• President Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on his first address to a joint session of Congress, a prime-time speech on Wednesday night on the eve of his 100th day in office. Biden will use the speech before lawmakers and a broader viewing audience to talk about what he’s accomplished in the opening months of his presidency, and lay out his other domestic and foreign policy priorities.

• India crossed a grim milestone of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers
• The only Black Republican senator, Tim Scott, to respond to Biden’s address
• Gentrification in Israel’s Jaffa pushes Arabs out
• 3D printers make environmentally friendly houses

ANDREW MELDRUM

The Associated Press

Johannesburg, South Africa

The Rundown

What to watch during Biden’s 1st big speech to Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on his first address to a joint session of Congress, a prime-time speech on Wednesday night on the eve of his 100th day in office. Biden will use the speech before lawmakers and a broader viewing audience to talk about what he’s accomplished in the opening months of his presidency, and lay out his other domestic and foreign policy priorities. WHEN AND WHERE CAN I WATCH OR LISTEN TO BIDEN? The speech is set for 9 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast by the major networks and cable news TV channels. The White House plans to stream it at www.WH.gov/live, as well as on its YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages. Live coverage will also be provided by C-SPAN, C-SPAN Radio and C-SPAN.org. NPR is streaming the speech on its website,…Read More

India tops 200,000 dead as virus surge breaks health system

NEW DELHI (AP) — India crossed a grim milestone Wednesday of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse. The health ministry reported 3,293 daily COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 201,187, as the world’s second populous country endures its darkest chapter of the pandemic yet. The country also reported 362,757 new infections, a new global record, which raised the overall total past 17.9 million. The previous record of 350,000 on Monday had capped a five-day streak of recording the largest single-day increases in any country throughout the pandemic. …Read More

Outdoor mask guidance echoes what many Americans already do

In the small Nebraska town of Oxford, the school district dropped its mask mandate last month in what was a fairly straight-forward decision: Cases were down dramatically, and it didn’t bother local officials that their move flouted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Those federal mask guidelines just didn’t seem to fit local conditions well in the town of about 800 people where hardly anyone wears a mask. “We haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to what is going on at the federal level — mainly what is coming out through the state,” Southern Valley Superintendent Bryce Jorgensen said. “You just can’t compare Chicago to Oxford, Nebraska. Things are just different.” …Read More

Navy SEALs to shift from counterterrorism to global threats

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten years after they found and killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. Navy SEALs are undergoing a major transition to improve leadership and expand their commando capabilities to better battle threats from global powers like China and Russia. The new plan cuts the number of SEAL platoons by as much as 30% and increases their size to make the teams more lethal and able to counter sophisticated maritime and undersea adversaries. And there will be a new, intensive screening process for the Navy’s elite warriors, to get higher-quality leaders after scandals that rocked the force and involved charges of murder, sexual assault and drug use. Rear Adm. Hugh Howard, top commander for the SEALs, laid out his plans in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. He said the Navy’s sp…Read More

AP PHOTOS: India’s deadly virus surge follows crowded events

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 200,000 as a virus surge sweeps the country, rooted in so-called super-spreader events that were allowed to happen in the months after India thought it had the pandemic under control. Now India is enduring its darkest chapter yet, with mass funeral pyres, burials and a collapse of the health system compounded by shortages of oxygen, ventilators, and hospital beds. Fueling the catastrophe were a series of crowded events, like mass rallies by politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, religious holidays and pilgrimages on the River Ganges, where people relaxed their vigilance and didn’t wear masks or keep their social distance. …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

Tim Scott, only Black GOP senator, set to respond to Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, is often happy to dart past Capitol Hill reporters without saying much. This time, he and the spotlight have …Read More

LEADING OFF: Rookies Weathers, Widener meet, deGrom vs Bosox

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ NICE NEWCOMERS …Read More

In Jaffa, gentrification stokes discord as Arabs pushed out

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A turreted former Catholic girl’s school in Jaffa is being transformed into an exclusive Soho House club. Around the corner, a historic ex-convent is…Read More

3D printing’s new challenge: Solving the US housing shortage

A new generation of startups wants to disrupt the way houses are built by automating production with industrial 3D printers. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturin…Read More