aide to New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, has accused him of groping her, the sixth and most serious allegation of sexual harassment made by women so far. According to the a report in the Times Union of Albany, the woman, who was not named, was summoned by Cuomo to help with his cellphone, and was alone with the governor when he closed the door, reached under her shirt and groped her breast. The paper cited an unidentified source with direct knowledge of the woman’s claim.

Cuomo faces harassment allegations from five other women. The 25-year-old’s attorney, Debra Katz, said in a statement released on Wednesday evening that the latest allegations are “eerily similar” to the claims of former aide Charlotte Bennett, who says she was summoned to the Capitol on a weekend purportedly for cellphone help, before Cuomo asked about her sex life and propositioned her.

The three-term governor has denied any inappropriate touching, but apologised if he made anyone uncomfortable.

Merrick Garland has been confirmed as attorney general

The US Senate approved Merrick Garland as the country’s most senior law enforcement official with a 70-30 vote on Wednesday. Supporters hailed the moment as a turning point in the management of the criminal justice system, marking an end to Trump’s “law and order” narrative and alleged politicisation of the justice department. It’s not the first time Garland has been close to judicial leadership; he was nominated to the supreme court by Barack Obama in 2016, but Senate Republicans denied him a hearing on the basis that it was an election year.

After Donald Trump spent four years … subverting the powers of the justice department for his own political benefit, treating the attorney general like his own personal defence lawyer, America can breathe a sigh of relief that we’re going to have someone like Merrick Garland leading the justice department,” said majority leader, Chuck Schumer, ahead of the vote. “Someone with integrity, independence, respect for the rule of law and credibility on both sides of the aisle.”

Two other Biden candidates were also confirmed, with Marcia Fudge approved as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fudge, who is the first Black woman to run the department in decades, is a veteran lawmaker. Meanwhile, Michael Regan was confirmed as the first black man to head up the Environmental Protection Agency; he has served as North Carolina’s top environmental regulator for four years.

• Meet the first black, openly transgender woman to hold office in the US: Andrea Jenkins, a city councillor in Minneapolis, discusses the obstacles she faced entering politics, the death of George Floyd blocks away from her home, and how policing must be reformed.

In other news…

• Jury selection in the George Floyd case is underway, but it is proving an unusually long process. The three-week period will see attorneys ask prospective jurors if they could keep an open mind for the case, what they think of the criminal justice system and the Black Lives Matter movement. So far, five jurors have been selected, while controversy has ensued over those who have been cast out.

• California’s attorney general has blocked access to gun violence data for researchers, which could make it harder to analyse gun crime and policy.

Stat of the day: the number of migrant children and families trying to cross the US-Mexico border increases by more than 100%

The number of children and families trying to cross the US-Mexico border increased by more than 100% between January and February, according to figures released by US customs and border protection on Wednesday. Children crossing alone rose 60% to more than 9,400. The news poses questions for the Biden administration about how to handle the surge in people; so far, the administration is turning back nearly all single adults.

Don’t miss this: Amazon workers are subjected to 14-hour days with no bathroom breaks

James Meyers, who was an Amazon delivery driver in Texas, had to urinate in a plastic bottle so as not to slow down his daily delivery rates. Now, despite strong opposition from the company, Amazon workers are unionising. As almost 6,000 Amazon employees vote on whether to unionise in Bessemer, Alabama, this could turn out to be the most important election of the year, argues investigative reporter Indigo Olivier.

Last thing: the internet coos over a very pretty pigeon

Pictures of a colourful pigeon have been circulating the internet, with Twitter users fawning over the majestic bird, and experts jumping in to explain that the pigeon is indeed real but is in fact part-dove. Why the mass interest? In these dark times, perhaps it’s the ethereal plumage of a humble pigeon which we all need to brighten up our day.

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