1/ Biden called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to relax coronavirus restrictions “Neanderthal thinking” and that it was a “big mistake” for people to stop wearing masks. Other states, including Mississippi, have also begun to relax restrictions and end requirements to wear masks citing vaccination rates and lower numbers of Covid-19 cases. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, criticized the decision by governors of Texas and Mississippi to lift mask requirements and other restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus, saying “We have been very clear now is not the time to release all restrictions. The next month or two is really pivotal in terms of how this pandemic goes.” White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki added: “This entire country has paid the price for political leaders who ignored the science when it comes to the pandemic.” (USA Today / ABC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / Washington Post)

2/ Biden and Senate Democrats agreed to limit the number of people who are eligible for $1,400 stimulus checks. Under the new structure, payments would phase out at a faster rate than the House’s Covid-19 relief bill, which zeroed out at individuals earning $100,000 and $200,000 for couples. The Senate bill will cut off payments at $80,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples. About 12 million fewer adults and 5 million fewer kids would get the stimulus payments under the new compromise. In January, Biden promised to boost stimulus payments for Americans to $2,000, telling Georgia voters that they would get $2,000 payments if Democrats won both Senate runoff elections. (NBC News / Washington Post / CNBC / Bloomberg)

3/ The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI warned of a “possible plot” by a militia group to breach the U.S. Capitol and “remove Democratic lawmakers on or about” March 4. The bulletin, titled “National Capital Region Remains Attractive Target for Domestic Violent Extremists,” warned that “Domestic Violent Extremists” or “Militia Violent Extremists” were emboldened by the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and may “exploit public gatherings either formally organized or spontaneous to engage in violence.” The threat appears to be connected to a QAnon conspiracy theory that Trump will return to power on March 4, because that was the original presidential inauguration day until 1933, when it was moved to Jan. 20. (NBC News /