In a Senate hearing, former U.S. Capitol security officials said that they did not have sufficient information ahead of Jan. 6 to accurately predict the scale of the attack. Also, a grand jury voted that no charges will be filed against Rochester police officers in connection with the March 2020 death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who was in the midst of a mental health crisis during his encounter with the police. And, a national health care provider has administered COVID-19 vaccinations to people deemed ineligible for the scarce vaccine by local health departments, including people with connections to company leaders.

The Biden administration has prioritized vaccinating the country quickly and equitably. But making sure vaccines reach communities of color has been a challenge. Also, the Senate holds the first hearing into the Capitol riot on January 6. And, we go to the recovery efforts in Houston, Texas in the wake of the disastrous winter storm and power outages that struck the state last week.

The U.S. is nearing 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, almost a year since the country's first death from the disease. Also, Judge Merrick Garland finally gets a confirmation hearing, but this time it is to take the role of President Biden's attorney general. And, Texans who were fortunate enough to have power last week during a devastating winter storm are now facing massive electricity bills. Why?

On this week's bonus episode of Up First, a story at the intersection of religion and disinformation. Host Rachel Martin reports on the role that some white evangelical churches have had in spreading conspiracy theories that threaten American democracy. The majority of Republicans don't believe President Biden was legitimately elected - and more than half of white evangelicals think that, too.

Power as been restored in most of Texas but the state faces another crisis as many are without clean water. President Biden formally offers to restart nuclear talks with Iran, but Tehran demands the lifting of all U.S. sanctions first. NPR has developed an on-line tool that will help users find where they can get a coronavirus vaccine.

In Texas the power is back after several days for most of the population, but now they have to worry about whether the water is safe after treatment plants were temporarily offline. Also, President Biden gives his first speech to world leaders. He wants to move beyond his predecessor's "America First" policies. And, Native American tribes have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. But tribes are quickly and efficiently vaccinating their communities.

Many people in Texas still do not have electricity following a brutal winter storm that swept through much of the country. Now many of them are being told their water might not be safe to drink as well. Also, Facebook has banned news stories from its platform in Australia to push back against a proposed law regarding sharing of its revenue. And, NASA's Perseverance rover is set to land on Mars today.

A historic winter storm swept across the U.S., hitting particularly hard in Texas, where millions were left without power in record low temperatures. Also, President Biden held a town hall as part of a tour to sell Americans and Congress on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. And, an impending deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan is putting pressure on President Biden to make a choice his predecessors could not.

Researchers have identified multiple variants of the coronavirus that have originated in the U.S. Also, a massive winter storm is threatening Americans from coast to coast. We go to Texas where for the first time in history the entire state is under a winter storm warning. And, how will the Biden administration answer the call to cancel student debt?

With impeachment finished, Congress now returns to focusing on President Biden's economic stimulus plan. But why do some economists say it could be too much? Also, daily coronavirus cases are falling across the U.S. and the pace of vaccinations is increasing. And, in a change from the massive demonstrations last month, Russians in multiple cities used their cellphone flashlights to show their support for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.