Spiegel Stuff: The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Johns Hopkins University - CDC announces long-awaited guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans | Roy Blunt retires from Senate | Derek Chauvin trial delayed | COVID bill’s child tax credit has ‘makings of a policy revolution’ | House to vote tomorrow | Timing for stimulus checks | Takeaways from Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview | Oprah discusses interview on ‘CBS This Morning’ | Elaborates on discussions of Archie’s skin color | Says Queen, Prince Philip did not make skin tone comments | What this bombshell interview means for the Royal Family

Presented by Johns Hopkins University Advanced Academic Programs

BREAKING

Via The Washington Post’s Lena H. Sun and Lenny Bernstein, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC just released guidance for Americans who have been fully vaccinated. https://wapo.st/3bqdmS4

What to know once you are vaccinated: “People who are two weeks past their final shot face little risk if they visit indoors with unvaccinated members of a single household at low risk of severe disease, without wearing masks or distancing. That would free many vaccinated grandparents who live near their unvaccinated children and grandchildren to gather for the first time in a year.”

On gathering indoors: “The CDC also said fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with those who are also fully vaccinated.”

On quarantining: “They do not need to quarantine, or be tested after exposure to the coronavirus, if they have no symptoms.”

See for yourself — read the full CDC guidance: https://bit.ly/30BH5l3

Breakdown from the Post: https://wapo.st/3bqdmS4

CASE NUMBERS:

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 29,000,012

U.S. death toll: 525,046

Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y

VACCINATION NUMBERS:

Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 90.4 million shots have been given.

Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 2.16 million doses

For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million.

Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH

It’s Monday — welcome back! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

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NEWS THIS MORNING

Another GOP senator waving goodbye through the back car window as it drives into the rainy distance:

“Sen. Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, announced on Monday that he won't run for reelection in 2022 — marking the latest high-profile retirement for Senate Republicans.” https://bit.ly/3t4PLfV

Blunt said in a video: “After 14 general election victories — three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives, and four statewide elections — I won’t be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year.” Watch his 2-minute announcement video: https://bit.ly/3c9RkCl

For context: Blunt is the fifth Senate Republican to announce retirement.

The other Republicans not expected to run for reelection: Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has also suggested he won’t run.

Late this a.m. — the trial against Derek Chauvin has been delayed:

Via The Hill’s Marty Johnson, “The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer who is charged with murdering George Floyd — a Black man whose death last May sparked a nationwide movement calling for police reform and the end to systemic racism — began Monday, but was quickly paused as an additional charge against Chauvin is being considered.” https://bit.ly/2Ozx6tq

How long the trial has been delayed: At least until Tuesday

LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE

And back over to our friends in the House!:

The Senate-passed coronavirus relief bill will head over to the House this week where House Democrats are poised to pass the $1.9 trillion relief package. https://bit.ly/38hlfr2

When the House is expected to vote on the bill: Tuesday

Didn’t the House pass this bill on Feb. 27?: “The House initially passed the coronavirus bill on Feb. 27. But the Senate swapped in its own legislation, which while largely mirroring the House bill, included several changes to key components of the coronavirus legislation.”

The changes: The Senate pulled the $15 minimum wage, decreased the weekly unemployment benefits from $400 to $300, lowered the cutoff for the stimulus payment and made $10,200 of unemployment benefits in 2020 exempt from federal income taxes for some households. https://bit.ly/38hlfr2

ASSUMING EVERYTHING GOES TO PLAN, WHEN COULD AMERICANS START RECEIVING STIMULUS CHECKS?:

Via CBS News’s Aimee Picchi, “After the bill is signed into law, the IRS could begin delivering the checks within days to one week, based on the timeframe for the previous round of checks — potentially as early as the weekend of March 13.” https://cbsn.ws/2OcTGID

The child tax credit is a big deal:

Via The New York Times’s Jason DeParle, “Obscured by other parts of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which won Senate approval on Saturday, the child benefit has the makings of a policy revolution. Though framed in technocratic terms as an expansion of an existing tax credit, it is essentially a guaranteed income for families with children, akin to children’s allowances that are common in other rich countries.” https://nyti.ms/3qqFwkb

Is the benefit permanent? Not yet.: “The plan establishes the benefit for a single year. But if it becomes permanent, as Democrats intend, it will greatly enlarge the safety net for the poor and the middle class at a time when the volatile modern economy often leaves families moving between those groups. More than 93 percent of children — 69 million — would receive benefits under the plan, at a one-year cost of more than $100 billion.”

Cue David Bowie:

--> https://bit.ly/3sYIMF9 ;)

Via The Hill’s Jordain Carney, Senate Democrats are nearing a pressure point on nixing the filibuster. https://bit.ly/3t16S2c

Why: “Without structural changes in the Senate, progressives warn that many of Biden’s big campaign promises are effectively doomed.”

The straw that broke the camel’s back: “The filibuster has come back in the spotlight after the parliamentarian ruled recently that an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour didn’t comply with rules governing what could be included in the coronavirus legislation.”

But Democrats expect it to become an even bigger issue: “But there are bigger tests awaiting Senate Democrats as the House sends them a growing number of bills that likely can’t pass with the filibuster intact and wouldn’t meet the requirements of being squeezed into reconciliation.”

What to expect: https://bit.ly/3t16S2c

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING ON CAPITOL HILL THIS WEEK:

Background checks: “The House is slated to take up the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021, which aims to extend the amount of time federal investigators have to perform background checks for firearm purchases and to close the ‘Charleston loophole.’”

Labor: The House is expected to take up the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. The gist: “The bill … would implement penalties on companies that violate labor law and tamp down right to work laws in 27 states by blocking laws that protect employees from not paying union dues. The legislation would also change the way workers are classified and takes strides to ensure workers aren’t denied rights due to their immigration status.”

Confirmation of Biden nominees: “The Senate will hold procedural votes on two nominations on Tuesday evening: First on Rep. Marcia Fudge’s (D-Ohio) nomination to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development and then Merrick Garland’s nomination to be attorney general. Schumer has also teed up Michael Regan’s nomination to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.”

Context and details for each from The Hill’s Jordain Carney and Juliegrace Brufke: https://bit.ly/38mC5ot

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THE TALK OF SOCIAL MEDIA

What a season finale of ‘The Crown’ this interview would make:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an explosive interview on the British Royal Family. That interview aired on CBS News last night. https://cnn.it/3kTuNxE

13 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BOMBSHELL INTERVIEW:

Here are a few of the notable takeaways:

“Meghan was having thoughts of suicide … When Meghan asked to get professional help outside of the palace, she was told she was not allowed.”
“The royal family ‘had concerns’ about Archie’s skin color.”
“The royal family didn’t want to give Archie a title (and the security that comes with it).”
“Things between Harry and his family are tense … The couple is still talking to the queen, though.”

The other takeaways from The Cut: https://bit.ly/3cbE5Rt

WHY THE INTERVIEW IS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE THE BRITISH MONARCHY:

Via The Washington Post’s William Booth from London: https://wapo.st/3kW6D5r

This morning — Oprah elaborated a bit:

In an interview on “CBS This Morning,” Oprah Winfrey discussed her historic interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Watch Oprah’s appearance this morning: https://bit.ly/30lDh7h

By the way: Oprah said there were 3 hours and 20 minutes of footage that was edited down. Anyone else want to see it all??

© Twitter

Watch: https://bit.ly/30q7Etk

And elaborated on the discussions of baby Archie’s skin tone:

© Twitter

Watch: https://bit.ly/3kTyNhF

Tidbit — this is adorable:

© Twitter

NOTABLE TWEETS:

This took me a minute, but well played:

ON TAP:

The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C.

9:50 p.m. EST: President Biden and Vice President Harris received the President’s Daily Brief.

1 p.m. EST: President Biden visits a veterans’ medical center in Washington, D.C., that is administering COVID-19 vaccines.

3 p.m. EST: The Senate convenes.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. EST: First and last votes in the House. The House’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/2Obt7DG

WHAT TO WATCH:

11 a.m. EST: The White House COVID Response Team held a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3kX2Ip9

11:30 a.m. EST: White House press secretary Jen Psaki held a press briefing. Co-Chair of the Gender Policy Council and Chief of Staff to the First Lady Julissa Reynoso, and Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein also attend. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3rEOVpy

2:15 p.m. EST: Vice President Harris delivers virtual remarks to the National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference. Livestream: https://bit.ly/30kpVYO

4:20 p.m. EST: President Biden, Vice President Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin deliver remarks on International Women’s Day. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3qybdZ6

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...:

Today is National Peanut Cluster Day.

And because you made it this far, here’s a puppy with a new favorite toy: https://bit.ly/3v8nCpR