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Get well soon, Mr. President

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read

President Joe Biden says he's doing great after testing positive for COVID-19. A polio case was reported in New York – the first in almost a decade. And the iconic monarch butterfly is fluttering closer to extinction.

👋 It's Laura Davis. It's Thursday. Here's all the news you need to know.

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Biden 'doing great' after positive coronavirus test

Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, something the White House had taken extra steps to avoid as highly transmissible strains struck top aides, Cabinet members, the president's chief medical adviser and the vice president. Biden, 79, is experiencing "very mild" symptoms and is taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid. "Folks, I’m doing great," Biden tweeted. "Keeping busy!" Biden will continue to work at the White House, where he will isolate until he tests negative. Here's what we know.

President Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19.
President Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19.

Jan. 6 committee hearing to focus on how Trump spent his time

The Jan. 6 committee is scheduled to wrap up its whirlwind series of hearings for the summer on Thursday night during prime time. After seven hearings outlining the machinations of former President Donald Trump, his aides and staffers to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, the panel will put its focus on how Trump spent his time on Jan. 6, 2021. What will the panel cover? Will there be future hearings? Here's what we know.

  • What to expect: Reps. Elaine Luria, D-Va., and Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., will lead the hearing. Luria will present evidence on behalf of the committee for the first time. The panel will give a "minute-by-minute" overview of the day of the insurrection, according to Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., committee vice chair.

  • What is the focus? The hearing will likely feature Trump's reluctance to call off the riot or comply with pleas for help from members of Congress.

  • A key question looms: What does Chief of Staff Mark Meadows know about Trump's actions to overturn the election?

  • The witnesses: Former Trump aides Matthew Pottinger, Sarah Matthews are expected to testify.

  • TV schedule, livestream: How to watch Day 8 of the Jan. 6 hearings.

Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump breach the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.
Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump breach the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

What everyone's talking about

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Polio case reported in New York

A polio case has been reported in New York, Rockland County officials said Thursday. The viral disease, which can cause neurological symptoms, paralysis, or death, was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 1979. Although routine spread has been halted for decades, occasionally travelers with polio have brought infections into the U.S., with the last such case in 2013. The patient in the new case, a young adult who did not recently travel outside the country, was hospitalized but is no longer, officials confirmed. Investigators are looking into how the infection occurred and whether other people may have been exposed to the virus. Here's what we know.

Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine, holds a rack of test tubes in his lab in Pittsburgh on Oct. 7, 1954.
Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine, holds a rack of test tubes in his lab in Pittsburgh on Oct. 7, 1954.

Farm labor traffickers bribed Georgia government workers, agent testifies

An alleged criminal organization bribed Georgia Labor Department officials to approve housing for farmworkers, according to sworn testimony from a Homeland Security Investigations agent. This story is part of ongoing coverage of Operation Blooming Onion, one of the largest federal cases ever prosecuted in the U.S. involving labor trafficking of guest farmworkers. Prosecutors say that organization subjected farmworkers to forced labor and degrading living conditions, including housing dozens in a single-room trailer without safe drinking or cooking water. Keep reading.

Photo included in the Booming Onion ongoing criminal case as an exhibit. The partial address provided matches one reported as a guest farmworker housing location.
Photo included in the Booming Onion ongoing criminal case as an exhibit. The partial address provided matches one reported as a guest farmworker housing location.

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Monarch butterfly listed as endangered

The monarch butterfly fluttered a step closer to extinction Thursday, as scientists put the iconic orange-and-black insect on the endangered list because of its fast dwindling numbers. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature added the migrating monarch butterfly for the first time to its “red list” of threatened species and categorized it as “endangered” — two steps from extinct. The group estimates that the population of monarch butterflies in North America has declined between 22% and 72% over 10 years. “It’s just a devastating decline,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm. “This is one of the most recognizable butterflies in the world.” Learn more and how you can help monarchs.

A break from the news

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Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden positive for COVID-19, Jan. 6 committee hearing, polio case reported, monarch butterflies. It's Thursday's news.