| Systemic failure | The arctic blast that left millions without power in Texas ignited a blame game between advocates of renewable energy and those who back traditional sources, but there's one thing most experts agree on: The U.S. electricity system needs a total revamp. As Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Ari Natter explain, that could give a boost to President Joe Biden's plans for a "historic investment" in the grid so it's more resilient to extreme weather spurred by climate change. Vaccine ramp-up | Biden announced that Moderna and Pfizer agreed to sell more coronavirus vaccines to the U.S. faster than planned after the administration invoked the Defense Production Act, allowing the government to nationalize commercial production in emergencies. He also used the first televised town-hall event of his presidency last night to press for passage of his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan and a $15 minimum wage. - The European Union finalized an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech of Germany for 200 million more doses of their vaccine.
- As Biden prepares to meet with labor union leaders, Nancy Cook explores how his economic policies are more left-leaning than his centrist campaign suggested.
Downgraded friend | Biden's plan to "recalibrate" relations with Saudi Arabia, with outreach to King Salman rather than de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, is the latest shift from Trump administration policies toward the world's largest oil exporter. Donald Trump established close ties with Prince Mohammed and made Saudi Arabia the centerpiece of his Middle East strategy. Saudi officials haven't responded yet to the change. War footing | Mario Draghi urged Italians to pull together to rebuild the country after the pandemic in an effort he compared to reconstruction after World War II. Speaking in his maiden address to the Senate as prime minister before his first confidence vote tonight, he said the EU needs a common budget to battle recessions and warned member states will need to cede some sovereignty. She's back | The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first public appearance in more than a year, ending an absence that raised questions about a woman who'd been at her husband's side for trips overseas and to Mount Paektu, the symbolic seat of the Kim family's rule. Ri Sol Ju may have been taking care of the couple's children and avoiding public exposure during the pandemic, South Korea's spy agency said.  Kim and Ri watch a performance marking the birth anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang yesterday. Photo credit: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP What to Watch -
Seiko Hashimoto is set to be selected as head of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee, public broadcaster NHK said, after her male predecessor stepped down over sexist remarks. -
Myanmar's detained leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, appeared in court yesterday on two separate charges a day earlier than scheduled and without her party-appointed lawyer. -
Peruvian prosecutors began investigating former President Martin Vizcarra and about 500 others over allegations they abused their authority to receive secret coronavirus vaccinations before the shots became available to the public. -
Finland's prime minister, Sanna Marin, is expected to survive a no-confidence vote in parliament today over her government's handling of the EU recovery fund. And finally ... Belarus's government-backed industry park was one of President Alexander Lukashenko's flagship policies. But after he quashed protests against his 26-year rule, pioneers who turned the former Soviet republic into an unlikely tech hub are headed for the exit. As Milda Seputyte and Aliaksandr Kudrytski report, companies including the chat app Viber are shifting employees abroad or relocating altogether in a boon for the country's neighbors.  Opposition supporters near a monument to Belarusian poet Yakub Kolas last October. Photo credit: Tass via Getty Images | 
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