“This is about making sure that the power of the federal government can be used to craft a future that we’ll be proud to hand to our kids.” Source

To date, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested $1.75 billion in the fight against COVID-19. Source

Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Susan Collins have also floated censuring former President Trump. Source

President Biden rolled out a series of executive orders yesterday aimed at addressing systemic racism. Black Women’s Roundtable president Melanie Campbell joined CBSN to discuss the president’s racial equity agenda, and the steps her organization is taking to hold the new administration accountable. Source

California is bracing for heavy rain and snow. CBS News meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli joins “CBSN AM” to talk about the forecast and how this type of storm is linked to climate change. He also breaks down a new report on the rising rate of ice loss due to climate change. Source

The scramble for vaccinations in Europe has never been more critical, CBS News’ Charlie D’Agata reports, and the tensions never higher. Source

President Biden’s COVID-19 response team is set to give its first briefing today, after the administration announced plans to secure 200 million more doses of the vaccine. Also on Wednesday, the president will be signing new executive orders aimed at tackling climate change. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe joins CBSN with the latest developments. Source

Senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge joins CBSN AM with an update to an investigation into veterans’ exposure to toxic military base Karshi-Khanabad, known as K2, in Uzbekistan. President Donald Trump signed an executive order late in his term recognizes veterans who served at the base and investigates any health consequences related to toxic exposure there, a move that many K2 veterans met with gratitude. Source

Former President Trump issued more than 140 pardons and commutations during his last 24 hours in office. Most pardons were granted to his friends and political allies, but certain gaps have left some of those people vulnerable to future convictions for their crimes. Kim Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law and the author of “How to Read the Constitution–and Why,” joined CBSN’s Elaine Quijano to discuss. Source

Philanthropist Melinda Gates sits down with Gayle King to discuss the themes and highlights of her foundation’s traditional yearly letter. It comes as no surprise that this year, it focuses exclusively on the COVID-19 pandemic and the global response to it. It also looks ahead and recommends how to prepare for the next one. Source